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This study sought to understand the influence of participation in a physical activity-based, social and emotional learning-focused after-school. Undergraduate students (N = 25) from a variety of ethnic backgrounds participated in semi-structured interviews and regular journaling. Data were analyzed inductively and deductively through the lens of occupational socialization theory. Four themes were developed: (a) career confirmation, refinement, and reevaluation that occurred from volunteering; (b) career development through hands-on experiences; (c) personal and interpersonal development through working with others; and (d) development in relationships and emotional health. The participants found the program to be valuable for their career choices, whether it was confirming their career choice or changing it. It also increased their ability to use social and emotional strategies to deepen relationships and navigate stress within and outside of the program. Implications for research and practice are discusses in relation to the findings. [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]

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]

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]

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]

Research Findings: Executive Function (EF) and Early Math (EM) are foundational skills for children's school success. Interventions have shown to foster these skills, but their effectiveness in less developed countries remains unknown. This study examined the initial efficacy of an eight-week EF and an EM skills program for young Iranian children at risk for mathematical difficulties. Participants included 88 five- to six-year-old children who were randomly assigned into three conditions: Business-As-Usual (BAU) control group, EF training group, or an EM training group. The experimental groups received 24 sessions over two months. In the EF group, children had significantly higher working memory and planning scores at posttest, which were stable five months later. No significant group difference was found on inhibitory control. In the EM group, children demonstrated stronger math performance compared to BAU children at the posttest and follow-up, suggesting stable math improvement. There was no significant effect of EF training on math performance or significant effect of math training on EF skills. Practice or Policy: Findings suggest that the EF training was related to stronger EF and EM training was related to better math performance. However, there were no significant transfer effects of EF on math and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although translanguaging has become a central issue in the multilingual education literature, research on pedagogical translanguaging practices remains underdeveloped. This article describes a study of 72 primary school students (age = 10.68) who participated in an intervention based on translanguaging pedagogies. During the intervention, the boundaries between Basque, Spanish, and English were purposefully and systematically softened to develop the students' communicative competence in the three languages. The study adopted a qualitative approach to explore the pedagogical validity of translanguaging. Focus group discussions were conducted as well as classroom observation in the Basque, Spanish and English language subjects. Qualitative Content Analysis was conducted to analyze the data. In addition, we analyzed translanguaging materials completed by students to gain a better understanding of their performance. The results are discussed in terms of specific translanguaging strategies designed for the intervention and show an increase in students' metalinguistic awareness in the three languages. Students found pedagogical translanguaging useful since it facilitates language comparison and scaffolds understanding and written production. In addition, they found vocabulary strategies particularly beneficial for scaffolding foreign language learning. Finally, implications for the future development of translanguaging practices and research are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our contribution depicts the emerging of a 'Deficit Perspectives' scale (Döll et al., 2021) by surveying prospective primary level teachers' deficit perspectives regarding migration-related multilingual pupils, based on the theoretical framework of Migration Pedagogy (Mecheril, 2015). We therefore collected and analysed qualitative and quantitative data concerning questions about students' beliefs towards, and experiences with, multilingual pupils and (inner) multilingualism. The aim was evaluating, whether and, if so, how students' deficit perspectives on migration-related multilingual pupils change over the course of two semesters of a required university module on topics such as migration and multilingualism, among others. Our findings show no increase in students' deficit perspectives, but no increase in appreciation and resource orientation either. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools strive to respond compassionately to disadvantaged families. However, barriers to authentic home-school relationships persist because the concept of parental engagement at home is not well enough understood. Socio-cultural stereotyping still contributes to schools' fixed impressions of what parental engagement should consist of, and the abilities of disadvantaged parents to support their children's learning. This qualitative case study provides new and unique insights into learning at home. A child-centred study was undertaken in a small Primary school, in a deprived area of Scotland, exploring the importance of home learning with young children. The findings indicate the young participants had an acute understanding of the significance of home learning for their ongoing and future development. [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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

