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Copyright of International Journal of Early Childhood is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Minimal adult intervention in preschool encourages children's autonomy, problem-solving skills, and self-regulation, fostering independence and a natural inclination for exploration and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the United States, parents are increasingly refusing to vaccinate their children against harmful childhood diseases. Many of these parents utilize expansive exemptions to school-immunization laws to keep their children unvaccinated. Even as their children become teenagers and develop their own informed opinions about vaccines, most state and local laws provide these minors with no avenue to override their parents' objections and choose vaccination for themselves. However, this legal landscape may be changing, as creative laws like the District of Columbia's Minor Consent for Vaccination Amendments Act of 2020 (MCA) have emerged that do allow certain minors to consent to recommended vaccines without parent permission, provided that they can meet an informed-consent standard. This Comment argues that minors possess a qualified autonomy right to consent to recommended vaccines. It outlines the legal background of this autonomy right by discussing the history of vaccination laws, parental rights, and children's rights in the United States. It also demonstrates how vaccine-resistant parents could attempt to challenge the exercise of this autonomy right by invoking the protections of highly restrictive religious-freedom laws like the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Then, this Comment outlines the contours of the autonomy right itself. Finally, this Comment proposes a statutory solution, based in part on the District of Columbia's MCA, that can vindicate this autonomy right while appropriately including parents in the consent process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children learn literacies as social practices in context. Increasingly, these contexts include technological tools. Moreover, children engage with psychosocial identity tasks that involve more than cognitive growth. With the rapid rise in digital personalisation, there is a need to consider ways to ensure that digital technologies attend to literacies using understandings about psychosocial development. In this paper, we share ideas from Erik Erikson about the psychosocial tasks children must achieve in their communities from infancy and we relate these to literacy. The psychosocial tasks are trust, autonomy, initiative and industry. We explain how digital personalisation efforts might contribute to holistic psychosocial development that are also supportive of expansive literacies. Then, we make three recommendations for enhancing the digital personalisation efforts. These include attending to identity tasks, considering multiple types of growth simultaneously and involving multiple systems (eg, parents, caregivers and community) in planning, implementing and evaluating personalised instructional materials for young children. Practitioner notesWhat is already known Personalisation is a concept centred on meeting learners' individual needs.Digital personalisation tools and practices for young children have not fully leveraged unique aspects of childhood versus other phases of life.What this paper adds Digital personalisation processes for young children can be enhanced through psychosocial considerations within social contexts, particularly for literacy learning.Psychosocial developmental theories offer new ways to think about how to involve parents and other caregivers in digital personalisation processes.Implications for practice Planners, implementers and evaluators of digital personalised instructional materials should tether their efforts to psychosocial identity tasks.Planners, implementers and evaluators should also consider ways to layer multiple types of learning (cognitive, social and psychological) within identity tasks.Planners, implementers and evaluators should work to include multiple support systems (parents, educators and communities) in their efforts to personalise digital activities and materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pós: Revista do Programa de POS-Graduacao Em Artes - EBA/UFMG is the property of Pos - Programa de Pos-graduacao em Artes (PPG-Artes) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The impact of Sensory Processing Difficulties across a range of Special Educational Needs is well researched. More recently, the impact on children's mental health and well‐being, linked with anxiety, depression and self‐injurious behaviours, have redirected international research to consider the holistic benefits of sensory provision, for those with special educational provision and the wider classroom population. A SMART SURVEY was designed to collate empirical evidence regarding current sensory awareness and provision in mainstream primary schools throughout Northern Ireland, in a time efficient manner. Out of 809 schools, 164 (20.27%) fully completed the online survey. Findings indicate that Special Educational Needs Coordinator confidence in developing practice, supporting staff and children was limited and impaired by insufficient and inconsistent training opportunities. While healthcare research recommends provision by trained professionals, Occupational Therapy input was limited (n = 34; 24.8%), resulting in practice that could be detrimental rather than beneficial to children's progress. Respondents identified a need for sensory training for teachers (n = 124; 93.94%) to ensure that the impact of Sensory Processing Difficulties on the holistic development of all children is understood. Pupil voice was undervalued (n = 5; 3.6%). Active involvement of children in the process of evaluation and intervention is recommended to enhance pupil autonomy and well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education in many countries is heavily influenced by what has been termed a Global Education Reform Movement, based on competition, measurement and comparison. As well as emphasising external accountability, this landscape offers schools, in theory, a degree of autonomy. School-level innovation, however, may involve a degree of courage on the part of teachers if this involves stepping away from the safety of an agenda based on externally measured standards. By