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The study investigates secondary students' understanding of "orbital" and "electron cloud" concepts in different quantum contexts (for values of the ?principal quantum number n = 1 and n = 2) on the basis of their verbal and pictorial representations, evaluating also their consistency. Participants, which were 192 12th-grade students from six urban secondary schools of Northern Greece, represented these two concepts through two corresponding tasks of a paper-and-pencil assessment tool, each of which comprised two parts for verbal and pictorial representations, respectively. Results provide evidence that although students struggle to express verbally the orbital and electron cloud concepts, their competences in the corresponding pictorial representations are relatively better, exhibiting inconsistencies between verbal and pictorial representations. Inconsistencies also exist between representations of the orbital and electron cloud concepts, since students appear to have verbally a better understanding of the electron cloud than the orbital, whereas the opposite holds true for their pictorial representations. Comparing verbal and pictorial representations, the pictorial ones appear to be more consistent tools, whereas a quantum context defined by n = 2 seems to be more challenging for students compared to that of n = 1. Furthermore, an analysis of student profiles leads to their categorization in four classes, providing additional relevant information. Implications for science education are also discussed.

This study examines the factors that affect pre-service and in-service teachers' intention to use Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) in their teaching through the proposed Mobile Augmented Reality Acceptance Model (MARAM). The MARAM builds on the existing Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to incorporate four other components namely perceived relative advantage, perceived enjoyment, facilitating conditions, and mobile self-efficacy. In addition, this study investigates the validity of the MARAM. Data were collected from 137 pre-service and 169 in-service teachers who completed a questionnaire after having developed their own MAR applications during an undergraduate university course and a training seminar, respectively. Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis was conducted separately for each group, as well as for both samples together. We also conducted a multi-group analysis to examine differences across the two samples. The results for both samples together (N = 306), showed that intention was affected by attitude, perceived usefulness and facilitating conditions. In turn, attitude was affected by perceived enjoyment and perceived usefulness. Perceived usefulness was affected by perceived enjoyment and perceived relative advantage. Perceived ease of use was affected by mobile self-efficacy and facilitating conditions. However, perceived ease of use did not affect perceived usefulness or attitude. A multi-group analysis conducted on the sample of pre-service and in-service teachers produced similar results, with minor differentiations. These results have implications for the use of MAR in research and schools, as well as technology acceptance models in education.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) to adopt alternative approaches to the delivery of their learning activities, including examinations. Many HEIs choose Remote Electronic Examinations (REEs) as a one-way solution due to physical presence restriction measures imposed by governments around the world. The present study aimed to record and analyze students' perceptions of the implementation of remote electronic examinations by the Hellenic Open University (HOU). A number of 5412 students participated voluntarily and filled out a questionnaire. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were employed. Results revealed that students were satisfied in general with the examination process. Regarding integrity assurance issues, students were also satisfied. Furthermore, they expressed their desire to be examined remotely again. Avoiding traveling and saving money were the main benefits of remote electronic examinations. Regarding the examination topics and the duration of the examination sessions, some issues were reported. Finally, students suggested the provision of more time length.

In the last 30 years, 4 distinct theoretical approaches have been described for early childhood science education. The approaches are, empiricist, Piagetian, socio-cognitive and socio-cultural. Drawing on the differences among these approaches regarding the theoretical framework adopted in teaching, the role that is assigned to the teacher during the activity and the actions that are expected from the children, we aimed to serve 2 purposes with this research. Firstly, to elicit the in-service pre-school teachers' beliefs about teaching practices for natural sciences and to record the approaches that these beliefs match. To fulfil this purpose, a new instrument was developed. Secondly, to examine the instrument's validity and reliability. The participants in the study were 94 pre-school teachers who served in public schools in 2 prefectures in Greece. Research findings suggest that pre-school teachers tend to state that they mainly adopt practices that fit the empiricist approach while practices that fit the socio-cognitive approach are not used so often. Finally, they seem to rarely follow practices that fit the socio-cultural and Piagetian approaches.

A number of diverse arguments have been proposed by researchers of science education regarding the reason science should be taught in schools. These arguments inevitably play a crucial role in the curriculum designed by policymakers. The present study turns its attention to the democratic argument. It explores its validity through a special socio-scientific issue that citizens are likely to encounter in their everyday life, that of radiation emitted from cell phones. In particular, it tries to study the required knowledge of physics that will enable individuals to effectively deal with the emission of radiation from cell phones. Moreover, drawing from sharp conflicts that have arisen during the last years around the world between citizens and cell phone companies regarding the installation of cell towers within residential areas, it tries to record information about different places in the world where the cell phone controversy has made headline news.

The purpose of this study is to explore the association between marital satisfaction and social activities with parents' self-perception. Self-perception included parents' sense of self and their attitudes and beliefs about who they are as individuals and as parents. Three hundred and twenty-seven parents, having either a child with (D1-target group) or without (D2-control group) a disability, were enrolled in the study. We hypothesized that self-perception of parents in the target group would be lower in all measures. We also hypothesized that low self-perception will correlate with parents' marital satisfaction and social activities. We found that parents of a child with disabilities reported significantly lower levels in all domains (self-perception, marital satisfaction and social activities) than parents of children without disabilities. Moreover, multigroup analyses confirmed that the structural paths between self-perception, marital satisfaction and social activities do not differ between D1 and D2 parents ([chi-squared](127, N = 327) = 134.62, p>0.05, CFI = 1.00 [greater than or equal to] 0.90, RMSEA=0.063 [less than or equal to] 0.080, SRMR = 0.054 < 0.08, TLI = 1.000 > 0.95). Results are discussed in terms of children's educational placement and their implications on children with and without disabilities unobstructed co-development and co-existence with their parents in the family context.