ObjectivesMethodsResultsConclusionTo investigate the effects of automatic scene classification (SCAN) on speech perception in noise and real-world functional performance in children using cochlear implants (CIs).We used a within-subjects repeated measures design in two studies. The first study assessed speech perception in noise with or without SCAN enabled in 25 school-aged children. The second study evaluated functional auditory performance in real life. Parents of 18 children provided ratings using the Parents’ Evaluation of Aural/oral Performance of Children (PEACH) questionnaire; and children provided ratings using the Self Evaluation of Listening Function (SELF) questionnaire. Analyses of variance with repeated measures were used to examine the effect of SCAN.On average, speech perception in noise was significantly better with SCAN enabled (mean SRT: −4.1 dB; SD: 4.0), compared to SCAN disabled (mean SRT: 0.5 dB; SD: 3.5). Children’s functional performance in real life was similar between the two device settings.Automatic auditory scene classification provides significant benefits for speech perception in noise (4.6 dB improvement). On average, there were no perceived detrimental or beneficial effects in real life. These findings support the use of SCAN in CIs for young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parent’s involvement in their children’s education has been shown to have a positive impact on student outcomes, including academic achievement, attitude toward school, and skill development. However, there is limited research exploring how to help Hispanic parents become more involved in their children’s schooling. There are more than 13.8 million Hispanic students in public elementary and secondary schools. Due to the increase in Hispanic students within the U.S. there is a need to better understand and support their parents’ involvement in schools. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Parents + Schools = Successful Children (PSSC) program on the involvement of 19 hispanic parents at an urban elementary school. This study used a mixed-methods design with concurrent triangulation to evaluate the effectiveness and social validity of the program. Results indicated that PSSC improved the overall level of involvement by helping parents improve reading in the home, increase their understanding of the school system, and be more involved in their child’s school. Additionally, the program was viewed as socially valid and helpful according to parents and program teachers. The significance of these results is discussed, as well as study limitations and suggestions for school practices that may encourage Hispanic parent involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students embark on museum field trips with the goal of having enjoyable and educational experiences outside of the traditional classroom setting. This study investigated how museum tour guides helped primary school children in Zimbabwe learn school curriculum content while on field excursions. The study employed qualitative research approaches where a sample of conveniently chosen 320 school children, 12 teachers, and 40 museum tour guides was used. It is revealed that there are three different categories of tour guides that are found in Zimbabwean museums and these are: evangelists, dictators, and benevolent demonstrators. It was discovered that students go on field trips in order to engage with and learn about the curriculum. According to the investigation, nine (9) tour guides were classified as benevolent demonstrators, ten (10) as dictators, and twenty-one (21) as evangelists. It was shown that evangelist and dictator tour guides hindered effective learning because they treated students like epistemic slaves. During field visits, benevolent demonstrators used active techniques of content delivery to encourage effective learning. According to the study’s findings, most tour guides fall short when it comes to promoting effective learning, and they should receive pedagogy and customer service training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAlthough previous research has suggested that parenting style affects children’s peer relationships, the influential mechanism remains a subject of debate. We propose that parental mentalizing plays a crucial role in parenting style and peer relationships. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the relationships between family parenting styles, parental mentalizing, and peer relationships during early adolescence. In this study, 379 primary school students (Mean age = 12.17 years, SD = 0.92) and their parents were assessed using the Family Parenting Style Scale, Peer Relationship Satisfaction Scale, and a distorted mentalizing task. The results showed a mediating effect of parental mentalizing between parenting style and peer relationships. For fathers, a favorable parenting style affects children’s peer relationships through mentalizing. Among mothers, interference, protection, and punishment affect their children’s peer relationships through mentalizing. In conclusion, parenting style affects peer relationships through parental mentalizing. Fathers’/mothers’ parenting style and parental mentalizing affect their children’s peer relationships differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children in Liberia receive 2.2 learning-adjusted years of schooling, one of the lowest levels of educational attainment in the world. We study one approach to address low enrollment and low rates of learning: a 10-month accelerated learning program run by the Luminos Fund to help out-of-school children catch up to grade level. We conducted a randomized evaluation of the program across 100 communities in Liberia. We find that the program had large effects on reading and numeracy skills for out-of-school children, and that children in the program catch up to the learning levels of children in government schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental involvement (PI) in the transition from preschool to primary school is an important prerequisite for children with disabilities to start school