documenting the voices of teachers throughout a year of pedagogical innovation in one school in England, this study aims to reveal what it is like to be a teacher experiencing an inspiring but challenging form of school-level change. The multi-faceted experiences of the teachers are characterised as three tensions centred on autonomy, innovation and collaboration. The study suggests that the innovation in question did result in a feeling of transformation in a variety of forms. However, this transformation was limited by various factors, such as the need for a stronger collaborative response to challenges of 'unlearning' deeply ingrained practices and, above all, the enduring spectre of external scrutiny. The authentic voices of these teachers provide an insight into the issues that schools must consider when exercising their autonomy and implementing 'brave' pedagogical innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental involvement in their children's organised sports has increased dramatically in the last decade. Recent debate has started to question whether parental involvement actually has a beneficial impact on child sports participation, and whether this is damaging for the children's development of identity and autonomy. Prompted by this debate, we are using a longitudinal dataset of 1,096 Danish schoolchildren in the Municipality of Aalborg to explore the extent to which parental involvement or parental role modelling has a beneficial impact on children's participation in organised sports. Our results suggest that parental involvement in children's sport increases the likelihood that the child will participate in organised sports. When considering four types of parents, i.e. unengaged parents, servicing parents, self-realisation parents and super parents, our results remain unchanged. Further, we find that disadvantaged parents' involvement increases children's participation in organised sport whereas the involvement of advantaged parents' has the opposite effect. From a policy perspective, embedding organised sport in a school context might be considered as a method of levelling the playing field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the influence of gender, age, and camp type on outcome achievements for children (aged 6 to 10) at summer camp. The outcome achievements measured were affinity for exploration, affinity for nature, camp connectedness, friendship skills, independence, perceived competence, problem-solving confidence, responsibility, and teamwork skills. Three hundred thirteen campers were sampled from American Camp Association-accredited day and resident camps. Controlling for camper age, the study found an interaction effect between the type of camp attended and the gender of campers. Discriminant analysis indicated that differences were primarily due to achievements on the outcomes of affinity for nature and perceived competence. A discussion of implications of these findings for camp administrators concludes the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Income inequality has increased steadily over the past 40 years. We briefly review the nature and causes of this increase and show that income‐based gaps in children's academic achievement and attainment grew as well. To probe whether the increasing income gaps may have played a role in producing the growing achievement and attainment gaps, we summarize the evidence for the effect of family income on children, paying particular attention to the strength of the evidence and the timing of economic deprivation. We show that, in contrast to the nearly universal associations between poverty and children's outcomes as reported in the correlational literature, evidence from social experiments and quasi experiments shows impacts on some domains of child functioning but not others. At the same time, we have no experimental evidence on how economic deprivation affects children in the first several years of life in the United States. Family environments are all important in the first several years of a child's life, when they are developing most rapidly and have limited autonomy from family, yet family incomes tend to be the lowest in these early years of family development. We describe an ongoing experimental study of income effects on infants and toddlers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last twenty years, a substantial and increasing percentage of public school students have been required to wear school uniforms or adhere to strict dress codes. They have done so in a cultural and legal landscape that assumes such restrictions pose few--if any--constitutional problems. As this Article argues, however, this landscape is relatively new; as recently as forty years ago, the legal and cultural assumptions about student dress codes were completely reversed, with the majority of educators and commentators assuming that our constitutional commitments to equality, autonomy, and free expression preclude strict student dress restrictions. This Article explores the history of this evolution as a case study in the messy process through which constitutional law interacts with politics and culture, at times developing without significant judicial reflection or, indeed, participation. Major cultural developments in parenting, schooling, policing, gender, and race relations interacted with shifting political dynamics and economic factors to change our frames and alter public and judicial perception of the scope of underlying constitutional rights. In this Article, we explain these previously obscured changes in constitutional law and culture, explore their implications for constitutional theory, and argue for their reversal. While the underlying constitutional case law is sufficiently indeterminate to support either era's approach, the approach we reconstruct in this Article better serves our children and our constitutional values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical education in elementary education usually provides children's first contact with sports. According to the trans-contextual model of motivation, physical education teachers can positively influence children's beliefs toward and actual leisure time physical activity behavior. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a dance-based physical education program on motivation regarding physical education lesson participation, as well as leisure time physical activity participation. The sample consisted of 252 pupils attending Grades 5 and 6 of elementary school (Mage = 10.48 years, SD = 0.50 years). Participants were randomly assigned into three groups. The first group attended a physical education lesson based on various forms of dance, the second one attended lessons with Greek traditional dances only, and the third group served as active control group that attended the typical curriculum. The intervention lasted six weeks. Before and after the intervention, students completed survey-based measures of motivational climate, motivational regulations in physical education and leisure time, enjoyment, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and intentions toward leisure time physical activity. In support of the trans-contextual model, results showed that students in the dance intervention programs scored significantly higher in perceptions of motivational climate and beliefs toward leisure time physical activity. The findings of the study suggest that dancing lessons at school can bolster more positive attitudes and beliefs toward physical education and leisure time physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Derecho Privado is the property of Universidad de los Andes and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Several philosophers of education argue that schooling should facilitate students’ development of autonomy. Such arguments fall into two main categories: Student-centered arguments support autonomy education to help enable students to lead good lives; Public-goods-centered arguments support autonomy education to develop students into good citizens. Critics challenge the legitimacy of autonomy education—of the state imposing a schooling curriculum aimed at making children autonomous. In this paper, I offer a unified solution to the challenges of legitimacy that both arguments for autonomy education face. I first defend a particular construal of liberal legitimacy, and then consider each legitimacy challenge in light of that construal. I argue that the legitimacy challenges confronting both types of argument can be overcome. Further, I explain why we should pursue both arguments, rather than resting the entire case for autonomy education on one or the other. I conclude that each argument—if it can justify autonomy education at all—can justify autonomy education consistent with the requirements of liberal democratic legitimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of class-level class climate on school-aged children’s life satisfaction. Data was derived from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) using sixth grade school-aged children (n = 4,764, 483 classes). Class climate includes indicators of teachers' care and monitoring, demands, interaction, autonomy, as well as school-aged children's attitudes towards schoolwork at the class- and individual-level. Results showed that individual perceived class climate in terms of teachers' care and monitoring and autonomy was positively related to life satisfaction, whereas school-related demands were related to lower life satisfaction. Besides teachers' care and monitoring at class-level, indicators of class climate were not associated with school-aged children’s life satisfaction, while the individual perceived class climate is more important for life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Article 12 of the un Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc) stipulates that children should have their views accorded due weight in accordance with age and maturity, including in proceedings affecting them. Yet there is no accepted understanding as to how to weigh children's views, and it is associated strongly with the indeterminate notion of "competence". In this article, case law and empirical research is drawn upon to argue that the concept of weighing their views has been an obstacle to children's rights, preventing influence on outcomes for children in proceedings in which their best interests are determined. Younger children and those whose wishes incline against the prevailing orthodoxy (they may resist contact with a parent, for example) particularly lose out. Children's views appear only to be given "significant weight" if the judge agrees with them anyway. As it is the notion of autonomy which is prioritised in areas such as medical and disability law and parents' rights, it is proposed in this article that a children's autonomy principle is adopted in proceedings - in legal decisions in which the best interest of the child is the primary consideration, children should get to choose, if they wish, how they are involved and the outcome, unless it is likely that significant harm will arise from their wishes. They should also have "autonomy support" to assist them in proceedings. This would likely ensure greater influence for children and require more transparent decision-making by adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We explored the rates of children who actively commuted to school, both accompanied and unaccompanied, and identified their safety perceptions.Methods: This cross-sectional study focused on 745 children, aged 6-12 years, from public schools in the Spanish Granada region. They completed a questionnaire, providing personal data, their school grade, safety perceptions, whether they were accompanied to school and how they travelled to school. We analysed how active commuters were accompanied to school by age group and assessed the associations between safety perceptions and whether or not they were accompanied.Results: Children aged 10-12 years were more likely to travel to school unaccompanied, more likely to travel actively and had better safety perceptions than younger children. We also found differences in how active commuters between 10 and 12 years and children aged 6-7 and 8-9 years (all p < 0.001) were accompanied to school. Children aged 10-12 years who actively commuted unaccompanied had a better understanding of safety issues than accompanied children (p < 0.010).Conclusion: Older children who actively commuted to school unaccompanied had better safety perceptions than other children in this sample of children aged 6-12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper nutrition during childhood is necessary to: allow adequate growth and development, achieve optimal physical and psychic performance, maintain and improve health and recover more easily in disease processes.The first months of life (the infant stage) are a stage in which