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BACKGROUND: The COVID‐19 pandemic triggered a worldwide socio‐sanitary crisis, continuing to impact societies worldwide. With many school systems shifted to online education, the current study presents a unique opportunity to investigate relevant phenomena related to serious health issues during the schooling and later in life, cyberbullying and bullying. This study began just before the COVID‐19 lockdown was declared and resumed 5 months later allowing to explore 2 main objectives: first, to explore whether cyberbullying increased during the lockdown, and second, to analyze transitions from to time of bullying and cyberbullying. METHODS: The participants included 792 students from sixth and seventh years of Primary Education (Meanage = 10.81, SD = 0.85) in Ecuador. This is a quantitative longitudinal study. Cyberbullying and bullying scales were used for data collection before the lockdown in January and February 2020 (T1), and after 5 months of lockdown, at the end of the same academic year in July 2020 (T2). Descriptive, comparative and predictive analyses, a latent transition analysis was used to identify latent status of cyberbullying and bullying behavior at T1 and T2. RESULTS: The results revealed a significant increase of cyberbullying after 5 months of the lockdown. Interestingly, only a small percentage of students who were uninvolved in cyberbullying and bullying in T1 remained uninvolved in T2. CONCLUSIONS: The discussion explores the dynamics of cyberbullying involvement and examines changes in the roles and groups of bullying and cyberbullying after 5 months of lockdown. The political‐ and school‐related implications of these findings are thoroughly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Small airway dysfunction (SAD) is increasingly recognized as an important feature of pediatric asthma yet typically relies on spirometry-derived FEF25–75 to detect its presence. Multiple breath washout (MBW) and oscillometry potentially offer improved sensitivity for SAD detection, but their utility in comparison to FEF25–75, and correlations with clinical outcomes remains unclear for school-age asthma. We investigated SAD occurrence using these techniques, between-test correlation and links to clinical outcomes in 57 asthmatic children aged 8–18 years. Methods: MBW and spirometry abnormality were defined as z-scores above/below ± 1.96, generating MBW reference equations from contemporaneous controls (n = 69). Abnormal oscillometry was defined as > 97.5th percentile, also from contemporaneous controls (n = 146). Individuals with abnormal FEF25–75, MBW, or oscillometry were considered to have SAD. Results: Using these limits of normal, SAD was present on oscillometry in 63% (resistance at 5–20 Hz; R5-R20; >97.5th percentile), on MBW in 54% (Scond; z-scores> +1.96) and in spirometry FEF25–75 in 44% of participants (z-scores< −1.96). SAD, defined by oscillometry and/or MBW abnormality, occurred in 77%. Among those with abnormal R5-R20, Scond was abnormal in 71%. Correlations indicated both R5-R20 and Scond were linked to asthma medication burden, baseline FEV1 and reversibility. Additionally, Scond correlated with FENO and magnitude of bronchial hyper-responsiveness. SAD, detected by oscillometry and/or MBW, occurred in almost 80% of school-aged asthmatic children, surpassing FEF25–75 detection rates. Conclusions: Discordant oscillometry and MBW abnormality suggests they reflect different aspects of SAD, serving as complementary tools. Key asthma clinical features, like reversibility, had stronger correlation with MBW-derived Scond than oscillometry-derived R5-R20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread school closures were implemented globally based on the assumption that transmission among children in the school environment is common. However, evidence regarding secondary infection rates by school type and level of contact is lacking. Our study estimated the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 infection in school settings by examining the positivity rate according to school type and level of contact by using data from a large-scale school-based PCR project conducted in Okinawa, Japan, during 2021-2022. Our results indicate that, despite detection of numerous positive cases, the average number of secondary infections remained relatively low at -0.5 cases across all types of schools. Considering the profound effects of prolonged closures on educational access, balancing public health benefits against potential long-term effects on children is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated relationships among home reading practices, shared book reading (SBR) behaviors, and child literacy outcomes in young children with cochlear implants in Baltimore, Maryland. Parents (N =18) completed a home reading questionnaire and recorded themselves reading books with their children at home. Shared book reading sessions were coded for interactive reading behaviors. Children's early language skills and literacy skills were also assessed. We explored variability in these behaviors with regard to demographic characteristics and type of book; these exploratory analyses revealed that parents used more literacy teaching techniques when reading the wordless picture book and that parent interaction and engagement and literacy teaching techniques were more frequent with younger children than with older children. While many families frequently used interactive reading behaviors, our analysis did not find significant relationships between the parent behaviors and children's literacy scores. However, there was an interaction between the amount of reading and cochlear implant experience such that more cochlear implant experience was associated with better reading outcomes only for the group of children who received more reading time. In a sample of young children with cochlear implants, reading time, cochlear implant experience, and child language skills were better predictors of reading outcomes than parents' frequency of SBR behaviors alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of universal, school-based interventions in preventing the emergence, maintenance, or escalation of behavioral difficulties in children and adolescents is supported by a growing body of research. Nevertheless, this understanding is somewhat limited to "what works" assessments, leaving aside fundamental questions on relevant underlying mechanisms that make an intervention effective under specific circumstances, for some groups, or even at certain times. Using data from the cluster randomized controlled trial of the Good Behavior Game in England, involving 3,084 children in 77 schools, we showcase the latent adherence growth curve model, a multilevel structural equation modeling approach that takes account simultaneously of intervention compliance, subgroup moderator effects, change over time, and higher-level data structures. This statistical framework allowed a more nuanced view of the effects of the Good Behavior Game on the long-term developmental trajectories of disruptive behavior among male and female students. Our approach enabled us to ascertain the effect of child- and school-level covariates on intervention compliance and change in disruptive behavior over time, as well as the effects of both compliance and noncompliance on outcomes. In doing so, we found evidence of positive effects (reduction of disruptive behavior) on female compliers, but also iatrogenic effects among male noncompliers (increased disruptive behavior). We discuss the implications of our approach and findings for further research and practice. Educational Impact and Implications Statement: Analyzing compliance can be as important as noncompliance to understand why interventions in schools may or may not work. We illustrated how to implement a statistical approach that addresses the challenges of understanding why, how, when, and for whom interventions work, by simultaneously addressing longitudinal outcomes, multilevel structures, and unobserved compliance groups. We found not only that compliance with the Good Behavior Game had a positive effect on female pupils' disruptive behavior, but also that noncompliance had an unintended negative effect on male pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of Arduino in introductory thermal energy experiments, specifically focusing on thermal equilibrium. By utilizing Arduino Uno boards and DS18B20 temperature sensors, students can explore heat transfer between two objects at different temperatures. The experiment is suitable for high school or college students in nonmajor science courses and can be adapted for elementary or middle school students. The article emphasizes the advantages of using sensors in STEM education, making experiments engaging and accessible to all students, regardless of their prior knowledge or skills. [Extracted from the article]

