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Purpose: Competence in fundamental movement skills (FMS) is purported to be linked with increased physical activity participation. Yet, recent research suggests a low level of FMS proficiency in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, impact on gender, and influence of teacher fidelity on the Moving Well-Being Well intervention. Method: The intervention was delivered in 18 primary schools (n = 925, Mage = 7.55 years). Data were gathered on six FMS and two balance skills pre- and postintervention using the Test of Gross Motor Development—Third Edition and Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2. Results: The mean postintervention FMS score was higher than preintervention, with a mean increase of 7.85 (23%). A two-way analysis of covariance found gender was not statistically significant (p =.74), but teacher fidelity was statistically significant (p =.000; moderate effect size). Conclusions: The intervention significantly improved children's FMS, having a similar effect on boys and girls. Teacher fidelity of implementation had a significant impact on FMS improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the insights of adults and children at a New Zealand primary school adopting nonlinear pedagogical approaches to physical education (PE). Methods: This case study was conducted at a single primary school and utilized a qualitative methods design, including interviews or focus groups with the principal, five teachers, and four children. Results: A general inductive approach to analysis identified 11 themes including: empowering teachers and children (principal), letting go of control (teachers), and ownership (children). Discussion/Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a principal's perceived need for change is important to facilitate school wide change to PE practices. Teachers can successfully adopt PE teaching approaches that align with contemporary pedagogy literature through in situ professional development, resulting in positive PE experiences for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of their everyday experiences in schools, primary school teachers will engage with same-sex/gender parents. This study seeks to explore Australian primary school teachers’ experiences in which they have engaged same-sex/gender parents and the ways in which they have responded. Concepts of childhood innocence, hetero-cis-normativity and visibility/invisibility can reproduce cultural norms of ‘mum and dad’ families, but in the real world there is great variation in family make-ups including same-sex/gender parents. Teachers’ decisions about how to respond to same-sex/gender parents vary depending on personal, institutional and/or cultural beliefs and practices. We argue that teachers and schools need time, resources, and support to a) unlearn social norms about ‘family’ and b) to create practices that are socially just for children and their same-sex/gender parents. All children and families should be recognised in education policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This phenomenological research draws upon Pinar's concept of currere to frame the lived experiences of Cian, a young boy in an economically disadvantaged primary school in Ireland. By adapting Pinar's 4‐stages of currere research (regressive, progressive, analytic and synthetic), we explore Cian's personal and academic lived experiences over a 2‐year period, and his growing feelings of academic disengagement. The paper portrays the complex interactions between Cian's personal and academic lived experiences and demonstrates how he simultaneously internalised and yet resisted his primary school experiences. Embedded within Cian's narrative are snapshots of teachers under pressure, struggling to support the individual learning needs of vulnerable children in line with standardised curricular demands, and the negative impact this can have upon learners like Cian. We argue that adapting Pinar's methodology to focus upon children's voices in education is valuable at a time of curriculum change within Irish primary education, challenging ‘efficiency‐based’ curriculum narratives and re‐centring children's well‐being and holistic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn this study, the impact of the Environmental and Climate Change Education program on the perceptions of 4th-grade students regarding environmental issues, climate change, and sustainability was investigated. The study group consisted of 22 (12 boys, 10 girls) 4th-grade students aged between 9–10 years, who were all studying in the same class at a central primary school in Eskişehir. Conducted throughout the 2022–2023 academic year, the research was carried out in three stages: before the implementation, after the implementation, and 9 months after completing the program. Data were obtained through drawings created by the students and interviews based on these drawings. Initially, the students’ drawings depicted basic concepts such as air, water, trees, and waste. However, after participating in the Climate Change Education program, significant changes were observed in their understanding and perceptions of environmental issues, climate change, and sustainability. The activities of the program significantly increased the students’ awareness and comprehension of these critical issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In May 2024, a chickenpox outbreak was reported at Xiasha Primary School located in Nanshan District, Shenzhen City, China, with a total of 12 cases identified. Despite thorough on-site investigations, the source of infection remained undetected. The purpose of our study was to infer the timing and duration of the infectious period of the initial case using modeling techniques, thereby deducing the identity of the source. Methods: We conducted an individual contact survey within the class affected by the epidemic and utilized an agent-based model (ABM) to estimate the key parameters related to the timing of the infectious source's emergence and the duration of its infectiousness. The point estimates derived from the ABM served as prior information for a subsequent Bayesian analysis, which in turn provided the posterior distribution for these parameters. Results: Our models suggested the infection source entered the classroom around April 24th (95% credible interval: April 22nd to April 26th), with an infectious period of approximately two days. Based on these findings, we should aim to detect students who may have been absent due to atypical chickenpox symptoms during this period and closely examine teachers who were present for two consecutive days for any indication of potential infection. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the efficacy of combining contact surveys with mathematical modeling for outbreak source tracing, offering a novel approach to supplement field epidemiological surveys. Clinical trial number: Not applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND METHODS RESULTS CONCLUSION Wearable technologies offer new opportunities to address in‐school physical inactivity. However, children are often excluded from discussing issues which directly impact them, including the use of wearable technologies in a school setting. Thus, the aim of this study is to understand primary school pupils' experiences and perceptions of using wearable physical activity monitoring technologies within schools.Nine semi‐structured focus groups were conducted with 41 Year 5 and 6 pupils (19 girls, 22 boys) from 5 primary schools in the South West of England. