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Approaches to Learning (AtL) is widely included in many state standards for preK, as a process-oriented disposition that describes how children learn. Play is one pedagogical strategy teachers can employ to support the development of AtL. This paper uses Vygotsky's depiction of two kinds of play, object play and socio-dramatic play, to provide the theoretical framework to articulate the links between play and learning. Exploration, i.e., object play supports children's curiosity and problem-solving. Sociodramatic play, dramatizing, helps children develop symbolic representation necessary for imagination and creativity. Both kinds of play require intentional teacher structuring and interaction. This paper concludes by presenting ways teachers can encourage object and socio-dramatic play in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–11 (ECLS-K:2011), this paper used structural equation modeling to investigate the relations among emotional capital (behavioral engagement, school belonging, grit, peer social support, and life satisfaction), approaches to learning, and reading achievement of 942 fifth graders who speak a home language other than English. Results first endorse the five components as indicators of emotional capital. Additionally, participants' emotional capital is significantly associated with their fifth-grade approaches to learning, controlling for background variables, instructional variables, and previous approaches to learning. Furthermore, participants' emotional capital significantly, directly predicts their fifth-grade reading achievement, and indirectly predicts their reading achievement through their fifth-grade approaches to learning, controlling for background variables and previous reading achievement. Finally, gender and being identified as an English Language Learner at school are significant predictors of participants' emotional capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the recent arrival of publicly available AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Claude follows a need for knowledge about how students in higher education perceive and use these tools, and what this might mean for their learning processes. This scoping review analyzes 24 empirical articles published between 1 January 2022 and 5 September 2023 on students' perceptions and use of AI chatbots in higher education. The articles were reviewed using a five-stage scoping review methodology. The findings underscore a global research interest in how students engage with AI chatbots, which is especially pronounced in Asia. The studies span diverse disciplines, with a predominance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. The empirical findings reveal that students perceive AI chatbots as highly useful and motivating as personal task assistants and for getting immediate feedback and help with writing, coding, and academic tasks. However, students are concerned about the accuracy and reliability of the responses from the chatbots, as well as potential negative impacts on their learning processes, critical thinking, discipline, and creativity. The purpose-driven use of AI chatbots among students and their potentially positive influence on motivation and learning processes offer insights for educators and policymakers. Our research concludes that while positive attitudes, perceptions, and critical use prevail, addressing students' concerns is crucial for responsible AI integration in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With schools closed due to the COVID-19, many children have been exposed to media devices for learning and entertainment, raising concerns over excessive screen time for young children. The current study examined how preschoolers' screen time was associated with their family characteristics and anxiety/withdrawal and approaches to learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 764 caregivers of 3- to 6-year-old children (mean age = 59.07 months, SD = 12.28 months; 403 boys and 361 girls) from nine preschools in Wuhan, China, where the pandemic started. The effects of family characteristics on children's screen time during the pandemic outbreak and the associations between screen time and children's anxiety/withdrawal and approaches to learning were examined using path analysis. The results showed that children who spent more time on interactive screen use (e.g., playing with tablets) showed higher levels of anxiety/withdrawal and fewer positive learning behaviors. Unexpectedly, children who spent more time on noninteractive screen use (e.g., watching TV) showed lower levels of anxiety/withdrawal. Additionally, children's screen time was related to family characteristics: children living in more chaotic families with fewer screen time restrictions spent more time on screen use after the pandemic outbreak. The findings suggest that young children's frequent use of interactive screens, such as tablets and smartphones, might be harmful to their learning and wellbeing during the pandemic. To mitigate the potential negative effects, it is essential to manage the screen time of preschoolers by establishing rules for their interactive screen use and improving the household routines related to the overall screen use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutions of higher education generally employ both lecture-based and project-based approaches to instruction. This study aims to investigate which aspects of lectures and project-based instructional environments contribute to "deep" and "surface" approaches to student learning. We collected and compared survey data from undergraduate students taking a civil engineering course in which they were assigned to a section taught with lecture-based instruction (n = 181) or with project-based instruction (n = 142). Data analysis was performed after controlling for the effects of the motivational goal orientations of students. A positive correlation can be found between deep learning and higher levels of investigative culture and student involvement in the projectbased classroom. Additionally, we found that higher levels of task orientation in the project-based classroom had an inverse correlation with a "surface approach". We discussed the value of an investigative and participatory learning atmosphere for student approach to learning and its curricular implications for the design of project-based and lecture-based instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have increasingly considered approaches to learning (ATL) a key indicator of school readiness. Our study purposed to examine the impacts of parental warmth on children's approaches to learning, and the mediating role of self-efficacy, as well as the moderating role of teacher-child closeness in this relationship. Using a whole-group sampling method, 414 Chinese children aged 5-6 years participated this research together with their parents and teachers. Parents of those children were asked to fill out in person questionnaires on parental warmth, children's approaches to learning, and self-efficacy. Children's teachers completed the questionnaire regarding teacher-child closeness. Results indicated that children with high parental warmth were more likely to get high approaches to learning and their self-efficacy played a partial mediating role in this link. In addition, teacher-child closeness moderated the correlation between parental warmth and children's self-efficacy. Specifically, the association between parental warmth and children's self-efficacy was stronger for children with high teacher-child closeness than those with low teacher-child closeness. The results extend our understanding of how parental warmth affects children's approaches to learning, revealing that strategies that could enhance self-efficacy would be effective in improving children's approaches to learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]