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While there is growing recognition of the need to distinguish between universal, selected, and indicated prevention levels in school bullying and violence research, this more nuanced focus is far from being systematically applied in key research studies in this area internationally. This article raises concerns about the need for such a differentiated focus to address issues of bullying perpetrators' different motivations to underpin critique of a peer defenders model. Such a peer defenders model conflates moderate risk (selected prevention) level of perpetrators' motivations with those of chronic need (indicated prevention). A theoretical framework for selected prevention focusing on minority identity and discriminatory bullying is developed to incorporate a focus on inclusive systems and system blockage, building on social-ecological systems theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RESCUR Surfing the Waves is a recently developed resilience curriculum for early years and primary schools in Europe. It seeks to develop in marginalized young learners the requisite competences needed to overcome the various challenges in their lives to achieve academic success and social and emotional wellbeing. The competences include developing a growth mindset, making use of one’s strengths, self-determination, effective communication skills and healthy relationships, and overcoming challenges and obstacles. This paper presents the findings of a study on the implementation of the programme in five kindergarten centres in Malta over a 1-year period. A pre- and post-intervention study in 20 classrooms (97 children) showed an improvement in resilience skills, prosocial behavior and learning engagement, but not in internalized and externalized problem behaviors. A small scale study in two nurture classes at two of the schools found similar findings. The findings suggest that there are indications that the programme as a proportionate universal intervention for early years leads to an improvement in social and academic behaviours, but more rigorous research is needed to substantiate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inclusion of the student perspective in helping to promote more effective learning, engagement and positive behaviour is becoming increasingly evident in both educational research and school and classroom practice. Giving students the opportunity to have a meaningful and influential voice enhances both the teaching and learning processes, impacting both academic and social behaviours. The student voice perspective is also making inroads into the area of special educational needs, where children are participating more actively in their own assessment and individual educational plans. This paper presents the findings of a project in a nurture class (NC) in Malta which sought to capture the views of the pupils attending NCs. Through a child friendly, qualitative approach young children were given the opportunity to discuss and express their feelings and thoughts of what it means for them to be a pupil in a NC in primary school. The paper presents the themes which emerged from a thematic analysis of children’s voices during semi-structured group interviews and collaborative mapping and poster design, and concludes with suggestions on how the NC may operate as a more child friendly space at the school. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Over the past decades, there has been a substantial increase in post-secondary education participation in most Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Union countries. This increase, however, does not necessarily reflect a parallel equitable growth in post-secondary education, and early school leaving is still an issue of concern in particular regions and countries across the world. This paper presents a study on increasing participation in post-secondary education in Malta, the country with the one of the highest proportions of early school leaving in the European Union. The study was carried out in a region with one of the highest rates of early school leaving in the country, making use of a phenomenological approach as well as a resilient systems perspective to early school leaving. On the basis of students' narratives, the study identifies a number of risk and protective factors in early school leaving and makes various suggestions on how to build more resilient systems to facilitate access to post-secondary education, particularly for students coming from low socio-economic, excluded backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health problems in children represent a significant international health concern, with up to one in five children using mental health services during the course of any given year. Identifying the processes of what prevents social, emotional and behaviour difficulties (SEBD) and promotes healthy development from an early age can make a significant contribution to the promotion of positive mental health in children. This article describes a longitudinal study which sought to identify the risk and promotive factors as young children move from the early to junior years in primary school. Multilevel analysis was used to identify the individual, classroom, school, home and community factors that predict change in SEBD and in prosocial behaviour in the early school years. It also calculated the cumulative effect of the various risk and promotive factors on the pupils’ well-being and mental health. The article presents the windows of vulnerability and opportunity for young children’s healthy development, proposing a trajectory for healthy development in early and middle childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the use of trauma-sensitive practices in second chance education across four European countries, namely Austria, Ireland, Italy and Malta. The study used a quantitative methodology, whereby an online questionnaire was distributed amongst 249 educators who worked in second chance education. Over half of respondents believed that most of their students had experienced trauma, highlighting the importance of trauma-sensitive practices in