Integrative analysis of dyssynchrony in psychosocial development of Slovak children / Análisis integrador de la disincronía en el desarrollo psicosocial de niños eslovacos

Advancing the inclusion agenda in Australia: A multi-case study of the school experiences of children adopted from overseas

This article examines how supportive public school environments can serve as a promotional context for the development of children and adolescents from military families. The authors integrate theory and research from multiple research strands (e.g., human development, studies of at-risk youth, educational reform, goodness of fit theory, and school climate) to outline how public schools can support the development of all children and adolescents. This article provides further support for the supposition that school climates and the social-ecological contexts surrounding a school (e.g., universities, communities, school districts) have the potential to protect at-risk children and adolescents from an array of negative social, emotional, and psychological outcomes. The authors draw linkages between these research domains and the development of military children and adolescents. Promotional civilian school environments embedded within supportive and inclusive contexts can create a social infrastructure that supports the development of military children and adolescents. The authors argue that this conceptual approach can create a foundation for interventions and research that focuses on schools as normative supportive developmental settings for military children and youth during challenging times of war (e.g., deployments and multiple school transitions). This article concludes with a discussion of future directions in research on the development of military children and adolescents. Based on a heuristic conceptual model that outlines areas needing further research, the authors call for a deeper theoretical and empirical integration of school climate and external contextual factors surrounding the school. Investigating the social and organizational dynamics within these contexts can result in a more comprehensive picture of the development of military children and adolescents.

The key to improving student achievement, Dr. Comer asserts, is to pay attention to child and adolescent development. If this factor is overlooked, new approaches to curriculum, instruction, and assessment will have little chance of succeeding. But even troubled districts that have made development a priority have seen remarkable success. I BEGAN my work in schools over 35 years ago, and it was clear to me then that the underlying problem in the low-income, African American schools we were serving was that the students were underdeveloped in the areas that could bring school success, and the staff members -- through no fault of their own -- were not prepared to help advance the students' development. Gradually, we created a framework that allowed the schools and the adults in them to generate a school culture that supported the development of the students. And because development and academic learning are inextricably linked, student achievement improved and behavior problems decreased greatly.1 From just two pilot schools, our Yale Child Study Center School Development Program moved through field-testing and dissemination to individual schools and clusters within districts to districtwide work in about 1,000 schools across the country. At each step of the way, it became clearer that both academic and behavioral success were more likely in places where teachers and administrators bought into the value of basing their work on the principles of child and adolescent development. An incident from the early days of our work first drew to my attention the fact that schools were not focusing on the development of the child. Over a weekend, a relative plucked an 8-year-old student out of his school and supportive home environment in a distant state and -- without orientation or support -- deposited him in a classroom in one of our pilot schools. Not surprisingly, the youngster panicked, kicked the teacher in the leg, and ran out of the room. Afterward, while our mental health team was working with the school staff to think about how to create a more child-friendly transfer procedure that took account of each child's developmental needs, I remarked, That was an interesting reaction; not just fight or flight, but fight and flight! The school staff looked puzzled. The fight-or-flight reaction is triggered by the brain's response to threat. When an individual faces prolonged and intense threat, thinking can be severely impaired.2 These connections are basic knowledge among bio-behavioral scientists. And yet teachers and administrators, who routinely face these and many other brain-regulated behaviors that influence student development and learning, receive little in the way of preparation that would enable them to acquire and use such knowledge. The focus on child development that is largely missing from the preparation of educators probably contributes more to creating dysfunctional and underperforming schools than anything else. Many improved practices in education that have been developed over the past two decades have been less successful than they might have been because they have focused primarily on curriculum, instruction, assessment, and modes of service delivery. Insufficient attention has been paid to child and adolescent development. When these matters are addressed at all, the focus is often on the student -- on a problem behavior -- and not on how to create a school culture that promotes good growth along the six critical developmental pathways: physical (including brain development), social/interactive, psycho-emotional, ethical, linguistic, and cognitive/intellectual.3 Children grow along these developmental pathways, and they learn, in large part, through interacting with caretakers in reasonably good environments. In the process, they form emotional attachments, and they identify with, imitate, and internalize the attitudes, values, and ways of the adults and institutions around them. …

