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This research aimed to 1) study the factors that affect third-year undergraduate students' creative thinking ability at Baise University, 2) develop an instructional model based on design thinking and brainstorming, 3) compare third-year undergraduate students' creative thinking ability before and after using the instructional model based on design thinking and brainstorming. The sample group was 45 third-year undergraduate students at Baise University. The research Instruments were 1) an interview form about factors that affect the development of third-year undergraduate students' creative thinking ability, 2) a questionnaire about factors that affect the development of third-year undergraduate students' creative thinking ability, 3) lesson plans, 4) a creative thinking ability test 5) an interview form about opinions on teaching 6) an observation form about students' behavior. This study analyzed quantitative data through descriptive statistics, frequency, percentage, means, and standard deviation. For dependent samples, t-tests were used to analyze the different scores of undergraduate students before and after using the instructional model. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The research results were 1) the factors affecting undergraduate students' creative thinking ability include environmental factors (family, school, and society) and personal factors (personality traits, motivation, attitude, and emotional state), 2) the four components of the instructional model are principle, objective, learning process, and result, 3) after implementing the instructional model, the post-test scores of undergraduate students' creative thinking ability significantly increased, with a statistical significance of 0.01.

As American universities become increasingly diverse, students often encounter cross-cultural challenges. Chinese students represent a substantial international U.S. student community, with distinctive pragmatic norms and values. This study investigates Chinese international and American graduate students' intercultural pragmatic strategies towards a face-threatening critical incident: expressing disagreement to a professor. Our mixed-methods design revealed quantitative and qualitative differences in participants' strategies and judgments of alternatives, demonstrating distinctive underlying norms and values. Many American participants preferred to express different opinions in class, while Chinese students privileged more indirect options, though each group included participants with alternate preferences. Implications for cross-cultural communication and pedagogy are offered.

This research investigated the effect of the use of mobile-assisted digital content on students' English lesson achievement. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest and posttest given to both an experimental group and a control group. The study consisted of 29 9th Grade students at a public school in Turkey. The pretest was administered to the students of both groups at the beginning of the semester. The experimental group used a virtual classroom that included mobile apps while the control group did not. A posttest was then given at the end of the semester. The results of the research showed a significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of both the experimental and control groups. We concluded from the research that applying mobile-assisted learning content contributed to students' academic success in English lessons.

Via AI video generators, it is possible to create educational videos with humanistic instructors by simply providing a script. The characteristics of video types and features of instructors in videos impact video engagement and, consequently, performance. This study aimed to compare the impact of human instructors and AI-generated instructors in video lectures on video engagement and academic performance. Additionally, the study aimed to examine students' opinions on both types of videos. Convergent-parallel approach mixed method was used in this study. A total of 108 undergraduate students participated: 48 in the experimental group, 52 in the control group, and eight in the focus group. While the experimental group (AI-generated instructor) and control group (human instructor) watched 10 minutes of two videos each in two weeks, the students in the focus group watched both types of videos with human and AI-generated instructors. Data were collected through the Video Engagement Scale (VES) after the experimental process, and the Academic Performance Test as a pretest and posttest was administered in both groups. The findings of the experimental part revealed that learners' video engagement was higher in the course with the human instructor compared to the course with the AI-generated instructor. However, the instructor type did not have a significant effect on academic performance. The results based on the qualitative part showed that students thought the AI-generated instructor caused distraction, discomfort, and disconnectedness. However, when the video lesson topic was interesting or when students focused on the video with the intention of learning, these feelings could be ignored. In conclusion, even in today's conditions, there is no difference in performance between human and AI-generated instructors. As AI technology continues to develop, the difference in engagement is expected to disappear, and AI-generated instructors could be used effectively in video lectures.

This study, which is quasi-experimental in nature, looks into how language learners' willingness to communicate and engagement in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms are affected by Duolingo. The control and experimental groups comprised two complete classes with forty EFL students. To compare learner engagement and communication willingness scores before and after treatment, the study used independent samples t-tests. The results demonstrated the groups' initial homogeneity by showing no discernible differences prior to the intervention. The results confirmed the effects on learner engagement, which showed significant gains in affective, cognitive, and behavioral domains, indicating Duolingo's beneficial impact on engagement in general. Furthermore, the significant effect sizes observed confirmed Duolingo's contribution to improved language attitudes, engagement, and communicative confidence. Compared to the control group, the experimental group's willingness to speak, read, write, comprehend, and communicate generally improved in a manner that was statistically significant. The significant effect sizes demonstrate how well Duolingo works to improve different aspects of willingness to share. The study emphasizes the pedagogical tool's adaptability and encourages teachers to integrate Duolingo for a comprehensive and technologically enhanced language learning experience. Practical implications arise for EFL teachers who use online learning resources.

In recent years, children and adolescents have spent more time sitting and engaging in less physical activity than recommended by health authorities. Despite widespread efforts to promote physical activity through school-based programs, the impact of specific intervention programs often remains untested. Therefore, in this pilot study, the effects of a national school-based physical activity program were assessed. A sample of 80 first- and second-grade primary school students aged between 7 and 9 years (M = 7.95, SD = 0.44) of eight classes was cluster randomly assigned to either the experimental group (EG; classroom-based physical activity breaks) or the control group (CG; conventional school lessons). Primary outcomes included objective measurements of sedentary behaviour, step counts, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the intervention. Secondary outcomes encompassed assessments of aerobic fitness performance, executive functions, academic achievement, and scholastic well-being before and after the 20-week intervention. The results indicate that students of the EG spent less time sedentary and took more steps during school mornings than their counterparts of the CG. The physical activity program resulted in a 630-step increase and a 10-minute reduction in sitting time daily. However, there were no effects on MVPA level, aerobic fitness performance, or cognitive functions (including executive functions and academic achievement). The implications of these findings are discussed in light of comprehensive school physical activity approaches.

