Search

Numerous interventions in the school environment focus on supporting empathy to prevent aggressive behaviour. But when planning interventions inside classrooms one needs to consider the context of each specific classroom, e.g., relationships between students and teachers. Based on the Developmental System Theory and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological System Model, this study examines the mediating effect of the positive and negative student-teacher relationships on the relationship between empathy (cognitive and emotional components) and aggression. We use a randomised sample of 539 students from two countries (Slovenia: N = 271, M = 12.91 years, 56.3% female; Croatia: N = 268, M = 13.60 years, 47.4% female). We measure empathy with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, aggression with the AG-UD Aggression Scale and student-teacher-relationships with the Perceived Quality of Student-Teacher Relations measures. The findings show that empathy plays an important role in aggression, but interestingly, the component is different in the two countries. In Slovenia, there is a significant negative direct path from the cognitive component of empathy, Perspective taking, to aggression, while in Croatia, there is a similar path, but starting from the emotional component of empathy, Empathic concern. In both countries, Negative student-teacher relationships mediated the relationship between mentioned components of empathy and aggression, thus showing the importance of classroom context, e.g., the relationships with teachers, when addressing empathy and aggression of students in the school context. The practical implication based on our findings is the prevention of negative student-teacher relationships and the promotion of empathy among students (as well as teachers)., Author(s): Ana Kozina [sup.1] , Manja Veldin [sup.1] , Mojca Rozman [sup.2] [sup.3] , Ivana Pikic Jugovic [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/02xztm077, grid.457236.1, 0000 0004 0622 0813, Educational Research Institute, [...]

Aggressive behaviour has negative consequences for students who are exposed to it and those who are aggressive. In addition to a number of negative consequences at the individual level aggression negatively impacts processes within the school. Successful methods of preventing and reducing aggressive behaviour at school often include activities related to empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and feel the emotional state of another person. It includes cognitive and emotional components and is associated with positive effects on relationships and behaviours; the lack of empathy is associated with negative effects, including aggressive behaviour. We analysed the relationships among empathy dimensions and general aggression, including the subtypes of aggression. We used the AG-UD aggression scale and the IRI questionnaire for the measurement of empathy on a sample of Slovene (N = 125), Croatian (N = 95) and Swedish (N = 84) adolescents aged between 13 and 14. The findings across samples revealed several significant associations on the level of general aggression and high congruence across countries and on the level of types of aggression. This data indicates the need to include dimension-level prevention and intervention based on the prevalence of specific types of aggression.

The present paper focuses on teacher’s role in social justice and explores how teachers perceive and react upon diversity and inequality in their classrooms. Through a literature review, we aimed to answer three research questions: 1) what are diversity awareness and critical consciousness in education; 2) why are diversity awareness and critical consciousness important; and 3) how can diversity awareness and critical consciousness be supported in teachers. The literature review has revealed that most papers on teachers’ diversity awareness and critical consciousness have been published within the last few years and that the importance of the two concepts has been recognized for a wide range of educators. There seems to be a growing interest in this topic due to the increase of the diversity in classrooms and the recognition of the teachers’ role in addressing diversity and inequality. However, large-scale studies would be a needed contribution to the field, as most of the existing studies are small-scale. Based on this review, we argue that both diversity awareness and critical consciousness need to be supported through preservice and in-service teacher professional development programs, if we are to make education systems more inclusive for all.

FRIENDS for Life is an anxiety prevention programme that integrates cognitive behavioural approach with social and emotional learning. The current study examines the effects of the FRIENDS for Life programme in a school environment, with outcomes focusing on anxiety and aggression. The theoretical basis for the joint prevention and intervention of anxiety and aggression is based on their frequent simultaneous occurrence. Four classes of 4th-grade students (N = 85) were randomly assigned two to intervention and two to a no-treatment control group in a randomized control study. We measured the total anxiety and components of anxiety and the total of aggression and components of aggression with AN-UD and AG-UD aggression scale at pre-, post-, half-year, one-year and one-year-and a half follow-up. The results were inconclusive with regard to the effectiveness of the programme. However, there is some indication of possible effects on the reduction of anxiety and aggression in the boys' sub-sample. This was also the sub-sample that showed higher levels of anxiety and aggression at baseline, suggesting possible difference in the effectiveness of the programme. Proposals are made to replicate the study in a larger format.