this sector. Results also indicated that educators generally had a high level of perceived understanding of trauma and its impact, with relatively high levels of trauma-focused support and trauma-sensitive interactions also observed. A low to average amount of secondary traumatic stress was observed amongst participants. Efficacy in classroom management and in student engagement was found to be relatively high, with educators with more years of experience and specialist training having achieved higher scores in classroom management. Specialist training, however, was not linked with greater efficacy in student engagement, suggesting that the development of new specialist training programmes which focus on ways in which educators can increase students' engagement could help to enhance the educational experience of these students. This study was conducted as part of the Erasmus+ funded research programme, Training Hope, Wellbeing, and Resilience in Vulnerable Early School Leavers (THRIVE) (2018–2020), which aimed to develop a trauma-focused training programme for educators in second chance education, to improve students' experience in this sector by enabling educators to effectively engage with students, providing them with meaningful learning experiences as well as by improving educators' classroom management skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the findings and implications of a semi-randomised control trial study on the effectiveness of circle time (CT) on primary school students’ social and emotional learning, as well as classroom teachers’ and students’ experience of CT. A social and emotional learning programme was delivered through CT by trained classroom teachers across the years in one primary school, with other classrooms serving as control groups. The classroom teachers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at pre- and post-intervention, while the CT teachers also completed a questionnaire on their experience of implementing CT in the classroom. The CT students also completed a questionnaire on their own experience of CT. The SDQ scores suggest that CT students showed less internalised difficulties when compared to their control peers, while the qualitative data from both teachers and students suggest that the CT students also exhibited less behaviour problems and more prosocial behaviour. The study identifies various strengths and weaknesses of the programme and makes recommendations on how it could be organised more effectively in the classroom. The paper concludes that rather than taking CT as the default option for nurturing such values as student empowerment, inclusion and equity, there is a need for further rigorous studies on the impact of CT not only on students’ social and emotional learning and behaviour but also on the classroom relationships and climate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Policy makers identify schools as settings for promoting students' positive mental health. However, mental health promotion is not typically addressed in pre- or in-service teacher education. This paper reports 1029 Australian and Maltese teachers' perspectives about their capabilities for mental health promotion. Although participants reported favourable attitudes, many indicated concerns about capabilities such as Knowledge, Parenting Support and Self-efficacy. Multilevel modelling showed differences between county, gender and year level, but not between years of teaching experience. Curriculum initiatives for mental health promotion require opportunities for teachers to build their capabilities in this relatively new domain of school and teacher responsibility. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article discusses the first cycle of a whole-school behaviour initiative at a girls' secondary school in Malta. The aim of the project was to develop, implement and evaluate a whole-school plan of action which promoted good behaviour and effectively responded to challenging behaviour. A three-day in-service programme at the school led to the development of a plan reached by consensus amongst the whole staff. Once it was negotiated with the students, it was put into practice, with regular and continuous monitoring by the staff and students. An evaluation half-way through the scholastic year, showed a decline in the number of exclusions from school and an overall improvement in students' behaviour. Feedback from staff, senior management and students suggested that there was more positive behaviour at the school following the introduction of the behaviour project. The article examines both the process and the outcome of the first phase of the project and concludes with at attempt to delineate the key processes which made this initiative work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore university students' perceived diet and related health practices and whether these varied by gender, faculty and year of course. It also sought to examine the students' recommendations on what may help them to engage in a healthier diet. Method: A self-administered questionnaire was completed by a representative sample of 494 undergraduate students stratified by gender and faculty. The questionnaire explored various features of the students' perceived physical and mental health and lifestyle, including diet, the focus of this paper. Results: Half of the students had only between 1 and 2 servings of fruit and vegetables daily, more than half chose the less healthy food, less than half had a regular healthy breakfast, while one third consumed soft drinks. Female students were consistently more conscious of their diet. The students made various recommendations on how the university may help them to make healthy choices, particularly more availability of healthy food on campus. Conclusions: Despite being a highly educated group, the majority of students did not reach the healthy diet benchmarks explored in the study. Further research is suggested to explain the psychological correlates underlying the dietary habits of Maltese university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