Children, Youth and Environments Vol. 14 No. 1 (2004) ISSN: 1546-2250 Neighborhood Poverty: Context and Consequences for Children, Volume 1 Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne and Aber, J. Lawrence and Duncan, Greg (1991). New York: Russell Sage Foundation; 334 pages. $55.00. ISBN 0871541882. While there is a long-standing tradition of social research that associates the concentration of poverty within children’s residential areas with a host of negative outcomes, prior to the publication of the Neighborhood Poverty texts in 1997, little systematic research existed to explain the neighborhood characteristics that affect children, youth, and their families. In response to this need, an interdisciplinary group of leading social scientists convened with the goal of better understanding the ways in which neighborhoods and communities influence the development of poor children and adolescents. This working group aimed to develop theory, concepts, methods, and empirical findings to guide future research in the field of neighborhood studies. Using a common conceptual and analytical framework and employing six different data sets that include both national and local site studies, they analyzed the separate and combined effects of families and neighborhood residence on child and adolescent development. Their findings are described in the two-volume set. Although the questions and hypotheses that the authors generate are not fully answered in these volumes, they clearly identify the theoretical and methodological issues involved in neighborhood research and provide valuable recommendations for future research. Volume 1 focuses on the conceptual framework and the findings from the quantitative analyses undertaken by the research group. Volume 2 emphasizes the methodological and policy implications involved in studying neighborhood effects. Also included in Volume 2 are examples of other neighborhood research and suggestions for the next generation of neighborhood studies. By developing and testing a conceptual framework that combines neighborhood and community influences with an integrative model 300 of child and youth development, Volume 1 breaks important theoretical ground. The model draws most heavily on the developmental-ecological framework and on social disorganization theory. According to the developmental-ecological framework, child development takes place within a set of embedded contexts that include both micro- and macro-level systems and their interactions. From this perspective, how the neighborhood influences children and youth is likely to vary across developmental stages. Focusing on two broad areas of child and adolescent development – cognitiveacademic and social-emotional – these texts examine the effects of the neighborhood throughout four general developmental epochs: (1) preschool childhood, (2) school-age childhood, (3) younger adolescents, and (4) older adolescents. To explain the social processes by which the neighborhood is expected to influence child and youth development, the authors base their theoretical model on previous research in the tradition of social disorganization theory. Consistent with social disorganization theory, the framework they outline includes the following elements: neighborhood socioeconomic composition (e.g., the physical environment, community socioeconomic status, age, gender, residential stability, housing density, ethnic heterogeneity, and institutional resources), social organization (e.g., organizational participation, informal social networks, and collective supervision of youth), and cultural processes (e.g., clarity and consensus of norms and values). The main findings from the studies presented in these texts suggest that neighborhood does matter for child and youth development. Results from data sets spanning across the stages of child development showed the strongest neighborhood effects in early childhood years and late adolescence, while less powerful effects were found in between. However, the size of the neighborhood effects was usually much smaller than the effects of family-level conditions. Given that the authors candidly acknowledge the limitations of their research, it is important to view these studies as a preliminary attempt to understand the relationship between the neighborhood and child and youth development. 301 The limitations of these studies are clearly identified in Chapter 9 of Volume 1 and should be taken into account when interpreting their results. For example, since the data sets were not originally designed to study neighborhood effects, the neighborhood level measures are limited to structural-compositional factors using census data. Consequently, critically important institutional and organizational factors and social processes (e.g., resources, informal social networks and controls, and delinquent opportunity structures) are not measured. Other limitations concern selection bias because the analyses fail to...

