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Intraspecific interactions shape animal social networks and regulate population dynamics. Species with solitary life histories rely on communication cues for population regulation, especially olfaction for many terrestrial mammals. Increasing evidence shows complex social structures among presumably solitary species and although social factors may play a key role in spatial organization, we lack insights into how species with solitary life histories structure and maintain sociospatial systems. Herein, we applied a social network approach to decode leopard, Panthera pardus, behaviour and interactions at marking sites that we monitored with camera traps. We found that leopard social units within our study area consisted of up to five individuals and that same-sex and opposite-sex interactions were equally likely to occur. Individuals behaved and responded differently depending on the type of interaction, serving both ter-ritorial and reproductive purposes. Temporal segregation allowed intersexual co-occurrence, while same-sex co-occurrence may be facilitated through familiarity with stable neighbours. Central in-dividuals interacted within and outside their social unit and appeared fundamental to group stability. The removal of these individuals, such as through legal harvest or pre-emptively as an attempt to minimize depredation, may weaken social cohesion and ultimately affect population demography. Our findings on intraspecific co-occurrence in a solitary carnivore depict a complex social structure that can be important for population stability and might occur in other solitary species.(c) 2023 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Against the background of a general theory of pragmatics, reflections are formulated on the central role of metapragmatic awareness as a specific manifestation of salience, the status of processes of meaning generation in language use in relation to the cognitive apparatus. First the notions of metalanguage and metapragmatics, as used in linguistics, are discussed. Then metalinguistic and metapragmatic phenomena are presented as reflections of metapragmatic awareness. Two ways in which indicators of metapragmatic awareness function in language use are distinguished: Their functioning as anchoring devices locating linguistic form in relation to context, and their functioning as signals of the language users’ reflexive interpretations of the activities they are engaged in. Finally, some social implications of metapragmatic functioning are discussed, in particular in relation to language ideologies and identity construction.

This study considers how class composition, in terms of between-student variability and the average level of achievement, is related to the academic development of students, and how these relationships can be explained by features of the class learning environment. At the start of secondary education, Flemish schools can decide autonomously how to group their students, leading to variation in class mean and class heterogeneity between classes. In a sample of 2,895 Flemish students from 158 classes, math achievement at the end of Grade 8 was found to be unrelated to class heterogeneity, after accounting for previous achievement, intelligence, gender and social background. Path analyses showed that class heterogeneity was positive associated with teachers’ use of differentiated instruction to accommodate for differences between students, and that differentiated instruction was related to higher student achievement. Second, students were found to achieve better in classes with high average achievement. While this held true for all students, high achieving students seemed to benefit the most from being in a class with a high average level. Although class-average achievement was positively related to the academic orientation of the class, this did not explain the association between class mean level and achievement. These results suggest that, although it might be beneficial for the students in the high ability groups, grouping students in distinct classes according to ability might have little overall benefit, and emphasizes that teachers’ responses to student diversity might be more decisive for improving student achievement than homogenizing classes in terms of ability. ispartof: Journal Of Educational Psychology vol:114 issue:3 pages:498-512 status: published

OBJECTIVE: Identity formation was investigated in adolescent and emerging adult cancer survivors from a (neo-)Eriksonian perspective by comparing survivors to control participants. In survivors, associations between identity and clinical/demographical variables and general and illness-specific functioning were investigated. DESIGN: Childhood cancer survivors (n = 125; Mage: 19.54; 47% male) were matched on age and gender with healthy controls (2:1). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All participants completed identity questionnaires. Survivors reported on demographics, well-being (depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, physical functioning), and illness-specific experiences (PTSS, illness centrality, cancer self-identity, benefit finding, cancer-related worries). Medical records provided clinical information. RESULTS: Survivors did not differ from controls on identity synthesis or confusion or on the identity statuses resulting from cluster analysis on the identity dimensions (achievement, foreclosure, moratorium, diffusion). Identity synthesis related to better well-being and illness experiences, whereas confusion related to worse well-being and illness experiences. Youth in moratorium and diffusion reported lower well-being and more negative illness experiences. Associations between identity and demographical and clinical characteristics were inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed no significant differences in identity formation between cancer survivors and controls. However, survivors who struggle in their identity quest should be identified as they are at risk for poorer well-being and negative illness experiences. ispartof: PSYCHOLOGY & HEALTH vol:38 issue:1 pages:55-72 ispartof: location:England status: published

Since there has been no clear overview of educational practices that beneft high-ability students in mixed-ability classrooms in grades one to six, this review aims to provide insight into the efects of educational practices on the cognitive and afective-motivational learning outcomes of high-ability students. In order to identify these educational practices, we conducted a review of the existing literature, comprising a systematic search of the Education Resources Information Center and Web of Science databases for studies from the last 25 years. Only empirical studies that investigated the impact of interventions were included. Applying these criteria resulted in the inclusion of seventeen studies. Four different educational practices were shown to have a positive impact on cognitive learning outcomes: providing dynamic feedback, enhancing self-regulated learning, adjusting the curriculum and providing diferentiated instruction. The impact of educational practices on afective-motivational learning outcomes was inconclusive. Based on this review, we conclude that teachers can help high-ability students in mixed-ability classrooms in grades one to six across various educational contexts using the educational practices reported in this study.

