Growing Problem Solvers provides four original, related, classroom-ready mathematical tasks, one for each grade band. Together, these tasks illustrate the trajectory of learners' growth as problem solvers across their years of school mathematics.

School psychology graduate students experience many risk factors for problems with mental health, including high workloads, financial distress, and challenging relationships with faculty that can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and depression. Although there have been studies that have investigated depression and anxiety amongst graduate students in general (Eisenberg et al., 2007) and health service psychology students in particular (Hobaica et al., 2021), there are reasons to believe that school psychology graduate students may have different experiences. To date, no research has been found investigating the depression and anxiety symptoms of graduate students in school psychology programs. A survey was sent to 194 school psychology training programs, and 291 graduate students completed it. Approximately one in four graduate students reported moderate to severe levels of depressive symptoms, while one in three reported moderate to severe levels of anxiety symptoms. These symptoms were significantly higher in graduate students identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and more identities, women, or reported being from a lower socioeconomic background. There were no differences in depression or anxiety symptoms between the type of program (i.e., doctoral or specialist) or years in program. Implications for trainers of school psychology are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to investigate changes in elementary school students’ affective states during recess throughout a school year, and examine distinct subgroups variations by gender, grade level, race/ethnicity, and beginning of the school year scores. Participants included 1,022 students across nine schools within a large metropolitan area in the United States, who received services from a national nonprofit organization focused on improving recess quality. A shortened version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule was used at four timepoints. Analyses used latent growth curve models that were computed using a maximum likelihood estimator with robust standard errors. Changes in positive affect (β = 0.170, p = .020) and negative affect (β = -0.040, p < .001) at recess for the entire sample were observed. Across sub-groups, the largest gains were for students who reported low levels of positive affect (β = 0.340, p < .001) and high levels of negative affect (β = -1.253, p < .001) at the beginning of the school year. Findings from the current study suggest the need to move beyond aggregating all scores within recess interventions, and, rather, toward targeting particular student sub-groups with both intervention strategies and analytical approaches.

ObjectiveWith the growing need to integrate palliative care into healthcare systems, nurses in hospital settings often provide care for patients with life-limiting conditions, many of whom lack formal education in palliative care. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, and self-competence of nurses working in hospital settings regarding palliative care.MethodsThis study evaluated 129 hospital nurses in Colorado. It used the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing, the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying Scale, and the Palliative Care Nursing Self-Competency Scale to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and perceived self-competence.ResultsThe mean scores were knowledge, 11.69 (SD = 2.8); attitudes, 123.35 (SD = 11.44); and self-competence, 167.5 (SD = 31.5). The lowest scores were in psychosocial and spiritual care. Nurses generally feel competent; however, they often lack confidence in addressing patients' social and spiritual needs. They experienced unease when discussing death and exhibited paternalistic attitudes. Significant differences were found in educational background, nursing experience, personal caregiving experience, and practice setting. Positive correlations exist between attitudes, knowledge, and self-competence, indicating that greater knowledge and competence were associated with better attitudes toward end-of-life care.ConclusionsThis study highlights the need for educational interventions focusing on communication skills, pain management, psychological and spiritual care, and patient-centered care to improve nurses' competence in delivering high-quality palliative care in hospital settings.

Various psychosocial variables are critical predictors of students' recess experiences. It is still relatively unknown how self-perceptions of bullying and body size impact recess physical activity (PA) for certain groups of students. The purpose of this study was to examine group differences and relationships in levels of appearance-related victimization, physical self-perceptions, and attraction to PA at recess among various self-identified body-size and gender identity students. Students in 3rd-5th grades (N = 787, 49.3% male, 56.1% regular body size, 46.4% 4th grade, 27.3% Hispanic) completed surveys that included demographics, one self-reported body size question, perceived victimization scale, physical appearance subscale of the Self-Perception Profile for Children, and the Children's Attraction to Physical Activity (CAPA) scale. Group difference analyses showed that gender nonconforming (p = 0.030, p < 0.001) and smaller body size students (p < 0.001, p = 0.001) had significantly lower perceptions of physical appearance and attraction to physical activity compared to their peers. Students' gender identity and perceived body size are a meaningful focus of recess interventions. Findings provide evidence that in addition to physical appearance perceptions, body size and gender may diminish students' attraction to PA.

ABSTRACTMathematics anxiety and statistics anxiety, along with low self‐efficacy, often negatively impact student performance and interest in STEM fields. This research examines the unique patterns and interrelationships affecting students' confidence and dispositions in mathematical and statistical domains. Despite extensive research on individual effects and mathematics dispositions, limited studies examine these variables' concurrent mediation analyses and direct and indirect effects. The mediating role of self‐efficacy in the relationship between mathematics anxiety and statistics anxiety remains underexplored. University students enrolled in introductory statistics courses completed self‐report surveys on their mathematics dispositions and demographic information to investigate individual differences related to mathematics anxiety, statistics anxiety, and self‐efficacy. Using structural equation modeling, we tested (a) the direct association between mathematics anxiety and statistics anxiety, (b) the indirect pathways from mathematics anxiety to statistics anxiety through mathematics self‐efficacy, and (c) the indirect pathway through statistics self‐efficacy. All variables were significantly correlated. Direct associations were significant, except for mathematics self‐efficacy and statistics anxiety. The significant mediating role of mathematics self‐efficacy on mathematics anxiety and statistics anxiety indicates the importance of self‐efficacy in dispositional factors. Understanding these connections allows educators to develop targeted interventions to boost self‐efficacy, thereby reducing anxiety and potentially improving student performance and interest in STEM fields.

Researchers have documented that recess quality is critical to understanding outcomes, with supportive adults and positive peer interactions being critical components. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of students feeling unwelcome or uncomfortable during recess and to examine how perceptions of adult support impact those experiences. A total of 483 elementary school students were surveyed at four time points across one school year. Students reported feelings of being unwelcome or uncomfortable at recess and their perceptions of adult support. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and longitudinal binary logistic regression to identify trends, demographic predictors, and the role of adult support. The percentage of students who reported feeling unwelcome or uncomfortable at recess decreased from 47.7% to 34.6%. Students who reported increased perceptions of adult support across the school year were 76.3% less likely to report feeling unwelcome or uncomfortable at the end of the year. Schools should adopt policies and programs that prioritize intentional adult participation to foster inclusivity and improve recess quality. Adult support plays a vital role in creating high-quality recess environments, including reducing students' feelings of being unwelcome or uncomfortable.