Using an in-depth qualitative case study approach, this study examines parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as they tried to become involved in their children's education and establish home–school partnerships to better support their children's needs in an elementary school in Turkey. Specifically, we focused on the school-level, structural barriers that these parents faced during the process. Our findings indicate that despite these parents' unparalleled enthusiasm and advocacy in supporting their children's education, their efforts to work in partnership with their children's school was hindered by various structural barriers. This study questions traditional perceptions and practices employed by schools to promote home–school partnerships for parents of children with ASD and argues that these traditional ways of viewing partnership further complicate the situation and hinder possible authentic partnerships that might have occurred between schools and parents. This paper provides suggestions for school leaders, teachers and families, as well as for policymakers, to establish more authentic partnerships for parents of children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policies exist to regulate the use of restraint and seclusion so that they are only implemented when necessary and following appropriate standards and procedures. These policies often focus on students with disability. This qualitative study explored school leaders' understanding, use and perspectives of the Restraint and Seclusion Policy mandated for Victorian government schools, in relation to primary school-aged children with disability. Reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken on interviews conducted with eight leaders from six Victorian government schools. Five themes were developed: (i) Perceptions about behaviours of concern; (ii) Complex policy complicates implementation; (iii) Many factors determine policy implementation; (iv) Reporting is required but stressful; and (v) Support is important and includes, but is not limited to, professional development. Results indicate the Policy was valued but complex. School ethos, educator ideologies and understanding of behaviour, and the physical environment impacted policy implementation. Leaders felt the most effective approach to reducing restraint and seclusion use was preventing challenging behaviour through proactive and holistic approaches. Reporting was necessary but the process often felt arduous and judgmental for educators. The Restraint and Seclusion Policy was valued but needs to be user friendly and supported with professional development about understanding the policy, behaviour and disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's white matter development is driven by experience, yet it remains poorly understood how it is shaped by attending formal education. A small number of studies compared children before and after the start of formal schooling to understand this, yet they do not allow to separate maturational effects from schooling‐related effects. A clever way to (quasi‐)experimentally address this issue is the longitudinal school cut‐off design, which compares children who are similar in age but differ in schooling (because they are born right before or after the cut‐off date for school entry). We used for the first time such a longitudinal school cut‐off design to experimentally investigate the effect of schooling on children's white matter networks. We compared "young" first graders (schooling group, n = 34; Mage = 68 months; 20 girls) and "old" preschoolers (non‐schooling group, n = 33; Mage = 66 months; 18 girls) that were similar in age but differed in the amount of formal instruction they received. Our study revealed that changes in fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity in five a priori selected white matter tracts during the transition from preschool to primary school were predominantly driven by age‐related maturation. We did not find specific schooling effects on white matter, despite their strong presence for early reading and early arithmetic skills. The present study is the first to disentangle the effects of age‐related maturation and schooling on white matter within a longitudinal cohort of 5‐year‐old preschoolers. Research Highlights: White matter tracts that have been associated with reading and arithmetic may be susceptible to experience‐dependent neuroplasticity when children learn to read and calculate.This longitudinal study used the school cut‐off design to isolate schooling‐induced from coinciding maturational influences on children's white matter development.White matter changes during the transition from preschool to primary school are predominantly driven by age‐related maturation and not by schooling effects.Strong effects of schooling on behavior were shown for early reading and early arithmetic, but not for verbal ability and spatial ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does the representation of boy and girl exemplars in curricular materials affect students' learning? We tested two competing hypotheses about the impact of gender exemplar on learning: First, in line with Social Learning Theory, children might exhibit a same‐gender bias such that they prefer to learn from exemplars that match their gender (H1). Second, consistent with research on children's stereotypes about gender and math (e.g., associating boys with math competence), children might prefer to learn from exemplars who match their stereotypes about who is good at math (H2). We tested these hypotheses with children in middle school (N = 166), a time of development in which stereotypes are well‐engrained, but before gender differences in math achievement appear. Children viewed two distinct math strategies, each presented by a boy or girl exemplar. We then examined which strategy children employed on a subsequent math test as well as their perceived similarity to the exemplars and their awareness or endorsement of gender‐math stereotypes. Children did not preferentially learn from same‐gender exemplars. However, children with stereotypes associating boys with math were more likely to learn the more difficult strategy when it was presented by a boy exemplar than children who did not associate boys with math. The results of this study provide valuable insight into how children's stereotypes impact their real‐world learning. Research Highlights: How does the representation of boy and girl exemplars in children's curricular materials affect their learning?Past research demonstrates that children prefer to learn from same‐gender exemplars, but also hold a stereotype that boys are better at math.In the current study, we test whether children preferentially adopt a math strategy presented by a boy or girl exemplar.Children who held the belief that boys are better at math were more likely to learn a difficult strategy from boy exemplars than children who did not endorse this stereotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Achievement of emotional, communicative, cognitive, and motor milestones of infants, toddlers and preschoolers was comparable to the general pediatric population. • In children younger than 6 years of age, milestones were considered to be reached by each age-based population subgroup studied when ≥ 75 % of included children expressed the tested competences. • General results were comparable to the general pediatric population. • It was observed a decrease regarding social interaction in preadolescents and adolescents. To study if social and emotional, communicative, cognitive, motor development of children born from cryopreserved oocytes are comparable to general population. Survey study. This is a single-center population study, focusing on all children born from cycles of in vitro fertilization of cryopreserved oocytes at Humanitas Fertility Center from January 1st,2003, until December 31st, 2021. General information about birth history were collected from all parents. Then, screening for developmental delay was performed by administration of a questionnaire, edited according to milestones set for age by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Primary outcomes included the percentage of children, for each age range, that reached related milestones. In children younger than 6 years of age, milestones were considered to be reached by each age-based population subgroup studied when ≥ 75 % of included children expressed the tested competences. A total of 355 live births fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the study. Results showed that each age-based population subgroup, younger than 6 years of age, scored ≥ 75 % in all the milestones included in the questionnaire. In preadolescents and adolescents, it was noted a decrease in unstructured in-person socializing. Indeed, milestones that scored the lowest values, based on parents' judgement, included tasks concerning peer-to-peer interaction (72.31%) and sexuality and sentimental relationships (63.08%). Results indicated that the achievement of emotional, communicative, cognitive, and motor milestones in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers was comparable to the general pediatric population. Similarly, emotional wellbeing and social engagement in school-aged children, preadolescents, and adolescents were in line with their peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benign acute childhood myositis is a benign phenomenon often associated with influenza in children. The aim of this scoping review was to analyze the typical clinical picture and characteristics of benign acute childhood myositis patients. Furthermore, we aimed to analyze the epidemiology and viral findings. We performed a systematic scoping review. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases in August 2023. We included observational studies that focused on children and reported at least 10 children. Our main outcome was to describe the typical clinical picture of benign acute childhood myositis patients. Furthermore, we aimed to report the typical laboratory findings and virus findings. A total of 211 studies were screened, and 22 studies were included in this review. The included studies were mainly from Europe (13 studies) and Asia (5 studies). Two studies were prospective, and the rest were retrospective. The mean age of the patients was 6.8 (CI 5.8–7.8) years. Benign acute childhood myositis appeared to be more prevalent among boys in all studies. The most prevalent symptoms were bilateral leg pain (pooled prevalence 92%), followed by fever (80%) and inability to walk (56%). Hospitalization rates varied between 4 and 100%, and the mean hospital stay was 3.6 (CI 3.3–3.9) days. Influenza B was the most common virus detected, followed by influenza A. Other reported viruses included herpes simplex, coxsackie-, enteroviruses, adeno-, respiratory syncytial, and parainfluenza viruses. All studies reported creatinine kinase levels, and the reported mean values varied between 100 and 4000 U/L, whereas only five studies reported C-reactive protein which was only slightly elevated. Conclusion: According to a systematic assessment of published literature, benign acute childhood myositis patients were typically school-aged children, presenting with bilateral leg pain, fever, and inability to walk. Influenza A and B were the most reported viruses, but multiple other viruses have been associated with benign acute childhood myositis. These patients have high creatinine kinase values, but their hospital stay was rather short. Overall, this review provides important information for clinicians on the characteristic presentation of benign acute childhood myositis, and these findings may help to better identify these patients and reduce unnecessary tests. What is known: • Benign acute childhood myositis has been mainly associated with influenza viruses, especially B influenza. • Typical patients have been reported to be under school-aged children, and boys have been reported to have a higher incidence. What is new: • Many non-influenza viruses were also associated with benign acute childhood myositis, such as herpes simplex, coxsackie-, entero-, adeno-, respiratory syncytial, and parainfluenza viruses. • Typical symptoms are bilateral calf pain, fever, and inability to walk and creatine kinase levels were reposted to be increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the implementation of robotics competitions for elementary students, emphasizing their potential benefits in fostering interest in STEM fields from an early age. Topics include the positive impacts of robotics competitions on middle and high school students, the development of twenty-first-century skills through participation; and the authors' goal to expand these opportunities to younger students to encourage future careers in STEM.

Several studies have reported high overweight and obesity incidence among schoolchildren and adolescents, who mostly consume packaged snacks with critical nutrients exceeding the criteria of international profiling systems during school breaks. Then, the objectives of this work were to reformulate a snack consumed by Argentinian schoolchildren and adolescents (aged 6–13 years) to decrease its critical nutrient contents and to determine if this product would still be accepted. Chocolate chip vanilla cookies were selected for reformulation considering each recommended cut-off point for critical nutrients, since a prohibition of products with warning octagons being offered at schools would come into effect in Argentina. These cookies received good acceptability scores (above 3 of 5 points) and would be consumed by 8 of 10 schoolchildren in a sample of 200 participants. These findings underscore the importance of legislation promoting awareness of healthier eating habits and increasing the availability of healthier food options in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of executive functions (EFs) training, both in computer‐based and school‐based formats. However, there is limited research on the combined effects of these training modalities. This study aims to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an EFs training programme for primary school children. The programme includes computerized training sessions for home use and school activities with metacognitive elements. The study included a sample of 53 second‐grade children, with 21 children in the training group and 32 children in the control group. Feasibility questionnaires were completed by children, parents and teachers. The children also underwent an EFs evaluation. The results indicate that the training was enjoyable for children and feasible for parents and teachers. Furthermore, preliminary efficacy analysis revealed significant improvements in working memory. These findings suggest that the training model holds promise for enhancing EFs in children in the school context. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Individual differences in executive functions influence acquisitions, behaviours and competencies in several specific domains from infancy to adulthood.Enhancing executive functions during school‐age years can contribute to reducing or preventing academic, behavioural and social difficulties.Among interventions targeting executive functions in school‐aged children, school‐based interventions have shown the highest effectiveness, followed by metacognitive interventions and computer‐based interventions.What this paper adds This paper presents the implementation of an innovative school‐based training programme designed to improve executive functions (EFs). The programme combines metacognitive sessions conducted at school with computer‐based sessions carried out at home. The goal was to enhance the effectiveness and generalizability of the training.The training programme was found to be enjoyable for children and feasible for both parents and teachers.Preliminary efficacy data indicate promising results, suggesting that the training programme is effective in achieving its intended goals.Implications for practice and/or policy Integrating school‐based metacognitive training with computerized sessions delivered at home can provide a high‐intensity training programme that may not be achievable in the school context alone.The school activities, conducted in group settings with teachers and peers, were found to be the most appreciated by the children, indicating that computer sessions alone cannot replace the value of metacognitive sessions at school, within a meaningful social context for the child.It is crucial to actively involve families in the training process to ensure good adherence. Additionally, the availability of technological resources in each family should be evaluated before implementing the training programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: In October 2023, the Tennessee Department of Health identified an outbreak of Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 infections among elementary school students who attended school field trips to the same farm animal exhibit. Our aim was to determine STEC source and prevent additional illnesses by initiating epidemiologic, laboratory and environmental investigations. Methods and Results: We identified cases using laboratory‐based surveillance and by surveying caregivers of children who attended the exhibit. Probable cases were defined as illness with abdominal cramps or diarrhoea after attendance; confirmed cases were laboratory‐confirmed STEC infection in an attendee or household contact. A site visit was conducted, and event organizers were interviewed. Human stool, animal faeces and environmental samples were tested for STEC O157:H7 by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), culture and whole‐genome sequencing (WGS). Approximately 2300 elementary school students attended the animal exhibit during 2 days. Field trip activities included contact with different farm animal species, drinking pasteurized milk outside animal enclosures and eating lunch in a separate building onsite. We received survey responses from 399 caregivers for 443 (19%) animal exhibit attendees. We identified 9 confirmed and 55 probable cases with illness onset dates during 26 September to 12 October. Seven children aged 1–7 years were hospitalized. Four children aged 1–6 years experienced haemolytic uraemic syndrome; none died. Laboratory testing identified STEC O157:H7 by culture from eight human stool samples with 0–1 allele difference by WGS. Three environmental samples had