The present paper includes two studies examining how identity functioning is related to (psychological characteristics of) somatic symptoms. Study 1 examined associations between identity and somatic symptoms, whereas Study 2 additionally examined associations between identity and psychological characteristics of somatic symptoms and investigated the mediating role of anxiety and depressive symptoms in the association between identity disturbance and (psychological characteristics of) somatic symptoms. The total sample consisted of adolescents and emerging adults aged 14-30, including 686 and 663 participants for Study 1 and 2, respectively. In both studies, youth in troubled diffusion reported the most (psychological characteristics of) somatic symptoms. Finally, significant indirect effects from identity disturbance to (psychological characteristics of) somatic symptoms through anxiety and depressive symptoms were found.

Study on the social-emotional adjustment of defending students, and the moderating role of classroom relationships in the association between defending behavior and later social-emotional adjustment. The enclosed PDF contains all of the necessary information.

Bullying victimization is a prevalent problem in upper elementary school that predicts various detrimental outcomes. Increasing evidence suggests that interindividual differences in the severity of these outcomes result from differences in victimization experiences. However, longitudinal research largely overlooked victimization forms. Additionally, it is unclear how the quality of students' relationships with peers and teachers functions as a risk or protective factor for different patterns of victimization development. This one-year longitudinal study investigated joint trajectories of relational and physical victimization and examined differences between these trajectory classes regarding classroom social relationships as possible antecedents and social-emotional well-being as a possible outcome. A sample of 930 fourth to sixth graders (55 classes, 53.1% girls, Mage = 10.55, SD = 0.90) completed self-reports about relational and physical victimization and social-emotional outcomes (i.e., depressive symptoms, self-esteem). Peer nominations were used to measure the social antecedents (i.e., peer rejection and acceptance, teacher-student closeness and conflict). A 3-step approach including Latent Class Growth Analyses and Growth Mixture Modeling yielded two trajectory classes. Most students experienced low, decreasing relational and physical victimization. A smaller group experienced higher, generally stable victimization, more relational than physical. Younger students and girls were more likely to be members of the latter class. This class was more rejected, less accepted, reported more depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem. Teacher-student closeness and conflict were similar across classes. The current study showed that relational and physical victimization followed a largely parallel development. Low social status was found to be a risk factor for belonging to a victimization trajectory that is characterized by stable levels of both relational and physical victimization, with higher levels of the relational form. ispartof: Journal Of Youth And Adolescence vol:51 issue:7 pages:1-20 ispartof: location:United States status: Published online

The detrimental impact of sociocultural pressures on adolescents' body image has been widely established. However, it remains unclear why or for whom such pressures lead to increased appearance ideals internalization and appearance comparison. This cross-sectional study investigated moderating and indirect effects of identity confusion/synthesis in the relationship between (1) sociocultural pressures and (2) appearance ideals internalization and appearance comparison. The study comprised 685 community adolescents (13-19 years; M-age = 14.80; SDage = 0.93; 55.2% girls). Participants completed self-report questionnaires on sociocultural pressures (Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire-4; SATAQ-4), identity confusion/synthesis (Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory; EPSI), thin-ideal and muscular-ideal internalization (SATAQ-4), and appearance comparison (Physical Appearance Comparison Scale; PACS). Structural equation models with latent variables were estimated. The current results pointed to both moderating and indirect effects of identity formation in the relationship between sociocultural pressures and appearance ideals internalization and appearance comparison in boys and girls. No significant differences were found between boys and girls in the moderating or indirect models. These results highlight the need to integrate identity functioning in sociocultural theories on body image formation, and to address a healthy identity development in prevention and intervention programs targeting appearance ideals internalization and appearance comparison in adolescents.