This study aimed to determine the difference in environmental literacy skills between the Project-Based Learning (PjBL) learning model and STEM-based PjBL. This research is quantitative research with a quasi-experimental method. The research design used is a non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design. The dependent variable in this study is environmental literacy skills. The population in this study were all grade X students of State Senior High School (SHS) 7 of Surakarta in the 2023/2024 academic year. The sampling technique used was cluster random, tenth grade (X) A and B. A class consists of 36 students, as a control, using the PjBL model whereas as many as 35 students in B class is an experimental group was learned using the STEM-PjBL model. The data collection technique was carried out using pretest and posttest on the research sample. Data analysis technique using ANCOVA test. Instrument validation techniques using validity tests and reliability tests. The test results using ANCOVA have a significance value of <0.05, indicating differences in students' environmental literacy skills between the implementation of PjBL and STEM-PjBL. These results show that implementing the STEM-PjBL model was superior compared to PjBL only. It can be seen from the difference in learning outcomes of the control class, within the pretest and posttest, which showed an increase of 10.16%. In comparison, the experimental class results showed an increase of 16.94%. STEM-PjBL also helps students to be able to improve their environmental literacy skills in terms of knowledge, cognitive skills, attitudes, and behavior toward environmental problems.

This study aims to examine the effect of the psychoeducation program developed based on the Cognitive-Behavioral Approach (CBA) on the social media addiction levels of adolescents. The study involves the use of a quasi-experimental design with a study group, in which pre-test, post-test, and follow-up studies were performed. The study group consists of 24 (12 experimental and 12 control) secondary school students selected from three different high schools and determined through random assignment. The experimental group received the psychoeducation program consisting of nine seasons, and no action was taken for the control group. The Personal Information Form (PIF) and Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS) were used in the study as data collection tools. A pre-test two weeks before the application of the psychoeducation program, a post-test at the end of the application, and a follow-up test three months after the end of the application were performed among adolescents in the experimental group. Statistical analyses revealed that there was a significant decrease in the social media addiction scores of the adolescents in the experimental group. In line with the results obtained from the study, it is possible to say that the psychoeducation program applied to adolescents to reduce social media addiction is effective in obtaining successful results in this process.

The lecture technique still dominates in biology education, and there are not enough hands-on, interactive, creative, and problem-solving learning activities to encourage students to apply their problem-solving skills. The purpose of this study is to examine how the problem-based learning (PBL) model and students' metacognition skills affect their ability to solve environmental pollution issues. A total of 60 X MIPA students from SMA Muhammadiyah 16 Jakarta comprised the total sample of the research, collected using the quasi-experimental approach. For the study, two groups were utilized: the experimental group (X MIPA 1) and the control group (X MIPA 2). A 2 x 2 factorial design with a pretest-posttest control group was employed for the investigation. The instruments used in the study were classified as tests or non-tests. The test instrument is an essay designed to collect data on problem-solving ability and metacognition ability, while the non-test instruments are student worksheets that refer to the PBL stage, and the observation sheet is designed for instructors and students. Data analysis using ANCOVA with a significance level of 0.000 < [alpha] = 0.05 indicates that H0 was rejected. The interaction between the PBL learning model and students' metacognition skills also has an impact on their capacity to address environmental pollution-related issues.

Many children with autism spectrum disorder experience feeding difficulties that can lead to increased health risks (e.g., severe nutrition deficiencies, obesity-related illnesses) if left untreated. Intensive feeding programs that use behavior-analytic interventions have reported positive outcomes for treating challenging behavior associated with pediatric feeding disorders at discharge and up to 1 year post discharge. Whether these children achieve and maintain long-term goals is unknown. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate outcomes of behavior-analytic intervention for pediatric feeding disorders among children with and without autism spectrum disorder in an intensive feeding program post discharge. Caregivers of former patients reported on the positive and negative impact of the program and their child's growth and diet variety at follow-up. 85% of caregivers reported the program had a positive impact. Increases in height-for-age z scores were significant from admission to discharge from the intensive program, and progress in growth and diet variety remained the same or improved for most children at follow-up. Results suggest that behavior-analytic intervention in an intensive feeding program produced positive short- and long-term outcomes for children and their families.

Purpose: Relative clauses present a well-known processing asymmetry between object-extracted and subject-extracted dependencies across both typical and atypical populations. The present study aimed at exploring the comprehension of object and subject relative clauses as conceptualized by the Relativized Minimality framework in autistic children and in a group of age- and IQ-matched typically-developing children. The study also explored the way performance in relative clauses would be affected by the children's language and executive function skills. Method: Relative clause comprehension was tested through a sentence-picture matching task and language was tested with a receptive vocabulary task. Executive functions were assessed through backward digit recall and a Flanker test. Results: Object relative clauses were harder to parse for both groups than subject relatives, while number mismatch between the moved object Noun Phrase and the intervening subject Noun Phrase in object relatives boosted both groups' performances. Typically-developing children's performance in object relatives was predicted by both language and executive functions, while autistic children failed to use language and did not systematically draw on their executive functions in object relative clause comprehension. Conclusion: The findings suggest that relative clause processing in autism follows a normal developmental trajectory, and that difficulty with parsing object relative clauses stems from reduced language and executive functions rather than deficits in the children's morphosyntactic skills.