many rapid changes take place (anthropometric, body composition, maturation of organs and systems...), which suppose a high demand from nutritional point of view, in the quantitative aspect and especially in the qualitative aspect. After infant stage, preschool children feeding is an opportunity to acquire healthy habits and introduce new foods, textures, flavors, colors, etc., which will favor the autonomy and development of the individual, as well as being essential to maintain growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to assess the readiness of Saudi students for independent/autonomous learning, with a focus on learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The study used a questionnaire and semistructured interviews to gain insights from a population of 319 students (aged 15-24) about their perceptions of responsibilities, decision-making abilities, motivation, involvement in autonomy-related activities, and capacity to take charge of their own learning. The findings of the study confirmed the relatively low readiness of Saudi EFL learners for independent learning (M = 3.06 on a scale of 1 to 5, SD =.31). Learners demonstrated low responsibility levels, since only 17.27% of them perceived that they accept sole responsibility for their EFL learning. Respondents reported a moderate level of ability (M = 3.63) and motivation (M = 3.70) to learn English. A considerable percentage of participants (27.29%) reported that they are rarely involved in self-directed activities; they demonstrated high levels of teacher dependency and low levels of learner independence. Despite the participants' reasonable level of awareness of the nature of learner autonomy and its demands, their responses identified them as EFL learners with low autonomy. This study informs EFL learning stakeholders in Saudi Arabia that learners' readiness for such conditions must be developed before interventions aimed at promoting autonomy are implemented in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the characteristics of students in reading, focusing on giftedness and autonomy in middle school education. It refers to failing school status in northern New England which is defined by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 of the U.S. federal government. It cites Jayda a student who resides in an impoverished community who received a continual decoding-based instruction, consistent with Reading First requirements.

Based on data collected through the Net Children Go Mobile survey of approximately 3500 respondents aged 9–16 years in seven European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania and the United Kingdom), this article examines the diffusion of smartphones among children and contributes to existing research on mobile digital divides by investigating what influences the adoption of smartphones among children and whether going online from a smartphone is associated with specific usage patterns, thus bridging or widening usage gaps. The findings suggest the resilience of digital inequalities among children, showing how social inequalities intersect with divides in access and result in disparities in online activities, with children who benefit from a greater autonomy of use and a longer online experience also reaching the top of the ladder of opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with histories of early childhood neglect can exhibit a multitude of problematic behaviors, along with the potential for numerous physical and cognitive deficits. In some cases, these children can exhibit behaviors reflective of a diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder (RAD). Families who adopt children with RAD may face unique issues when it comes to addressing problem behavior and providing the child adequate care. This article discusses the results of a study that examined the processes that occur in families who adopt children with RAD. Guided by the principles of grounded theory, this study employed a multi-stage semi-structured interview design. The sample consisted of five adoptive families from the Midwest, and included both adult and child participants. The findings revealed six prominent themes: Parents report difficulty educating others about RAD; obtaining the needed care and services was a constant fight; RAD behavior is socially isolating; and raising a child with RAD is continuously stressful. Older siblings felt compelled to intervene in the care of the child with RAD; and felt increased autonomy from their parents. Implications for social work and clinical practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the efficacy of autonomy-supportive teaching during elementary school physical education (PE) in influencing pupils’ enjoyment, fear of failure, boredom and effort. A sample of 54 pupils attending fifth and sixth grades comprised the control group (typical instruction;n = 27) and the experimental group (autonomy-supportive instruction;n = 27). Pupils’ responses were provided four times during a school trimester on perceived autonomy-support provided by the PE teacher, fulfilment of psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, behavioural regulations for PE participation, enjoyment, fear of failure, boredom and effort. In the autonomy-support condition, levels of the positive motivational indexes remained relatively stable during the trimester. Motivational deterioration was evident for the control group, and especially during the middle and the end of the trimester. Autonomy-supportive teaching leads to enhanced levels of motivation compared to non-autonomy-supportive teaching that may lead to gradual decline of motivation for PE participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Findings: The present study explored the concrete manifestations of autonomy support (AS) toward toddlers. Eight child care educators were interviewed. Based on our assessment, these educators all valued AS. A qualitative content analysis revealed 18 practices that this group of child care educators considered supportive of toddlers’ autonomy. The present findings are in line with the traditional conceptualization of AS, namely, offering choices and encouraging initiatives, acknowledging the child’s feelings and perspective, and providing rationales and explanations for requests (Deci, Eghrari, Patrick, & Leone, 1994; Koestner, Ryan, Bernieri, & Holt, 1984), suggesting that these practices are developmentally appropriate for toddlers. Yet, they