This study is an intervention study aimed at determining whether a classroom intervention based on Bloom’s taxonomy, first, is effective in supporting teachers to integrate higher level questioning into their lessons, and second, makes a difference for the motivation and engagement of the cognitively gifted students. The objective is to determine if a teacher intervention based on Bloom’s taxonomy, first, is effective in supporting teachers to integrate higher level questioning into their lessons, and second, makes a difference for the motivation and engagement of the gifted student. From the literature we know that asking higher level questions is an effective method to promote learning of cognitively gifted students. The intervention consists of a 2 hour training in which the difference between higher order and lower order thinking questions is briefly explained, and in which the teacher learns in practice how to integrate these higher level questions into his or her regular lessons, for use in any content area.

Preregistration for 'The role of affective teacher-student relationships in peer bullying and victimization: A meta-analysis'

In this qualitative study we explored the opportunities and difficulties experienced by cognitive high-ability students during the transition to higher education. Although high-ability individuals undoubtedly have the cognitive capacity to excel academically, research has shown that there is persistent underachievement among this group of students, and that they may face challenges particularly within higher education when compared to compulsory education. To better understand their experiences, ten current and former high-ability students were selected by means of scores on standardized intelligence tests to participate in semi-structured interviews. Results revealed many similarities between the participants. The majority of the participants reported insufficient study skills and not knowing what is expected of them as obstacles during their transition to higher education, and cited that a lack of challenge in previous schooling caused them transitional difficulties. These factors were more often cited by participants who experienced a delay of one year or more in their higher education study progress. Conversely, participants with good study skills and clear expectations experienced a more successful transition. Contextual factors such as perceived support from the environment learning environment seemed to have a facilitating effect on the students’ transition experience but did not seem to determine the success of a student’s transition on their own. ispartof: Journal Of College Student Development vol:63 issue:3 pages:315-332 status: published

Background Most soccer injuries concern the lower extremity with a higher injury rate during the second half of matches. In advising safe return to sport, hop tests are usually assessed at the point of return to sport under non-fatigued conditions. No studies exist investigating hop test outcomes before and after a match in soccer players returning to performance after lower extremity injury and non-injured teammates. The objective is to assess differences in hop test outcomes before and after a match in and between soccer players returning to performance after lower extremity injury and their non-injured teammates. Methods A repeated-measures design was used to measure outcomes on five hop tests before and after a soccer match. For analyzing differences in hop tests before and after a match, paired sample t-tests were used. Independent t-tests were used to analyze differences between soccer players after injury and non-injured teammates. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d. Results Hop tests were completed by 61 amateur soccer players after injury and 121 non-injured teammates. Differences in hop tests before and after the match within both groups had negligible to small effect sizes (d=0.00-0.49), except for the figure of 8 and 30 seconds side hop in the injured leg of RTPf soccer players (d=0.56 and d=0.71 respectively). Differences between both groups were negligible to small (d=0.00-0.36). Conclusions Soccer players returning to performance after a lower extremity injury showed similar scores on hop tests than their non-injured teammates. More demanding sport-specific performance test and measurement of quality of movement are additionally recommended for safe return to sport decision-making.

Beliefs about academic functioning play an important role in the academic development of students. This study considers perceptions about underachievement, that is, the degree to which accomplishments are believed to be in line with potential. In particular, we examined why these perceptions might deviate from measured underachievement, determined by regressing achievement on a measure of cognitive ability. Using data from the TALENTstudy, a large-scale study among 3,409 Flemish 7th grade students, we observed student, teacher, and parent ratings of underachievement to be moderately associated with underachievement. Girls were less likely to be perceived as underachievers than boys at a similar actual level of underachievement, in particular by teachers and parents. Comparing different achievement domains (general, mathematics, and languages), this underestimation of female underachievement was found to be most pronounced in mathematics. Moreover, at a given level of measured underachievement, cognitive ability was negatively associated with perceived underachievement: as high ability underachievers often still achieve at an average level, the level of their underachievement might be underestimated. Although findings were consistent over different operationalizations of underachievement, measuring underachievement in terms of standardized test scores instead of grades led to weaker associations with perceived underachievement. ispartof: Journal Of Experimental Education vol:90 issue:4 pages:797-817 status: published

Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) have special educational needs that are challenging for teachers in early education. In the current contribution, we will discuss a large body of research suggesting that stimulating these children's attachment development is feasible for teachers and potentially a successful strategy to ensure that these children thrive better in the classroom and socially. The current overview discusses research and theory on RAD and RAD treatment and results in the formulation of specific recommendations for the successful management of children with RAD in the classroom.