The present study examined whether literacy difficulties in both grades 2 and 3 are associated with social and generalized anxiety within the school environment in grade 5 and if children with different literacy difficulties differ in anxiety levels compared to typically developing children in grade 5 after controlling for inattention. Sixty-nine Greek children with literacy difficulties and fifty-two children with typical literacy development were assessed at the beginning of grade 2 and at the end of grade 3 on standardized literacy measures (reading accuracy, text-reading fluency, reading comprehension, and spelling). In grade 5, teachers were asked to rate their children's social and generalized anxiety levels and inattentive behavior in the school context. Results of one-way ANCOVAs showed that children with literacy difficulties were experiencing more social anxiety than typically developing children. Furthermore, children with both reading and spelling difficulties, but not those with single reading or spelling difficulties, had more social anxiety. These findings suggest that there is a close connection between early literacy difficulties and social anxiety in upper elementary grades and particularly among children with both reading and spelling difficulties. Implications for both teachers and other professionals who support children's socioemotional development will be discussed.

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the relationship between prospective teachers' cultural profiles and service quality expectations in a pedagogical training program in Greece. Design/methodology/approach: Using the EppekQual scale and an alternative Hofstede's cultural scale, 113 prospective teachers in a Greek training program were surveyed. The study uses descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multiple regression, validating measurements through confirmatory factor analysis. Findings: Prospective teachers exhibit a low-power orientation and a preference for feminine values. Rejecting hierarchy correlates with quality expectations, especially in the curriculum dimension, emphasizing student-centric education. A positive correlation with acceptance/avoidance of uncertainty is observed, notably in learning outcomes and administrative services. The cultural aversion to ambiguity shapes individuals' prioritization of all quality dimensions. A realistic long-term perspective correlates positively with expectations in learning outcomes, aligning with Greek culture's emphasis on security. Contrary to expectations, a predilection for feminine values positively impacts service quality expectations, particularly in curriculum, learning outcomes and academic staff dimensions. The hypothesis related to individualism/collectivism is not substantiated, indicating a negative association with the curriculum dimension. Practical implications: Tailoring program designs to embrace student-centric and collaborative learning environments is recommended. Acknowledging cultural aversions to uncertainty, program flexibility and clarity are essential. Integrating career planning and mentorship aligns with realistic long-term perspectives. The need for a balanced approach to personal and intellectual development is also suggested. Originality/value: This study uncovers specific cultural dimensions that shape quality expectations within a Greek teacher training context.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the consistency of pictorial representations of the atomic structure drawn by students on the basis of particular quantum numbers' characteristics. Participants were 192 students of the 12th grade of secondary Greek schools. This study's instrument, a paper-and-pencil assessment tool, included four open-ended tasks. In each one of the four tasks, students were asked to draw representations of the atomic structure under two specific conditions concerning particular quantum numbers' values. Results indicated the existence of a consistency between pictorial representations, providing indications that this kind of representation could be used as a consistent tool in order to study students' understanding of the contribution of quantum number characteristics in the configuration of the atomic structure. Furthermore Latent Class Analysis revealed distinct student profiles indicating how this consistency is distributed across the sample and emerging student classes that have problems in conceptualizing the characteristics of the first and fourth quantum numbers. Implications for science education are discussed.

There is little evidence about the origin of the phrase una faccia, una razza (one face, one race). However, its use signifies numerous shared elements in the cultures of Italy and Greece. In both countries, adult education emerged within the critical paradigm whereas vocationalism is currently the leading force of adult education policy development. The purpose of this article is to discuss the paths of adult education policy evolution over the last 40 years in both countries. Acknowledging Europeanization, neoliberalism, and vocationalism as the forces of policy change, the article provides a detailed critical review, a synthesis, and a proposal about future steps in adult education policy.

Nowadays, the improvement of digital learning with Artificial Intelligence has attracted a lot of research, as it provides solutions for individualized education styles which are independent of place and time. This is particularly the case for computer science, as a tutoring domain, which is rapidly growing and changing and as such, learners need frequent update courses. In this paper, we present a thorough evaluation of a fuzzy-based intelligent tutoring system (ITS), that teaches computer programming. The evaluation concerns multiple aspects of the ITS. The evaluation criteria are: (i) context, (ii) effectiveness, (iii) efficiency, (iv) accuracy, (v) usability and satisfaction, and (vi) engagement and motivation. In the evaluation process students of an undergraduate program in Informatics of the University of Piraeus in Greece participated. The evaluation method that was used included questionnaires, analysis of log files and experiments. Also, t-tests were conducted to certify the validity of the evaluation results. Indeed, the evaluation results are very positive and show that the incorporated fuzzy mechanism to the presented ITS enhances the system with Artificial Intelligence and through this, it increases the learners' satisfaction and new knowledge learning and mastering, improves the recommendation accuracy of the system, the efficacy of interactions, and contributes positively to the learners' engagement in the learning process.

The present study investigated the association of students' fundamental ideas and misconceptions about ontological features of atom identity and behavior with the formation of their portrayed representations of the atomic structure. Participants (n = 421) were secondary education students in the eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades. Students' portrayed representations of the atomic structure were accessed through drawing tasks, while their understanding of the ontological features of atom was measured through a specially designed questionnaire. Latent Class Analysis (LCA), a psychometric method, was applied to the elementary features of the portrayed representations to classify them and test the potential coherence of their representations regarding atomic structure. The LCA revealed three latent classes, which showed a relative coherence in three of the anticipated models, "Particle model," "Nuclear model," and "Bohr's model." Moreover, students' conceptions and misconception about the ontological features of atom were used as covariates in the LCA and their effects on the above-mentioned class-memberships were estimated. Results indicated a significant effect of students' conceptions of the atomic ontological features on their portrayed representations of the atomic structure. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

The aim of the current study was to examine the way in which preschool children deal with the concept of sound. For this purpose, a study was carried out in the context of detecting and categorizing the mental representations among young children of sounds which propagate through space from source to the receiver. Specifically, 91 preschool children aged 5-6 years voluntarily participated in individual semi-structured interviews which were carried out by three researchers in a special area of kindergartens. During these interviews, the children were asked to express their views on the three following axes: the concept of sound itself; the subjective characteristics of sound; and the phenomenon of the production and propagation of sound. The results of the research showed that while a small percentage of children recognized the propagation of sound in space, the vast majority of them associated sound with either the object that produced it or with the object that received it.