Narrative texts may represent a specific form of indirect contact, i.e., vicarious contact between the members of different groups. The present study introduces an online reading intervention promoting intergroup trust between children from the majority Czech population and the Vietnamese minority, reducing their perceived social distance and intergroup anxiety, as well as improving their behavioral intentions towards the minority. Forty-three primary school children were either part of a control group or participated in an online study, where stories about intergroup relations were read in three individual sessions. Selected stories represented the daily experiences of a same-aged boy from a Vietnamese minority. The control group only filled in the pre- and post-test questionnaires. The intervention group exhibited improvements in positive attitudes and reduction of negative attitudes with strong effect size. The subsequent goal of the study was to test whether secondary transfer would be manifested towards eight other minorities living in the country, i.e., whether the shift in attitudes would also generalize to minorities about whom the stories were not read. The manifested transfer varied from weak to very strong. The most profound change was exhibited in explicit attitudes towards Muslim and Roma, followed by the Ukrainian minority and homosexuals. The online reading intervention is therefore a promising tool for prejudice reduction in primary school children.

Existing systems for automating the assessment of risk-of-bias (RoB) in medical studies are supervised approaches that require substantial training data to work well. However, recent revisions to RoB guidelines have resulted in a scarcity of available training data. In this study, we investigate the effectiveness of generative large language models (LLMs) for assessing RoB. Their application requires little or no training data and, if successful, could serve as a valuable tool to assist human experts during the construction of systematic reviews. Following Cochrane's latest guidelines (RoB2) designed for human reviewers, we prepare instructions that are fed as input to LLMs, which then infer the risk associated with a trial publication. We distinguish between two modelling tasks: directly predicting RoB2 from text; and employing decomposition, in which a RoB2 decision is made after the LLM responds to a series of signalling questions. We curate new testing data sets and evaluate the performance of four general- and medical-domain LLMs. The results fall short of expectations, with LLMs seldom surpassing trivial baselines. On the direct RoB2 prediction test set (n = 5993), LLMs perform akin to the baselines (F1: 0.1-0.2). In the decomposition task setup (n = 28,150), similar F1 scores are observed. Our additional comparative evaluation on RoB1 data also reveals results substantially below those of a supervised system. This testifies to the difficulty of solving this task based on (complex) instructions alone. Using LLMs as an assisting technology for assessing RoB2 thus currently seems beyond their reach.

Abstract The present study investigated children's understanding that an object's history may increase its significance, an appreciation that underpins the concept of "historical authenticity" (i.e., the idea that an item's history determines its true identity, beyond its functional or material qualities, leading people to value real items over copies or fakes). We examined the development of historical significance through the lens of parent-child conversations, and children's performance on an authenticity assessment. The final sample was American, 79.2% monoracial White, and mid-high socio-economic status (SES) and included 48 parent-child pairs: 24 with younger children (R = 3.5 to 4.5 years) and 24 with older children (R = 5.5 to 6.5 years). Parent-child pairs discussed three books we created, with three storylines: a museum (culturally authentic) storyline, a clean-up (personally authentic) storyline, and a control storyline. Across measures, conversations suggested that authenticity may begin as a "placeholder concept" that is initially rooted in a broad appreciation for the significance of old objects and only later filled in with specifics. This placeholder initially directs children's learning about authenticity by linking, in an unspecified way, the value and significance of objects to their past. For example, we found that young children appropriately appealed to history (vs. perceptual or functional features of objects) in contexts regarding authentic objects but struggled in determining which objects were more significant on the post-test assessment, suggesting that they attend to object history but are not yet sure how histories matter for making authenticity judgments. We also found some evidence that directing children's attention toward conceptual information related to object history may in turn direct them away from material or perceptual considerations, as seen in trade-offs in parents' and children's conversations. Together, this exploratory report offers many new avenues for work on the development of authenticity concepts in childhood.

This article describes our efforts to screen and enrol clinical trial participants conscientiously in the COVID-19 pandemic setting. We present the standard screening and enrolment process prior to, and our process of adapting to, the pandemic. Our goal was to develop a way to screen and enrol people for clinical trials that was both equitable and effective. In addition, we outline the steps our research department took to ensure that ethical, clinical and logistical factors were considered when matching a patient to a clinical trial.

Experts perceive and evaluate domain-specific visual information with high accuracy. In doing so, they exhibit eye movements referred to as "expert gaze" to rapidly focus on task-relevant areas. Using eye tracking, it is possible to record these implicit gaze patterns and present them to histology novice learners during training. This article presents a comprehensive evaluation of such "expert gaze cueing" on pattern recognition of medical students in histology. For this purpose, 53 students were randomized into two groups over eight histology sessions. The control group was presented with an instructional histology video featuring voice commentary. The gaze cueing group was presented the same video, but with an additional overlay of a live recording of the expert's eye movements. Afterward, students' pattern recognition was assessed through 20 image-based tasks (5 retention, 15 transfer) and their cognitive load with the Paas scale. Results showed that gaze cueing significantly outperformed the control group (p = 0.007; d = 0.40). This effect was evident for both, retention (p = 0.003) and transfer tasks (p = 0.046), and generalized across different histological contexts. The cognitive load was similar in both groups. In conclusion, gaze cueing helps histology novice learners to develop their pattern recognition skills, offering a promising method for histology education. Histology educators could benefit from this instructional strategy to provide new forms of attentional guidance to learners in visually complex learning environments.

To assist preservice elementary teachers in attaining scientific competence, knowledge, and understanding of interdisciplinary concepts, a teacher education model--the combined individual microteaching, modeled teaching, and inquiry-based team-teaching (CIMIT) model--was established, and its effectiveness was evaluated. A quasiexperimental design was adopted, and 57 preservice elementary teachers from 2 classes of a science education preparatory course were included in the analysis (30 in the experimental group and 27 in the control group). The 18-week course comprised 36 h of classes. Before and after the course, all participants completed pretests and posttests, respectively, that measured basic scientific competency and subject matter knowledge. Quantitative and qualitative data were also collected and analyzed. The instruction of the CIMIT group comprised 3 stages: individual microteaching, modeled demonstration inquiry--based teaching by an expert teacher, and inquiry-based team teaching. For the control group, the inquiry-based team-teaching stage was omitted. The results validated the effectiveness of the CIMIT model. First, the experimental group exhibited a significantly greater improvement in scientific competency and knowledge than did the control group. Second, after training, the experimental group's knowledge of interdisciplinary concepts increased for all seven interdisciplinary concepts.