Shiga toxin (stx 2) genes detected by PCR, but no STEC isolates were recovered by culture. Conclusions: This is the largest reported STEC O157:H7 outbreak associated with an animal exhibit in Tennessee. We identified opportunities for educating school staff, event organizers and families about zoonotic disease risks associated with animal contact and published prevention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the findings of Let's Be Friends (Shaanxi), Trial 2 (LBF2), which is a second test of the school‐based intervention. Let's Be Friends (LBF) is designed to promote social competence and prevent maladaptive behaviour by strengthening the social information processing (SIP) skills of third‐grade children in rural China. A cluster‐matched design with random sampling was used in LBF2. Two rural counties in China were selected by purposive sampling (one is the treatment site, and another is the control site). Nine treatment schools (n = 343) were selected by random sampling. Fifteen control schools (n = 369) were selected by using vector‐norm matching. All children of the third grade, ages 8–10, in the treatment schools received 12 sessions of LBF2 intervention. Skill‐level Activity Scale and the Carolina Child Checklist–Teacher Form were employed to measure children's SIP skills and aggressive behaviour. LBF2 promoted the improvement of study children's SIP skills and effectively improved children's authority acceptance. LBF has the potential to be applied in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic language and its associations with school success have been established in many prior studies. However, the scholarship lacks research on the mechanisms that constitute these relations. This study investigates the mediating role of motivational--affective variables, specifically reading self-concept and reading enjoyment, in relations between academic language and reading comprehension assessed one year later. Path analyses were performed with a newly developed German measure of academic language proficiency on two samples (N = 198, Mage = 9.05 years [SD = 0.76], 49% girls, and N = 360, Mage = 9 years [SD = 0.80], 52% girls) of primary school students in Grades 2 and 3. Results reveal differential outcomes, suggesting an effect mediated via reading self-concept when academic language is operationalized as the comprehension of connectives. The findings are discussed within the context of contemporary perspectives on mental abilities, ranging academic language into current views on cognitive capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is a novel strategy to promote holistic learning experiences. In terms of road and traffic safety education for primary and secondary school students, this integration provides a complete framework for addressing the complexities of transportation networks and preventing accidents. This review paper examines the relationship between integrated STEM education and road/traffic safety, emphasizing its importance, obstacles, and possible influence. The paper is not a thorough evaluation of integrated STEM education, but it is well-referenced and should direct readers to more resources. The paper includes case studies and examples to help readers gain a better understanding of Integrating STEM into Road/Traffic Safety Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design thinking is a way to create solid designs that responds to design problems and solve it in a creative and suitable way. However, it is not widely recognized in architectural education pedagogy in Egypt for undergraduate. Despite being very efficient in several business avenues but not in architectural pedagogy. So, this paper aims to spot the light on design thinking and the possibility of its usage in design process to help students have a successful architectural project that solves the design problems and face the site challenges through the use of visualization design thinking tool. Where students face a challenge in translating the verbal language of their collected data in the research phase to the architectural language in the schematic phase. There is a recognized gap between the research students perform in the beginning of design project and the schematic designs that students deliver. The study proposes the possibility of using visualization as a tool for design thinking to have a sufficient and successful schematic design phase. The study will explain how students could apply design thinking in architectural design to benefit from their research phase in their schematic design. Moreover, come up with solutions and variable ideas using the tools of deign thinking as a way for helping in delivering design problem solution and have a more effective schematic design. At the end of the research paper the study concludes how the students can use visualization tool to translate the verbal language to architectural language and the possibility for using design thinking. That to help students realize the importance of analysis phase in synthesis. The research follows descriptive method and quantitative analysis where first the descriptive method is used in illustrating design process and design thinking. Then the quantitative analysis in the experiment is done followed by a survey to prove research problem and help in proposing the solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within creative domains in studio- and project-based education, documentation is often central to demonstrating outcomes, process, and progress. Despite much prior work into the instructional practices, technologies, and tools that support cultivating documentation practices, no prior work explores the student valuing and perception of documentation. To address this, we deploy a design probe to elicit and externalize conceptions of documentation with the same cohort of students in two semesters. Eleven participants engaged in higher education undergraduate programs completed the study. We focus our analysis on one activity — listing and ranking documentation's perceived values. Through our analysis, we developed and validated a robust codebook for students' values. We demonstrate the values of documentation to be coherent across background, time, and experience of the student participants. We also share insights on nine main roles documentation plays for students and discuss how documentation plays not only an important role in communicating creative work to diverse stakeholders but in building self-confidence, motivation, and affect for project-based and hands-on exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to derive a correlation between the technological thinking disposition and the computational thinking ability of gifted students in Korea. The correlation between each element was analyzed by looking at the sub-elements of computational thinking according to the components of technological thinking disposition. The experiment was conducted from September 2019 to February 2021 with 217 students of I Gifted School in Incheon, South Korea. The collected data were analyzed with Pearson's correlation coefficient using the statistical program R using Google COLAB. A summary of the study results is as follows. First, regarding the correlation between technological thinking ability, among the 6 components of technological thinking disposition, technological creativity and expression disposition and technological manipulation disposition show the highest correlation at 0.851. This shows that students who have an excellent ability to implement algorithms with new ideas or express them in various other attempts when implementing programs for gifted students also tend to enjoy program coding or have a tendency to like coding. Second, concerning the correlation between the technological thinking disposition and the sub-factors of computational thinking, some elements showed negative correlations and some had almost no correlation index. Students with high technological curiosity, however, tended to show a 0.287 in the parallelism factor compared to other factors. This showed a generally high trend. It can be said that students who want to know the functions, uses, forms, and characteristics of functions while implementing programs tend to have a better ability to divide large tasks into smaller tasks and process them simultaneously compared with other sub-elements of computational thinking. Third, regarding the correlation between computational thinking skills, the correlation between data analysis and pattern recognition was the highest at 0.637. This indicates that students who have an excellent ability to analyze a given coding problem also can find rules in data, showing that students at gifted schools in Korea tend to enjoy problem-solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper investigates the intersection of the maker movement and educational innovation, using the China-U.S. Young Maker Competition as a foundational example. It examines how maker education, fueled by hands-on learning and a curiosity-driven approach, can evolve and influence. The study explores the roles and impacts of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design-Driven