successfully. Therefore, the present study looks at PI practices that are conducted to support successful inclusive transition processes in Germany. The focus is on practices that take place in the institutional context of early childhood facilities. The data base consists of qualitative guideline-based interviews with n = 22 preschool teachers. The data analysis comprises two steps: 1) a qualitative content analysis and 2) a systematic comparison of teachers and their transition practices according to specific teacher characteristics, such as professional experience. The results show that communication formats between teachers and parents regarding a child’s development or general issues such as the course of the last preschool year are most widely established to involve parents in the transition process. Some teachers also claim to inform parents about additional support for their child and involve parents in preschool or school visits. Moreover, findings indicate that parental involvement hardly differs systematically between teachers with different backgrounds (e.g., different levels of professional experience). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young children tend to rely on reactive cognitive control (e.g. strongly slow down after an error), even when task accuracy would benefit from proactive cognitive control (taking a slower task approach up front). We investigated if giving young primary school children opportunities to repeatedly experience tasks where success rates depend on balancing speed and accuracy by using proactive and reactive cognitive control promotes their selective use of proactive cognitive control strategies. Participants were children from the German-speaking part of Switzerland (N = 105; mean age 7.5 yrs). They were allocated to a "training with feedback," "training without feedback," or control condition. They completed a pre- and posttest (Hearts and Flower task), separated by six computerized training tasks over three weeks. We analyzed time-by-condition effects on reaction time, rate-correct, and post-error slowing. In line with our hypotheses, both training groups outperformed the control group on reaction time and rate-correct in the incongruent block. Contrary to expectation, feedback did not enhance the intervention effect and the training group without feedback additionally outperformed control participants on rate-correct in the mixed block and improved their post-error slowing. Thus, our short intervention triggered accelerated development of proactive control in a cognitive conflict task requiring accuracy-speed trade-offs. This shows that during the developmental period in which children are assumed ready for developing proactive cognitive control strategies, repeated experiences over a short time-period can lead to acute improvements. More research is needed to check for long-term benefits and generalizability beyond our sample and the tasks employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creative thinking is an important aspect of education. However, students differ widely in their ability to think creatively. Working memory might explain these differences. Therefore, this study focuses on how different aspects of WM can explain differences in divergent thinking, both separately and conjointly. To do so, latent profile analysis was used. Working memory profiles of 561 primary school students (Mage = 10.10 years) were investigated in relation to divergent thinking and as a moderator of the relationship between divergent thinking and academic achievement. Four profiles were identified: a low verbal – medium visual, a medium verbal-low visual, a medium verbal – medium visual, and a high verbal – high visual profile. Visual divergent thinking scores differed between three of the profiles. Furthermore, these profiles were analyzed as a moderator in the relationship between divergent thinking and academic achievement, given the inconsistent relationships found between the two in previous research. Working memory profiles did not moderate the relationship between divergent thinking and academic achievement. Verbal divergent thinking was related to mathematics and visual divergent thinking to reading comprehension. We discuss the need for educators to be aware of differences between children in working memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis research aims to understand Turkish children’s views on why protecting the environment is important and to identify the role of schools in the rationales that underlie these views. The research was conducted with 18 preschoolers from two schools, one a state school providing traditional education and the other a private school blended with nature-based education. The findings showed that children primarily presented reasons for protecting the environment under three main themes: impact on human life, impact on species, and esthetics. Besides, regardless of the schools the children enrolled in, many of them (n = 16) were found to base their views on an anthropocentric understanding. Based on these findings, it is open to debate to what extent nature-based schools alone can provide sufficient and effective environmental education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children today have limited food origin awareness. The further we move away from food production practices, the less exposure children have to them, and the more food vulnerable we become. This is especially true for children growing up in urban areas where there is limited space for food gardens. Schools have developed targeted pedagogical approaches to raise food origin awareness, and this paper examines one such attempt in Cairns, Australia. We compare how students aged 5-6 responded to an activity where they drew their immediate response to the word 'food'. Comparisons were then made between those learning under explicit instruction and those using a more experiential, place-based pedagogical approach. The findings suggest students in the experiential class who regularly use the garden as a learning space drew significantly