Background: The transition from lower-secondary to upper-secondary education marks a critical period for adolescents that impacts their academic achievement. Objective: Based on Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework, we examined associations between math achievement as measured by PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) and PYD outcomes, such as Character, Confidence, Connection, and Caring, as well as variability by gender and school types. Method: Using a cross sectional study design, we investigated Slovenian adolescents (N = 2802; 52% girls) who recently transitioned to upper-secondary level, who had participated in PISA study, and who had completed a PYD Short Form questionnaire. Results: We used multiple regression analyses to address the study goals. Significant positive associations between Character, Confidence and math achievement and significant negative associations between Connection and math achievement were observed. In general, the associations between Caring and math achievement were not significant. Specifically, Confidence was positively associated with math achievement in general gymnasiums, in technical programmes, and among boys in our sample. Caring was negatively associated with math achievement in technical gymnasiums. Connection was negatively associated with math achievement in technical programmes. Character was positively associated with math achievement in vocational programmes of medium duration. Conclusions: Across school types and gender, different associations were significant, indicating the importance of contextualizing when planning interventions. The results support the need for contextual understanding of factors that can promote academic (math) achievement. As Slovenia is ethnically homogeneous, the effects of contexts, such as school types and gender, can be given more attention as key factors for promoting PYD.

Framed by the EU-project Hand in Hand focusing on Social, Emotional and Intercultural (SEI) competencies among students and school staff the paper discusses implementation and professional competencies based on a literature review. Five themes were identified: 1) Intercultural/transcultural competency is not often referred to in the same research as social-emotional learning, though socio-emotional aspects appear to be 'in the core', 2) it is crucial to be aware of agency among school staff in a SEI-implementation, 3) successful implementation is about more than the activities in the specific program, it is rather about elements in synergy and professional learning over time, 4) the subtle balance between adaptation and fidelity might best be addressed in an adaptive curriculum emphasizing active ingredients, and 5) this is a field with many intervention studies, but it is urgent to consider if the psychometric measures are sufficiently sensitive to catch the subtle changes related to SEI-competencies.

With stress related to the COVID–19 pandemic, an increase in anxiety and a decrease in overall mental well-being is expected. We investigated the role of emotional competencies (mindfulness and emotional self-efficacy) for psychological responding (mental well-being, general anxiety, and COVID–19 anxiety) during the COVID–19 pandemic. We also examined whether practising mindfulness with inner (meditation-based) and body (yoga-based) exercises supports emotional competencies. Our sample consisted of 364 participants (83.5% females, M = 37.21 years, SD = 12.92 years). Findings showed that emotional competencies are a viable source of support in psychological responses to COVID–19, with Emotional self-efficacy and Accept without judgement playing the strongest roles. Moreover, practising mindfulness was shown to foster several aspects of emotional competencies (i.e., Observe, Describe, and Emotional self-efficacy). There is an ambiguous finding regarding Observe scale that was also found problematic in other studies. The implications for possible interventions are discussed.

Aggression and externalisation problems at school hold negative consequences for both the perpetrators and the victims. This paper argues that the relationship between anxiety and aggression may make it possible to use certain anxiety prevention programmes to help prevent aggression. This hypothesis was tested on a sample of early adolescents using a quasi-experimental design with a control group. Four classes of early adolescents (N = 73) were randomly assigned to the control or intervention group. The intervention group was exposed at school to an anxiety prevention programme based on social and emotional learning called My FRIENDS. Aggression and externalisation problems were measured before the intervention, immediately after and at a six-month follow-up. The results show: (a) in the control group, aggression (dimensions: "aggression towards authority," "physical aggression") increased over the study period, whereas in the intervention group, it remained at the baseline level after the intervention and at the six-month follow-up; (b) externalisation problems (dimension: "hyperactivity") were reduced in the intervention group relative to the baseline after the intervention and at the six-month follow-up. The results support use of the My FRIENDS programme as a possible prevention programme for aggression and externalisation problems as well as anxiety. Study limitations and future research directions are considered.