Children, Youth and Environments Vol. 14 No. 1 (2004) ISSN: 1546-2250 Neighborhood Poverty: Context and Consequences for Children, Volume 1 Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne and Aber, J. Lawrence and Duncan, Greg (1991). New York: Russell Sage Foundation; 334 pages. $55.00. ISBN 0871541882. While there is a long-standing tradition of social research that associates the concentration of poverty within children’s residential areas with a host of negative outcomes, prior to the publication of the Neighborhood Poverty texts in 1997, little systematic research existed to explain the neighborhood characteristics that affect children, youth, and their families. In response to this need, an interdisciplinary group of leading social scientists convened with the goal of better understanding the ways in which neighborhoods and communities influence the development of poor children and adolescents. This working group aimed to develop theory, concepts, methods, and empirical findings to guide future research in the field of neighborhood studies. Using a common conceptual and analytical framework and employing six different data sets that include both national and local site studies, they analyzed the separate and combined effects of families and neighborhood residence on child and adolescent development. Their findings are described in the two-volume set. Although the questions and hypotheses that the authors generate are not fully answered in these volumes, they clearly identify the theoretical and methodological issues involved in neighborhood research and provide valuable recommendations for future research. Volume 1 focuses on the conceptual framework and the findings from the quantitative analyses undertaken by the research group. Volume 2 emphasizes the methodological and policy implications involved in studying neighborhood effects. Also included in Volume 2 are examples 381 of other neighborhood research and suggestions for the next generation of neighborhood studies. By developing and testing a conceptual framework that combines neighborhood and community influences with an integrative model of child and youth development, Volume 1 breaks important theoretical ground. The model draws most heavily on the developmental-ecological framework and on social disorganization theory. According to the developmentalecological framework, child development takes place within a set of embedded contexts that include both micro- and macrolevel systems and their interactions. From this perspective, how the neighborhood influences children and youth is likely to vary across developmental stages. Focusing on two broad areas of child and adolescent development – cognitiveacademic and social-emotional – these texts examine the effects of the neighborhood throughout four general developmental epochs: (1) preschool childhood, (2) school-age childhood, (3) younger adolescents, and (4) older adolescents. To explain the social processes by which the neighborhood is expected to influence child and youth development, the authors base their theoretical model on previous research in the tradition of social disorganization theory. Consistent with social disorganization theory, the framework they outline includes the following elements: neighborhood socioeconomic composition (e.g., the physical environment, community socioeconomic status, age, gender, residential stability, housing density, ethnic heterogeneity, and institutional resources), social organization (e.g., organizational participation, informal social networks, and collective supervision of youth), and cultural processes (e.g., clarity and consensus of norms and values). The main findings from the studies presented in these texts suggest that neighborhood does matter for child and youth development. Results from data sets spanning across the stages of child development showed the strongest neighborhood effects in early childhood years and late 382 adolescence, while less powerful effects were found in between. However, the size of the neighborhood effects was usually much smaller than the effects of family-level conditions. Given that the authors candidly acknowledge the limitations of their research, it is important to view these studies as a preliminary attempt to understand the relationship between the neighborhood and child and youth development. The limitations of these studies are clearly identified in Chapter 9 of Volume 1 and should be taken into account when interpreting their results. For example, since the data sets were not originally designed to study neighborhood effects, the neighborhood level measures are limited to structuralcompositional factors using census data. Consequently, critically important institutional and organizational factors and social processes (e.g., resources, informal social networks and controls, and delinquent opportunity structures) are not measured. Other limitations concern selection bias because the analyses fail to adjust fully for...

This paper explores teachers’ perspectives on the challenges of implementing inclusive education in Tanzanian rural schools. The study was prompted by findings from previous research studies on inclusive education in Tanzania, which revealed that teachers in rural schools face challenges in implementing inclusive education. The study is underpinned by the Learner Integration Wheel (LIW) theory of practice, which advocates the implementation of inclusive education through regular learner integration in schools. Collaboratively, the LIW theory of practice brings together the school, curriculum developers, and the school community as the key players towards the implementation of inclusive education. An interpretive paradigm under a qualitative approach, and a multiple case study research design, were adopted to explore teachers’ perspectives on the researched issue. Qualitative methods, including interviews and reflective essay writing, were used to generate data from eight participants (8 teachers), four from primary schools, and four from secondary schools. The study found that teachers in Tanzanian rural contexts are not well prepared to implement inclusive education in schools. Considering the findings, this study reports that there is a need for proper training to equip teachers with skills and the ability to support learners, specifically those with learning barriers.