Innovation (DDI), and Cross-Cultural Perspectives (CCP) within maker education. It highlights HCI's connection of technology with learning, DDI's focus on user-centered solutions, and the significance of CCP in enhancing cultural collaboration, vital for fostering an innovative and creative future. This paper offers a detailed perspective on the current state and future potential of maker education. It proposes a roadmap for the coming decade, emphasizing collaborative learning and creative endeavors, all set within the engaging environment of the competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STEAM contests play a pivotal role in maintaining students' interest and motivation in STEAM education. Finding factors that are related to students' continuance intention (CI) to participate in STEAM contests is important for promoting STEAM education. Previous studies mostly focused on exploring the relationships between students' behavioural attitude, positive affect and their CI for a STEAM contest. However, few studies have explored students' CI from the perspective of help-seeking attitude with the belief-attitude-behaviour model. Thus, this study investigated the relationships among students' hands-on making self-efficacy (HMSE), incremental belief of intelligence (IBI), help-seeking attitudes including instrumental help-seeking (IHS) and executive help-seeking (EHS), and their CI for STEAM contests based on the belief-attitude-behaviour model. A total of 405 elementary and junior high school students who took part in the 2022 STEAM PowerTech contest participated in this study. Structural equation modelling was used for confirmatory analysis to validate the hypotheses. Results indicated that EHS exhibited a negative association with CI, whereas IHS exhibited a positive association with CI. HMSE and IBI were negatively associated with EHS, and positively associated with IHS. This study implies that students with a high level of HMSE and IBI are inclined to exhibit IHS and thus have a strong CI for STEAM contests. The findings provide suggestions on enhancing students' CI for STEAM contests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the influence that an educational intervention has on students generating requirements for a design task. An experiment was performed in a fourth-year mechanical engineering design course by giving the participants a design problem from which they had to generate a list of requirements. A lecture on requirements was given and then the students were given a second problem. The two problems were tested for similarity. The data was evaluated using ideation metrics of variety, novelty, and quantity adapted to this study. Variety was assessed using eighteen categories to classify each requirement. Novelty was evaluated on the level of uniqueness of the requirement against the complete set generated, based on both syntax and semantic filtering. Findings suggest that the lecture had a positive impact on the students in increasing the variety of the requirement. All novel requirements belonged to the activity performed after lecture. Finally, the quantity of the requirements generated after the lecture were found to be statistically significantly higher. It is shown through a second study that the students before the lecture performed similarly to practicing engineers with three or more years of experience. This suggests that using undergraduate students in the final year of their program may be adequate as surrogates for engineering practitioners for requirement identification studies. This is an important methodological contribution for the engineering design research community to justify the use of students as participants in experimental studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design teams often rely on precedents, but the impact of using the direct experience of a precedent on design behavior requires further investigation. To explore this impact, fifteen teams of master students of architecture participated in two design sessions: one without and the other with a previous experience of visiting an example. The think-aloud protocol was applied, and a multi-layer coding based on FBS and precedent types was proposed to measure episodic (a specific design experience) and semantic (general design principles) precedents. Furthermore, a measurement was proposed to examine how and when the teams analyzed the precedents or applied them to solve the problem. Dynamic analyses were used to study the differences between the two conditions based on the distribution of precedents and the Problem-Solution index. Statistical analysis unfolded significant differences between the two conditions. In the second design session, the number of precedents, solution generations, and analyzing precedents were significantly increased. The first design session's episodic precedent had categorical similarity with both semantic and episodic precedents of the second design session. The results also indicated that design teams preferred to analyze the visiting experience of the precedent at the outset of the design session and apply other precedents for solving the design problem until the end of the session. While in the second design session, solution generation significantly increased, more episodic precedents related to the direct experience were used for problem framing. From another perspective, these precedents were also applied more to generate design concepts rather than refining design ideations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While it has been recognized that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education requires an interdisciplinary approach, integrating multiple subjects in a meaningful way remains challenging for teachers. This study aimed to design a STEM curriculum, emphasizing explicit and continuous scaffolding of students' reflection on scientific and engineering knowledge. The primary goal was to foster knowledge integration in their engineering designs and enhance their attitudes toward STEM. The study involved fifty tenth-grade students who were guided to discuss and reflect on relevant scientific and engineering knowledge and to apply mathematics for data collection and analysis during the design of their technology products. The research instruments included an assessment of the progression of knowledge integration in students' engineering designs through student journals and pre- and post-test surveys on attitudes toward science, technology, engineering, and the learning environment. The results reveal that the introduction and explicit scaffolding students' reflection on scientific and engineering knowledge led to a gradual improvement in knowledge integration within their engineering designs. Students also significantly enhanced their attitudes toward STEM and the learning environment compared to the general school curriculum. This study contributes to interdisciplinary learning that promotes the integration of scientific and engineering knowledge in students' engineering design processes, and to interdisciplinary assessment that evaluates students' knowledge integration across learning progressions and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been much previous research into online group learning, but they have not been aware of or focused on the challenges that design disciplines encounter in terms of interaction when moving to online delivery. This qualitative study comprised 3 participatory design workshops and 22 one-to-one interviews that included a total of 34 teachers and students from the School of Design at the University of Leeds. Participants reported the challenges and feelings they encountered in online group learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that the interactive experience of group learning is mainly influenced by the size of the group, the layout of the platform interface, the teacher's management style and the conflict within the group, with more far-reaching discussions providing specific questions and subtle suggestions. The article's findings can inform future strategies for online group learning for students and teachers of design disciplines in design higher education institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design thinking dispositions are essential for students to understand why design thinking knowledge should be applied to perform specific tasks. However, few studies are focused on teaching design thinking dispositions. This study proposes a conceptual model that supports teaching design thinking dispositions to address this gap. The model was instantiated in an undergraduate course. Students' reflections about the course were collected to evaluate the model. The use of the model is also demonstrated by considering different teaching scenarios. This study contributes to better teaching and learning design thinking dispositions based on a unique model that helps educators organize their design thinking courses. The study also derives some implications for educators. While teaching design thinking knowledge and skills is essential, developing students' design thinking dispositions