While bivariate associations between motivation and academic achievement have been soundly established, only a handful of studies have documented evidence for its incremental predictive role above and beyond other student features related to student achievement, such as intelligence and personality. Moreover, it is not yet clear which motivational processes are most essential for academic achievement. The current study considered how an array of motivational processes related to academic achievement, controlling for intelligence and personality, in a large sample of Flemish 7th graders. Students’ intelligence and need for cognition, that is, the personal preference to engage in cognitively demanding work, proved to be strong predictors of academic achievement. Yet, even after controlling for intelligence and personality, several motivational processes explained additional, unique variance in achievement, totaling about a quarter of the explained variance in school results. In particular, academic self-concept proved to relate most strongly to achievement, while achievement goals, achievement motivation, autonomous motivation, and effort beliefs additionally explained a unique portion of the variance in academic achievement. Although these findings were largely consistent across different operationalizations of achievement, motivational constructs explained more variance when achievement was measured with school grades instead of standardized tests. Given the more malleable nature of motivational dynamics compared to intelligence and personality differences, the unique, positive associations between motivation and achievement suggest that improving student motivation is a worthwhile undertaking. ispartof: Journal Of Educational Psychology vol:114 issue:4 pages:772-790 status: published

OBJECTIVE: Although intellectually gifted individuals are often portrayed as perfectionists, evidence for an association between cognitive ability and perfectionism is inconclusive. This study investigates the relations between cognitive ability and two distinct dimensions of perfectionism and addresses the role of parental antecedents of perfectionism in adolescents at different levels of cognitive ability. METHOD: In a community sample of 3,168 adolescents and their parents, cognitive ability was assessed and perfectionism levels and parenting practices were surveyed. RESULTS: Adolescents higher in cognitive ability reported higher levels of Personal Standards (i.e., setting ambitious objectives) but lower levels of Concern over Mistakes (i.e., worrying excessively about mistakes). Parental criticism, high parental expectations, and conditionally regarding parenting were associated positively with Concern over Mistakes, and high parental expectations were related positively to Personal Standards. These associations were generally independent of adolescents' cognitive ability. Parents of adolescents higher in cognitive ability relied less on parenting practices associated with the development of perfectionism. CONCLUSION: Cognitive ability is related to a higher pursuit of personal standards, yet does not constitute a risk factor for excessive concerns about mistakes. Parental antecedents were related similarly and in theoretically meaningful ways to adolescent perfectionism across different levels of cognitive ability. ispartof: JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY vol:89 issue:4 pages:652-671 ispartof: location:United States status: published