also widen the scope of AS, highlighting additional caregiving practices that may support the autonomy of toddlers.Practice or Policy: The results are discussed in light of child care educators’ professional training context and the relationship between AS and structure. The practices found in this study offer many means of actualizing AS with toddlers on a daily basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This purpose of this paper is to introduce innovative ways to design, develop and implement original learning experiences, by defining certain design elements with illustrative vignettes from the classrooms of teacher pioneers.Design/methodology/approach A new rubric of design elements is presented that synthesizes and illustrates theoretical and empirical research.Findings Teacher pioneers implement instructional design elements in a manner that supports the subordination of learning to teaching in their classrooms.Practical implications The rubric organizes criteria to design, implement, analyze and evaluate the extent to which instructional resources and approaches, at all levels and in all content areas, are likely to foster learners’ independence, autonomy and responsibility.Originality/value This paper provides a useful, concise and clearly explained rubric of design elements that, when most effectively implemented, can prepare students to meet, with enthusiasm and confidence, whatever comes their way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of preconceived notions in Western society that children make irrational decisions, society often wants to "protect children from themselves" (Doyal and Henning 1994, 771). In Eastern countries, notions of familial hierarchies, respect, and harmony remove children from decision-making contexts and promote nonemotive silence (Wang and Marsh 1992, 85; McLaughlin and Braun 1998, 118). One must be wary of unquestioningly valuing parental choice as it can cause medical, personal, and familial harm while disregarding the importance of children's autonomy, regardless of how "limited" or "incompetent" it may be. It is unjust to generalise and say that children are inexperienced and thus lack capacity to make decisions. It is also unjust if cultural notions disregard the child's voice. For children who have been ill their whole lives, it can be certain that they have a greater capacity to understand their situations than they are given credit for-it may even be reasonable for them to "prefer death" and voice that thought (Raymond 1999, 15). I am writing from an "end-of-life" perspective where minors are severely ill, probably have been for a long time, and should have the opportunity to refuse treatment and have that decision respected. This fact is not mentioned often throughout the essay because although end-of-treatment care for children prompted my research, I believe minors have an overarching ability and right to have a role in their medical decision-making, regardless of the severity of the situation. I am not suggesting that adolescents should make decisions unaided. I do recommend, however, a care ethics approach that calls upon guardians and professionals to assist with the adolescent-patient's understanding of the situation by contextualising the situation and offering valuable information and teaching via open communication. This enhances and develops patients' capacity, values it, while also providing the opportunity for professionals and guardians to evaluate their capacity which is currently a difficult process. Contextualised by the current dynamics between parent, child and medical professional, it is clear that a care ethics approach is a beneficial way to rebalance the power between these parties and fix many of the issues integral to a) unjustified overt paternal authority; and b) not acknowledging or valuing a minor's capacity, for families all over the world from Canada to New Zealand to China, Malaysia and India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Autonomy has been the most frequently compromised ethical principle in research involving human subjects. Even medical students are vulnerable when requests for research participation come from faculty members. The present study was designed to find out if coercion is involved in the decision-making of medical students participating in research. Methods: Ethics committee approval was obtained and 300 medical students were administered a validated questionnaire, after obtaining their written informed consent. The questionnaire contained questions on motives for participation, coercion assessment scale and recruitment scenarios. The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Of the 300 medical students, 65% (195/300) had participated in < 3 and 35% (105/300) had participated in ≥ 3 research studies. 71% (213/300) had participated in questionnaire-based studies, 21% (63/300) in interventional studies and 8% (24/300) in other observational studies. Among those who participated in < 3 studies, 32% (62/195) stated scientific interest as the primary reason for participation whereas 31% (61/195) participated mainly because their participation was requested by a faculty member. An analysis of the coercion assessment scale revealed that 35% (105/300) of students said that participation in the study was not entirely of their own choice and 61% (183/300) said that they participated in the study even though they did not want to. 55% (165/300) thought that their professor would like them to participate and 57% (171/300) felt that the professor would be displeased if they did not participate. Among those who participated in <3 studies, 64% (125/195) said they thought that they could not refuse to participate. 74% (77/105) of those participating in ≥ 3 studies felt that the participation would help their academic grades. 