Children's Learning Research Articles

Interaction of attention type with frequency of feedback on a throwing skill learning in children with autism

Interaction of attention type with frequency of feedback on a throwing skill learning in children with autism

Remediation of Learning Difficulty Utilizing School-Based Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Measured by EEG Theta-Alpha and Theta-Beta Ratio During Resting and Cognitive Task Performance Conditions.

Background. EEG is an effective tool due to its ability to capture and interpret the changes in brain activity under different situations. Quantitative EEG (qEEG) can be essential in evaluating and treating children's learning problems. Methods and procedure. Fifty school-going children with difficulty in learning were studied. Analysis of the difference between pre-intervention and postintervention EEG power ratio of frequency bands, including Theta to Beta and Theta to Alpha, while eyes-closed, eyes-open, hyperventilation, writing, and reading conditions and the values for relative powers were calculated. The study correlated postintervention theta/beta ratio (TBR) and theta/alpha ratio (TAR) values with behavioral measures. Results. The findings suggested that there was a significant difference in pre-intervention and postintervention relative TAR and TBR power values. A significant increase of TAR and TBR power values was observed in eyes-closed (resting), hyperventilation, writing, and reading task conditions, indicative of a state of arousal at FP1FP2, T3T4, and O1O2 scalp locations. During eye open conditions, the TAR and TBR were significantly low at all 3 scalp locations, indicating a relaxed, conscious, and aware state of mind. Postintervention TAR and TBR values were significantly correlated with behavioral measures during 5 task conditions on several scalp locations. Conclusion. These quantitative electroencephalogram findings in children with learning problems indicate that with the increased complexity of the cognitive tasks, TAR and TBR increase, while postintervention, children could attain a relaxed and conscious state of mind during eyes-open condition.

Meningkatkan Kemampuan Menyimak Anak Usia 4-5 Tahun melalui Metode Bercerita dengan Menggunakan Media Boneka Tangan

This study aims to improve the listening ability of children aged 4-5 years through the application of storytelling methods using hand puppet media. The research method used in this study is an experimental method with pre-test and post-test designs. The subjects of the study were children aged 4-5 years in a randomly selected kindergarten. The results showed an increase in children's learning outcomes on the themes of My Environment, My Needs, animals through the method of telling stories using hand puppets. This can be known the results of the child's listening ability before using the storytelling method. Thus, the average increase in the level of success of children's listening ability results after applying the storytelling method using hand puppets.

부모의 학습지원과 지지적 학교환경이 초등학생의 학습태도에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purposes of this study were to specify variables related to convergence competency, and to ana-lyze the structural relationships among them. The purposes of this study were to specify variables related to con-vergence competency, and to analyze the structural relationships among them. Methods In this study, 1,145 children who responded to all related variables in the 12th and 13th data of the Korean Children's Panel were used as data. The structural equation model was analyzed to understand the struc-tural relationship between each variable, and the direct and indirect effects were verified through this. In addition, the mediating effect was verified using bootstrapping. Results There was no significant relationship between parents' learning support and elementary school students' learning attitude, and there was a positive relationship between the supportive school environment and learning attitude. Grit showed a complete mediating effect in the effect of parental learning support on learning attitude, and Grit showed a partial mediating effect in the effect of supportive school environment on learning attitude. Conclusions Parents' learning support and supportive environment had a positive effect on Grit, which improved the learning attitude. This study is expected to help parents, who are interested in their children's learning, support direction and school environment by examining the influence and path of parents‘, school variables and grit that can positively affect learning attitudes.

Physically active learning for children with learning disorders attending special-needs schools: A program evaluation

BackgroundPhysically active learning (PAL) is a potentially valuable method to stimulate academic performance and physical activity (PA) in children with learning disorders (LD) attending special-needs schools. It is yet unknown whether PAL can be successfully implemented in special-needs schools. AimsThis study aimed to evaluate a PAL-program in special-needs schools by examining teacher’s dose delivered, children’s dose received, and associations of children’s characteristics with dose received. MethodsChildren (N = 37) from two special-needs schools participated in a six-week PAL-program. Dose delivered was evaluated based on PAL-lessons’ implementation rate and duration. Dose received was assessed through time-on-task observations (n = 23) and PA (n = 37). To assess the association between dose received and children’s characteristics (sex, behavioral disorders, motor skills, and physical fitness), Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman’s rho correlations were used. ResultsFor teacher’s dose delivered, the implementation rate exceeded 95%, and the PAL-lessons lasted the intended 12 minutes. For dose received, children’s on-task behavior was above 79%, and children spent 43% of the time in moderate-to-vigorous PA during PAL. Motor skills were positively related to on-task behavior related to the movements, and physical fitness was positively related to moderate-to-vigorous PA. ConclusionsPAL was successfully implemented in terms of dose delivered and dose received for children with LD attending special-needs schools.