The relevance of sources of support for teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs towards students with special educational needs 1. Introduction The move to include students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream education is one of the priorities of educational reform agendas in many countries. In Flanders (Belgium) the aim is to implement a more inclusive school system, but it faces resistance from practitioners. After all, implementing a more inclusive school system requires teachers to adjust their practices and adopt new tasks that come with the job of instructing SEN students (Pijl & Frissen, 2009). These practical concerns have undermined the implementation of inclusive education (IE) (Burke & Sutherland, 2004), and have led to a growing research interest in measuring teachers’ self-efficacy (TSE) in teaching SEN students in mainstream education (Sharma, Loreman, & Forlin, 2012). Teachers self-efficacy regarding inclusive education TSE refers to teachers’ beliefs about their capability to “organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments” (Bandura, 1997, p. 3). Research has indicated the importance of high TSE for teaching SEN students in mainstream classes (e.g., Brownell & Pajares, 1999). Highly self-efficacious teachers make greater teaching effort, which leads to better student performance and provides a successful experience for teachers, thus further improving their levels of self-efficacy (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001). Sources of support for teaching students with special educational needs The availability of sources of support at class and school level has repeatedly been associated with more positive attitudes (e.g., Avramidis & Norwich, 2002). Avramidis and Norwich (2002) divide sources of support for SEN students into three categories: (1) physical support (e.g., teaching materials, IT equipment, adjusted physical environment), (2) human support (e.g., learning support assistants), and (3) school environment (e.g., class size, planning time). Chiner and Cardona (2012) confirm that teachers who have more human support and material resources, comparable to physical support, are more positive towards IE than those who have less support and fewer resources. Avramidis and Kalyva (2007) point out that “teachers may not hold ‘negative attitudes’; rather they may not see solutions to problems they feel are outside their competence or control” (p. 385). Therefore, sources of support seem to be crucial for TSE in relation to SEN students. The relation between teacher self-efficacy and sources of support A review of teacher perceptions regarding the inclusion of SEN students by Scruggs and Mastropieri (1996), concluded that many teachers have concerns about IE and believe that supports are necessary to succeed. In other studies (e.g., Kuyini, Desai, & Sharma, 2018), these sources of support are described as concerns (e.g., concerns from teachers about a lack of, resources, funding and training to teach SEN students). If these support sources are not available, then they become concerns for teachers when teaching SEN students. Recent studies (e.g., Ahsan, Sharma, & Deppeler, 2012) found a link between self-efficacy and concerns about teaching students with SEN. Using a measure of general efficacy toward inclusive practices, Ahsan et al. (2012) found that pre-service teachers with higher levels of self-efficacy showed lower levels of concerns towards IE. Considering these findings, it is interesting to discover which sources of support affect TSE in relation to SEN students. This study The aim of this study is twofold: (1) to compare teachers’ student-specific self-efficacy levels in relation to students with and without SEN, and examine the contribution of teacher-related (gender, years of teaching experience, grade level, experience in special education, experience as a care teacher or (internal) student counsellor, and training (an additional degree in care)) and student-related variables (none, one or multiple diagnoses, and type of disability) in predicting TSE; and (2) to examine how sources of teacher support that favour including SEN students can influence TSE. 2. Materials and methods Data for the current study was collected from January to February 2018, from 692 regular school teachers; 291 teachers from 59 primary schools and 401 teachers from 61 secondary schools in Flanders (Belgium). To ensure the sample was representative, the following variables were taken into account to select a variety of schools: school network , geographical spread, and school size. To measure TSE in relation to students with and without SEN, teachers were asked to complete the Dutch version of the Student-Specific TSE Scale (Zee & Koomen, 2015). They were asked to complete the scale twice, first for the first student on their class list without SEN (i.e., a student who does not receive additional care) and second for the first student on their class list with SEN (i.e., a student for whom the additional care within the school is not sufficient). A six-point Likert-type scale (1 = ‘totally disagree’ to 6 = ‘totally agree’) was used. To analyse TSE in relation to SEN students and the sources of support used for these students, the teachers were asked to indicate to what degree they made use of certain sources of support for the described SEN student), using a four-point Likert-type scale (1 = ‘(almost) never’ to 4 = ‘very often’). The sources of support surveyed were based on Avramidis and Norwich (2002) (i.e., physical and human support) and on availability within the Flemish education system. An exploratory factor analysis was performed on the sources of support to explore multi-dimensionality. Two factors were retrieved, ‘easily accessible sources’: information and advice, materials, and emotional support; and ‘coöperative sources’: observation and feedback, supervision/coaching, co-teaching/team teaching, support for this student in the classroom, support for this student outside the classroom. All data analyses were conducted using SPSS software. A paired samples T-test was performed to compare student-specific TSE in relation to teaching students with and without SEN. To examine the contribution of teacher-related variables in predicting TSE a series of multilevel models were fitted. To investigate the contribution of student-related variables in predicting teachers’ student-specific self-efficacy beliefs towards SEN students, a set of one-way ANOVAs were carried out. (Multilevel modelling was not needed because each teacher rated only one SEN student.) To identify whether the use of support was predictive for teachers’ student-specific self-efficacy levels in relation to SEN students, multiple regression analyses were performed using Easily accessible sources and Cooperative sources as predictors. 3. Discussion and conclusion Regarding the first research aim, it was found that teachers have significantly lower levels of TSE when teaching SEN students compared to students without SEN. When looking at teacher-related variables that affect these levels of self-efficacy, remarkable results were found with regards to gender and grade level. Compared to male teachers, female teachers generally tend to have higher levels of self-efficacy for teaching students without SEN, but not for students with SEN. At the grade level, we found that compared to secondary school teachers, primary school teachers have higher levels of self-efficacy towards students without SEN, but lower overall levels of self-efficacy towards SEN students, With regard to student-related variables for students with SEN, TSE is lower regarding students with multiple diagnoses compared to students with one diagnosis, and lower regarding students with socio-emotional and/or behavioural disorders compared to students with learning disabilities. For the second research objective, we found that the more Cooperative sources of support were used the higher the levels of student-specific self-efficacy. No predictive value for Easily accessible sources of support on teachers’ student-specific self-efficacy was found. These findings emphasize the importance of human support sources as described by Avramidis and Norwich (2002), but only those sources of support characterised by in-depth cooperation between two teachers or a teacher and an internal or external counsellor. We assume that making these forms of support more available to teachers will make them more competent to deal with students with SEN and will, therefore, reduce resistance to a more IE system. However, Cooperative sources of support may not be sufficient for all students (e.g., students with multiple diagnoses) or all teachers. Further research on boundary conditions of Cooperative sources of support is needed. References Ahsan, M. T., Sharma, U., & Deppeler, J. M. (2012). Exploring Pre-Service Teachers' Perceived Teaching-Efficacy, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education in Bangladesh. International Journal of whole schooling, 8(2), 1-20. Avramidis, E., & Norwich, B. (2002). Teachers' attitudes towards integration/inclusion: a review of the literature. European journal of special needs education, 17(2), 129-147. doi:10.1080/08856250210129056. Avramidis, E., & Kalyva, E. (2007). The influence of teaching experience and professional development on Greek teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 22(4), 367-389. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. New York: Worth Publishers. Brownell, M. T., & Pajares, F. (1999). Teacher efficacy and perceived success in mainstreaming students with learning and behavior problems. Teacher Education and Special Education, 22(3), 154-164. Burke, K., & Sutherland, C. (2004). Attitudes toward inclusion: Knowledge vs. experience. Education, 125(2). Chiner, E., & Cardona, M. C. (2013). Inclusive education in Spain: how do skills, resources, and supports affect regular education teachers’ perceptions of inclusion? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 17(5), 526-541. Kuyini, A. B., Desai, I., & Sharma, U. (2018). Teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs, attitudes and concerns about implementing inclusive education in Ghana. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1-18. doi:10.1080/13603116.2018.1544298. Pijl, S. J., & Frissen, P. H. A. (2009). What policymakers can do to make education inclusive. Educational Management Administration & leadership, 37(3), 366-377. doi:10.1177/1741143209102789. Sharma, U., Loreman, T., & Forlin, C. (2012). Measuring teacher efficacy to implement inclusive practices. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 12(1), 12-21. Schwab, S. (2019). Teachers’ student-specific self-efficacy in relation to teacher and student variables. Educational Psychology, 39(1), 4-18. doi:10.1080/01443410.2018.1516861. Tschannen-Moran, M., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. W. (2001). Teacher efficacy: Capturing an elusive construct. Teaching and teacher education, 17(7), 783-805. Zee, M. & Koomen, H. M. Y. (2015). Student-specific teacher self-efficacy: Investigating the factorial, convergent, and concurrent validity of a new instrument. Poster presented at the biennial meeting of SRCD, Philadelphia, PA.