gainst the background of increasing stress and pressures in young people's lives and their apparent manifestation in social, emotional and behavioural problems in schools, there has been a renewed interest in nurture groups as an educational intervention. Nurture groups are designed to address the unmet social and emotional needs of young children and provide them with the necessary skills and competencies for productive engagement in schooling. This article written by Carmel Cefai and Paul Cooper, who are, respectively, the Director and Visiting Professor at the European Centre for Emotional Resilience and Socio Emotional Health at the University of Malta, discusses the recent introduction of nurture groups in the primary sector in Malta, showing how they both extend the capacity of primary schools to become more inclusive, and to develop into resource centres for emotional literacy and parental education. A challenge perceived to lie ahead is to develop an intervention model that is adapted to the needs and values of the local educational context while remaining faithful to the theoretically sound principles and practices of therapeutic education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The student voice is growing rapidly in education, driving many educational initiatives and policies as well as research. The voice of students with social, emotional and behaviour difficulties, however, is one of the least heard, with relatively few studies that sought to capture the voice of these students in an authentic and emancipatory way. This paper reviews a number of small-scale qualitative studies that sought the views of secondary school students with social, emotional and behaviour difficulties in Malta. Five main themes were identified, namely poor relationships with teachers, victimisation, a sense of oppression and powerlessness, unconnected learning experiences, and exclusion and stigmatisation. The paper concludes with various suggestions on how the voice of these students may become more powerful and authentic and serve as an emancipatory experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors highlight features of the social and cultural context which surrounds services to children Emphasis is given to the point that those who work with children exist within the same cultural landscape occupied by the children, parents and other parents. Whilst this landscape is diverse, it contains certain dominant, historically rooted features which influence government policy and professional practice in subtle ways, as well as influencing the values and orientations of individuals. It is argued that there is a need for greater awareness of these influences, as well as a strong commitment among policymakers and professionals to help limit the negative effects that certain cultural trends have on the social context in which young people develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphoedema arises when the lymphatic system has been damaged and may occur secondary to cancer treatment. While much of the extant literature focuses on quality of life in females with breast cancer- related lymphoedema, this study explores the impact of living with lymphoedema secondary to cancer treatment in males. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 male participants, aged between 50 to 85 years. Data collected were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The super-ordinate theme 'Hit by a wave' encompasses the profound impact of lymphoedema on the participants' quality of life. The males expressed body image concerns and struggled with feelings of frustration, anger, anxiety and depression. Physical changes such as weight increase, disrupted sleep, pain, swollen genitals and urinary difficulties were experienced. Changes in lifestyle were also expressed, such as an increased dependence on carers; work-related and role changes. Nevertheless, many participants endorsed the need to focus on the present moment and expressed a heightened appreciation of authenticity in life. By understanding the unique narratives of males with lymphoedema, health care practitioners together with patients can formulate care plans that truly resonate with the needs, concerns, and experiences of males living with lymphoedema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one by Carmel Cefai on how classrooms operate as protective systems for children and teenagers and another by Robbie Gilligan on the educational experience of teenagers.

Student engagement research in university students has been scarce, despite its major positive role on performance, degree completion and mental health. Social and emotional competencies, which are currently called twenty-first-century skills, exert some impact on student engagement in youth. Since engagement is cultural-sensitive, individual (social and emotional competencies) and cross-cultural (human developmental index and unemployment rate) characteristics were examined in association with student engagement in youth. This study included 2,092 participants from nine countries/regions, aged between 17 and 27 years (M = 21.52, SD = 2.27), mostly cisgender woman (n = 1,035, 68.7%) and undergraduate (n = 1,401, 96.2%). Data were collected using a cross-sectional online survey that included the Student Engagement Scale, the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire, and the prosocial behaviour/resources subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multilevel-models showed that social and emotional competencies were relevant predictors of student engagement independently of the country-level variables. Moreover, student engagement varied with country/region human development and unemployment rate, with students from higher developed countries/regions and lowered unemployment reporting lower engagement. This study reinforces the need to implement evidence-based social and emotional learning programmes in universities worldwide, as well as public policies that can influence engagement and protect youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses various reports published within the issue including one on an educational assessment model, one on national education reform in South Africa, and one on education reform in Hong Kong, China.