The aim of the current paper is to investigate the traces of socio-cognitive influences in kindergarten teachers' representations about the practices they tend to follow when they develop Natural Sciences activities in kindergarten. A quantitative approach was used, with the research tool being an electronic questionnaire that was completed online by 94 kindergarten teachers served in public Kindergartens. The questionnaire was firstly used in a pilot survey where receiving feedback it was further developed for the main research. Research analysis showed that kindergarten teachers' representations concerning their teaching choices and actions of their students are characterized by practices that are influenced by the socio-cognitive teaching strategy. These practices are followed from both teachers and their students from moderate to large extent.

The present study investigates the effect of three neo-Piagetian constructs, namely Formal Reasoning (FR), Field Dependence/Independence (FDI) and Divergence (DIV), as well as the effect of age and gender, on students' portrayed representations of the atomic structure, considering their degree of coherence. For this purpose students' representations were examined for their consistency across three task contexts, using Latent Class Analysis (LCA), in order to identify distinct latent classes of participants providing specific consistent representations. Participants (n=421) were students of the grades 8th, 10th and 12th of secondary education. LCA led to three clusters, in each of which, students' responses demonstrated a consistency across tasks, with Bohr's model, Nuclear model and Particle model, respectively. LCA with the covariates provided evidence for the association of the three cluster-memberships with the neo-Piagetian variables and age, while no effect of gender was found. Implications for science education are also discussed.

Purpose: To improve school organisational performance and innovativeness, and meet diverse student needs, school leaders should be innovative, risk-takers and proactive, thus applying entrepreneurial practices/strategies and market mechanisms. This study aims to investigate, from a schoolteacher's perspective, the degree of entrepreneurial leadership behaviour (ELB) applied by school principals in European primary schools. Given that school autonomy is perceived as an important predictor of leaders' entrepreneurship, this study investigates the impact of educational macro (autonomy and accountability) and micro (demographics) contexts on ELB by comparing centralised and decentralised European school systems with the highly centralised Greek school system. Design/methodology/approach: This comparative study was conducted in Greece (630 participants) and in 14 European countries (972 participants). Thornberry's Entrepreneurial Leadership Questionnaire was used, comprising general entrepreneurial leader (GEL), miner (MIN), accelerator (ACC), explorer (EXP) and integrator (INT) behaviours. Findings: The results revealed that ELB is a multi-dimensional concept, and that all participating teachers perceived ELB application moderately, with more focus on the internal (than external) school environment. Furthermore, the dual-directional macro-contextual influence found in applying ELB indicates that high school autonomy and accountability activate ELB owing to the school's freedom to engage in entrepreneurial ventures, while low autonomy/accountability still activates ELB, but only for organisational survival within hierarchical-bureaucratic school environments. This feature differentiates "intrapreneur/intrepreneur" from "entrepreneur" school principals. Originality/value: The theoretical basis of entrepreneurial leadership (EL) in education should include entrepreneurial multi-dimensional leadership aspects (competencies, behaviours, skills) and educational context (macro and micro). Implications for school leadership research and practice are also discussed.

The present study investigates how Greek in-service secondary education biology teachers understand the unique features of school biology and physics when considering the biological theoretical edifice and method. Our theoretical framework focuses on important differences that exist between the neo-Darwinian and Newtonian worldviews, while our methodology involves questionnaires and mainly individual interviews with fourteen (14) biology teachers. The study findings indicate that biology teachers encounter difficulties in unraveling the distinction between nomothetic and non-nomothetic natural sciences and in understanding the historical character of biology. They also emphasize the importance of scientific laws and experimentation when considering the epistemological features of biology, and the reason is that they reflect on the issue of what science or scientific knowledge is by simultaneously adopting two contradictory perspectives. On the one hand, they stress what a science should be if it is to be called 'science', and on the other hand, they focus on how a particular science, such as biology behaves. Unavoidably, a logical tension is created in their minds, and as a way of solving this tension, they view biology as being in a state of ongoing change towards an ideal, and, in many aspects, a positivistic pattern of science.

The preference of preschool children for interactive traditional paper books has long been proved. More novel than traditional interactive books are the Augmented Reality (AR) books, which took a place in the book market for more than a decade now. For this study, we have used the Mosaic approach as a form of participatory research. The main methods used included children's presentations, interviews, observations, photo-taking, and taking part in a voting procedure. Our findings showed that the requirements for using AR books are not yet met by mobile devices that the youngest users have, so their audience is still limited. Even though the AR book seemed to be more promising for engaging children's attention longer, this was not possible because of the constraints imposed by the very delicate screen handling and children expressed their preference for the traditional interactive book.