School belonging is pivotal in enabling sustained task engagement, yet minorities' belonging is contingent on the intergroup context. From a social identity approach, discrimination experiences elicit identity threat, undermining school belonging. Conversely, a positive diversity climate may shield belonging through protecting minority identities. This study addresses minority school belonging and task engagement from the interplay of identity threat and protection in diverse classrooms. We hypothesise that a positive diversity climate can buffer minority disengagement in response to discrimination by protecting school belonging. Drawing on Turkish and Moroccan minority samples (N = 1050) in 274 diverse classrooms in 52 Belgian secondary schools, we test multilevel models with school belonging as mediating process connecting minorities' engagement to the interplay of discrimination experiences with perceived diversity climate. Minority youth who experienced discrimination from teachers reported less school belonging, which in turn predicted lower task engagement. Conversely, minority perceptions of a positive diversity climate predicted more belonging. Moreover, perceived diversity climate buffered minority engagement against personal experiences of discrimination through protecting school belonging. Whereas discrimination experiences undermined minority school belonging and task engagement, minority perceptions of a positive diversity climate protected belonging and engagement against discrimination. ispartof: International Journal Of Psychology vol:55 issue:5 pages:779-788 ispartof: location:England status: published

Not much is known regarding underlying biological pathways to adolescents' loneliness. Insight in underlying molecular mechanisms could inform intervention efforts aimed at reducing loneliness. Using latent growth curve modeling, baseline levels and development of loneliness were studied in two longitudinal adolescent samples. Genes (OXTR, OXT, AVPR1A, AVPR1B) were examined using SNP-based, gene-based, and polygenic risk score (PRS) approaches. In both samples, SNP- and gene-based tests showed involvement of the OXTR gene in development of loneliness, though, significance levels did not survive correction for multiple testing. The PRS approach provided no evidence for relations with loneliness. We recommend alternative phenotyping methods, including environmental factors, to consider epigenetic studies, and to examine possible endophenotypes in relation to adolescents' loneliness. ispartof: Journal Of Research On Adolescence vol:30 issue:S2 pages:333-348 ispartof: location:United States status: published