is equally essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design students must develop competence in a wide range of areas in order to be successful in their future practice. Increasingly, knowledge of design methods is used to frame both a designer's repertoire and their overall facility as a designer. However, there is little research on how students build cognitive schema in relation to design methods or how these schema relate to specific patterns of engagement as developing designers. In this paper, we report a multiple case study, capturing the experiences of four advanced undergraduate students enrolled in a User Experience (UX) design program at a large research-intensive institution. Through reflexive thematic analysis on our interview study outcomes, we describe the wide variety of metaphors that these students used to organize and frame their understanding of design methods, including both principles they used to consider methods as knowledge, and the ways in which they felt these organizing principles impacted their practice of design. We conclude with recommendations for further research on the uptake of methods-focused competence in design education and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on Folk theory, Media Equation, and AI literacy research, the study constructed an interview outline and selected 72 students in 4th and 5th grade in three primary schools located in the Minhang and Putuo districts of Shanghai (two in the Minhang district and one in the Putuo district) as the study participants for focus group interviews. The study found that the availability of voice interaction is an essential basis for children to judge the level of intelligence of a machine; additionally, chatting is also the starting point for young children to build a close relationship with AI. Although AI cannot replace their friends, it can become a friend to them. While children expect the future of AI to be beyond the current level of intelligence and emotion and to enable the full use of machines in multiple scenarios and various fields, they are also concerned about issues such as privacy breaches that devices may cause in the future and believe that technology should not develop outside of human control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial thinking is ubiquitous in design. Design education across all age groups encompasses a range of spatially challenging activities, such as forming and modifying mental representations of ideas, and visualizing the scenarios of design prototypes being used. While extensive research has examined the cognitive processes of spatial thinking and their relationships to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning, there remains a knowledge gap regarding the specific spatial thinking processes needed for open-ended problems, which may differ from those assessed in close-ended, analytical spatial tasks. To address this gap, we used educational design-based research to develop a nature-inspired, design-by-analogy project and investigate the spatial thinking processes of young, novice designers. 16 children from an international school in the Netherlands participated in this five-week design project. Multimodal evidence from classroom recordings and children's design works were triangulated to offer insight into the key spatial thinking processes involved in their creation of nature-inspired, analogy-based design prototypes. Our results revealed spatial thinking processes that might not align with those assessed in conventional spatial tests and may be unique to design or open-ended problem-solving. These processes include abstracting spatial features to infer form-function relationships, retrieving a range of relevant visual information from memory, developing multiple possible analogical matches based on spatial features and relationships, elaborating and iterating on the design concepts and representations to make creative and suitable solutions for the design challenge, as well as visualizing design prototypes in practical usage scenarios. By highlighting the nuanced differences between spatial thinking in open-ended, divergent thinking tasks and conventional spatial tasks that demand single correct solutions, our research contributes to a deeper understanding of how children utilize spatial thinking in design and open-ended problem-solving contexts. Furthermore, this case study offers practical implications for scaffolding children's analogical reasoning and nurturing their spatial thinking in design education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators and researchers have increasingly recognized the importance of AI literacy. Despite the growing body of AI literacy literature, the challenges and enablers for introducing AI literacy for kindergarten children is still underexplored and undertheorized in early childhood education. It is critical to understand the challenges and enablers associated with promoting AI literacy and perceptions in kindergartens needs to be further researched and evaluated. This study aims to identify teachers' views on the importance of AI literacy in kindergartens and the challenges and enablers of promoting AI literacy in kindergartens. Data was collected from 15 teachers through individual interviews. It was found that the four main challenges of promoting AI literacy in kindergarten classrooms, including lack of school support, lack of children's comprehensive ability, insufficient teacher knowledge of AI, and lack of curriculum guidelines. The three main enablers of promoting AI literacy in kindergarten classrooms are government support, school support, and social needs. We also found that more than half of teachers in this study considered AI literacy education is crucial for kindergarten children. This study develops an AI literacy policy framework for young children that includes three dimensions—governance, pedagogical, and operational and management. Based on the findings, suggestions for educators, curriculum developers, policymakers, and researchers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the possible relationships between students' positive attitudes and interest toward technology and teachers' approaches. The study was conducted with a sample of students (N = 2312) from 5 to 8th grade of primary school in Croatia. Reduced descriptions of teachers' approaches were used as predictors of students' positive attitudes and interest. Multiple regression was used to determine correlations between teachers' approaches and students' attitudes. The results show a weak but positive correlation between students' attitudes and interests and teachers' approaches typical of the flexible teacher profile. This refers to approaches in which teachers ensure that they understand the purpose of learning, implement activities that are useful from the students' perspective, and allow students to do what they are successful at. Although the characteristics of Croatian technology teachers fit the flexible teacher profile, the correlated approaches identified here do not dominate. Despite the results, due to the complexity of the influence on students' interests and attitudes, further research is needed that considers other possible predictors and their interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of digital devises among children and the excessive screen time are precondition for the rise in myopia at an alarming rate. The awareness of the risk factors for the onset and progression of nearsightedness is highly important. The study seeks to explore parents’ knowledge of the behavioral determining factors for the onset of the refractive myopic anomaly in schoolchildren. Conclusions: A significant part of adolescents does not observe healthy hygienic and eating habits that foster the normal visual analyzer development. Almost half of the parents are not informed of the risk factors that cause damage to the vision and of the nutrients that can help keep eyes healthy. Increasing parents’ awareness of this topic would help to narrow down the rate of prevalence of myopia among schoolchildren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAimMethodResultsInterpretation\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTo achieve expert consensus on optimal child-led goal setting and evaluation practices for school-aged children (5 ≤ 17 years) who have a disability or delay.A three-round, eDelphi consensus design was used. In Round 1, expert allied health professionals identified factors important during child-led goal setting for: (i) planning, (ii) process steps and tools, and (iii) support strategies. Factors were collated into items for Rounds 2 and 3. Participants rated item agreement on a 7-point Likert scale. Consensus was determined as ≥75% of participants in agreement or disagreement.Sixty professionals from nine countries and six disciplines participated. Of 323 unique items generated, 159 (50%) reached consensus. Strong agreement was reached for goal setting and evaluation “process steps” and “support strategies” to engage children. It was strongly recommended that allied health professionals should tailor their processes