Purpose: The present study examined the nature of the effects (direct or indirect) of vocabulary, phonological and morphological awareness on early reading skills in the consistent Greek orthography by testing a unifying model of early reading development in a sample of 141 first-grade children. Method: Vocabulary, phonological and morphological awareness were assessed in the middle of grade 1, whereas word reading accuracy, word reading fluency, and reading comprehension were measured at the end of the same grade. Results: Results from structural equation modeling showed that phonological awareness directly predicted word reading accuracy, which mediated the effects of phonological awareness on reading comprehension and word reading fluency. Reading comprehension was directly supported by vocabulary, which also mediated the effect of morphological awareness on reading comprehension. Morphological awareness had an indirect effect on word reading accuracy through phonological awareness and via this distal path indirectly predicted reading comprehension and word reading fluency. Conclusion: Findings highlight the complex relations between oral language and early reading skills and suggest that, although the effects of oral language skills may differ depending on the reading outcome, all of them can significantly promote early reading development. Therefore, they should be included during reading instruction.

Background: It is stated that it is necessary that students develop their nanoliteracy in order to come up with everyday issues arising from Nanoscale Science and Technology (NST) applications, taking informed decisions and estimating the potential risks and benefits. Even though the inclusion of NST in compulsory education is supported by many researchers, the research on students' preconceptions of NST concepts and phenomena is in its infancy. Purpose: We aim to identify students' preconceptions of (a) the conceptualization of size in the context of NST and (b) the explanation of the lotus effect (superhydrophobic materials). Sample: The participants of our research are 250: 5th and 6th grade primary school students in Greece. Design and methods: The data collection tool is a written questionnaire. Regarding the coding, both the inductive and deductive qualitative process is followed. Results: Concerning the concept of size, approximately half of the students are aware of non-visible objects. However, their classification of objects based on size is naive and based on vague criteria e.g. 'Large, Medium, Small objects'. For the lotus effect we identify three categories consisting of thirteen subcategories that reflect students' ideas about their macroscopic view of the lotus effect explanation. Conclusion: Students see the explanation of the lotus effect as a Direct process (explanations based on an identifiable causal agent). We argue that we could support them shift their explanations to the Emergent process (explanations based on non-identifiable causal agents) using appropriate tasks. Concerning the concept of size, students are aware of two main categories: the visible and nonvisible objects. We could help them create the macro-, micro- and nanoworld categories based on qualitative criteria.

This study examined whether particular practices in story retelling improve children's comprehension of story structure and enables them to further comment on the story content. Eighty-three (83) kindergarten children (M = 5.4) years old composed the experimental (N = 43) and the control (N = 40) groups. For 6 weeks, one time per week, six well-structured books were read to the experimental group as follows: Before reading there was a brief discussion, while after reading children were trained in story retelling. The intervention programme in retelling consisted of five levels, which began from total teacher assistance to the point where children were able to retell the story freely and completely. The same six books were simply read to the control group and after the reading the children discussed the interesting parts and made drawings based on the story. Children's retellings were taped and analysed by a series of measures. Results confirmed the experimental group children's achievements in almost all measurements indicating that the multilevel training programme in retelling enhanced children's ability for deeper comprehension and further commentary.

The aim of this study was to validate a 24-item TEPID (Teachers of EFL Preparedness to Include Dyslexics) scale measuring the beliefs of 546 pre-service and in-service teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) across three countries (Cyprus, Greece, and Poland) on their preparedness to include learners with dyslexia in mainstream foreign language (FL) classes. Principal component analysis of the scale led to a two-factor structure, that is, knowledge and self-efficacy in implementing inclusive instructional practices with dyslexic EFL learners, and stance towards inclusion. The analysis of measurement invariance confirmed the generalizability of the TEPID across all subgroups and allowed valid comparisons between factor variances and covariances. The scale is a useful tool for investigating perceived teacher preparedness to include dyslexic learners and variables that influence TEPID, comparing the results across countries, and designing tailored pre-service and in-service training schemes on inclusion.

Researchers tend to use oral- and silent-reading fluency measures interchangeably and to generalize research findings across reading modes, especially from oral to silent reading. In this study, we sought to examine if oral and silent word-reading fluency rely on the same cognitive-linguistic skills. Three hundred and forty-five Greek children (80 from Grade 2, 85 from Grade 4, 91 from Grade 6, and 89 from Grade 10) were assessed on measures of general cognitive ability, speed of processing, phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, orthographic knowledge, articulation rate, and word-reading fluency (oral and silent). Results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that phonological awareness was a unique predictor of both reading outcomes in Grade 2 and orthographic knowledge was a unique predictor of both reading outcomes in Grades 4, 6, and 10. However, rapid automatized naming predicted only oral word-reading fluency. These findings suggest that silent and oral word-reading fluency do not necessarily rely on the same cognitive-linguistic skills at the same grade level and we need to exercise some caution when we generalize the findings across reading modes.

The illustration characteristics of 221 visual representations (VRs) of submicroscopic particles in nine Greek secondary chemistry school textbooks from the last three decades were analyzed. This analysis was done to develop a taxonomy that could help science teachers and curricula designers evaluate the efficacy of such characteristics on student learning. The sample was quantitatively divided into three distinct time periods and analyzed qualitatively using the phenomenographic method through an inductive approach. The "unit of analysis" was every VR of submicroscopic particles together with its caption. Qualitative analysis revealed characteristics such as the type of VR, the way of expression, the signs used, the dimensions represented, the text included, and the complexity of the VR. Quantitative analysis revealed the effect of time on the characteristics. The taxonomy provides an integrated view of VRs illustration characteristics that could help in realizing the multiple ways in which the meaning of a VR could be interpreted, whereas it can also contribute to future appropriate design and use of such VRs toward a better science curriculum.