This study aims to explore the effects of pre-service teachers' use of rubric in self-assessment with instructor feedback on academic achievement and self-regulated learning. Their perceptions and experiences of the self-assessment intervention were also investigated. A total of 79 pre-service teachers participated in the study. A mixed methods approach was used as a blend of experimental and qualitative design. The quasi-experimental research model with pretest/posttest control group design was employed in the quantitative phase of the study. The pre-service teachers (N = 79) were assigned to either use of rubric in self-assessment involving tutor feedback condition or a non-self-assessment condition for their essay assignments. Besides, the pre-service teachers' perceptions and experiences of using self-assessment with instructor feedback were explored in the qualitative phase of the study. Data were collected using a rubric, an achievement test, a self-regulation in learning subscale and reflective journals. The results indicated that the rubric used in self-assessment with instructor feedback group had higher achievement and use of self-regulated learning strategies than the no-intervention group. The reflective journals also revealed that most of the pre-service teachers found the self-assessment a useful learning tool. They felt that it helped them to improve their learning by guiding them to set their own goals, monitor their progress and reflect on their learning through their own tasks. The implications for educational research and practice are discussed.

The randomized control trial (RCT) is the primary experimental design in education research due to its strong internal validity for causal inference. However, in situations where RCTs are not feasible or ethical, quasi-experiments are alternatives to establish causal inference. This paper serves as an introduction to several quasi-experimental designs: regression discontinuity design, difference-in-differences analysis, interrupted time series design, instrumental variable analysis, and propensity score analysis with examples in education research.

In this research, a GAmified Mobile Leaning Framework (GAMOLEAF) developed as a new intelligent application designed for mobile devices to ensure learning, assessing, and advancing learners' knowledge in programming complex data structures in Java programming language. GAMOLEAF adopted motivational strategies to solve motivational problems during the COVID-19 pandemic by employing a gamification module, that integrates levels, scores, badges, leaderboard, and feedback. Furthermore, in order to assist learners to find useful and relevant lessons and best solutions for each data structure, GAMOLEAF incorporated personalized recommendations through two intelligent modules: a Lessons Recommendation Module (LRecM) and a problem-solving Solutions Recommender Module (PSSORecM). LrecM aims to provide learners with personalized lessons depending on the ratings collected explicitly from them. Whereas, PSSORecM bases on learners' behaviors and directs them to consult other solutions. Both modules were based on the collaborative filtering method and used Matrix Factorization (MF) applying Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and Negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) algorithms, respectively. To explore how the integration of personalized recommendations and gamification impact on students motivation and learning achievements in higher education to learning programming complex data structures course using mobile technologies, especially in difficult times like COVID-19, an experiment was carried out to compare the learning achievement and motivation of 90 students divided into three groups (control group, first experimental group, and second experimental group) using three versions of GAMOLEAF respectively: GAMOLEAF-V1 without gamification and without recommendation, GAMOLEAF-V2 integrating gamification only and GAMOLEAF-V3 integrating both gamification and recommendation. The One-way ANOVA (analysis of variance) test and Post hoc Tukey test were employed to analyze the performances of the three groups before and after the learning activity. The results suggested that the students who learned with GAMOLEAF-V3 using gamification and recommendation achieved significantly better learning achievement than those who learned with GAMOLEAF-V2 and GAMOLEAF-V1. From the experimental results, it was found that the gamification applied in GAMOLEAF-V2 and GAMOLEAF-V3 had significantly better effectiveness in improving only students' motivation without improving their learning achievement. Moreover, the analysis result of the learning achievement indicated that the students in the second experimental group showed significantly higher learning achievement using GAMOLEAF-V3 in comparison with those in both the control group and the first experimental group who used GAMOLEAF-V1 and GAMOLEAF-V2 respectively. Such findings indicate that the personalized recommendations offered by the Lessons Recommendation Module (LRecM) and the problem-solving Solutions Recommender Module (PSSORecM) in GAMOLEAF-V3 may be one of the reasons why the learning achievement of students was increased.

This study examined the impacts of internationalization-at-home efforts on intercultural interactions and outcomes for domestic graduate students through a Cultural Partner Program. Ninety-seven participants were recruited from a public research university in the southeastern part of the U.S. Among them, 68 participated in an experimental group in which each of them was paired up with an incoming graduate-level international student to conduct intercultural activities over one semester. All participants took pre- and post-test surveys including psychosocial measures such as wellbeing, intercultural competency, stress, and perceived support. The regression analyses found a significant conditional difference between experimental and control groups in well-being but not other variables. Standardized mean difference analyses revealed improvements present between the experimental group and control group in perceived support and interaction attentiveness and stress. University campuses need to allocate greater lengths of time and resources for graduate students to be a part of intercultural interactions on campus throughout their study.

Self-derivation through integration is the process of integrating novel facts and producing new knowledge never directly taught. Knowledge integration has been studied with the presentation of two novel facts. However, in educational settings, individuals are required to integrate new information with prior knowledge learned days, months, or years earlier. Prior knowledge robustly predicts learning outcomes, but less is known about self-derivation through the integration of new information with prior knowledge. Thus, in Study 1, we examined adults' (n = 25) memory integration of new facts with prior knowledge. The participants had 52% accuracy in self-derivation. In Study 2 (n = 86), we examined whether reactivating prior knowledge before the novel fact presentation facilitated self-derivation through integration with prior knowledge. Results indicated that performance was significantly higher for those whose prior knowledge was directly reactivated (55% accuracy) in comparison with the control group (42%). Pedagogical implications are discussed.