For decades, inclusive education has been subject on the reform agendas of many countries (UNESCO, 2000; United Nations, 2006). Even though the shift towards inclusive education is an international global phenomenon, it must be achieved in the local context and within the existing educational system (Göransson & Nilholm, 2014; Vansteenkiste, Swart, Van Avermaet, & Struyf, 2020). In 2009, also Belgium ratified the UN convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Consequently, a new legislation - called the M-decree - was implemented in 2015-2016 in Flanders, the Dutch speaking part of Belgium, aiming to reduce the current segregated school system. In Flanders, practitioners find it challenging to implement inclusive education and tend to show resistance to it (Children’s Rights Commissioner, 2016; Rekenhof, 2019). This resistance may reflect a negative attitude of educators towards inclusive education or suggest that teachers "may not see solutions to problems they feel are outside their competence or control" (Avramidis & Kalyva, 2007, p. 385). The enrolment of students with special educational needs demands teachers to adjust their daily practices and take on new tasks that come along with teaching these students (Pijl & Frissen, 2009). In other words, teachers are closely involved with these students and are therefore considered pivotal for the implementation of inclusive education to succeed (Burke & Sutherland, 2004; de Boer Pijl, & Minnaert, 2011; Rouse, 2017). However, Burke and Sutherland (2004), acknowledge that teachers’ concerns, related to the adjustments teachers have to make, can undermine the implementation of inclusive education. In this chapter, we report on an extensive research project in Flanders on levers to support teachers in realizing inclusive education. The general aim of this project was to obtain more insight into how teachers can be supported in realizing inclusive education. In order to do so, we addressed three research aims. The first research aim was to get an overview of what themes have already been studied regarding inclusive education. The second research aim was to examine whether leadership and professionalization can be a lever for realizing inclusive education. The third research aim was to examine teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs towards specific students with and without special educational needs and the role of sources of teacher support. In order to address these research aims a multi-method approach was used. A meta-review was conducted to investigate the first research aim. A case study research and a large-scale survey study were outlined to examine the second and third research aim, respectively. In this chapter we will present the main findings of these studies. For more information on these studies we refer to other articles (Van Mieghem, Struyf & Verschueren, 2020; Van Mieghem, Verschueren, Donche & Struyf, 2020; Van Mieghem, Verschueren, Petry & Struyf, 2020; Van Mieghem, Verschueren & Struyf, 2020).

This study aims to better understand differences in the decision-making process behind study choices for higher education by investigating the presence of exploration profiles and then explore the explanatory base. To achieve this, we first identified different exploration profiles of students transitioning to higher education (n = 5660), and then investigated whether they were predicted by different student variables (i.e., learning strategies, gender, and educational track) and linked with different outcomes of the decision-making process (i.e., the amount of information acquired regarding higher education, decisional status, and commitment). A latent profile analysis identified three exploration profiles based on the decisional tasks of orientation, self-, broad, and in-depth exploration: passive (35%), moderately active (52%), and highly active explorers (13%). Students' learning strategies (regulation and processing strategies) were associated with these profiles. Students with more effective regulation and processing strategies were more likely to be highly active than passive or moderately active explorers. Female students and students from the technical track were more likely to be found in the highly active profile compared to the moderately active and the passive or moderately active profile, respectively. Finally, highly active explorers had the most favorable outcomes, measured by decisional status, commitment, and amount of information. Based on a substantial dataset, our findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the explanatory base of important differences in the study choice making process of students opting for higher education. This may ultimately lead to more fitting support for students in less beneficial profiles.

BACKGROUND: Relationships with peers and teachers are keys for children's psychosocial development. However, it is unclear whether this also applies for high-ability children. This study adds to the literature by longitudinally examining the role of interpersonal relationships in the educational context for high- and average-ability students. AIMS: In this study, we examined whether high- and average-ability students differ in terms of peer acceptance, teacher conflict, and school well-being. Further, we studied the potential bi-directional effects between school well-being, teacher conflict, and peer acceptance in late childhood and examined whether the relations between these concepts differ between high- and average-ability students. SAMPLE: The total sample consisted of 3,101 Belgian students (49.9% boys, Mage = 9.76 years), with 348 high-ability and 2,753 average-ability students. METHODS: Cognitive ability was assessed in Grade 3 with two cognitive ability tests (for crystallized intelligence and fluid intelligence, respectively). The students were followed for three years (Grades 4, 5, and 6), and each year their current teacher filled out questionnaires regarding teacher-child conflict, peer acceptance, and school well-being. RESULTS: High-ability students showed lower teacher conflict, higher peer acceptance, and better school well-being than average-ability students. Cross-lagged analyses showed that peer acceptance consistently predicted school well-being over time, while Grade 4 school well-being impacted Grade 5 teacher conflict. Also, better peer acceptance in Grade 5 predicted lower teacher-student conflict in Grade 6. Multigroup analyses revealed similar associations for both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that high-ability students in general display more positive school-based social relationships and school well-being than average-ability students. We found no differences in the links between these variables for both groups (i.e., high-ability students and average-ability students). ispartof: British Journal Of Educational Psychology vol:91 issue:4 pages:1127-1145 ispartof: location:England status: Published online