The subject of computers in language learning was not covered at a postgraduate level in Greece independently but as an add-on module in more broad programmes, such as "applied linguistics" or "TEFL." In such programmes, this module was merely scratching the surface of the subject, leaving students with the impression that there was no more to it than learning to run a software programme or an application. The MA programme on "Language Education and Technology" (LET) was the first in the country that aimed to offer a specialised course with all its modules directly related to the area. Furthermore, the programme attempted to incorporate a number of novelties in the personnel involved (experts from six different countries), methods of teaching (blended, through face-to-face, and synchronous web teleconferencing), transparency (as to the use and allocation of the fees and student selection), systems of examination, modes of collaboration, and modules and seminars offered, all directly linked to its title. The study described here aimed to shed light and estimate the impact of the course on the professional life of its participants through several open and closed questions included in a questionnaire, constructed to register student status before and after the programme, and their opinions on several other programme features. Students scored very positively a) module development, b) the instructors that were involved, c) the modules offered, and d) the knowledge they gained. Some of the students presented their final papers at international conferences, four were accepted in PhD studies in Spain, the UK and Austria, with scholarships from the host institution, while others increased their salaries, or found a new better paid job.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a dance aerobic intervention program on intrinsic motivation and perceived motivation climate in 7th grade middle school students. The sample of the study consisted of 160 healthy students, of the first grade of middle school. Of these, 91 students was the experimental group and the remaining 69 was the control. The experimental group followed an aerobic dance intervention program for ten weeks, three times per week, with 45-minute sessions while the control group only followed the typical physical education program of the school. In order to conduct the study the following instruments were used: a) the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (??? -- McAuley, Duncan & Tammen, 1989) and the Perceived Oriented Climate (LAPOPECQ; Papaioannou, 1998).

This paper presents the results of the survey that was conducted during 2018 in four countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The survey is a part of activities within the project "Increasing the well being of the population by RObotic and ICT based iNNovative education" (RONNI), funded by the Danube Strategic Project Fund (DSPF). The survey included two target groups: the teachers/experts and the parents; and the corresponding questionnaires (QR) were delivered to schools in each of the participating countries. A total of 428 subjects participated in the survey (231 parents and 197 teachers/experts). Seven hypotheses related to stakeholders attitudes and opinions were formed and tested in the work, showing highly favorable sentiment toward inclusion of robotics and information technology (IT) in the classroom but with some exceptions. The conclusions drawn, based on the analysis of the results, can be used for proposing strategies and methodologies aimed at boosting inclusion of IT in the teaching process, transferable across the regions to support effective learning as well as to identify possible problems with their implementation in relation to attitudes of stakeholders: teachers and parents.

Children's health literacy is a crucial pillar of health. This study is aimed to examine the association between health literacy and weight status among Greek schoolchildren aged 10 to 12 years old. A population-based, cross-sectional observational study enrolling 1,728 students (795 boys), aged 10 to 12 years old, was conducted during school years 2014-2016. A health literacy index (range 0-100) was created through an item response theory hybrid model, by combining a variety of beliefs and perceptions of children about health. The mean health literacy score was 70.4 (±18.7). The majority of children (63.8%) had a "high" level (i.e., >67/100) of health literacy, 30.5% had a "medium" level (i.e., 34-66/100) of health literacy, while a small proportion of children (5.7%) had a "low" level (i.e., <33/100). Girls exhibited a higher level of health literacy than boys (71.7 ± 18.3 vs. 68.8 ± 19.1, p < 0.01). Regarding body weight status, 21.7% of children was overweight and 5.0% was obese. Linear regression models showed that the health literacy score was inversely associated with children's body mass index (regression coefficient [95% CI]: -0.010 [-0.018, -0.001]), after adjusting for dietary habits, physical activity levels, and other potential confounders. Health literacy seems to be a dominant characteristic of children's weight status; therefore, school planning, as well as public health policy actions should emphasize on the ability of children's capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information.

Given the heterogeneity of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), there is a constant need for proper diagnosis, employing more accurate, efficient, patient-friendly, and clinician-friendly tools. We developed a Greek version of the National Institute for Children's Health Quality (NICHQ) Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale (VADPRS) for follow-up assessment and examined its reliability and validity. A total of 100 schoolchildren (65 girls and 35 boys) between 7 and 12 years old with ADHD were included in the study. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were examined via principal component analysis. Three-component structure in our study accounts for 74.63% of the tool's variance. The questions' loadings onto the factors and the internal reliability of the three factors were satisfactory. Finally, the reliability of all factors presented was found adequately high, confirming the high internal consistency of the items. Our results suggest that the Greek version of the VADPRS-follow-up may be used as an accurate psychometric instrument for the purposes of diagnosing ADHD. Furthermore, the combined use of the VADPRS-follow-up with other widely accepted tools, such as the ADHD Rating Scale-IV, may present clinical utility in collating parent information concerning the behavioural phenotype of their children.

This study explores the role of specific sustainability education pedagogies in developing preservice teachers' sustainability consciousness (SC). The participants were 77 Greek preservice teachers from a Department of Primary Education, organized into two cohorts (N[subscript 1]=30, N[subscript 2]=47), from two consecutive semesters. Data were collected through (a) the use of the SC scale, administered before and about two weeks after the end of project and (b) reflective discussions, in the form of interviews, with the groups of preservice teachers at the end of the project. Questionnaire data were analysed using significance testing, 95% confidence intervals, and effect sizes, while from interview data bottom-up categories were developed. Analysis revealed a significant increase in the Total SC scores and in the Knowledge and Social Aspects scores in both cohorts, while Environmental scores were significantly increased only in cohort 1. Moreover, from the interviews it was concluded that the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) pedagogies of site visits and the associated worksheets and activities, along with concept maps were by far the most influential factors affecting preservice teachers' learning, while general principles of teaching (e.g. students' engagement during teaching, the practicing of theoretical concepts) were also identified.