The globalization of educational processes has intensified the introduction of interactive learning forms. Education systems around the world have undergone transformation, modernization, and innovation. These processes also implied the implementation of advanced technological tools to improve the quality of teaching various subjects, including further mathematics. Remote nano-learning is one of the current technologies that have the potential to turn the presentation of material into a self-regulating individual process. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to determine the impact of nano-learning technology such as cloud and MatLab app on the academic performance and cognitive load of further mathematics students. Cloud and MatLab apps are the new technologies designed to improve the teaching of and learning of Further Mathematics. The main study method was testing, and 100 students. The students additionally studied mathematics in the field of electronics and automation. The Pearson correlation coefficient (0.88, 0.85, 0.76), Shapiro-Wilk test (0.94), and t-test were utilized for statistical processing. The results showed that the experimental group performed significantly better than the control group. According to the result, there was a significant difference between the test results of the two groups, indicating the effectiveness of the experiment. No significant differences were found in the cognitive load of the two groups. The limiting factors of the study were the short study time, sample size, different learning styles, and individual characteristics of students. Based on the evidence presented, it is possible to develop and implement effective teaching methods that contribute to academic progress in further mathematics. This study can help university teachers explain to understand complex mathematical problems to their students and use cloud technology and MATLAB software to solve and reduce the complexity of tasks.

Background: In the modern music industry, AI music generators have gained particular importance. The use of AI greatly simplifies the creation of polyphony. In addition, it can increase student motivation and interest. Aims: This study focuses on the AI-assisted creation of polyphonic music. The purpose of this study is to determine how creating polyphony through the Deep Bach model impacts the academic motivation of music university students. Materials & Methods: Achieving this goal is possible by conducting an experimental training program based on the use of the above-mentioned model. Results: The results show that students in the experimental group have higher motivation than the control group participants. Therefore, AI-based music creation has the potential to become a new trend in music education. Implications: The findings of this study can be useful for music education experts, providing empirical data on the effectiveness of AI in music education. The use of the data can ultimately improve the learning process. Future research can focus on developing alternative AI models as well as investigating their effectiveness in music education.

Play in early childhood environments is critical to the social development of all children, including those with disabilities. Children with autism often experience delays in the development of play skills and may especially struggle with social play with peers. Thus, strategies to support social play in inclusive preschool settings are needed. The purpose of this article is to provide practitioners with an overview of evidence-based strategies to increase play interactions between children with autism and their peers in inclusive preschool settings. We outline the importance of play in early childhood classrooms, provide an overview of common play and social interaction challenges experienced by young children with autism, and describe and exemplify strategies to promote play between peers. We provide recommendations for collaborations between special educators and speech language pathologists working with children with autism to support children's play in inclusive environments.

Current research underscores that there are only a few evidence-based programs that teach STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) as part of their curriculum, especially for autistic students. Even fewer programs focus on engineering and design learning. Hence, we developed an informal afterschool maker program to develop autistic and non-autistic students' interests in engineering to understand their experiences learning STEM concepts and values while applying the engineering mindset to develop projects. This qualitative study aimed to explore and understand students' experiences participating in STEM activities in the maker club. We interviewed twenty-six students (seventeen autistic and nine non-autistic), nine teachers, and thirteen parents representing diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds across three public middle schools in a large urban metropolitan city between 2018 and 2019. Our thematic analysis yielded four themes: (1) "active participation in STEM"; (2) "curiosity about STEM topics, concepts, and practices"; (3) "capacity-building to engage in STEM learning"; and (4) "understanding of the importance of STEM education in daily life." The results of this study enabled us to understand that students were deeply engaged with the content and curriculum of our program, expanded their knowledge base about scientific concepts, used engineering-specific scientific terminologies, and engaged with the engineering design process to conceptualize, test, improvise, and problem-solve. Furthermore, this afterschool engineering education program created a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for students to build engineering readiness skills.

Mental health during childhood is a growing social challenge with important implications for optimal development. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) interventions have been shown to prevent problems related to psychological maladjustment, as well as promote emotional well-being. This article aims to provide evidence for the impact of RULER (Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, Regulating), an evidence-based approach to SEL, on students' mental health outcomes in Spanish public schools. A total of 207 primary school students (50.24% girls, mean age of 9 years) participated in the study. The teachers in the intervention school as compared to the control school received RULER instruction consisting of 15 hours of professional development training, 3 hours of follow-up, and SEL implementation guidelines throughout the school year. Students completed the Behavior Assessment System (BASC S-2). Results showed significant impacts in the RULER as compared to control school, including a reduction of clinical symptoms, such as anxiety and atypicality, as well as emotional symptoms, such as the sense of inadequacy among 9 to 12 year old students. Implications of these findings are discussed.

A lack of response to voices, and a great interest for music are part of the behavioral expressions, commonly (self-)reported in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These atypical interests for vocal and musical sounds could be attributable to different levels of acoustical noise, quantified in the harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR). No previous study has investigated explicit auditory pleasantness in ASD comparing vocal and non-vocal sounds, in relation to acoustic noise level. The aim of this study is to objectively evaluate auditory pleasantness. 16 adults on the autism spectrum and 16 neuro-typical (NT) matched adults rated the likeability of vocal and non-vocal sounds, with varying harmonic-to-noise ratio levels. A group by category interaction in pleasantness judgements revealed that participants on the autism spectrum judged vocal sounds as less pleasant than non-vocal sounds; an effect not found for NT participants. A category by HNR level interaction revealed that participants of both groups rated sounds with a high HNR as more pleasant for non-vocal sounds. A significant group by HNR interaction revealed that people on the autism spectrum tended to judge as less pleasant sounds with high HNR and more pleasant those with low HNR than NT participants. Acoustical noise level of sounds alone does not appear to explain atypical interest for voices and greater interest in music in ASD.