to each child’s individual needs, provide ability-specific strategies and resources, and empower children to share their perspectives. Fewer items reached consensus for “planning” and “tools” to guide child-led goal setting.Professional experts agree that children can be actively involved in goal setting and evaluation. Future research should focus on tools and technologies to support child-led goal setting for children with diverse abilities.Professionals agree that children should be involved in goal setting to the greatest extent possible.Children’s readiness to participate relates to their cognition, communication, social-emotional skills, and motivation.The goal setting process should be personalised and accessible for children.Child-specific tools are needed to support children to share their perspectives.Professionals agree that children should be involved in goal setting to the greatest extent possible.Children’s readiness to participate relates to their cognition, communication, social-emotional skills, and motivation.The goal setting process should be personalised and accessible for children.Child-specific tools are needed to support children to share their perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematics, along with reading and writing, is a core academic subject in the school curriculum. The development of mathematical skills is influenced by various cognitive factors, with executive functions (EF) playing a central role. EF, which encompasses working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility, is critical for supporting complex cognitive processes required for problem-solving and mathematical reasoning. Research consistently shows that children with stronger EF tend to achieve better academic outcomes, including in mathematics. The goal of the present study was to examine the relationships between the global EF and its three core components – working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility – and their impact on mathematics achievement. The sample for this study consisted of 180 children, aged 8–11 years (mean age: 9.6, SD: 1.0 year; 83 girls, 97 boys). EF was assessed using the Yellow-Red test, while mathematics achievement was evaluated based on teachers’ evaluations of the child’s mathematics performance. The results indicated a statistically significant effect of global EF and its three components on mathematics achievement. Given the potential malleability of EFs, we conclude with recommendations for strategies to enhance EF development at an early school age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head lice infestations are the most prominent ectoparasitic infection in the world, including Iran, particularly among school children. Recently, numerous cases of infestation have been reported in various provinces of the country. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of head louse infestations and analyze kdr gene sequences in terms of resistance mutations in the Torbat-e Heydarieh, Mahvelat, and Zaveh cities of Khorasan Razavi Province, Northeast Iran. The data related to the epidemiological and demographic history of head lice populations were extracted from their medical records and analyzed in Excel software. After extracting the genomic DNA, the kdr fragment was amplified using specific primers. The sequences were also analyzed using bioinformatics software. The prevalence of head louse infestations was 1.59% and 1.7% during 2016 and 2017, respectively. Sequence analysis revealed the frequency distribution of two kdr haplotypes, I and V, in the study areas. The increase in head louse infestations in recent years and the simultaneous presence of kdr mutations indicate the need for new treatments and monitoring/controlling resistance to head louse insecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Canadian schools, food and drink offerings have yet to be explicitly incorporated in most inclusive food policies and practices. With the growing number of vegetarian and vegan (veg*n) families and literature documenting their marginalisation, this study sought to explore parents’ experiences within Ontario schools for their children who eat plant-based diets, yet also unearthed how limited choices negatively affected the good health and well-being of lactose and gluten intolerant students, as well as other dietary needs. Taking a narrative inquiry-inspired approach, interviews were conducted with 11 parents. In most schools, veg*n options were not available, and as a result, students felt socially excluded and, at times, were physically left out, which adversely affected their well-being and interrupted their learning. Most parents also felt unsupported when advocating for their children. All parents recommended partnerships for the goals of inclusion and quality education, by forming inclusive school food policies, teaching about a range of diet diversity, including why people adopt these, such as for health, animal welfare, sustainability, religion, culture, and more. By informing school food policies with parent voices, students can benefit from reduced inequalities and good health and well-being. Doing so would foster peace, justice and strong institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Method Results Interpretation To determine school attendance and its predictors among children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Bangladesh using population‐based data.This study utilized data from the Bangladesh Cerebral Palsy Register (BCPR), a population‐based register of children with CP aged less than 18 years in Bangladesh. Sociodemographic, clinical, and educational data were documented, and descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify potential predictors of school attendance.Between January 2015 and January 2019, 2725 children with CP were registered into BCPR of which 1582 were school‐aged children (i.e. aged 6–18 years). The majority of those children had not attended school (73.9%); 50% (n = 239) children in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I to II did not attend schools. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) showed significantly higher odds of school attendance among children whose mothers had completed secondary education or higher (adjusted OR: 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2–4.0) and received rehabilitation (adjusted OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.4–3.1). Conversely, lower odds of school attendance were observed among children aged 15 to 18 years (adjusted OR: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2–0.8), those with bilateral CP (adjusted OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.3–0.8), GMFCS levels III to V (adjusted OR: 0.3; 95% CI: 0.2–0.5), Manual Ability Classification System levels III to V (adjusted OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.4–0.8), and speech impairment (adjusted OR: 0.3; 95% CI: 0.2–0.6).A large number of children with CP in Bangladesh, including half of those with milder forms, do not attend schools. These findings underscore a deficiency in awareness and support, encompassing the provision of resources and trained teachers, highlighting the necessity for policy‐level changes. Sociodemographic and clinical predictors should be taken into account when devising educational programmes to enhance school attendance for children with CP in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the collaboration between BBC radio producer Rhoda Power and professional archaeologists Dina Dobson and Jacquetta Hawkes, in the production of the Schools radio series How Things Began. During the Second World War, radio became an important way of conveying educational information to the citizens of Britain. At the same time, archaeology was consolidating its role in British public life. The discussion considers the techniques used by Rhoda Power and expert contributors in the creation of archaeological radio content designed to appeal to school children, and therefore contributes to an enhanced understanding of Rhoda Power's role within the BBC Schools service, and provides new insights into the contribution to British life and education of two eminent female archaeologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students spend a considerable amount of time in school. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and the association between the pain and suitability of school furniture and daily activities among primary school and university students. A total of 238 primary and university students participated in the study. The adapted Nordic questionnaire was used to assess pain prevalence, the BackPEI questionnaire was used to assess school-related factors, and student furniture mismatch calculations were performed to determine the anthropometric suitability of school furniture. Most students did not have a proper body posture while sitting, did not lift objects properly, and used TV and computer frequently. A high student-furniture mismatch was found for seat and desk height. The neck, lower back, shoulders, and upper back were the most affected body parts. Our study confirmed that musculoskeletal pain occurs in primary school students and increases with age, especially lower back pain. Proper backpack wearing was found to be an important factor in alleviating neck pain. Students who sat or lifted objects properly were more likely to report upper back pain, and students whose backrest height was appropriate were more likely to report lower back pain. Further efforts should be made to establish a comparable study protocol using objective methods to obtain more valid and reliable data to study school-related risk factors for musculoskeletal pain in students using prospective study protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the agreement between phoropter Risley prism and prism bar fusional vergence amplitudes in a normative group of school-aged children, aged 8 to 17 years. Method: This prospective cross-sectional study utilized multistage sampling to recruit participants with normal binocular vision. Horizontal fusional vergence amplitudes were measured at distance and near using the phoropter with Risley prisms and the prism bar. Result: The study included 422 normal participants (48.1% male, 51.9% female) with a mean age of 12.39 ± 1.94 years. There were significant differences in the base-in break, base-in recovery, base-out blur, base-out break, and base-out recovery at distance and near between phoropter Risley prism and prism bar fusional vergences (p < 0.05); amplitudes for phoropter Risley prism were higher than that for prism bar. Their mean differences were clinically meaningful except for base-in recovery at distance; however, there was no level of agreement on Bland Altman analysis. Conclusion: Fusional vergence amplitudes measured with the phoropter Risley prism and prism bar should not be considered interchangeable in African schoolchildren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early mathematical skills contribute to later school performance and socio-economic status. Working memory is related to mathematical skills, but spatial and language skills have independent effects on separate areas of mathematical skills such as solving word problems or arithmetic skills. In this study, 9- to 10-year-old children's (N = 57) cognitive and mathematical skills were assessed three times over 2 years. Spatial reasoning was associated with performance in solving word problems and working memory with performance in the arithmetic test. Regarding word problems, girls outperformed boys. Also, the second-language learners performed similarly to the native speakers in the beginning and in the end of the third grade, but worse in the end of the fourth grade. The results suggest that the students’ inadequate mastery of the school language may lead to underachievement in mathematics, implying that further efforts should be invested in supporting their language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The usage of high‐quality learning applications (apps) at home may increase children's mathematical and literacy competencies. This approach was tested in a family intervention study. Intervention families (n = 302) in two German cohorts (N = 500; M (SD)age = 61.0 (4.6) months; n♀ = 302) received tablets with newly developed learning apps focusing either on mathematical or literacy learning for every‐day usage at home across half a kindergarten year. Compared with two control groups with and without tablets, children in the intervention groups significantly enhanced their specific competencies (η2 = .03–.10). Higher app usage was associated with greater gains (ΔR2 = .01–.02). Consequently, an easy‐to‐apply app‐based intervention supports children's development of cognitive competencies and helps prepare them for school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most cognitive training programs are adaptive, despite limited direct evidence that this maximizes children's outcomes. This randomized controlled trial evaluated working memory training with difficulty of activities presented using adaptive, self‐select, or stepwise compared with an active control. At baseline, immediately, and 6‐months post‐intervention, 201 Australian primary school children (101 males, 7–11 years) completed working memory tests (near and intermediate transfer) and the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, and caregivers completed the attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder‐Rating Scale‐5 (far transfer). The intervention comprised ten 20‐min sessions delivered in class. For each training condition, compared with the active control, there was no evidence of transfer immediately or 6‐months post‐intervention (negligible to small effects). This trial provides no evidence that adaptive working memory training maximizes children's outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting access to mainstream schools for children with disabilities has been highlighted in national and international legislative and policy initiatives. However, children with disabilities’ access to mainstream school remains an important challenge, particularly in low and middle-income countries, such as Bangladesh. We explored barriers and facilitators in accessing education for children with disabilities through a secondary analysis of qualitative data. Results indicate that children with disabilities experience challenges in their endeavour to access education, including stigma, discrimination, inaccessible built environment, and teachers’ negative attitudes towards children with disabilities. However, support from different sources, specifically parents’ strong motivation towards their child’s education and peer support, are great facilitators for children with disabilities in accessing education. We conclude with recommendations for support for parents to advocate for the rights of their children with disabilities in mainstream schools. We also recommend that government should invest resources to make mainstream schools disability friendly. In particular, accessible classrooms and washrooms are essential to enable in-class participation of children with disabilities. Further, investment is needed for teachers’ training on teaching disabled children in mainstream schools. A collaborative approach between policymakers, teachers, professionals, and parents is imperative to achieve inclusive education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on the development of children's social, emotional and behavioural skills in schools, via a swathe of classroom‐based schemes and more general, relational and emotional approaches to pedagogy. With a now established but growing evidence base focusing upon the outcomes of such social, emotional and behavioural work for schools and children, calls have been made for research that makes a gender critical analysis of such work. This article is grounded in a conceptual framework that positions gender as socially constructed and performative and draws on qualitative data gathered in a series of focus group and individual interviews with primary school practitioners. The findings demonstrate how gender binary beliefs influence perceptions of the behaviours displayed by boys and girls in play‐based situations as well as the social, emotional and behavioural work carried out by staff in response. The implications of these findings, in terms of the positioning of, and responses to the social, emotional and behavioural difficulties presented by boys and girls on the schoolyard are discussed and suggestions for future practice are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge and its acquisition are central to the field of curriculum studies, but the ways in which empirical studies of pedagogical approaches relate to theories of knowledge acquisition are under researched. This paper reports the outcomes of a rapid evidence assessment about the impacts of experiential learning (EL), regarded by some as progressive pedagogy, on the school attainment of children aged 4–14. Database searches of the Education Resources Information Center, the British Education Index, the Teacher Reference Center, the Education Database and APA PsycINFO were carried out to review peer‐reviewed research studies published between 2013 and 2023. In total, 465 studies were screened for their relevance, and the Mixed methods appraisal tool was used to assess the methodological quality of relevant studies; 44 studies were included in the final analysis. The findings of the research showed the overall positive impact of EL pedagogies on children's academic achievement. Key examples of positive impact included evidence for the beneficial effects of EL on the achievement of children with lower academic achievement; strong links between EL and science achievement; and the positive impact that EL has on domain‐general academic skills including memory and vocabulary development. Some links between EL and children's motivation, engagement, agency, and wellbeing, factors which underpin academic achievement, are also noted. The findings indicate that EL can be a highly valuable approach to enhancing children's acquisition of knowledge, skills and understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]