In this paper we provide an evaluative description and report of the various aspects of teaching and learning Greek as a heritage and/or foreign language in the Northern Territory of Australia. Initially, we focus on the importance of the formation of dynamic learning communities through interdisciplinary collaboration. The main purpose of Charles Darwin University's "Greek In-Country Study Program" is to support the learning of Greek language and culture through language lessons as well as concurrent cultural activities that are delivered while students are in Greece. After thirteen years of successful implementation of the program, the purpose of this report is to highlight the learning activities that have been completed over these years through a discussion of the research outcomes of the students' experiences that we believe will underscore the important roles that language, literature, and culture play in the strengthening of one's Greek identify while living within Australia. Within this framework, basic principles of design and the use of cross-university teaching and learning programs for the Greek language are presented, as well as foregrounding the advantages of current information technology for instructional purposes and, in particular, the maintenance, and perhaps even revival of heritage languages as well as reinforcing their contributions to the role of education in the diaspora.

The study explored the possibilities to improve students' argumentation ability concerning factors that affect dissolving, through the implementation of two versions of a teaching scheme, with and without particle theory. The participants (age range 10-11, n = 27) belonged to two fifth-grade classes of a primary school in Northern Greece. Data were collected through an open-ended written test and a semi-structured interview targeting four of the components of an argument: Claims, data, warrants, and rebuttals, for five factors affecting the dissolving of a solid substance in water: Temperature, stirring, amount of the substance, grain size, and nature of the substance itself. Results showed an improvement concerning the structure of students' arguments, whereas improvements in content quality appeared mainly in some cases where particle theory was implemented. Study limitations and implications for science education are discussed.

The ostensibly free university education in Greece actually has several private costs. A comparative research design was used to compare Greek families' private expenditures for university education in 2014-2015 to families' costs for the same education in the year 2000 to determine whether there have been any changes during ensuring years. Data were gathered from a 2014-2015 survey of a random sample of over 2.300 Greek first-year university students and compared to results from a similar survey of over 3.000 first-year university students conducted in the year 2000. Income elasticity of demand was the theoretical framework used to examine and compare results. As with the older survey data, it is shown that despite the "free education" supposedly available in Greece, families actually still spend more than the state in preparing students for and supporting them at a university. It is also demonstrated that lower-income families spend a higher share of income on a university education for their children, a discrepancy that has grown over the past 13 years. Finally, it is shown that private expenditures for a university education appear to remain a necessity in Greece, with income elasticity calculated at between 0.2 and 0.3. Results suggest the need to reallocate the Greek university budget to help relieve the financial burden on families of lower-income students. Results also suggest the importance of reducing the Greek emphasis on expensive preparation of secondary students for national university entrance examinations.

We examined the direction of the relation between morphological awareness and reading/spelling skills in 2 languages varying in orthographic consistency (English and Greek) and whether word reading fluency and vocabulary mediate the relation between morphological awareness and reading comprehension. One-hundred and 59 English-speaking Canadian and 224 Greek children were assessed 4 times between Grades 1 and 3 on measures of morphological awareness, phonological awareness, word reading fluency, and spelling to dictation. Vocabulary was assessed at the end of Grade 2 and reading comprehension at the end of Grade 2 and at the beginning of Grade 3. Cross-lagged analyses showed that earlier morphological awareness predicted later reading comprehension and spelling in both languages and reading fluency in English. The effect of morphological awareness on reading comprehension was not mediated by word reading fluency in either language, but an indirect effect through vocabulary emerged in English. Earlier reading fluency and spelling predicted later morphological awareness before Grade 3 only in English, but morphological awareness began to predict spelling as early as Grade 1 in Greek. Multigroup analyses further showed that the effects of morphological awareness on reading fluency and the effects of spelling on morphological awareness were stronger in English than in Greek. Theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between pupils' spatial perception and abilities and their performance in geography. The sample was 600 6th-grade pupils from various areas of Greece selected by the cluster sampling method. The study results showed that: a) the vast majority of pupils showed low spatial ability; b) there was a deficit of geographical knowledge (according to the curriculum), with satisfactory performance only in plan views and orientation; c) the pupils who showed higher performance in geography course assessment test and in geographical abilities test have better spatial perception; d) the school type (pilot school using new technologies, and traditional school) did not seem to cause any difference to the pupils spatial perception; e) Pupils' gender was not found to cause significant difference to spatial perception, or to their performance; f) parents' education was found to correlate with the pupils' performance in geography.

The aim of the study was to investigate differences in cognitive and metacognitive strategy use in the reading comprehension of narrative and expository texts among students with learning disabilities (SLD) and without learning disabilities (SWOLD). A total of 122 fifth and sixth graders took part in the study. Half of them (n = 61) were SLD facing severe reading comprehension problems, while the rest were good readers. Two think-aloud procedures were used to assess strategy use of a narrative and an expository text. Various inconsistencies were inserted in order to force students to use strategies and presented on a PC screen. Reading comprehension of both types of texts was evaluated by measuring blocks of meaning recalled by the students after completing the think-aloud procedure. Findings are discussed in light of reading comprehension disabilities, metacognition, and the domain-specific nature of cognitive and metacognitive abilities.