Background: While vaccines have reduced the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine hesitancy threatens the re-emergence of childhood infectious diseases. Purpose: This randomized controlled study evaluated an online vaccine education program to advance vaccine acceptance among middle-school students. Methodology: Study participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group who viewed the VEP videos or to a comparison group who viewed a science-based video unrelated to vaccines. Results: Knowledge scores improved in both groups and more favorable shifts in vaccine-related beliefs and attitudes occurred in the intervention than in the comparison group. Conclusions: This program can be feasibly delivered via an online platform to middle school students, resulting in shifts in vaccine-related knowledge, beliefs and attitudes. Implications: Delivering evidence-based content to instruct about vaccine effectiveness and safety is an area in which school nurses have demonstrated an important role as a resource for patient education to promote vaccine advocacy.

Nature of science (NOS) has been a target of interest for decades. The main goal of this study is to explore the impact of the science, technology, society, environment (STSE) approach on students' understanding of NOS, taking "Galileo's study of free-fall motion" as an example. Participants in this study were 350 students of grade 10 from a public high school in China. The "Student Science Understanding and Scientific Inquiry" (SUSSI) instrument was used in the intervention and control groups to explore the impact on students' NOS. The intervention group (N = 210) participated in the STSE class, whereas traditional instruction was applied to the control group (N = 140). Results revealed that there was a significant difference between the two groups, and the learners in the intervention group understood NOS better than the control group. STSE approach is an effective way to enhance students' understanding of NOS. Despite the fact that the implementation is challenging for teachers, it appears that the STSE approach has positive effects on students' understanding of NOS, which offers some reference for physics classroom teaching.

Schools are important in nurturing social skills and behaviours. Research consistently demonstrates that movement into/out of school (transience/mobility) disrupts positive social skill development, especially for students who frequently move. The impact of attending a highly transient school on "non-mobile" students is not as well-known. The current study explored the impact of values and life skill-based programme, Kiwi Can, on social development and the classroom climate for non-mobile children. Researchers administered surveys to students attending 15 intervention (i.e. Kiwi Can programme; n = 763) and 9 control (n = 456) schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. We examined the impact of programme participation by school transience level (high, middle, low) and length of school participation (new, experienced). The results indicate that students attending highly transient schools struggled to build social relationships, feel connected, demonstrate care and compassion to others, and behave in prosocial ways. They also felt less safe at their schools. Students participating in Kiwi Can for more than two years (experienced schools) showed fewer negative effects of transience on social development than less experienced schools. This research highlights the plight of students who are 'left behind.'

Autistic adults commonly experience anxiety and worry, although knowledge on how worry presents and the content, extent, and experiences among autistic adults is limited. A convergent parallel mixed-methods approach was used to explore the presentation and experiences of worry in autistic and non-autistic adults. Quantitative surveys were used to compare the content and extent of worry in autistic adults to non-autistic adults, with semi-structured interviews also conducted with autistic adults to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences, impacts and content of worry in autistic adults. Findings indicated that autistic adults demonstrated clinically significant levels of worry which were substantially higher than non-autistic adults. Autistic adults described worry as a cycle of negative thoughts impacting their daily life. Findings indicate that autistic adults may worry more than non-autistic adults, impacting on participation in activities of daily living, sleep, and mental health.

Auditory steady-state response (ASSR) has been studied as a potential biomarker for abnormal auditory sensory processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with mixed results. Motivated by prior somatosensory findings of group differences in inter-trial coherence (ITC) between ASD and typically developing (TD) individuals at twice the steady-state stimulation frequency, we examined ASSR at 25 and 50 as well as 43 and 86 Hz in response to 25-Hz and 43-Hz auditory stimuli, respectively, using magnetoencephalography. Data were recorded from 22 ASD and 31 TD children, ages 6-17 years. ITC measures showed prominent ASSRs at the stimulation and double frequencies, without significant group differences. These results do not support ASSR as a robust ASD biomarker of abnormal auditory processing in ASD. Furthermore, the previously observed atypical double-frequency somatosensory response in ASD did not generalize to the auditory modality. Thus, the hypothesis about modality-independent abnormal local connectivity in ASD was not supported.

This study examines the effectiveness of a new approach for a university transition program that uses a location-based game to familiarize first-year students with the university environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 775 university students from 15 faculties, 9 from Human and Social Sciences and 6 from Technology and Science, who participated in the experiment by playing the game for one month. This study uses a mixed-method approach with an explanatory sequential design to collect both quantitative Pre-Post tests, IMI questionnaire, and data usage) and qualitative data (open-ended questionnaire) to evaluate the knowledge of university transition and intrinsic motivation between students in the field of Technology and Science and Humanities and Social Sciences. Overall, the findings revealed that all participants who completed the program significantly improved their knowledge of university transition. The study also found that students in the field of Technology and Science learned significantly better than those in Humanities and Social Sciences, but there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of intrinsic motivation. The study concluded that participation in a location-based game for university transition engaged students in a more contextual and realistic way of learning to become familiar with the university. However, the study noted that the game may not be suitable for all students and should be considered as an additional tool for orientation. Future research work is also discussed.

This study aims to examine the effect of augmented reality-assisted programming education supported by participatory design on the basic and computational thinking skills of preschoolers. In the study, a pretest-posttest single-group semi-experimental design, which is one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The study group of the research consists of 61 students studying in kindergarten in the 2021-2022 academic year. 48% of the students are boys and 52% are girls. The implementation process took nine weeks. In the first part of the research, the CodeLimbel application was developed by conducting a five-week participatory design study with two groups. In the second part of the study, the programming training prepared by the researcher was applied to all groups for four weeks. The "Basic Skills Scale", "TechCheck" scale, and "Student Interview Questions" developed by the researcher were used as data collection tools. It was found that augmented reality-supported programming education had a statistically significant effect on students' computational thinking and basic skills. It was observed that all of the students who participated or did not participate in the participatory design study were interested and excited about programming education with augmented reality applications.