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using a reflective thematic approach.Pupils made valuable contributions to discussions around wearable technologies, considering both advantages and disadvantages. Most importantly, when discussing use in schools, pupils were mindful that while they wanted to see their own activity and saw benefit in teachers knowing their activity, they felt comparisons in classes could lead to negative emotions for some pupils.The findings from this study can contribute to a more detailed understanding of pupils' perspectives, which can help inform school‐based interventions which aim to address physical inactivity and associated inequalities. Instead of using wearable devices for individual pupil ownership, schools should access data‐insights with the intention of changing school practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that bullying victimisation is a significant risk factor for problematic media use. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms involved in this link. This study aimed to examine the association between bullying victimisation and problematic media use among primary school students, as well as the mediating effect of depression and the moderating effect of teacher–student relationships on this association. A total of 341 participants (10.73 ± 0.68 years) from a Chinese primary school completed the structured questionnaire with respect to the study variables. The results showed that depression mediated the association between bullying victimisation and problematic media use and that teacher–student relationships moderated the second stage (depression to problematic media use) of the mediation model. The simple slope analysis indicated that the association between depression and problematic media use was not significant when the relationship between teachers and students was high (bsimple = 0.03, t = 0.30, p > 0.05). As students perceived low levels of relationships with teachers, depression had a significant effect on problematic media use (bsimple = 0.32, t = 3.34, p < 0.01). These findings can provide empirical support for formulating problematic media use intervention measures based on the bullying victimisation experience as well as the important role of depression and teacher–child relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the Second World War, the Italian educational context in Italy was distinguished by a network of different democratic and antiauthoritarian pedagogical ideas and educational experiences, developed as heterogeneous forms of New Education. The Movimento di Cooperazione Educativa (MCE), inspired by Freinet’s popular pedagogy and cooperative techniques, underwent transformative and contradictory processes. In particular, the paper is focused on a transdisciplinary educational approach developed within the MCE and applied in preschool (scuola d’infanzia). By using oral and written sources (interviews, publications, MCE bulletins, archives), the paper intends to trace the main elements that shaped the Pedagogy of Listening, developed in Rome at the end of the 70s by Alessandra Ginzburg, and experimented with by many MCE teachers. The Pedagogy of Listening combined Freinet’s techniques with the Lacanian listening posture and the bi-logic elaborated by Matte Blanco, aiming to legitimate children as a specific cultural group deserving respect and recognition. The paper addresses the conditions that allowed the Pedagogy of Listening to emerge within the Italian movement, original tools and techniques that were produced concerning preschool education and the ways in which the Pedagogy of Listening evolved over time, being translated and further transformed within nurseries, primary and middle schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the relationship between parenting styles and self-concept, emotional intelligence, and subjective well-being among primary school students. Methods: In total, 1,683 students from 10 primary schools in Hangzhou, China, were surveyed using a simple random sampling method. Participants completed the Parenting Style Scale, the Self-Concept Scale, the Emotional Intelligence Scale, and the Subjective Well-Being Scale. Results: (1) Father's and mother's emotional warmth was significantly positively correlated with students' subjective well-being (r = 0.513, p < 0.01 and r = 0.478, p < 0.01, respectively). Father's and mother's rejection was significantly negatively correlated with students' subjective well-being (r = −0.257, p < 0.01 and r = −0.285, p < 0.01, respectively). Father's overprotection was significantly negatively correlated with students' subjective well-being (r = −0.178, p < 0.01; r = −0.227, p < 0.01). (2) Self-concept and emotional intelligence acted as chain mediators between father's and mother's emotional warmth and students' subjective well-being (0.337, 0.477 and 0.366, 0.520, respectively). Self-concept and emotional intelligence acted as chain mediators between father's and mother's rejection and students' subjective well-being (−0.590, −0.377 and −0.693, −0.460, respectively). Self-concept chain-mediated between father's and mother's overprotection and students' subjective well-being (−0.380, −0.224 and −0.413, −0.264 respectively). Conclusion: Parenting styles can affect primary school student's subjective well-being both directly and through mediating effects. Self-concept and emotional intelligence partially mediate the impact of emotional warmth and rejection parenting styles, and fully mediate the impact of father's overprotective parenting on subjective well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main focus of the article is on teachers' classroom language practices in eight primary schools in Oshana and Khomas school regions. Language ideologies and translanguaging practices were used as a theoretical framework to evaluate the language ecologies that were created by the language practices in the schools included in the research study. The data consist of 140 responded questionnaires, 19 individual interviews and eight focus group discussions with teachers, and 47 observed lessons. Mixed methods were used to analyse the data. Questionnaire responses were analysed quantitatively except for open-ended questions. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the interviews and focus group discussions as well as the observed lessons. The results show that despite teachers' efforts to gear the classroom language practices towards a more multilingual language ecology by using different multilingual strategies, the prevailing hierarchical language ideologies, reinforced by the assessment that is done in English only, contribute to maintaining the dominant position of English compared to the local languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observing global development, it can be stated that boys and girls are much less physically active than before, which negatively affects the development of motor skills and overall anthropological status. The research was conducted on a sample of a total of N=450 IV students. grade of primary school, of which there were N=238 (53%) male respondents and N=212 (47%) female respondents. The research aimed to determine the differences in motor abilities between boys and girls in the 4th grade of elementary school with the help of the Eurofit battery of tests, namely: Balance (Flamingo), Speed of movement (Tapping with the hand), Flexibility (Grey reach), Explosive leg strength (Jump in standing distance), Static Strength (Hand Strength), Trunk Strength (Supine-Gray), Functional Strength (Squat Endurance) and Running Speed and Agility (Run 10x5m back and forth). The grades were based on the norms of the Eurofit battery of tests for students of IV. primary school grades by gender. Among the statistical methods, the following tests were applied: descriptive statistics and t-test. The statistical