The purpose of this 3-year longitudinal study was to examine the role of three morphological awareness (MA) aspects (inflectional, derivational, and lexical compounding) in the spelling of specific morphemes. Two hundred and fifteen Greek children were followed from kindergarten (K) to grade 2 (G2). In K and grade 1 (G1) they were tested on measures of morphological awareness, letter knowledge, phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, and general cognitive ability. At the end of G1 and G2, they were also tested on spelling of (a) inflectional suffixes in words and pseudowords, (b) familiar stems in simple words, and (c) familiar simple stems in low frequency derived words and in pseudowords with existing derived morphemes. The results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that the derivational aspect of MA in K and the lexical compounding aspect of MA in G1 predicted uniquely the spelling of inflectional suffixes in both words and pseudowords in G1 and G2 respectively. In addition, the lexical compounding aspect of MA in K and G1 predicted the spelling of familiar stems in simple words and the spelling of familiar simple stems in low frequency derived words in G1 and G2 respectively. Inflectional aspect of MA did not predict later performance in any spelling measure. These findings speak to the importance of early MA skills in spelling of specific morphemes and provide supportive evidence to those who suggest that morphological knowledge is part of children's repertoire of strategies employed in spelling, even at the first stages of learning to spell.

The present study examined oral language growth differences in a sample of 256 Greek-speaking children with and without literacy difficulties (LD), during the first two elementary grades. Measures of vocabulary, phonological awareness (PA), morphological awareness (MA), and rapid automatized naming (RAN) were administered in both grades for the assessment of oral language growth. Reading skills were individually assessed in grade 1 and together with spelling in grade 2. Results showed that PA, MA, and RAN growth differed between children with and without LD. Furthermore, children with spelling difficulties, either single or mixed with reading difficulties, presented a slower MA growth rate than children with single reading difficulties. These findings are informative of the early prognosis and intervention of LD.

Children's conceptions of plants as living things are thoroughly analysed during the last decades. Additionally, many researchers showed interest in 'Plant Blindness', the people's tendency to ignore plants and underestimate them comparing to animals. Aim of this research is to validate plant blindness' intensity among Greek primary school students and clarify whether this phenomenon can be linked to the young students' recorded difficulty to recognise plants as living things. One thousand forty-eight primary students from both rural and urban areas of north Greece participated in our study. The instrument of our research was a questionnaire that mainly examined attitudes towards flora and students' consideration of plants as living things. According to the results, Greek students do find fauna more interesting than flora and plants are not being spontaneously recalled as living things. A relationship between students' preference in flora and their perception of plants as living things was found, along with several other significant correlations to variables such as gender, age and participation in environmental education projects. The findings of our study enhance the general concern about the reduced interest in plant life as this is determined in the context of the plant blindness hypothesis.

The aim of the present study is to explore on the alternative conceptions of impetus theory and projectile motion of students with high functioning autism spectrum disorders and compare them with those of typical development. For this purpose, an experimental investigation was conducted with 19 students with high-functioning autism (age range: 12-16 yrs) and 55 typically development students (age range: 12-16 yrs). The two study groups were equivalent on both sex and non-verbal mental age. Drawing from theoretical approaches that emphasise the study of prior knowledge on the learning process, a structured, computerised tool was developed to explore the alternative conceptions of students with autism (T.E.A.I.A.). Research findings suggest that students with high-functioning autism use the same alternative conceptions with those used by students of typical development, on a different frequency thought. Moreover, they adopt impetus theory "at a rate that is statistically different" from that of typical development students. Findings of the current research study are likely to contribute to the basis for teaching projectile motion to students with autism spectrum disorder.

The study aims to investigate students' conceptualisation of the quantum numbers concept through their verbal descriptions and pictorial representations of the corresponding atomic structures. The study was conducted with the participation of 192 12th-grade students from six secondary schools in Northern Greece, via a paper-and-pencil test, developed by two of the authors, including four open-ended tasks. Each task comprised of two parts aiming to assess both the verbal description of a quantum number and pictorial representation of the atomic structure, respectively. Student responses in both parts were evaluated according to specific criteria, on the basis of their correctness and completeness, whereas the consistency between verbal and pictorial ways of expression was statistically assessed in terms of the symmetry of the corresponding contingency tables. Results provide evidence that students' relevant conceptual problems concern the first and fourth quantum numbers rather than the second and the third ones. Furthermore, an inconsistency between verbal descriptions and pictorial representations is more present in the cases of the fourth and especially the first quantum number, whereas verbal descriptions of the second and third quantum numbers appear to have a rather consistent distribution across categories of pictorial representations. Implications for science education are also discussed.

Fricatives, and especially sibilants, are very frequently misarticulated by speakers with hearing loss. Misarticulations can result in phonemic contrast weakening or loss, compromising intelligibility. The present study focuses on the examination of acoustic characteristics of the Greek alveolar fricative /s/, an articulatorily demanding sound, produced by young adult speakers with profound hearing impairment and with normal hearing. An array of variables was examined using mixed-effects and random forest models aiming to assess the effectiveness of various measures in differentiating hearing-impaired and normal-hearing /s/ production. Significant differences were found in spectral and amplitude measures, but not in temporal measures. In hearing-impaired speech, spectral slope and RMS amplitude had significantly lower values, indicating a more distributed spectrum, suggestive of decreased flow velocity through the fricative constriction. Also, a trend for concentration of energy at lower frequencies was observed suggesting more posterior fricative articulation than normal. Moreover, measures capturing the variation of frequency and amplitude over time revealed different patterns of sibilance development across time than normal, denoting the production of a less well-formed or less sibilant /s/ by speakers with hearing impairment. The investigation of contextual effects on /s/ in hearing-impaired speech showed increased spectral variance, negative skewness and lower kurtosis in the labial (rounded) context /u/ in relation to the nonlabial contexts /i/ and /a/, indicating a more diffuse, less compact spectrum with concentration at high frequencies. Findings are discussed in relation to previous literature on fricative production by speakers with hearing impairment and normal hearing in Greek and other languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the formation of particular student profiles based on of their ideas relating to basic characteristics of the atom. Participants were secondary students of 8th, 10th and 12th grades from Northern Greece (n = 421), with specific cohort characteristics e.g. age, grade and class curriculum, and individual differences, e.g. formal reasoning, field dependence-independence and divergent thinking. Analysis of data from four tasks concerning the characteristics of the atom, linked to identity and behaviour, revealed a significant number of students' misconceptions. A joint dimension reduction and clustering method was applied to outcomes from these four tasks and a four-cluster solution emerged as the most conceptually meaningful. An inspection of the relevant student profiles indicated that three tasks were the most important in the formation of the clusters; one task concerning the understanding of the differences between the atom and other particles of the microcosm and two tasks concerning relations between relevant micro- and macro- characteristics. Furthermore, individual differences could effectively discriminate between student profiles. Generally, students' performance in the above tasks was positively associated to their performance in the three cognitive factors, whereas formal reasoning contributed the most to this discrimination. Although the distribution of student cohort characteristics across student profiles was not clearly different, it seemed that the curriculum also played a noticeable role in the formation of profiles. Relevant implications for the educational practice were also discussed.