higher levels of fresh, place-appropriate fruits and vegetables (U = 61.5, P = 0.002). We discuss the ramifications of exposure to a globalised food system and how experiences at school can nurture children's understanding of food. We interpret the outcomes of the different pedagogical approaches and unravel the importance of 'place' in a child's food experience. The evidence presented suggests that children's food knowledge could improve if food education is bolstered with experiential and place-responsive pedagogies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale-IV (ADHD-RS-IV) assesses ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents. The original United States norms comprise percentiles. Yet, no Nordic percentile norms exist, and only T-scores, which (often falsely) assume normally distributed data, are currently available. Here, we for the first time provide Danish percentile norms for children aged 6–9 based on parent/caregiver-reports, and illustrate the potential consequences of T-scores when derived based on the expected skewed distribution of an ADHD scale in the population. Materials and methods: The sample comprised 1895 Danish schoolchildren (879 girls and 1016 boys) in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade from the general population. Their parents/caregivers completed the ADHD-RS-IV. Sex and age differences were investigated, percentiles were derived based on the observed score distributions, and for comparison, T-scores > 70 were estimated, which are expected to identify the top 2.3% under the assumption of normality. Results: Boys were rated to have higher ADHD-RS-IV scores than girls except on the impulsivity score. No age effects were found on the majority of scores. Sex-stratified and unisex percentiles (80, 90, 93, 98) were reported. The distribution of ADHD-RS-IV scores were highly skewed. T-score cutoffs identified a significantly higher proportion of and about twice as many children as having elevated ADHD symptoms than expected (4.3–5.2% vs. 2.3%). Conclusions: ADHD-RS-IV (parent/caregiver-report) percentile norms for young Danish schoolchildren are now available for future reference. The use of percentiles is considered appropriate given the skewed score distribution and since T-scores appear to over-identify children as having clinically elevated ADHD symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many children nowadays do not meet the recommended amount of physical activity during a day and are more sedentary, which is accompanied by decreased physical and social health, and well-being. For some children, the school can be the only outlet for playful and organised physical activity. Almost all children attend school for a large part of their day, which makes school an important context for fostering positive attitudes towards physical activity. The purpose of this study was to explore how children in low to middle school talk about physical activity during recess time. A total of 18 students were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. The results show that physical activity during recess is talked about as forming social groups and community and a way to counteract loneliness. There are also contextual categories and behavioural codes in children's talk about physical activity that shape their tendency to participate, be admitted in, and denied from physical activity during recess. The results highlight the power of language and how it can position and shape children's relationship with, and expected outcome of, physical activity. Conclusively, the study shows that physical activity affects children's social well-being and identity construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hoarseness and voice problems are one of the chronic conditions experienced by children. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of hoarseness, possible risk factors and effects of the remediation of school buildings to the prevalence of hoarseness among school children. Methods: The material was gathered from all the schools in a large city in the south of Finland and the collection method used was an e-mail survey sent to the parents of the pupils and a simultaneous survey sent to the personnel in the schools. Results: All 51 schools participated, and 5889 pupils returned the questionnaire (39%). The exposure data was obtained from two building experts who knew the repair history of the schools. A subjective estimation of the quality of the indoor air was obtained from teachers and the parents. The overall prevalence of hoarseness among pupils was 6.3%; prevalence being higher in unrepaired school buildings than in schools in a good condition or buildings with a thorough remediation. Hoarseness was associated with asthma and allergies, several respiratory symptoms, and respiratory infections. Exposure to tobacco smoke increased the risk, and consumption of caffeine containing drinks seemed to reduce the risk. Noise, stuffiness of the indoor air and microbial smells correlated strongly with the occurrence of hoarseness in a logistic regression model when controlled for age, gender, asthma, passive smoking, and caffeine consumption. Conclusions: We recommend renovations in school buildings with the aim of providing better acoustics, sufficient ventilation, and a reduction in exposure to moisture damage microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how sixth graders' credibility evaluation self-efficacy was associated with their ability to evaluate the credibility of online texts. Students (N = 265, Mage = 12.45) worked in a web-based environment, where they read and evaluated two more credible texts and two less credible texts that required confirming and questioning the texts' credibility, respectively. Students were asked to evaluate the author's expertise, the author's benevolence, and the quality of evidence in each text. They were also asked to assess their credibility evaluation self-efficacy during the task. The structural equation model indicated that students' self-efficacy was positively associated with