• 10-12 and 19-25 age groups had higher student engagement. • The engagement was lower for males and 13-15- and 16-18 age-groups. • Acceptance and Positive reappraisal were the two most reported strategies for all. • Positive reappraisal and Refocus on planning are related to higher student engagement. • Refocus on planning predicted higher engagement in all age groups. Research has documented the role of emotions in learning and emotion regulation for student engagement (SE). However, knowledge regarding the predictive power of emotion regulation strategies (ERSs) on SE at different age-groups was lacking. Also, our study aimed to provide data on ERSs use based on age and gender since findings are mixed. This cross-sectional study included a representative sample (N = 1507) of Portuguese students between 10 and 25 years. The sample was divided into four age-groups (10-12, 13-15, 16-18, 19-25). Results indicated ERSs varied with age, with some having a linear developmental pattern (e.g., Putting into Perspective) and others a non-linear (e.g., Positive Reappraisal). SE was higher in females and the youngest and oldest age-groups. Higher SE was related to using more adaptive strategies, and the ERS Refocus on Planning best correlated with the higher SE scores for every age-group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early School Leaving (ESL) is a complex phenomenon caused by multidimensional factors spanning personal, social and economic problems. We carried out two online surveys with 796 teachers and 900 students from Bulgaria, Italy, Malta, Romania and Turkey completed standard electronic surveys. The teachers' survey consisted of secondary school teachers from Bulgaria (N = 147), Italy (N = 105), Malta (N = 71), Romania (n = 261), and Turkey (N = 212). For the second survey, 250 secondary school students from Bulgaria, 109 from Italy, 67 from Malta and 401 students from Turkey took part in the study. From the teachers' findings, cultural factors, school related factors, family issues, economic reasons, peer pressures and individual life accounts were all indicated as the causes of early school leaving in all 5 partner countries We crossed-examined the data from the teachers with those of their students. From the student survey, coming from families with difficult life experiences, having family responsibilities, having difficult relationships with other students and having little interest in the learning process were linked with early school leaving. The paper brings attention to the need to revisit educational and social policies in response to the significant number of children in Europe leaving school early with low level educational attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A comprehensive understanding of the contextual factors that are linked to student engagement requires research that includes cross-cultural perspectives. Aims This study investigated how student engagement in school is associated with grade, gender, and contextual factors across 12 countries. It also investigated whether these associations vary across countries with different levels of individualism and socio-economic development. Samples The participants were 3,420 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students from Austria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Methods The participants completed a questionnaire to report their engagement in school, the instructional practices they experienced, and the support they received from teachers, peers, and parents. Hierarchical linear modelling was used to examine the effects at both student and country levels. Results The results across countries revealed a decline in student engagement from Grade 7 to Grade 9, with girls reporting higher engagement than boys. These trends did not vary across the 12 countries according to the Human Development Index and Hofstede's Individualism Index. Most of the contextual factors (instructional practices, teacher support, and parent support) were positively associated with student engagement. With the exception that parent support had a stronger association with student engagement in countries with higher collectivism, most of the associations between the contextual factors and student engagement did not vary across countries. Conclusions The results indicate both cultural universality and specificity regarding contextual factors associated with student engagement in school. They illustrate the advantages of integrating etic and emic approaches in cross-cultural investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to develop a scale that is appropriate for use internationally to measure affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions of student engagement. Psychometric properties of this scale were examined with data of 3,420 students (7th, 8th, and 9th grade) from 12 countries (Austria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States). The intraclass correlation of the full-scale scores of student engagement between countries revealed that it was appropriate to aggregate the data from the 12 countries for further analyses. Coefficient alphas revealed good internal consistency. Test-retest reliability coefficients were also acceptable. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the data fit well to a second-order model with affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement as the first-order factors and student engagement as the second-order factor. The results support the use of this scale to measure student engagement as a metaconstruct. Furthermore, the significant correlations of the scale with instructional practices, teacher support, peer support, parent support, emotions, academic performance, and school conduct indicated good concurrent validity of the scale. Considerations and implications regarding the international use of this student engagement in school measure are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study examined gender differences in student engagement and academic performance in school. Participants included 3420 students (7th, 8th, and 9th graders) from Austria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The results indicated that, compared to boys, girls reported higher levels of engagement in school and were rated higher by their teachers in academic performance. Student engagement accounted for gender differences in academic performance, but gender did not moderate the associations among student engagement, academic performance, or contextual supports. Analysis of multiple-group structural equation modeling revealed that perceptions of teacher support and parent support, but not peer support, were related indirectly to academic performance through student engagement. This partial mediation model was invariant across gender. The findings from this study enhance the understanding about the contextual and personal factors associated with girls'' and boys'' academic performance around the world. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]