Differences in (autism) characteristics are often reported between autistic and non-autistic adults but also between autistic adults. We aimed to determine whether mean differences correspond to differences in network structure of these characteristics in (1) autistic and non-autistic adults and (2) two previously identified autism subgroups. A total of 16 network variables related to demographic and psychological characteristics were included. First, Gaussian Graphical Models (GGMs) were used for network estimation in 261 autistic adults and 384 non-autistic comparisons aged 30-85 years. Second, we repeated this step within two previously identified autism subgroups (N1 = 124, N2 = 130). Third, sex differences were explored in the networks of the autism subgroups. The networks of the autism and comparison groups differed on individual edges and visual inspection, although the Network Comparison Test (NCT) showed no overall differences. The networks of autism subgroups were similar based on visual inspection and statistical comparisons. Sex did not impact the subgroup networks differently. Networks were more similar than different, but observed edge differences could be informative for targeted support. Focusing on mean differences is not sufficient to determine which factors (and associations) are important for autistic people. Thus, network analysis provides a valuable tool beyond assessing mean differences for autistic adults.

Autistic individuals experience higher rates of externalising and internalising symptoms that may vary with environmental factors. However, there is limited research on variation across settings that may highlight common factors with globally generalisable effects. Data were taken from two cohorts: a multinational European sample (n = 764; 453 autistic; 311 non-autistic; 6-30 years), and a South African sample (n = 100 non-autistic; 3-11 years). An exploratory factor analysis aggregated clinical (Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Index), adaptive traits (Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale) and socio-economic variables (parental employment and education, home and family characteristics) in each cohort separately. With regression, we investigated the effect of these factors and autistic traits on internalising and externalising scores (measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). Cohorts showed similar four-factor structures (Person Characteristics, Family System, Parental and Material Resources). The 'Family System' factor captured family size and maternal factors and was associated with lower internalising and externalising symptoms in both cohorts. In the European cohort, high autistic traits reduced this effect; the opposite was found in the South Africa cohort. Our exploratory findings from two separate analyses represent consistent evidence that Family System is associated with internalising and externalising symptoms, with a context-specific impact in persons with high autism traits. [This article was written with the EU-AIMS LEAP Team.]

Many autistic adults are likely to experience poor financial wellbeing and hardship due to unemployment and under-employment. Research in the general population demonstrates that subjective financial wellbeing--how people perceive their financial situation--influences quality of life. There is no research, however, examining the subjective financial wellbeing of autistic people. This study therefore aimed to (1) understand the subjective financial wellbeing of a sample of autistic adults living in Australia compared to a general Australian population sample and (2) identify the predictors of subjective financial wellbeing in this sample of autistic adults. To this end, 191 autistic adults aged 18-83 years (mean = 39.28, standard deviation = 11.74) completed an online survey about their economic status, financial wellbeing, financial behaviors, confidence in money management skills, and anxiety and depression symptoms. Almost half of our sample felt it was a struggle to make ends meet, whereas only one-third of the general Australian population felt this way. Similar to the general population, autistic people's income and their financial behaviors (specifically, saving and not borrowing for everyday expenses) predicted their sense of financial wellbeing. Our findings have implications for both research and practice.

Today, individuals should adapt themselves to the rapidly changing and developing information age and have learning skills. It is only possible by adopting new approaches and strategies instead of traditional teaching methods and techniques. Different learning and teaching approaches are characterized by various methods and designs, such as differentiated instruction. The primary purpose of differentiated instruction is to employ teaching activities depending on students' learning styles and interests. This study aimed to determine the effect of learning style-based differentiated instructional activities on 4th-grade students' academic achievement and learning retention in the social studies course. This study draws attention to the differences between differentiated teaching activities based on learning style and traditional teaching practices and proposes practical solutions for effective social studies teaching. In this study used a quasi-experimental model with pretest-posttest control group designs. The study group consisted of 62 4th-grade primary school students. The experimental group completed learning style-based differentiated instructional activities in the study, while traditional teaching methods were used in the control group. The data were collected with an academic achievement test and interview forms developed by the researchers. The quantitative data were analyzed using arithmetic means, frequency, independent group t-test, and dependent group t-test, and the qualitative data obtained from interviews were examined using descriptive and content analysis approaches. A significant difference was found in the experimental group students' academic achievement in the social studies course, in which learning style-based differentiated instructional activities were applied. There was a significant difference in the retention scores between the experimental group, in which learning style-based differentiated instructional activities were applied, and the control group, in which the traditional teaching methods were preferred. The difference was in favor of the experimental group. Learning style-based differentiated instructional activities allowed students to participate in the activities actively, facilitated classroom management, and offered an entertaining and well-prepared learning atmosphere where individual differences and learning paces are welcomed. The teacher-centered teaching approach based on traditional methods and the direct transfer of information to students should be replaced with student-centered approaches responsive to learning styles, individual differences, interests, and potentials. Social Studies Course Curriculum and educational materials should be enriched with differentiated instructional activities. Social Studies Course Curriculum and materials (e.g., textbooks, lesson plans, and printed materials) should be enriched with differentiated instructional activities.