This paper focuses on aspects of the social and educational exclusion that Roma people face in the Greek context. It argues that diversity has been constructed as a threat for the security, the social cohesion, and the well-being of western societies. Drawing from two case studies of primary schools conducted in a highly deprived suburb of Athens, where most Roma live in harsh conditions, we argue that socially constructed dispositions regarding diversity and inadequate state policies are major obstacles for the improvement of educational opportunities and life chances of Roma people in Greece.

We argue that there is an increasing reliance on analytic strategies compared to visuospatial strategies, which is related to geometry expertise and not on individual differences in cognitive style. A Visual/Analytic Strategy Test (VAST) was developed to investigate the use of visuo-spatial and analytic strategies in geometry in 30 mathematics teachers and 134 11th grade students. Students' performance in the VAST was also compared to performance in tests of visuo-spatial abilities, of abstract reasoning, and of geometrical knowledge. The results showed high performance of all the participants in the VAST items that could be solved by relying on visuo-spatial strategies. However, only the math teachers showed high performance in the VAST items that required the application of analytic geometrical strategies. There were high correlations between the students' performance in the tests of visuo-spatial and abstract reasoning abilities and the VAST Analytic Strategies scale, but the contribution of these tests to the VAST analytic performance became statistically insignificant when geometrical knowledge was used as a mediating factor. The implications of this work for the learning and assessment of geometrical knowledge are discussed.

Although phonological awareness (PA) and rapid automatized naming (RAN) are confirmed as early predictors of reading in a large number of orthographies, it is as yet unclear whether the predictive patterns are universal or language specific. This was examined in a longitudinal study across Grades 1 and 2 with 1,120 children acquiring one of five alphabetic orthographies with different degrees of orthographic complexity (English, French, German, Dutch, and Greek). Path analyses revealed that a universal model could not be confirmed. When we specified the best-fitting model separately for each language, RAN was a consistent predictor of reading fluency in all orthographies, whereas the association between PA and reading was complex and mostly interactive. We conclude that RAN taps into a language-universal cognitive mechanism that is involved in reading alphabetic orthographies (independent of complexity), whereas the PA--reading relationship depends on many factors like task characteristics, developmental status, and orthographic complexity.

Both qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the degree of organizational autonomy of Greek universities, during the period of the implementation of Law 4009/11, is attempted. The necessity of such a study is very important and fruitful for the Greek universities, since in the period of the last research (2017) of the European Union Association (EUA) concerning university autonomy, Greece did not provide the required data to EUA and was not included in the countries studied. Sources regarding the measurement of the degree of university autonomy in Greece were based on the methodology and results that emerged from the EUA researches (2007 & 2017), as well as on the review of the literature and analysis of the data that emerged from the legislation applied by the universities in Greece, during the corresponding period. The quantification of organizational autonomy provided the score and rank of Greek universities relative to other European universities, which is found to be quite low. Therefore, we make proposals for a realistic, for Greek data, increase in organizational autonomy. The aim is to upgrade the services provided by institutions and to respond to the modern requirements of a globalized society and market.

The present work explores students' repertoire of explicit knowledge fragments relevant to the atomic structure, seeking to answer which of those and through which routes are activated by students when constructing their explanations for some everyday situations. For this purpose, six tasks describing different situations were given to 225 students of the 10th and 11th grades of secondary schools from Northern Greece. Students' responses were qualitatively analysed through a five-step scheme, where any discrete explicit knowledge fragments included in students' explanations was extracted and categorised in relation to the atomic or subatomic characteristics. Extracted fragments of knowledge were also analysed according to their complexity and the ways that are organised when being activated by students. Implications for science education are analytically discussed.

Science and environmental educators implicitly presuppose that the ecosystem per se is clearly defined and consider learners' misunderstandings to be incorrect scientific interpretations of uncontested knowledge content. The present study, however, explores how in-service secondary education Greek biology teachers address the topic of 'ecosystem delimitation' under the assumption that the ecosystem is an ill-defined concept. If it is to be considered a scientific (holistic) entity, the ecosystem finds its definitional and accompanying features within the ecological field of systems ecology, which declined after the 1970s under pressures of persisting unsolved puzzles and problems. Our research focuses on the background assumptions fuelling the difficulties that system ecologists encounter in sufficiently determining ecosystem's borders and anchoring 'ecosystem' holism in the empirical world. The results indicate that biology teachers address the topic of ecosystem delimitation from a perspective that apparently differs from the realistic/empirical and instrumental perspectives of system ecologists. Moreover, biology teachers cannot engage with how system ecologists delimit ecosystems and instead resort to their personal experience (e.g. individualist insights) and naïve relational ideas, which along with deficiencies in systems thinking and in Nature of science (NOS) reasoning result in the development of an 'ecosystem' version that appears inconsistent with (ecosystem) holism.