their ability to confirm the more credible texts but not with their ability to question the less credible texts. The instructional implications of this study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital transformations within educational systems are recurrently justified by their promise to enhance learning activities and outcomes. We examine this claim in a study of pupils' perception and experiences with computer-based adaptive tests in higher classes in Danish public primary schools. The study relies on survey and interview data and addresses whether pupils perceive their participation in computer-based adaptive tests as contributing to their learning and the degree to which the perception of teachers' attitude to the test influences their learning. A majority perceives their learning as low or non-existing. However, the perception of a more positive teacher attitude is related to more substantial learning. Theoretically, we attribute this relationship to the effect of self-fulfilling prophecies in the classroom. Learning also differs for subgroups related to gender and ability level. The findings contribute to discussions about educational policy, management, and the digital transformation of educational systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this longitudinal study, we examined what kind of profiles of reading fluency and spelling skills could be identified among pupils (N = 467) and how stable these profiles were during the first three years of school. We also investigated how monolingual (Swedish) and simultaneously bilingual (Finnish-Swedish) pupils and gender were distributed within the profiles. Three profiles of reading fluency and spelling skills were found among the pupils through latent profile analysis: low, average, and high performing. Latent transition analysis confirmed stable and identical profiles throughout the first school years. The distributions of monolingual and bilingual pupils and gender were equal in all profiles throughout the grades. These findings have implications on a pragmatic level in school, confirming the importance of early identification and support for low performing pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intention of the study was to examine the effects of a fraction intervention in a whole-class environment. The intervention aimed to enhance students' conceptual fraction knowledge, with a major focus on fraction magnitude understanding. This study included 120 fifth-grade students in standard classroom settings. Utilizing a cluster randomized controlled trial design, students were divided into either an intervention group (n = 64) or a control group (n = 56). Students in the intervention condition received a series of seven 35-minute lessons. Students in the control condition received "treatment as usual". Both post-test and delayed post-test results revealed that students in the intervention group performed significantly better than those in the control group on fraction concepts, with a stronger effect in measurement aspects compared to part–whole aspects. The intervention group also outperformed the control group on fraction arithmetic on both post-tests, while no significant difference was observed on fraction word problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social exclusion is a multidimensional concept defined as being away from social resources and opportunities, being unable to participate in society, and being socially disadvantaged in society. In Türkiye, problems, such as economic disadvantages, inequalities in access to public services, migration and displacement, and lack of infrastructure make social exclusion an important risk factor for children. Therefore, adapting the Social Exclusion Scale for Children to Turkish culture and language can help identify children exposed to social exclusion, better understand the problem, develop effective interventions, and build a more inclusive society. The aim of this study was to adapt the Social Exclusion Scale for Children (SESC) to Turkish society. The data of this methodological study were collected from 380 children aged 12–17. The content validity, construct validity, and internal consistency of SESC were analyzed. The results of this study showed the validity and reliability of SESC as a measurement instrument to assess social exclusion in Turkish children aged 12–17 in the school environment. The Turkish version of SESC was found brief, practical, age-appropriate, self-reported, easily applicable, valid, and reliable measurement instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stemming from the combined philosophies of social work and professional artistic practice, this paper recounts five years of working with populations of fifth graders to craft their own original plays. Application of group development theory in our evolving theatrical process emphasizes several lessons, including utilizing a population's observed need(s) to derive socioemotional purpose; the ownership a group discovers when creating its own material; and the importance of centering what two communities have to offer each other in mutual aid. The 509 classroom at PS3 is a case study for the immense socioemotional impact artistic practice can have when student need is not neglected in favor of academic skill acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we discuss the value of multiculturalism in early childhood settings, barriers to cultural inclusion, and the importance of partnering with families of young children to enrich school learning and engagement. Examples from our work will provide illustrations of research-practice partnerships using asset-based, culturally grounded approaches and principles of co-construction to create school and community spaces of learning that honor the lived experiences and cultural heritages of children from immigrant families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been proposed that an implicit learning deficit explains the difficulties with grammar commonly observed in children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). The