In this article, we will consider the psychological, pedagogical and organizational aspects of inclusive education in the 4th secondary school of the Akkol district of the Akmola region. This school is a reference school for inclusive education in the Akkol region and, in our opinion, deserves special attention. The relevance and scientific novelty of this study lies in the fact that the need for inclusive education is currently growing in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and it is necessary to know all the psychological, pedagogical and organizational aspects of its implementation. The objective of the research is the need for scientific substantiation of the psychological, pedagogical and organizational aspects of inclusive education. The object of the research is the educational system of inclusive education. Purpose: to determine the psychological, pedagogical and organizational aspects of inclusive education in the Akkol secondary school. Research results: We conducted a study where for each criterion we formed our own level of significance in the teaching and educational process of Akkol secondary school No. 4, and also identified a number of psychological, pedagogical and organizational aspects that prevent educational policy from including inclusive education in schools.

The development of children is one of the most fascinating wonders of life. From the moment conception takes place until the end of adolescence when the person enters the adult world, the developmental road is characterised by numerous miracles and mysteries. In this book, the authors are sharing their training and experience in the field of child psychology, not only as a clinical and counselling psychologist respectively, but also as the proud parents of two children, a grandson and a granddaughter. The target audience of this book is primarily undergraduate students in psychology, education, social work, psychiatry and related disciplines. The nature and extent of Child and Adolescent Development, however, also makes it suitable for use on the postgraduate level (especially where this field was not a focus area in the undergraduate course). Furthermore, the book contains valuable information which will be of interest to anyone who has an interest in child and adolescent development. Child psychology tells you more about your own and your children’s development. In the process, you also acquire a better understanding of other people. However, to be interesting only does not justify the existence of a science. Therefore, it is important to know what the scientific contribution of child psychology is; that is, why we study and research this interesting field. The goals of child psychology are in line with the goals of general psychology: • To describe the changes typically occurring from conception to about 18 years of age. For example: How does the unborn child develop in his or her mother’s womb? How do 2-, 7-, 12- and 16-year-olds differ? How does sexuality develop during puberty and adolescence? • To explain what causes these developmental changes. Which factors could influence the prenatal development of the baby? Which factors could influence a delay in a child’s language or cognitive development? How does peer pressure and bullying affect a child’s self-image? • To predict, based on past and present characteristics, what behaviour the child will manifest at a later stage in his or her life. For example: What is the effect of alcohol and smoking on the unborn child? If a baby starts walking at an early age, does it mean that he or she is likely to become a good athlete? Will the aggressive infant turn into an aggressive teenager? Will the curious child develop into a scientist?

The study set out to investigate the level of collaboration among stakeholders with regard to promoting inclusive education in primary and secondary schools in Lilongwe Rural East and Mthandiza zone in Dedza. Twenty-six schools under the Research on Inclusive Education, Sanitation, Environment and Hygiene (RIESEH) project were targeted upon. The study provides contemporary insights into how teachers and stakeholders view their collaborative roles in securing better outcomes for students with special educational needs (SEN). The study demonstrated that teachers showed their willingness to learn best practices and strategies to guide the students with SEN in pursuit to their education. It further revealed that teachers understand and know about inclusive education practices upon attending different workshops in addition to what they learnt while at teacher training colleges. Despite this, the study demonstrated that the main concern of the teachers was the little support received from stakeholders when it came to promoting inclusive practices in their classes and schools. Parents in this study acknowledged that collaboration was vital should inclusive education be achieved in schools. They indicated that they are aware of their roles in promoting inclusive education through collaboration with teachers. The study’s findings further indicated that collaboration between mainstream teachers and other stakeholders was limited in scope and that the nature of collaboration was conditional, erratic and unplanned. The results further revealed that many activities are done on an individual basis rather than teamwork where the groups share ideas in order to achieve the intended goals of inclusive education. The study attributes this to lack of policy clarity especially the National Strategy on Inclusive Education 2017 – 2021 and several other factors and thereby proposes a collaboration model or framework deemed most appropriate for the schools in the Malawian context.