84% (252/300) said that sufficient time was given to read the consent document and 86% (258/300) stated that they would participate in similar research studies in future. Conclusion: The results suggest the presence of potential coercion on medical students to participate in research. Also the students were not aware of the subtle coercive influences that can occur during recruitment. Educating medical students and faculty on appropriate recruitment procedures and a careful review of the same by the Institutional Ethics Committees would help to remove these coercive influences and ensure the autonomy of medical students participating in research studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arora and Jacobs (2016) assume that liberal societies should tolerate non-therapeutic infant male circumcision, and argue that it follows from this that they should similarly tolerate-or even encourage-what the authors regard as 'de minimis' forms of female genital mutilation (as defined by the World Health Organization). In this commentary, I argue that many serious problems would be likely to follow from a policy of increased tolerance for female genital mutilation, and that it may therefore be time to consider a less tolerant attitude toward non-therapeutic infant male circumcision. Ultimately, I suggest that children of whatever sex or gender should be free from having healthy parts of their most intimate sexual organs either damaged or removed, before they can understand what is at stake in such an intervention and agree to it themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current guidelines do not clearly outline when assent should be attained from paediatric research participants, nor do they detail the necessary elements of the assent process. This stems from the fact that the fundamental justification behind the concept of assent is misunderstood. In this paper, we critically assess three widespread ethical arguments used for assent: children's rights, the best interests of the child, and respect for a child's developing autonomy. We then outline a newly-developed two-fold justification for the assent process: respect for the parent's pedagogical role in teaching their child to become an autonomous being and respect for the child's moral worth.Discussion: We argue that the ethical grounding for the involvement of young children in medical decision-making does not stem from children's rights, the principle of best interests, or respect for developing autonomy. An alternative strategy is to examine the original motivation to engage with the child. In paediatric settings there are two obligations on the researcher: an obligation to the parents who are responsible for determining when and under what circumstances the child develops his capacity for autonomy and reasoning, and an obligation to the child himself. There is an important distinction between respecting a decision and encouraging a decision. This paper illustrates that the process of assent is an important way in which respect for the child as an individual can be demonstrated, however, the value lies not in the child's response but the fact that his views were solicited in the first place. This paper demonstrates that the common justifications for the process of assent are incomplete. Assent should be understood as playing a pedagogical role for the child, helping to teach him how specific decisions are made and therefore helping him to become a better decision-maker. How the researcher engages with the child supports his obligation to the child's parents, yet why the researcher engages with the child stems from the child's moral worth. Treating a child as having moral worth need not mean doing what they say but it may mean listening, considering, engaging or involving them in the decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The gender gap in education in favour of girls is a widely known phenomenon. Boys generally have higher dropout rates, obtain lower grades, and show lower engagement. Insight into factors related to these academic outcomes could help to address the gender gap. Aims This study investigated, for Dutch language classes, (1) how boys and girls differ in behavioural engagement, (2) which teacher support dimensions (autonomy support, structure, involvement) may explain gender differences in engagement (mediation hypothesis), and (3) whether and which of these teacher support dimensions matter more for boys' as opposed to girls' engagement (moderation or differential effects hypothesis). Sample A total of 385 Grade 7 students and their 15 language teachers participated in this study. Methods Teacher support was assessed through student reports. Student engagement was measured using student, teacher, and observer reports. By means of structural equation modelling, the mediating role of the teacher support dimensions for gender differences in behavioural engagement was tested. The potential differential role of the teacher support dimensions for boys' and girls' engagement was investigated through multigroup analysis. Results Boys were less engaged than girls and reported lower support from their teacher. Autonomy support and involvement partially mediated the relationship between gender and behavioural engagement. Autonomy support was demonstrated to be a protective factor for boys' engagement but not for girls'. Structure and involvement contributed equally to engagement for both sexes. Conclusions Although involvement and autonomy support partly explained the gender gap in engagement (mediation hypothesis), more support was found for differential effects of autonomy support on boys' versus girls' engagement (differential effects hypothesis). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education et Societes is the property of INRP and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this article is to describe howthe learner autonomy of a student diagnosed with high-functioning autism is regarded in regular education in a longitudinal perspective and how her educational strategies are managed by school representatives. The main data include unstructured interviews with the student and educational personnel and passive observations in the class room. The student's intellectual orientation and scientific interests are discouraged by most teachers throughout her school years. School narratives of her perceived cognitive and educational shortcomings overshadow and counteract her autonomy. The student's scientific interests can be seen as a means to deal with perceptions of a world that is incomprehensible and frightening. It is possible that persons with weak central coherence, more often than others, have interests concerning how things are structured and strive to organise and explain their environment. This specific kind of learner autonomy can be described as intellectual induction and could be understood as compensatory strategy of the mind. In school, however, it is discouraged with reference to the student's problems in areas traditionally associated with learner autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]