processing of the data in this research was done using the computer software SPSS Statistics 20.0 in the operating system Windows 10. By analyzing the results of the t-test, it was determined that there are statistically significant differences in the following tests: Reaching in the gray (Flexibility) and Lying in the gray (Trunk Strength) in favor of boys, and Standing Long Jump (Explosive leg strength) in favor of girls at the level of less than 1% (p<0.01). In the tests Flamingo (Balance), Hand Taping (Movement Speed), and Bending Endurance (Functional Strength) the results were in favor of boys, and Hand Strength (Static Strength) and Running 10x5m back and forth (Running Speed and Agility) were in favor of girls and these differences were not statistically significant. Based on the results obtained according to the norms for students IV. grade of primary school, we can conclude that there were a lot of bad grades among IV students. grade of elementary school. The results of motor skills were influenced by the way of spending free time, Body Mass Index (BMI), and playing a certain sport. The data obtained indicate a major problem today, which is caused by a sedentary lifestyle and bad lifestyle habits. Today, students are increasingly exposed to negative environmental influences. Television, computers, tablets, cellphones, and games lead to them spending too much time indoors, sitting. That is why parents, as well as school and society, have the greatest influence on the formation of personality and the adoption of eating habits. Students in elementary school buy food independently, and choose what tastes best to them, even though it may not be healthy. It is necessary to act preventively on time and conduct more frequent tests and measurements of elementary school-age students to change and properly grow and develop. Motivate students more to get involved in sports actively or recreationally. Correct habits that are adopted in childhood, in most cases, remain in other developmental stages. What we miss in childhood is hard to make up for later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents empirical evidence on kindergarten admission preparation services in Hong Kong. Parents increasingly turn to tutoring companies for a range of services, such as social skills training, portfolio editing, mock interviews, and parental consultation. We used qualitative methods to capture the views of parents, teachers, tutors, and early childhood educators (n = 78), to contribute to the lack of literature on this topic. Our findings indicate a market-driven ecosystem of education that favours commercial interests, widens educational inequalities, and is perpetuated by factors such as privatisation of the early childhood sector and misalignment between kindergarten and primary school curricula. Parents consider choice of school, future aspirations, and perceived hierarchies among kindergartens as major considerations for seeking admission preparation services. Heightened admission competition is also present in pre-nurseries and playgroups, calling for increased attention to be paid to the level of competition imposed among children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the Turkish Republic was founded, it inherited a Western-oriented modernisation project from its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire. The republican ruling class was determined to further this legacy, and education was used as a tool for the eventuation of this project. One of the essential elements of this tool was textbook images. This article explores the relationship between textbook images and the modernisation project embraced by the ruling class. The study examines, by using Barthian semiology, 16 textbook images selected from 44 primary school textbooks taught between 1923 and 1945 in five thematic categories: men and boys, etiquette, women and girls, teachers, and architecture. Our analysis reveals that textbook images were deliberately edited to shape students' perceptions, attitudes and lifestyles in alignment with the ideals of modernisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an international policy environment of intensified high-stakes accountability, pupil assessment data are an invaluable commodity and critical indicator of both school and teacher effectiveness. Teachers' engagement with pupil data and the associated experiences of increased accountability are of great consequence, and highly contentious for perceptions and experiences of policy. In the context of the English primary school, this paper explores the progressively tactical nature of teachers' enactment of assessment policy, and the impetus to 'make the data look good'. It draws upon an empirical study of rich qualitative data from 42 interviews with 22 primary teachers employed in the South-East of England. The findings add to an evolving field about 'gaming', and particular consequences for teacher identity are discussed. The paper further advances insights about teachers' experiences of 'in-school assessment' as pertinent for understanding gaming. It locates the pupil progress meeting as an iteration of teacher accountability and performativity, and particular site of contestation, and a specific contribution to knowledge in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we explore inconsistencies in the implementation of outdoor learning across Australian early years' education. The benefits of outdoor learning justify regular employment of this pedagogical approach in both early childhood education and primary school settings. Early childhood education services provide daily outdoor learning opportunities as required by Australian national policy documents. However, Australian primary schools are not subject to such requirements and teachers often face challenges regarding outdoor learning, thus regular implementation in primary classes can be a low priority. As children in the year before school and the first year of school have similar learning and developmental needs, we argue that the benefits of outdoor learning should be available to all children across the early years. We also recommend regular outdoor learning in the first year of schooling to promote continuity as children transition from early childhood education to primary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the last two decades, a number of empirical studies investigated the impact of UK‐based interventions for struggling readers in later primary years (called Key Stage 2 or KS2 in the UK). However, to date, there are no reviews that look at the extent and nature of the existing UK‐based literature. This scoping review explores the extent of the available literature focusing on struggling readers in KS2 and aims to summarise the findings of available research. Methods: A scoping review methodology was used, and six databases were searched from 2000 to 2022. The initial search yielded 1236 studies, of which 24 met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Results: Most of the included studies (21 out of 24) demonstrated positive outcomes, and the support provided led to improvement in the reading skills of struggling readers in KS2. The available intervention programmes included a wide range of intensity, varied group sizes and targeted different reading skills. There is currently insufficient evidence to suggest the relative efficacy of one intervention over another. Conclusions: The review confirmed the need for more robust research in this area and highlighted the importance of learning lessons from the international evidence base. Highlights: What is already known about this topicThe reading needs of struggling readers in the later primary years are different than their younger counterparts.There