Aim and Objectives: Although inclusive education of children with intellectual disability is currently an accepted practice, it is often challenged by negative attitude of schoolteachers. We undertook two surveillance studies aimed atStudy A - identifying knowledge and teachers’ attitudes towards children with intellectual disability and practices of inclusive education in a semi-urban school of South India.Study B -Determining the effect of educational intervention towards attitudes on inclusive education.Method: Knowledge, Attitude and Practice surveillance questionnaires (KAP and ATPD) were given to ninety-six consenting schoolteachers in Study A and twenty schoolteachers in Study B and analyzed.Results: In Study A, the overall attitude mean indicated a favorable attitude towards the children with intellectual disability. The mean overall attitude score was 77.1 (SD: 9.58), with a normal distribution. Forty to fifty percent were aware of intellectual disability and attributed them to biological causes. Ninety-two percent agreed on the need for education and stepwise training for a child with an intellectual disability. In real-life practice, results of classroom management were inaccurate. In Study B, knowledge, attitudes and practices towards inclusive education improved with educational intervention with a positive change of 7.19% on the ATDP scale.Conclusion: These findings suggest a generally positive attitude towards intellectual disability and inclusive education. Comprehensive training programs improve knowledge and attitudes towards inclusive education.

Inclusive education is an effort to create equal access to education for all individuals. Implementation of the inclusion approach in elementary schools is still faced with various challenges such as a lack of understanding about inclusive education, a curriculum that is not yet flexible for children with special needs, and minimal participation by parents and the community in inclusive education. This research aims to determine the implementation of inclusive education in elementary schools in Riau province. This research uses the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method to collect and analyze relevant literature. Of the 4,820 articles identified, 9 key articles were selected for further analysis. The results of the research review show that the implementation of inclusive education in the schools studied shows a strong commitment, such as developing inclusion programs, individual learning programs, and providing special accompanying teachers as well as the dedication and creativity of teachers in teaching children with special needs. The challenges faced include stigma and discrimination against children with special needs, inadequate facilities and infrastructure, teacher competency that needs to be improved, and lack of coordination from various parties implementing inclusive education. Conclusion of research on the implementation of inclusive education in Riau province is still in the developing stage and requires attention and support from all parties.

This research aims to find out the readiness of Muhammadiyah elementary schools in implementing inclusive education in the schools. School readiness clearly marks the path for Muhammadiyah elementary schools in organizing inclusive education. Through a case study methodology with a purposive sampling technique, this research investigates the readiness of four Muhammadiyah elementary schools. The data were collected by an in-depth interview and observation and would be analyzed by thematic analysis method. This research provides worthy indicators of school readiness in executing inclusive education. This study indicates that two out of the four Muhammadiyah elementary schools observed, have not reached the required level of readiness to implement inclusive schools based on the indicators of the school readiness, whereas the other two schools are more prepared to fully run the inclusive education program. This study enhances elementary schools to implement inclusive education by meeting five required indicators: 1) Perception of school stakeholders; 2) Curriculum and teaching and learning activities; 3) Educational staffs; 4) Facilities, infrastructure, and funding; 5) Relationship between community and school. The implementation of inclusive education in elementary schools under the Muhammadiyah institution as one of the biggest Islamic organizations in Indonesia would build a positive perception for all teachers, students’ parents, and school communities.

The multicultural societies considered in this book deliver services and supports in varied ways for students with special education needs. Taken together, these efforts provide a clear picture of the changing landscape of inclusive education across the Asia-Pacific region. In this final chapter, legislation and policies are examined to highlight connections between UN conventions and local initiatives, with comparisons made across case studies presented in this book. Next, a thematic analysis of relevant studies identified in case studies draws attention to pivotal local research on inclusive education within the region. This research, together with interpretation of policies, is subsequently viewed through a lens on the implementation of inclusive education in schools and teacher training. Shared barriers and concerns related to implementing inclusive education in systems and schools are then discussed. Finally, general trends are synthesised, and recommendations are made to advance the inclusive education agenda across the region.KeywordsAsia-PacificDisabilityEducation policyInclusive educationSpecial educational needs