Strategic planning is a key competency for business management education. This study designed a dual scaffold-oriented strategy planning board game based on cognitive scaffolding and peer scaffolding and combined it with a real-time checking mechanism using mobile technology. The 68 university students were divided into an experimental group for scaffold game-based learning and a control group for case-based discussion learning to investigate the differences in learning effectiveness, flow and learning anxiety, and to explore the technology acceptance, scaffold usefulness, and activity anxiety of the game-based learning group. The results revealed that the learning effectiveness of the experimental group was significantly improved, while there was no significant difference in the control group; the overall flow and technology acceptance of the experimental group were both relatively high; learning anxiety was significantly reduced in both groups, and the experimental group did not have excessive activity anxiety. There were no significant differences in learning anxiety of the two groups. As for scaffolding usefulness evaluation, the proportion of using peer scaffolding was the highest, and the learners thought that using peer scaffolding was helpful for developing their strategic planning skills. It is suggested that the design of the game mechanism in the future can encourage learners to use the cognitive scaffolding and the mobile-based metacognitive scaffolding more often, and the quality of peer discussions may be improved through the real-time evaluation of the metacognitive scaffolding.

Private school leaders weigh costs and benefits when deciding whether to participate in school voucher programs. Regulatory costs associated with accepting voucher funding could reduce private school leaders' willingness to participate. We test this hypothesis through the first random assignment analysis of the effects of various regulations on the expressed willingness of private school leaders to participate in hypothetical voucher programs that draws upon national data. We randomly assign different regulations to U.S. private school leaders and ask them whether they would participate in a hypothetical school voucher program during the following school year. Relative to no regulations, we find that open-enrollment mandates reduce the likelihood that private school leaders report being certain to participate in a hypothetical choice program by about 14 percentage points, or 67%. The requirement that private schools accept the voucher funding amount as payment-in-full reduces the likelihood that private school leaders report being certain to participate by 16 percentage points, or 77%. Some regulations are more likely to deter private schools with higher reported tuitions, higher enrollment trends, more specialization, and more climate problems.

The combination of education and robots is becoming an increasingly important issue. Although researchers have conducted some studies on educational robotics in STEM education at the undergraduate level, no research examined the effects of gamified educational robotics on participants' motivation and creativity. Therefore, this study examines the effects of gamified educational robots on participants' learning motivation and creativity in STEM. A quasi-experimental research design was used in this study. A total of 108 students from two classes enrolled in the information technology course were involved as participants. Learning motivation and creativity scales were used to collect data. The participants were introduced to a gamified educational robot as the course objective, learning content, and game mechanism to increase motivation and help students solve problems. In contrast, students in the control group received conventional instruction consisting of group discussions and lectures. Activities in both groups were held for eighteen weeks in three phases. The results showed that gamified educational robots could enhance learning motivation and positively influence learners' creativity. The results also indicate that learning motivation has significant effects on creativity, and students with high motivation perform better in terms of creativity. The results strengthen interdisciplinary STEM teaching and promote students' learning outcomes.

This study attempted determining the impact of the problem-based learning method supported by cartoons, which are humorous elements, in fourth-grade Social Studies course on students' perceptions of their problem-solving skills and their level of achievement. Accordingly, the study is quasi-experimental and has a pre-test post-test unequalled control group design. The study group consists of 55 fourth-grade primary school students receiving education at a primary school located in Üsküdar, Istanbul. The cartoon-supported problem-based learning method was applied in the experimental group, whereas the standard Social Studies Curriculum was followed in the control group. The experiment lasted for seven weeks. In the collection of data, 'Personal Information Form', 'Problem-Solving Inventory for Children at the Level of Primary Education (PSIC)', and 'Science, Technology, and Society Learning Space in Social Studies Achievement Test' were used. The data obtained from the measurement tools were analysed using frequency (f), percentage (%), and various non-parametric tests. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the use of cartoon-supported problem-based learning method in teaching fourth-grade Social Studies course positively affected the students' perceptions of their levels of problem-solving skills and their level of achievement. [The publication year (2022) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct publication year is 2023.]

This study investigated the attitudes of 90 Thai learners toward English accents in relation to differing fields and stages of study, using a verbal-guise test (VGT) and a questionnaire. Respondents listened to and evaluated five speakers of English as a native language (ENL): American English (AmE) and British English (BrE), a second language (ESL): Indian English (InE) and Filipino English (FiE), and a foreign language (EFL): Thai English (ThE). The results reveal that most respondents hold significantly more favorable attitudes toward the ENL varieties than the non-ENL varieties with regard to status, solidarity, and speech. The former group is perceived as standard, proper and prestigious, but the reverse is true of the latter group. The ESL varieties, especially FiE are judged negatively for intelligibility while ThE is perceived as the most intelligible, followed by AmE and BrE. The results also show that Thai learners, irrespective of their field and stage of study, have similar attitudes in terms of social status. However, secondary-school students judge the non-ENL varieties more favorably than university students. These results suggest that teachers should expose students to different varieties of English in the early years of English language teaching (ELT) since they may not have acquired a deep-seated native-speakerism ideology.

The role of the parents is crucial in the children's effective functioning, having a long-term effect on the physical, mental and social health of the individuals. Sense of coherence is one of the most important elements of mental health, having a significant effect on the various aspects of life. So do parental goal emphasis by setting the main directions for the children. The current survey aimed to study the impact of sense of coherence and the perceived parental goal emphasis for teenagers' anxiety disorder. 80 of these students (40 suffering from anxiety disorder and 40 normal individuals) were selected due to a questionnaire about anxiety and sampling method, considering the goal of the research. The sense of coherence questionnaire was filled by students' mothers, and to understand parents, the perceived parental goal emphasis questionnaire was filled by the students themselves. The results were calculated and analysed by a statistical program called SPSS (V.20) with MANOVA on the Dependent variables test. The results indicate that the sense of coherence was different in two groups of mothers and students than anxiety disorder and normal individuals. It shows that sense of coherence had a higher rate in normal students' mothers. Also, the orientation senses of parents and its component had a huge superiority over students with an anxiety disorder than normal.