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The evidence-based parenting program Video-Feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) may have potential to also support teachers in primary schools in their interaction with children with behavior problems. We therefore adapted the intervention for use with primary school teachers (VIPP-School). Here we examined the feasibility of VIPP-School, using qualitative analyses of the perceptions of teachers and VIPP-interveners on their experiences with VIPP-School. Three teacher-child dyads from kindergarten and 2nd grade participated in six sessions of VIPP-School. Perceptions of the participants were collected using semi-structured interviews, logbooks, observations and a questionnaire. The data were qualitatively analysed. Thematic analysis showed five main themes: 1) scheduling of appointments, 2) experiences with intervention elements, 3) working alliance, 4) changes in the teacher-child interaction, 5) defining the target group. Teachers mentioned notable time investment, but appreciated the video feedback as a great way to become more aware of subtle signals of the child and their own behaviors. This study shows that with some adaptations VIPP-School is an acceptable and deliverable intervention for teachers in primary education. It has potential for supporting teachers in the interaction with children with behavioral problems. Further research on the effectiveness of VIPP-School is recommended.

The choice of cortisol sampling times in early childhood studies varies widely. Given that recommendations on sampling protocols are largely based on adults, the present study aimed to broaden current knowledge by examining how reliably cortisol measures obtained at different daytimes would reveal between-individual differences in toddlers' cortisol levels. Parents were instructed to take 10 saliva samples consecutively (five per day) from their toddler (N = 19; M[subscript age] = 15.8 months, SD[subscript age] = 4.2 months). Intra-class correlations (ICCs) were computed to evaluate cortisol reliability. Cortisol samples taken in the morning between 30 and 80 min after awakening and bedtime samples were most reliable in differentiating between children (ICCs [greater than or equal to] 0.80). Wake-up cortisol samples taken within the first 30 min after awakening and afternoon samples showed moderate reliabilities (ICCs = 0.64), whereas the reliability of noon samples was poor (ICC = 0.43). Therefore, when investigating cortisol in young children while being restricted to a few samples only, assessing cortisol in the morning (at least 30 min after awakening) and at bedtime would be advisable.

This study examines which school factors schools report influence their (dis)continuation of lesson study, a professional development initiative, and how after a four-year, cross-school lesson study project ends. To examine this, the framework on three types of school factors (features of employment, malleable school processes and fixed school characteristics) and the concept of organisational routines are used. Semistructured interviews were held with 21 teachers and 15 school leaders from the 14 schools who participated in the project. Findings show schools reported nine school factors that influenced their (dis)continuation of lesson study after the project: five features of employment (part-time appointment, turnover, (un)planned leave of absence, work location and beginning teachers), three malleable processes (policies on improvement, scheduling and school finances), and one fixed school characteristic (school size). School factors were reported to constrain schools from making lesson study a repeated practice in the school, performing its core features, and ensuring collective attendance. Two narrative portraits revealed that the simultaneous occurrence of school factors made continuing with lesson study especially complex and limited schools' ability to move beyond shortened and simplified initiatives to more rich and meaningful professional development.

As a part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) students participate in the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course. This research used a mixed methods design to investigate the perspective of TOK teachers in IB schools worldwide. To address the research questions, quantitative survey data were analyzed from 1,534 participants, and focus groups with 33 TOK teachers were conducted in Australia, The Netherlands, and the United States. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and linear trends analysis to identify group differences. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed using an inductive approach. Overwhelmingly, survey results indicated that teachers value the TOK course. Teachers ranked the main purposes of the TOK course as 1) to develop an awareness of how knowledge is constructed, critically examined, and renewed by individuals and communities and 2) to help students make connections among academic disciplines and among thoughts, feelings and actions. Teachers ranked the main benefits to students as 1) students better able to critically evaluate knowledge and 2) students better able to identify and reflect on personal assumptions. Teachers strongly agreed that teaching TOK has been a valuable professional development experience for them. Specifically, they indicated it enhanced their own critical thinking and developed their interdisciplinary understanding. Survey results and focus groups suggest the main challenges are 1) assessment, 2) time, and 3) administrative issues (scheduling and class size). Regarding implementation, approximately half of DP coordinators indicated that TOK implementation was different than other IB Diploma Programme aspects, specifically that teacher support and time were different.

This article questions existing findings and provides new evidence about the consequences of nonstandard work schedules on partnership quality. Using quantitative couple data from The Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (NKPS) (N = 3,016) and semistructured qualitative interviews (N = 34), we found that, for women, schedules with varying hours resulted in greater relationship dissatisfaction than for men. Men with young children who worked varying hours had less relationship conflict and spent more time with children. Parents used nonstandard schedules for tag-team parenting or to maintain perceptions of full-time motherhood. The lack of negative effects, particularly for night shifts, suggests that previous findings--largely U.S. ones--are not universal and may be attributed to wider cultural, industrial relations, and economic contexts.

Distance Learning Providers serve large populations of learners, frequently offering the same course to different groups of learners over lengthy periods of time. This article argues that (re-) running e-learning courses with different combinations of learners and staff requires a distinction between abstract representations of courses and instances of these representations involving specific learners and support staff. The article provides an analysis of the requirements for multiple deliveries of courses, describes the design of an approach which meets these requirements together with experiences resulting from implementation of the design. The article concludes with a discussion of the approach. (Contains 4 tables and 4 figures.)

Describes the conceptual framework for an urban Montessori high school in Holland in 1945. Includes information on implementing fundamental Montessori principles, scheduling, materials, organization of subject matter, use of group mentors, and democracy in school. Focuses on how the school increases adolescents' moral strength with living and working environments fostering mutual collaboration, readiness to help, and a team spirit. (Author/KB)