This study investigated the management of inclusive education in the four selected junior primary schools in the Empangeni District, KwaZulu-Natal. Despite the fact that the White Paper 6 on Special Needs Education and Training: Building Inclusive Education and Training System was released in 2001, aiming at providing quality education for all learners, the implementation and management of inclusive education in schools still remain a challenge. This research, therefore, investigated possible challenges and suggested solutions that could be used for the effective implementation and management of inclusive education in schools. This study was conducted to answer the following questions: i. What are the challenges at school level that delay the implementation of inclusive education? ii. What skills do teachers and principals have or acquired in order to identify and support learners who experience barriers to learning and development? iii. What are the teachers’ perceptions regarding the inclusion of learners who experience barriers to learning and development? iv. Does our education system provide teachers with relevant training to meet the challenges that come with inclusive education? An ethnographic research was conducted in four junior primary schools at the Empangeni District, KwaZulu- Natal to find out what happens in their school setting. Fifteen foundation phase teachers from four junior primary schools, four principals and six final year university student teachers participated in the study. The findings of data collected from teachers, principals and student teachers regarding their views on inclusion of learners who experience barriers to learning were used to make recommendations. The findings from the study revealed the need for schools to effectively implement the White Paper 6 on Special Needs Education and Training: Building Inclusive Education and Training System (2001). Inclusion of learners who experience barriers to learning and development is an international initiative, which aims to provide quality education for all learners. The success of inclusion is based on the adoption and implementation of the international, national and provincial inclusive education policies, declarations and guidelines. In this study, it became evident that there is a shortage of teachers who have specialization in Special Education: Barriers to Learning. In- service teacher training and special education element should be included in all courses of initial teacher training. Ongoing professional development of teachers on inclusive education issues is also crucial. Teachers need to be provided with necessary skills to identify developmental delays and barriers to learning early. This study highlighted the importance of the establishment of the functional support structures, Institutional Level Support Team and District Based Support Team so that inclusive education is effectively managed in the education system. Provision of skills that will assist teachers to provide relevant support to learners who experience barriers to learning, lies on the existence of the support structures. The findings also revealed that schools or any other stakeholder cannot address barriers to learning in isolation. Linkages with Tertiary Institutions, Department of Health, Department of Social Development, Non-Governmental Organizations, parents/ caregivers and teacher unions need to be prioritized, in order to ensure that diverse needs of learners are met and barriers to learning and development are addressed. The positive response from the National Department of Education to the international initiatives for promoting single inclusive education system that is responsive to the diverse needs of all learners, resulted to the release of the White Paper 6 on Special Needs Education and Training: Building Inclusive Education and Training System in 2001. The need to close the gap between theory outlined in all the policies and guidelines that promote inclusive education and practice becomes evident in this study. The management of inclusive education in schools, therefore requires the School Management Team to facilitate, amongst other things, human resource development and establishment of the Institutional Level Support Team.

This review article aims to analyze the impact of screen time on child development and to evaluate the existing evidence on this topic. A literature search was conducted across major databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, using keywords such as ‘screen time’, ‘child development’, ‘digital media’, and ‘video games’. The search was limited to studies published in the last decade and written in the English language. Included studies were evaluated for quality and relevance, and findings were compiled to provide an overview of the current state of research on this topic. A total of 27 studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies examined the impact of screen time on various aspects of child development, including cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Results showed that excessive screen time was associated with negative outcomes in all of these areas. Specifically, prolonged screen time was found to negatively impact attention, language, memory, and motor skills development. Moreover, excessive screen time was linked to increased risk of obesity, reduced physical activity, and sleep disturbances, as well as social and emotional problems. The findings suggest that excessive screen time can have detrimental effects on child development. Although some studies report positive impacts of screen time, particularly in educational contexts, the vast majority suggest that a limited and monitored exposure to screens is needed to avoid negative outcomes. Further research is needed to determine the optimal amount and type of screen time that is beneficial for child development. Healthcare providers and parents should be aware of the potential risks of excessive screen time and implement strategies to minimize this exposure.