are a number of systematic reviews and meta‐analyses that examine the support provided to struggling readers.All previous reviews are US‐based and may not fully reflect the needs and characteristics of struggling readers in the United Kingdom (UK) due to differences in pedagogical approaches, reading practices and the different ages at which children start formal reading instruction What this paper addsThe current review is the first to map and summarise the available research focusing on reading interventions for struggling readers in KS2 in the UK.It provides insight into the aspects that can impact the successful implementation of interventions in the UK.Regardless of their intensity, duration, delivery method and target skills, most interventions led to improvement in the reading skills of struggling readers in KS2. Implications for theory, policy or practiceBased on the characteristics of the studies, most support was provided to the lower KS2 ages; however, support should be provided to a similar degree to all ages across KS2 and be in accordance with the changing needs of the children.More methodologically robust research is needed to understand the impact (if any) of the intervention intensity, group size and delivery method.Understanding how reading theory translates to diverse local practices is an important priority for reading instruction research internationally, as different practices may vary in their overall efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of external providers to deliver primary school physical education (PE) shows no signs of slowing in England. Longstanding concerns into outsourcing primary school PE have highlighted the extent to which external providers often lack appropriate teaching qualifications and pedagogical knowledge. That said, when compared to primary school generalist teachers, external providers have been argued to be the 'best fit' to deliver primary school PE due to their greater knowledge base and experience of delivering curriculum activities, such as competitive team games. There is a paucity of research however surrounding external providers' perspectives on their delivery of primary school PE, with their important insights and experiences underrepresented in the literature. This study, therefore, seeks to explore external providers' perspectives and reflections on curriculum, pedagogy and assessment practices as delivered by them in outsourced primary school PE lessons. Semi-structured interviews were conducted over the telephone and Skype (video call) with 10 external providers, from four different outsourcing companies in the North of England. Penney et al.'s (2009, Curriculum, pedagogy and assessment: Three message systems of schooling and dimensions of quality physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 14(4), 421–442) three message systems of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment were used as a theoretical lens that aided the analysis of the data. The findings demonstrate that external providers: (1) developed and followed their own curriculum frameworks formed by their outsourcing companies to deliver in schools; (2) utilised various student-centred pedagogical approaches to deliver curriculum content that was driven by their formal and informal educational experiences to engage young people and (3) unlike some of the literature suggests, they provided assessment practices that were integrated into their curriculum frameworks. It was concluded that careful consideration must be taken by schools when contemplating whether to employ (or not) external providers to provide their curriculum content, deliver their primary school PE lessons, and to assess their pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the possible relationships between students' positive attitudes and interest toward technology and teachers' approaches. The study was conducted with a sample of students (N = 2312) from 5 to 8th grade of primary school in Croatia. Reduced descriptions of teachers' approaches were used as predictors of students' positive attitudes and interest. Multiple regression was used to determine correlations between teachers' approaches and students' attitudes. The results show a weak but positive correlation between students' attitudes and interests and teachers' approaches typical of the flexible teacher profile. This refers to approaches in which teachers ensure that they understand the purpose of learning, implement activities that are useful from the students' perspective, and allow students to do what they are successful at. Although the characteristics of Croatian technology teachers fit the flexible teacher profile, the correlated approaches identified here do not dominate. Despite the results, due to the complexity of the influence on students' interests and attitudes, further research is needed that considers other possible predictors and their interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connectives are a central means for creating a coherent discourse. The relationships between specific connectives, coherence relations and syntactic relations are complex for children to acquire. In this paper, we systematically compare the use of clause-initial connectives in written narratives by German-speaking children in fourth grade (10-year-olds, N = 32) and adults (N = 52). The overall use of connectives, the types of syntactic relations and coherence relations expressed and the connective types used as well as the relationships between syntactic relations, coherence relations and connective types are analysed. The results show that the groups expressed coherence relations with connectives equally often. Additive relations were the most frequent in both groups, but the children expressed temporal relations more often than the adults, who showed a larger diversity in the types of coherence relations. There was no difference in the overall use of subordination and coordination, but the adults expressed temporal relations more frequently with subordination. The children used adverbs to a greater extent than the adults. The connective da 'then' played an important role in the children's expression of temporal relations, whereas the adults used a wider variety of different connectives to express different types of temporal relations. The results suggest that children in the fourth grade have not yet fully acquired an adultlike use of connectives in written narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is one of the supports for national food needs, so it must continue to be preserved. Unfortunately, nowadays, the sustainability of agriculture is increasingly worrying. Many young people are no longer interested in becoming farmers or working in the agricultural sector. A solution like this must be immediately sought so that regeneration is maintained. This research aimed to develop teaching materials with agricultural insight to introduce of agriculture in primary school students in Indonesia. The research used the research and development (R&D) method. Development was carried out using the Borg and Gall model, including: research and informing collecting, planning, preliminary development, and preliminary field testing and main product revision. The research results indicated that: i) the teaching material that was successfully developed was in the form of a textbook entitled "I love agriculture". This book contains ten materials on agricultural, and ii) the test results showed that the agriculturaloriented teaching materials are of good quality. From the product eligibility test involving material experts and media experts, the average assessment score was 86.25%, while the average assessment score from students reached 85.25%. This research implied that students