present study further investigates this link in two ways. Firstly, we investigate whether kindergartners with DLD have more difficulties with preposition understanding and production as compared to their typically developing peers because they have not (yet) learned to weigh implicit structural information (word order) over more explicit semantic information (noun animacy; Study 1). Secondly, we investigate whether kindergartners with DLD learn to comprehend and produce locative prepositions from an implicit learning context (Study 2). In Study 1 we observed that Dutch kindergartners with DLD (n = 32) made more errors in preposition comprehension (picture-matching task) and preposition production (semi-spontaneous production task) as compared to their typically developing peers (n = 30). We have no evidence that these differences can be explained by a difference in cue weighing or implicit learning ability (serial reaction time task). In Study 2 we observed that the storytelling context led to an increase in preposition production in children with DLD, but we found no evidence that it also led to a better understanding and more semantically accurate productions of the prepositions. We conclude that Dutch kindergartners with DLD have difficulties with locative prepositions but cannot conclude that differences in cue-weighing or implicit learning play a role herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been reported for decades that preschool children (age 4-7) tend to assign non-adult-like interpretations for sentences with pre-subject exclusive only. This study reports findings from two experiments investigating (1) the effects of (in)congruent implicit questions in discourse contexts and (2) word order transformation on children's interpretations of Mandarin pre-subject zhiyou 'only'. Experiment 1 showed that children performed non-adult-like in the incongruent discourse condition, similar to the patterns found in previous studies, but adult-like in the congruent discourse condition. Experiment 2 showed that using sentences similar to English 'Those who ate apples was only the boy' where the VP precedes the subject NP with zhiyou 'only' was not sufficient to overcome the processing difficulty caused by the incongruent discourse for preschool children. The results demonstrate that a congruent context taking the VP as the background (i.e., given and salient information) in Experiment 1, but not the syntactic manipulation in Experiment 2, is sufficient for children to interpret sentences with pre-subject zhiyou 'only' at an adult-like level of accuracy. The findings demonstrate that children have the syntactic knowledge for sentences with exclusive zhiyou 'only', but the discourse incongruence hinders them from correctly interpreting sentences with exclusive zhiyou 'only' when it is in pre-subject position.It has been reported for decades that preschool children (age 4-7) tend to assign non-adult-like interpretations for sentences with pre-subject exclusive only. This study reports findings from two experiments investigating (1) the effects of (in)congruent implicit questions in discourse contexts and (2) word order transformation on children's interpretations of Mandarin pre-subject zhiyou 'only'. Experiment 1 showed that children performed non-adult-like in the incongruent discourse condition, similar to the patterns found in previous studies, but adult-like in the congruent discourse condition. Experiment 2 showed that using sentences similar to English 'Those who ate apples was only the boy' where the VP precedes the subject NP with zhiyou 'only' was not sufficient to overcome the processing difficulty caused by the incongruent discourse for preschool children. The results demonstrate that a congruent context taking the VP as the background (i.e., given and salient information) in Experiment 1, but not the syntactic manipulation in Experiment 2, is sufficient for children to interpret sentences with pre-subject zhiyou 'only' at an adult-like level of accuracy. The findings demonstrate that children have the syntactic knowledge for sentences with exclusive zhiyou 'only', but the discourse incongruence hinders them from correctly interpreting sentences with exclusive zhiyou 'only' when it is in pre-subject position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral threat assessment is a widely used violence prevention strategy in schools, but there is little research on how frequently a student attempts to carry out a threat of violence after a threat assessment and whether schools accurately recognize and classify these cases. This study investigated: 1) how often students attempted violence and 2) whether threats judged to be more serious were more likely to be attempted. As part of a statewide assessment, 21 Florida public school districts submitted deidentified records of 621 threat cases from the 2020–2021 academic year. Of these, 107 (17%) threats were attempted and 3 (0.5%) resulted in a serious injury. Threats classified by school teams as serious substantive (OR = 27) or very serious substantive (OR = 50) were significantly more likely to be attempted than non-threats. Overall, these findings support a strong association between threat classification and likelihood a threat is attempted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience to cope with setbacks has acquired a prominent place within Australia’s school curricula. One core component of resilience is children’s capacity to resolve conflict. Conflict resolution is the ability to regulate emotions, understand your temperament, and solve problems. This article demonstrates how a storytelling book, titled Game On, helps early school children understand their temperament and regulate their feelings. Using qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with teachers and sport deployment officers, as well as structured focus groups with children aged 4–7, this case-study evaluated the participants’ perspectives of Game On to improve self-regulation and stress control in young children. It