We investigated the trajectories of anxiety, general anxiety and more specifically COVID-19 anxiety in the period of school closure in Slovenia using a longitudinal design with three time points: at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the school year. We have used data from a representative adolescent sample for Slovenia (n = 1233) and two anxiety scales: the LAOM Anxiety Scale and the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale. The findings from latent growth curve models show a significant difference in initial levels and a decrease in both types of anxiety as well as an interaction effect between the initial level and the rate of change of COVID-19 anxiety. In addition to investigating the change in time, we were interested in covariates. The findings show significant effects of: (a) gender, school level and academic achievement on initial levels of COVID-19 anxiety; (b) gender and school level on initial levels of anxiety; (c) gender on the rate of change in anxiety; (d) academic achievement on the rate of change in COVID-19 anxiety; and, additionally, (e) the significant but different role that school belongingness plays in anxiety and in particular COVID-19 anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the development of self-concept across multiple domains using Slovenian late childhood and early adolescence samples in longitudinal design. In the preset study we analyzed (i) the developmental paths of specific domains of self-concept; (ii) sex related differences in the development specific domains of self; (iii) stability of self-concept in different age groups, and (iv) the level of self-concept differentiation in Slovenia. We used The Self-Concept Questionnaire (Musitu et al. 2012 (See CR20)) that measures four self-concept domains: social self, family self, academic self and emotional self in a late childhood sample (9 year olds; N = 41) and in an early adolescent sample (14 year olds; N = 36) in 5 time point (3 to 6 months apart). In Slovenia children are in the same school, called basic school, from age of 6 until age of 15 which provides a good setting to observe developmental changes in a stable environment (without transition). The results show significant decrease in emotional self-concept in two year time in late childhood sample and significant increase of general self-concept, social self-concept and family self-concept in early adolescent's sample. The stability and the level of differentiation were comparable in both age groups. Sex did not have significant effect on self-concept domains development in two year time., Author(s): Ana Kozina [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.457236.1, 0000 0004 0622 0813, Educational Research Institute, , Gerbiceva 62, Ljubljana, SI, Slovenia Self-concept is typically seen as cognitive representation of the [...]

In this study, we analyse the predictive power of home and school environment-related factors for determining pupils' aggression. The multiple regression analyses are performed for fourth- and eighth-grade pupils based on the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007 (N = 8394) and TIMSS 2011 (N = 9415) databases for Slovenia. At the national level, the "Lestvica agresivnosti" aggression scale was administered in both TIMSS cycles. For home environment variables, we included those related to socio-economic status, pupils' educational aspirations, parental activities with their children and pupils' free time activities. The results show that the variables related to socio-economic status, spare time activities and parental activities are significant predictors. The results differ in both analysed data-sets. For school environment variables, we include those related to the school climate, pupils' attitudes towards school and school subjects and pupils' achievement in mathematics. We find that the variables related to school climate and students' self-confidence are significant predictors. These results are stable in both years. The predictive power of the school characteristics model (including only the school environment variables) is larger (based on the proportion of explained variance) compared with the home characteristics model. The hierarchical linear model of data from 2007 to 2011 shows small differences in aggression between schools. The inclusion of two data cycles collected in two time- periods allows us to observe changes in aggression predictors over time. Practical implications are finally included.

The article introduces a new anxiety scale, called the LAOM (Lestvica anksioznosti za otroke in mladostnike [The anxiety scale for children and adolescents]) for measuring self-reported multidimensional anxiety. The scale has been developed with a special focus on the school setting, using one sample from an elementary school which is representative of fourth- and eighth-grade students in Slovenia (N = 10,427) and two secondary samples from secondary schools (N = 1,406; N = 3,253) which are representative of final-year secondary school students in Slovenia. The exploratory (PCA) and confirmatory analyses (CFA) were performed on separate samples for the elementary and the secondary school students. The CFA confirmed that the items on the scale formed three factors which were related to the higher order factor. The structure was stable over different age groups. The scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency and sensitivity. Validity tests are presented in their preliminary forms and will be elaborated upon in future research. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

The aim of the present study was to conduct an analysis of TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) 2003 database and to determine how negative school factors, such as aggression, are associated to the mathematical and science achievement of students. The analyses were conducted separately for national and international data. National analyses for Slovenia show significant associations between math and science achievement and the experience of aggressive behaviour. Students who experienced aggressive behaviour scored lower in math and science, both in the fourth and in the eighth grade. The results of the regression analysis show that negative factors, such as aggressive behaviour, are good predictors of educational achievement in Slovenia. International analyses for the selected countries (high- and low-achieving countries from the whole TIMSS population) confirm that this type of finding is culturally impartial as well as valid for the level of achievement both in math and in science. (Contains 8 tables.)

The paper introduces a new multidimensional scale LA (lestvica agresivnosti [Aggression Scale]) for measuring self-reported aggression in elementary and upper secondary school students in Slovenia. The scale has been developed with a special focus on the school setting, using three elementary school samples (preliminary study: N=2777; main study: N=10427 and validity and test-retest study: N=191) representative of 4th and 8th grade students in Slovenia and one upper secondary school sample (N=3253) representative of the final year of upper secondary school in Slovenia. The exploratory analyses using principal component analyses (PCA) revealed a four-factor structure: verbal aggression, physical aggression, internal aggression and aggression towards authority that were interrelated. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) showed that the items of the scale formed four factors that were related to the higher order factor. The structure turned out to be stable over different age groups. The scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency, concurrent validity and test-retest stability.