could get to know and love agriculture through learning activities at school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the relevance of graphs of functions, we consider their inclusion in primary education from the functional approach to early algebra. The purpose of this article is to shed some light on the students' production and reading of graphs when they solved generalization problems from a functional thinking approach. We aim to explore how 3rd and 4th graders construct graphs associated to functions and what elements they use; and how they read function associated graphs and whether they connect pairs of values to see beyond the data. After four working sessions about functions, we designed and implemented individual interviews to 12 students. Through a qualitative analysis, we highlight that the students can read data in a graph on two different cognitive levels and also construct it from different elements of the graph initially provided. Regarding data reading, we evidence two levels: (a) literal reading of a given element in the graph, and (b) reading beyond the data. The construction of the graph is described with base on the axes, values and labels on the axes, scale of the axes, and construction techniques. We present examples of students' work that evidence that graph construction varied depending on whether it was created from a blank sheet or it was necessary to provide help regarding the axes or the scale of the graph. We describe several techniques used by the students in the representation of data that yield non-canonical representations of a graph and that help glimpse how students are interpreting this representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analysed the content of 30 in-service primary school music teachers' lesson plans for mobile music creation during a 5-week professional development course from 2019 to 2022 in Hong Kong. During the course, the teachers were taught by the researcher on how to use the mobile application GarageBand in their instructional design for classroom music teaching. Various mobile learning pedagogies were discussed during the course to facilitate listening, performing and creating in music teaching and learning. As a learning outcome of this course, the teachers were asked to upload their lesson plans to the Knowledge Transfer website to exchange ideas for further discussion and professional sharing with other in-service teachers from their respective schools. The purpose of this study was to provide an analysis of their teaching plans based on previously published research on mobile learning and motivation. This study aimed to a) deepen the understanding of music lessons in mobile music creation, and b) analysing the lesson plans and suggesting how different teaching strategies and approaches can be used in classroom teaching. Based on the results of the study, a pedagogical model is proposed as a reference point for knowledge exchange in the research and practice of music education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Songs seem popular for achieving educational purposes other than teaching music in early education, despite scant evidence to support this 'folk pedagogy'. To investigate why teachers use songs, this mixed-methods study explored teachers' self-reported purposes for using songs in an online questionnaire (n = 103) and semi-structured interviews (n = 7), finding that respondents hold strong beliefs about songs' effectiveness for teaching content, establishing classroom routines, and supporting pupils' linguistic and social development. There are considerable differences between how early years and upper primary teachers use songs. All use songs intuitively. Research needs to provide more rigorous evidence to underpin this valued teaching practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital storytelling (DST) has been widely adopted as a pedagogical approach to English language teaching. However, a few studies have focused on examining primary school students' experience of learning to create digital storytelling of English as a foreign language. To fill the gap, this study reports on an innovation in the use of genre-based digital storytelling in a primary school English classroom in Indonesia. In this project, pupils were engaged in a collaborative project to create digital stories. They carried out a series of DST tasks, such as finding a story theme, developing a story, revising the story, and presenting the story digitally. This case study found out that student participants could build students' story literacy, (2) foster students' literacy development of digital tools, (3) develop students' story drafting engagement, and (4) promote students' digital storytelling making and publication. The study suggests that primary school students can be engaged in genre-based digital storytelling to learn English and build their technological literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This small-scale study explored the presence of collaborative metacognitive talk (CMT) during collaborative problem solving (CPS) in a Scottish primary mathematics class. Content analysis was conducted on student and teacher group interactions during CPS (n = 12 students in 3 groups × 3 sessions). The largest proportion of CMT was teacher–student, suggesting the use of a dyadic teaching approach between teacher and student as opposed to the teacher facilitating student–student CMT. A teacher focus group provided some tentative explanations as to why the dyadic approach might be adopted over a facilitative role to support student–student CMT, including focussing on strategy use, school culture around CPS, and teacher beliefs about learners' abilities. Implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines Forest School's potential to support gender equality among primary school-aged children. Using a rights-based perspective, an observational study – including children's drawings – explored children's constructions of gender in Forest School and classroom sessions. The study found that although children generally appeared more constrained by gender norms in Forest School than in the classroom, Forest School provided increased opportunities for greater freedom from these norms. These findings offer initial insights into aspects of Forest School that may address or perpetuate gender inequality, and raise questions about how Forest School practice might be adapted to support gender equality more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this study is to investigate if a physical activity initiaitive (The Daily Mile) centred on running could be adapted to enhance primary school children's enjoyment of and engagement with physical activity. An intervention took place over a 4-week period consisting of two components: The Daily Mile and an adapted component, The Extra Mile. The Extra Mile involved providing additional activities to the Daily Mile underpinned by self-determination theory [Deci, Edward L., and Richard M. Ryan. 1985. Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. New York, NY: Plenum. http://lib.ugent.be/catalog/rug01:001363062] and achievement goal theory [Nicholls, John G. 1989. The Competitive Ethos and Democratic Education. The Competitive Ethos and Democratic Education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press]. A qualitative research approach was applied, using focus group interviews with children, children's diary entries and teacher-researcher observation checklists to determine children's engagement and enjoyment levels. Findings revealed that providing additional activities (within The Extra Mile) was important in increasing children's enjoyment of and engagement with The Daily Mile. Finding the balance between each of the components to meet the needs and preferences of children is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the findings of two studies that critically analysed teachers' perspectives on the operation of the standards and inclusion agenda in primary schools in England. The studies were carried out in 2010–2011 and 2019, respectively. Through the application of Q methodology, the paper examines whether teachers' perspectives of standards and inclusion have changed over time. Analysis of the data strongly suggests that teachers have experienced significant difficulties including children with SEND while at the same time trying to operationalise the objectives of the standards agenda. The research concludes that there needs to be a focus on developing effective strategies to include children with SEND within the hostile environment of the standards agenda. Within such an environment it is suggested that focus needs to move away from concentrating on 'children with SEND having difficulties' to the creation of inclusive educational settings which welcome all learners. In addition, it is argued that Statutory Assessment Tests (SATs) should also be revised to consider the needs of all learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study explored how children's social interactions during a six-month period of school closures impacted the development of their social and emotional functioning on return to school. A sample of 81 primary school children (age 8–12 years) in Ireland completed measurements of social and emotional functioning before and after the school closure period, and a measure of the types of social interactions they experienced with parents, siblings, and peers, during school closures. Playing outside with friends, playing with siblings, and spending quality time with parents, protected children from declines in social and emotional functioning. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to see primary school leaders' practice of making schools as learning organisations. A qualitative approach with a phenomenological design was employed. Data was collected from 2 supervisors, 2 principals, 2 teachers, and 1 Education Office team leader via interview. The findings show (1) teachers and school leaders conceptualise schools as learning organisations as a place where knowledge can be acquired, created, and transferred, (2) continuous learning, dialogue and inquiry, empowerment, and leaders' strategic leadership practiced inadequately, but schools external connection (classroom construction), collaboration and team learning and embedded system are somewhat practiced (3) lack of training and supervision, teaching without profession, lack accountability, uneven school attendances, teach walking long distances, heads low commitment, students low interest were challenges. Hence, the practice of schools as learning organisations in the study area is inadequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers' organisational citizenship behavior has a significant impact on students learning outcome in particular, as well as the overall effectiveness of the school. The main purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to critically explore the practices and demurrals of primary school teachers' organisational citizenship behaviors in Bahir Dar city administration, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Teachers working in primary schools were selected purposively to carry out the study. A semi-structured interview was used to gather data. The data was analyzed narratively. Findings revealed that the practice of organisational citizenship behaviors like civic virtue was found to be better. But practices of OCB dimensions such as sportsmanship, conscientiousness, and courtesy were found to be weak. Altruism was found to be moderate. Lack of belongingness, aspirations, limited knowledge, experience, skill, and meager resources were major challenges constraining teachers from practicing OCBs in primary schools. Facilitating the practice of helping new teachers; creating a culture that promotes voluntarism, high engagement, and cooperative and supportive work; and arranging training and experience sharing are major suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social climate in the classroom can impact students' mental well-being, behaviour and peer-learning opportunities. This article describes one way that elementary teachers can understand students' social networks using a sociogram. Findings show variation in classroom cohesion and reveal groups of students who are at higher risk of social exclusion. Discussion of implications includes possible reasons for students' social exclusion and ways teachers might use information to improve the social climate in the classroom. This article focuses on the role of initial teacher education programmes in building teacher skills to develop a robust and positive social climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study's objective was to examine the prevalence of learning-centred leadership behaviour in the public second cycle primary schools in Amhara National Regional State. A cross-sectional design was used. The study employed a stratified random sampling procedure and included 275 participants. Survey questionnaire was used to gather data from school administrators and teachers. Tools for data analysis included the mean, one sample and independent t-test. The findings showed that school leaders generally performed at a sub-basic level when it came to learning-centred leadership. The findings also displayed that the performance level of leaders across core elements and key processes was perceived to be below basic. This implies that administrators display learning-centred leadership behaviour at a level of effectiveness that is unlikely to have a beneficial impact on teachers and student academic achievement. Provision of training, mentoring and coaching appears to be effective techniques to cultivate leaders' learning-centred leadership behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the effects of primary school teachers' professional development activities on differentiated instructional practices in classrooms and possibilities for elevating students' learning engagement. A mixed method with concurrent triangulation design was used. The samples were selected by using purposive, simple random, and stratified sampling techniques. The data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, observations, and document analysis. The data were analyzed by using different descriptive (mean and standard deviation), and inferential (independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA) statistics, and thematic narration. The findings indicated that teacher professional learning contributed to the development of professional and pedagogical competencies required in classrooms although the objectives of differentiated instructional practices were not aligned with the learning outcomes of diverse learners. The practices of students' learning engagement were not empowered due to the lack of appropriately differentiated contents, process, products, resources, and learning environment to address the diverse learning needs of children in the classroom. Therefore, contextualisation, conceptualisation and adaptation of best differentiated pedagogical practices should be realised by giving ongoing professional development training through face-to-face interaction, online digital and E-learning for primary school teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this case study, the aim was to investigate how primary school teachers in a leading-edge Norwegian primary school use digital technologies to differentiate instruction in order to promote a more