demonstrates that teaching self-regulation through storytelling at an early age has the potential to equip young children with strategies of coping with normative stress. Such strategies include regulating or altering one’s psychological state or behaviour, and voluntarily inhibiting, activating and changing attention or behaviour through self-authored responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homeschooled children spend more time than schooled children with their parents and siblings, which may, in turn, affect their attitudes about the family. In fact, earlier research has shown that fostering familial ideals is one of the central aims of parents who homeschool. Yet, few studies have been conducted about the ways homeschooled children relate to their family members and understand the family. The purpose of the present research was to use metaphor analysis to examine the attitudes of Israeli homeschooled adolescents towards their families. Twenty-four homeschooled individuals aged 15 to 21 participated in the research. The data were analysed in two stages. First, we identified the metaphors that were used to describe their families. We then analysed the interpretations of the metaphors. The adolescents in the sample viewed their families as a source of knowledge; stability and security; guidance and assistance with development; support with life’s diffculties; familiarity and connection; as well as a mixture of pleasantness and unpleasantness. Overall, the adolescents in our analytic sample held positive attitudes towards their families and expressed deep gratitude for and connection with their siblings and parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare genetic chronic condition leading to fragile bones and frequent bone fractures with wide-reaching health implications. Current literature suggests that children with chronic diseases face unique challenges at school, yet research regarding educational concerns among those with OI is limited. The present study involved qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 10 children with OI and 12 caregivers of a child with OI. Children and caregivers participated in the interviews individually; they were not dyads of participants. Half of the caregivers who participated had OI themselves. The interviews were coded, and six themes were identified: (1) diverse school accommodations; (2) OI-related factors affecting children’s academics; (3) OI-related physical differences regarding physical activities; (4) children’s varying social dynamics; (5) variability in children’s emotions with OI at school; and (6) psychosocial experiences of caregivers in their child’s education. Findings suggest that OI has unique academic, social, physical, and emotional implications for children and their caregivers, and specific accommodations may be necessary to achieve academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to recognize emotions in others is crucial for social interaction and develops during childhood. We studied the effects of age on emotional facial recognition in schoolchildren using ERP components. Children aged 6, 8, and 10 completed identity, sex, and emotion recognition (happiness, anger, sadness) tasks. The oldest group had the highest accuracy and fastest reaction times. Only the LPP component showed age-related differences, with lower amplitudes in older children. LPP showed higher amplitude during emotion recognition, which may be associated with motivational evaluation. ERP accounted for the temporal dynamics of facial processing, which involve cognitive and emotional processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of the number of immigrant children in schools across the U.S. educational research has directed its attention to understanding these newcomers’ social experiences at school. Grounded in critical sociocultural theory, this interpretive phenomenological study shares the social experiences of four Brazilian newcomers in elementary school. Participants were adolescents who were reclassified English learners, had immigrated to the U.S. as children, and attended general education and/or world language dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs. As adolescents, participants were able to look back on their experiences as designated-English learners and newcomers in elementary school with greater perspective. Analysis of interview data reveal three main themes: (a) positive interactions with other Brazilian students; (b) microaggressions from non-Brazilian students; and (c) isolation due to participants’ language barriers and English hegemony. Findings highlight the importance of Portuguese-English DLBE programs as a place for Brazilian newcomers to support one another, even if the program was considered a world language immersion program due to the low number of Portuguese speakers. Additionally, findings reveal the prevalence of microaggressions and isolation across general and DLBE settings, underscoring the need for schools and teacher preparation programs to equip teachers with tools to support newcomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School mathematics is not universal. It produces and is produced by social norms. What is considered as normatively appropriate school mathematics may vary when immigrant students (re)produce school mathematics in transitions between school mathematical practices at home and at school. In this study, one group of primary school students and two groups of secondary school students were interviewed to investigate their experiences with school mathematics in transitions. In contrast to some previous studies, the present study reveals instances where students positioned their parents as mathematically knowledgeable. To some students, it was important to know mathematical concepts in the mother tongue to be positioned as knowledgeable in mathematical conversations at home. This suggests that pedagogical practices should not only facilitate the transition of students’ everyday experiences into mathematics classrooms but also explore how school