Although teachers play a central role in tackling peer victimization at school, no study so far has investigated transactional associations between positive and negative teacher-student relationship dimensions and peer victimization in early adolescence. Investigating both dimensions simultaneously in upper elementary school allows to examine differential effects on peer victimization (and vice versa) and could aid tailored prevention and intervention efforts. At three time points within one school year, self-reported teacher-student closeness and conflict and self- and peer-reported peer victimization were assessed in a sample of 930 fourth to sixth grade students (Mage = 10.55 years, 53.1% girls). Cross-lagged models revealed negative within-time associations between closeness and self-reported peer victimization, and positive within-time associations between conflict and self-reported peer victimization at most time points. Whereas closeness and conflict negatively predicted each other across the school year, no bidirectional longitudinal effects were found between teacher-student relationships and peer victimization. The current findings highlight the need for early prevention and intervention efforts to tackle peer victimization, build positive teacher-student relationships, and especially reduce negative teacher-student relationships. ispartof: Journal Of Youth And Adolescence vol:50 issue:11 pages:2166-2180 ispartof: location:United States status: Published online

Although teachers are key in bullying intervention, little is known about their responses to bullying and how students perceive them. This study investigated whether experimentally manipulated teac...

This longitudinal study investigated the role of teacher-student closeness and conflict in adolescents' school engagement trajectories, and how school engagement dimensions predict achievement trajectories. A sample of 5,382 adolescents (Mage.wave1 = 13.06, SD = 0.51; 49.6% boys) were followed from Grade 7 to 9. Yearly measures included student reports on school engagement dimensions, teacher reports on closeness and conflict, and standardized tests for math achievement. Latent growth models revealed that closeness positively and conflict negatively predicted students' school engagement. Furthermore, adolescents' behavioral and emotional engagement, and disaffection in particular, played an important role in predicting achievement within the same schoolyear. Moreover, increases in behavioral disaffection and emotional engagement aligned with reduced and steeper increases in achievement between Grade 7 and 9, respectively. In general, this study underscores the importance of adolescents’ affective teacher-student relationships for their engagement in school, and the role of school engagement in predicting achievement. ispartof: Learning And Instruction vol:75 pages:1-12 status: Published online

Adolescents differ in their degree of Environmental Sensitivity, that is, the ability to perceive and process information about their environment. The present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Highly Sensitive Child scale (HSC), a self-report measure of Environmental Sensitivity, in two Belgian and UK samples with a total of 3056 adolescents. First, the factor structure, internal consistency, dimensionality, and construct validity of the HSC scale were examined. Second, measurement invariance of the HSC scale across developmental stage, gender, and country was tested. Results supported a bifactor model with a general sensitivity factor and three group factors: Ease of Excitation (EOE), Low Sensory Threshold (LST), and Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES). Cronbach’s alpha and McDonalds’s (hierarchical) omega indicated that the HSC scale is a reliable measure of Environmental Sensitivity, except for AES. Furthermore, AES was associated with different personality traits than EOE and LST. Second, the HSC scale was partially measurement invariant across developmental stage, gender, and country. The results provide important insights in the psychometrics of a first measurement of Environmental Sensitivity in early to late adolescents. Implications for further research are discussed. ispartof: Current Psychology vol:40 issue:7 pages:3309-3325 status: published

Tools for objective monitoring of home-based training and physical behavior (PB) in (pre)sarcopenic older adults are needed. The present study explored two approaches with machine learning models, including accelerometer data either with or without additional gyroscope data (in an inertial measurement unit). Twenty-five community-dwelling (pre)sarcopenic adults mean 80.7 [5.5] years) performed the Otago exercise protocol (OEP) and PB modules (e.g., sitting or walking) while wearing an inertial measurement unit on the lower back (Dynaport MoveMonitor; McRoberts, The Hague, The Netherlands). Machine learning (ML) models for classification were developed by two approaches (top-down and bottom-up approaches) and with two levels of classification: general (no wear, OEP, and PB) and detailed (all subclassifications). Classification output was compared with video recordings. For the bottom-up approach, one ML model was developed. For the top-down approach, data were first classified as no wear, OEP, or PB. Thereafter, OEP and PB were subclassified by one ML model each into subclassification. Only classification of the general classification no wear and the subclassification sitting/lying reached the acceptable performance threshold of 80%. This result was independent of the approach used. Moreover, a gyroscope did not improve performance. Despite the progress in ML techniques and monitors, objective compliance registrations remain challenging.