inclusive learning environment in academically diverse classrooms. Seven teachers teaching grades 1 and 5 were observed and interviewed to collect data on their beliefs and practices regarding differentiation. Afterwards, 20 teachers in the same school answered in a survey about teaching in highly digitalised learning environments. The results suggest that teachers find a lot of potential and possibilities in using digital technologies to differentiate instruction to create an inclusive learning environment. However, pupils' digital products indicate that they would need more guidance in taking advantage of the teachers' intentions and flexible curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers' beliefs about teaching character values are pivotal in cultivating students' character. This study systematically reviewed teachers' beliefs towards character education in primary school. A systematic review following the PRISMA statement was applied to peer-reviewed papers published between 2011 and 2021. This review paper analyzed three main themes based on three research questions, namely, (1) teachers' beliefs of character education curriculum, (2) beliefs of values, and (3) pedagogical beliefs. Findings revealed that teachers mostly believed in an integrated character education curriculum with role model pedagogy. Moreover, there were seventeen (17) values teachers believed to instil which respect and responsibility were the two most dominant values to foster. This study implies that teachers' beliefs are significant factors in proper character education curriculum implementation. This study also provides significant implications for policymakers and curriculum designers in developing a character education curriculum that meets teachers' beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools strive to respond compassionately to disadvantaged families. However, barriers to authentic home-school relationships persist because the concept of parental engagement at home is not well enough understood. Socio-cultural stereotyping still contributes to schools' fixed impressions of what parental engagement should consist of, and the abilities of disadvantaged parents to support their children's learning. This qualitative case study provides new and unique insights into learning at home. A child-centred study was undertaken in a small Primary school, in a deprived area of Scotland, exploring the importance of home learning with young children. The findings indicate the young participants had an acute understanding of the significance of home learning for their ongoing and future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusion of children with disabilities in general schools is drawing attention in Jordanian political and educational domains. Teachers play an important role in the successful implementation of inclusive education. This study explores teachers' perceptions regarding inclusive education using focus group discussions. The findings revealed that teachers were generally positive about including children with physical and mild intellectual disabilities, but believe that it is not feasible to implement in current school environments. The challenges include insufficient human and physical resources, inaccessible buildings, inadequate training and lack of parental support. It is imperative to address these challenges for the effective implementation of inclusive education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While a large body of evidence suggests that gender inequality in access to primary education has reduced significantly in India, there has been relatively little research on gender gap in learning outcomes, particularly math scores. Using a nationally representative household dataset, this study examines the role of parental resources in explaining gender gap in math scores for primary school-going children in India. We find that male children have significantly higher math scores than their female counterparts. However, this difference decreases with the increase in parental education and household assets. We also find that family investment in education explains a large part of gender gap in math. Overall, our findings provide a new understanding of gender gap in math scores in India. It has important policy implications for minimising gender gap in academic achievement to make school education more gender-inclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quiet shy and/or anxious (QSA) children are often viewed negatively in primary school. This study employed two six-week intervention programmes entitled Special Me Time (SMT) for children in the Early Years (ages 3–7) and Quality Me Time (QMT) for children in years 3–4 (ages 7–9). Interventions were designed to support children: in vocalising feelings; accessing classroom opportunities; communication; and in developing friendships. Children were withdrawn from the mainstream classroom and sessions were led by practitioners in small groups. The programmes were delivered in primary schools across Wales. Findings evidenced benefits to children's personal and social development in improving confidence and self-esteem both within and outside the classroom environment. Our research suggests the value of addressing emerging QSA behaviours in children by providing space and time to develop relationships and self-expression. Research findings suggest a risk to academic and social adjustment if inhibiting QSA behaviours are not addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Using many years of experience in the UK's state primary schools, I consider that a limited understanding of time has damaging implications for both pupils and adults within the education system. The sector neglects the fact that time has much potential, many definitions and is a powerful influence on man. I share how education took clock‐time and manipulated it to an extreme, leading to the rule clock‐time now has over our schools. We are being held to account by time, and it has become our foe; however, I believe that it can become our friend. I explain why education should accept time's many facets and use them to help reshape its structure and practice. Time, in educational spaces, could be understood and experienced differently, taking in to account the human and all manner of other relevant things, for the greater good. This article began as a combined work of spoken word, poetry recital and research paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Enough is known about self-regulation to establish it as a priority target for education and intervention efforts beginning in early childhood, yet not enough to meaningfully and reliably alter developmental trajectories. Rather than resigning our aspirations, we need more nuanced and integrative understanding of self-regulation abilities and change. Methods: Launching in 2024, SPROUTS is a 3-year longitudinal study of early self-regulation, beginning in the pre-school period (3–5 years old at Wave 1) with retrospective data back to birth and annual data collection across the transition to school period (ages 5–7 years at Wave 3). Data will be collected on children's self-regulation, related abilities, outcomes, as well as prior and current contexts. One nested study within each Wave–that contributes complementary insights via supplementary and in-depth methods and data–will enable further exploration of contemporary issues related to self-regulation. Discussion: Insights generated can potentiate more effective intervention and education efforts by: improving intervention cost-benefit ratios; identifying likely mechanisms of change; easing burdens of unhealthy and antisocial behaviours associated with low self-regulation; and, most importantly, contributing to giving children the best early start to life. These benefits are timely in the context of intense policy and educational interest in fostering children's self-regulation. Trial Registration: Open Science Framework: osf.io/maqdg. Date of registration: 26 Sep 2024. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Disruptive behaviors produce harmful effects, which reduce students' well-being and learning opportunities. This paper presents a new strategy named Differential Reinforcement for All (DR-All), which has been inspired by DR and Social Learning Theory. Methods: We conducted one study in which we applied DR-All to three classes with first grade students (intervention 1), then in kindergarten (intervention 2), and fifth grade students (intervention 3). In all three interventions, the measurements of student-student relationships and disruptive behaviors were taken 1 week before implementation and after 2 weeks of implementation. In intervention 1, disruptive behaviors were measured again 1 year after, among the 10 students who remained with the same teacher the following year. Results: Concerning student-student relationships, we only observed one effect, which was a positive effect on the most rejected pupils in the first-grade intervention, who were significantly less rejected by their classmates after the implementation. However, the results of all three interventions showed a significant decrease in the frequency of disruptive behaviors after the strategy implementation. This was also true for the intervention 1 measurement 1 year later. Discussion: To conclude, the consistent application of DR-All can reduce disruptive behaviors in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrition education is essential for the development of healthy eating behaviours among children. Over the past few years, multiple nutrition education programmes have been implemented in primary schools. In the current study, the long-term effects of the experiential nutrition education programme ‘Learning Street’ are assessed. This 3-week programme comprises a classroom-based introduction lesson, a visit to a fruit or vegetable (FV) farmer, a cooking workshop, and a joint eating moment. The programme is designed for children aged 8–12 years. Questionnaire outcomes of 11-to-12-year-old children (n = 87) who participated in a Learning Street programme two years before were compared to those of a control group (n = 102) with similar demographics. The questionnaire included questions on children’s FV knowledge, liking, intake, and attitude, as well as their general health attitude, cooking self-efficacy, and cooking attitude. There was a significant difference in FV attitude (Cohen’s d = 0.55; 95% CI: −0.69 to −0.21) and general health attitude (Cohen’s d = 0.37; 95% CI: −0.56 to −0.07) between the intervention and the control groups. For general health attitude, the difference was only significant for a subgroup of children (n = 25) who had participated in two Learning Street programmes. The findings suggest that regularly exposing children to experiential nutrition education may have long-term benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to analyze the epidemic characteristics and influencing factors of school influenza outbreaks in Jiangsu Province, China from 2020 to 2023,following the COVID-19 pandemic, to inform prevention and control strategies. Methods: Data on influenza-like illness(ILI) outbreaks from the Chinese Influenza Surveillance Information System and national-level influenza surveillance sentinel hospitals were analyzed. The temporal distribution, school type, virus strains, and outbreak scales were examined using descriptive statistics. Results: From 2020 to 2023, 1142 influenza outbreaks occurred in schools, with primary schools(ages 6 to 12) accounting for 71.80%. Most large outbreaks were caused by A(H1N1) and A(H3N2), responsible for 8.99% of total outbreaks. Outbreaks were predominantly reported in the pre-peak periods of B(Victoria) and A(H1N1) circulation, accounting for 86.31% and 92.32% of their respective total outbreaks. No concurrent influenza and COVID-19 outbreaks were observed during the study period. Conclusion: Primary and secondary schools are high-risk settings for influenza outbreaks. A(H3N2) shows higher adaptability and is more likely to co-circulate with other subtypes/lineages, especially A(H1N1), leading to larger outbreaks. B(Victoria)-caused outbreaks are more frequent but smaller in scale. School influenza outbreaks are more likely to occur during the early stages of seasonal peaks, particularly for B(Victoria) and A(H1N1). This suggests that influenza outbreaks in schools may play a crucial role in seeding and accelerating the spread of the virus within the broader community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspectors are tasked with judging the quality of provision based on visits to schools. They conduct these inspections sequentially, completing one before moving on to the next. However, empirical research in a range of settings outside education suggests that prior judgements in a sequence can influence subsequent judgements, despite being logically irrelevant. We investigate whether school inspectors in England display such sequential bias by testing whether they judge similar schools differently, depending on the judgements they reached in prior inspections. We find only limited evidence of sequential bias in primary school inspections. In particular, an inspector reaching an ‘Inadequate’ judgement in their previous inspection is associated with a 42 per cent reduction in the odds of reaching another ‘Inadequate’ judgement in their next inspection. Only around 5 per cent of inspection judgements result in an ‘Inadequate’ and we do not find consistent evidence of sequential bias at other grades, meaning this bias only affects a small minority of judgements. We also do not find the same results for secondary schools, albeit in a much smaller sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the theoretical framework of interest convergence, this document analysis explores the legacy of Lau v. Nichols as a gateway to instructional programs for classified English learners in the state of Massachusetts that maintain the hegemony of English as the primary goal of schooling. Findings reveal that interest convergence is an organizing principle for how instruction for classified ELs has historically been organized and delivered throughout Massachusetts as a move both toward and away from English-only instructional policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Norwegian version of the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) model was tested in two quasi-experimental evaluation studies with 65 primary schools (grade 4–7). The impact of the N-PALS model on externalising behaviour and learning climate in class was tested at 28 elementary schools that implemented the full-scale model, while 17 schools implemented a short version with emphasis on the universal level, and 20 schools served as controls with regular practice. After 3 years, the staff at the schools implementing the full model reported significantly fewer behavioural incidents and more use of praise and encouragement compared to the staff at the control schools. And four months after the collective training of staff at schools implementing the universal short version, significantly fewer negative behavioural incidents were reported. School size and implementation quality moderated the outcomes in the two studies. In conclusion, the school-wide intervention model effectively reduced the negative behavioural incidents and improved the learning climate and social relations in the classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]