mathematics can be transitioned out of school, particularly considering transnationalities where ways of knowing transcend national boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to examine the effect of using the wrongly read and written words in sentences on correcting the reading and writing errors of students with learning disabilities. The study group of this research, which was designed according to the qualitative action research, consisted of 13 second grade students and 7 primary school teachers in Uşak province in 2022–2023 academic year. In the determination of the students, the criteria of having a learning disability diagnosis, having reading, and writing difficulties and volunteering to participate in the study were sought. The data collection tools of the research consisted of 5 reading texts chosen by taking expert opinions. Obtained data were analyzed by content analysis method. Since the students understood the meaning of the word by using the word in the sentence, they did not repeat the spelling and writing mistakes of the words. Teachers’ opinions about the effectiveness of using the word in sentences were analyzed with content analysis and the findings were discussed on the basis of the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although children are the primary users of many spaces, their voices are often unheard in transport planning. We therefore do not know much about children’s barriers or wishes regarding mobility. What is known, however, is that children have become less independent in their daily mobility, with parents (or guardians) increasingly driving children instead of allowing them to walk and cycle. The decline in active mobility is worrisome, since active mobility is beneficial to children, but incorporating children’s voices in transport planning can be conducive to increased active mobility of children. The objective of this paper is to explore the wishes and barriers of children regarding school commuting. Data was collected from a survey completed by 1251 pupils and through workshops with four schools in a residential neighbourhood in Brussels, Belgium. We found that there is a significant gap between the current and desired transport modes of pupils, with an important untapped potential for cycling. We also found that traffic safety is a predominant worry of pupils. Additionally, when suggesting the re-design of their school neighbourhood, the most recurring suggestions from pupils included walking and cycling infrastructure, and reduced access to the school neighbourhood for cars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, bullying victimization has received increasing attention from researchers worldwide. The link between bullying victimization and reactive aggression is well-established in numerous studies. However, longitudinal association and underlying mechanisms remain less explored. This study examined gender-specific effects of traditional and cyberbullying victimization on reactive aggression using longitudinal data from 486 Chinese primary and middle school students (51.44% boys, average age = 11.66 ± 1.66 years). Assessments occurred every six months across three waves. Structural equation modeling and multigroup analyses were used to test mediating effects and gender differences. Depressive symptoms mediated the association between traditional bullying victimization and reactive aggression, but no such mediation was observed for cyberbullying victimization. Gender differences were also found (ΔCFI = 0.03, ΔRESEA = 0.01). These findings underscore the importance of gender-specific interventions and supportive environments for addressing offline and online bullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeMethodsFindingsConclusionsAs an extension of adventure education in school physical education, parkour has the potential to develop problem-solving and creative thinking along with the development of curriculum linked motor competencies and self-competence in a fun and risk-taking environment. This study aimed to investigate whether an adventure education model-based parkour intervention is more effective than the regular physical education in development of divergent thinking, motor creativity, movement competence and perceived motor competence of fourth-grade students.A quasi-experimental, between group design was used. The participants were 55 fourth-grade students (Intervention: 28 from 1 school, Comparison: 27 from 2 schools) in rural regions. An eight-week parkour intervention (16 sessions) was designed and conducted for the intervention group, while the comparison group continued the regular physical education curriculum. One-way ANCOVA was used for the data analysis (p < .01). Measurement tools included Play Creativity, Divergent Thinking: Realistic Presented Problems, Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder: KTK and Perceived Motor Competence Questionnaire in Childhood (PMC-C).Significant differences in motor creativity [F(1,52) = 9.76, p = .003, partial η2 = .158], divergent thinking skills [fluency F(1,52) = 33.14, p < .001, partial η2 = .389; originality F(1,52) = 7.39, p = .009, partial η2 = .124], movement competence [F(1,52) = 34.45, p < .001, partial η2 = .398], and perceived motor competence [F(1,52) = 7.44, p = .009, partial η2 = .125] were observed when compared to the comparison group. The intervention integrity was assessed to be 90%, and the attendance rate of the participants in the intervention was 87.2%.This adventure education model-based parkour unit was effective in developing general and movement related creativity, as well as movement competence and perceived motor competence of primary school students. This study has implications for deploying movement exploratory approaches such as parkour as a means to achieve quality physical education characteristics which could involve professional development on the adventure education framework, parkour specific training, as well as non-linear and physical literacy enriched pedagogical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]