Effects of a collaborative gamification on learning and engagement of children with Autism

Effects of a collaborative gamification on learning and engagement of children with Autism

Parental perspectives on the management of online learning and school readjustment for children with SEN during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons and applications for possible school closures

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in worldwide school closures and disrupted education – which was extended in the Republic of Ireland – and some children with SEN may be more adversely impacted by prolonged school closures than others. Despite this, and possible future pandemics, experiences of Irish children with SEN have not been explored to date. The current research utilised semi-structured interviews to explore parental perspectives (n = 10) of online learning and the subsequent return to education for children with SEN. Reflexive Thematic Analysis resulted in the identification of three global themes: [1] Balancing Act, pertaining to a lack of support and educational provision, [2] Prioritising Wellbeing over Education, whereby parents made the decision to stop engaging in online learning to promote familial wellbeing, and [3] The Return to School and its Challenges, highlighting academic, behavioural, and mental health concerns on return to education. Inclusion of parental feedback was noted as important for the success of home-schooling during future school closures and is a clear application of this work. Finally, suggestions are made for research to examine the links between support for parents and children’s academic attainment and wellbeing, as well as child insight directing provision for school closures.

Fostering Global Success Empowering Young Learners in Online Education

This qualitative descriptive study explores the independent characteristics of second-grade students at Betro Elementary School (SDN Betro) within the context of online learning. Through interviews, observations, and documentation, the study investigates the self-reliance of students, the dynamics of parent-student interaction, and the daily habits cultivated by students in response to online education. Findings reveal a notable level of self-reliance among students, manifested in their ability to complete tasks autonomously and adhere to schedules. Positive communication and collaboration between parents and students are observed, fostering a conducive learning environment. The study underscores the importance of nurturing self-reliance in elementary students for successful online learning and provides valuable insights for educators and policymakers aiming to optimize remote education at the elementary level. Highlight: Student Autonomy: Second graders excel independently in navigating online learning environments. Parental Support: Positive parental engagement enhances children's online learning experience. Educational Impact: Fostering self-reliance in elementary students optimizes online education strategies. Keywoard: Elementary Education, Self-Reliance, Online Learning, Parent-Student Interaction, Qualitative Research

Population health implications of exposure to pervasive military aircraft noise pollution.

While the adverse health effects of civil aircraft noise are relatively well studied, impacts associated with more intense and intermittent noise from military aviation have been rarely assessed. In recent years, increased training at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, USA has raised concerns regarding the public health and well-being implications of noise from military aviation. This study assessed the public health risks of military aircraft noise by developing a systematic workflow that uses acoustic and aircraft operations data to map noise exposure and predict health outcomes at the population scale. Acoustic data encompassing seven years of monitoring efforts were integrated with flight operations data for 2020-2021 and a Department of Defense noise simulation model to characterize the noise regime. The model produced contours for day-night, nighttime, and 24-h average levels, which were validated by field monitoring and mapped to yield the estimated noise burden. Established thresholds and exposure-response relationships were used to predict the population subject to potential noise-related health effects, including annoyance, sleep disturbance, hearing impairment, and delays in childhood learning. Over 74,000 people within the area of aircraft noise exposure were at risk of adverse health effects. Of those exposed, substantial numbers were estimated to be highly annoyed and highly sleep disturbed, and several schools were exposed to levels that place them at risk of delay in childhood learning. Noise in some areas exceeded thresholds established by federal regulations for public health, residential land use and noise mitigation action, as well as the ranges of established exposure-response relationships. This study quantified the extensive spatial scale and population health burden of noise from military aviation.We employed a novel GIS-based workflow for relating mapped distributions of aircraft noise exposure to a suite of public health outcomes by integrating acoustic monitoring and simulation data with a dasymetric population density map. This approach enables the evaluation of population health impacts due to past, current, and future proposed military operations. Moreover, itcanbemodified for application to other environmental noise sources and offers an improved open-sourcetool to assess the population health implications of environmental noise exposure, inform at-risk communities, and guide efforts in noise mitigation and policy governing noise legislation, urban planning, and land use.

Study protocol to examine the effects of acute exercise on motor learning and brain activity in children with developmental coordination disorder (ExLe-Brain-DCD)

Introduction Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is one of the most prevalent pediatric chronic conditions. Without proper intervention, significant delays in motor skill performance and learning may persist until adulthood. Moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise has been proven to improve motor learning (adaptation and consolidation) in children with or without disorders. However, the effect of a short bout of physical exercise on motor adaptation and consolidation in children with DCD has not been examined. Furthermore, the role of perceptual-motor integration and attention as mediators of learning has not been examined via neuroimaging in this population. Objectives Therefore, the primary aims of this project will be to compare children with and without DCD to (a) examine the effect of acute exercise on motor learning (adaptation and consolidation) while performing a rotational visuo-motor adaptation task (rVMA), and (b) explore cortical activation in the dorsolateral- and ventrolateral-prefrontal cortex areas while learning the rVMA task under rest or post-exercise conditions. Methods One hundred twenty children will be recruited (60 DCD, 60 controls) and within-cohort randomly assigned to either exercise (13-minute shuttle run task) or rest prior to performing the rVMA task. Adaptation and consolidation will be evaluated via two error variables and three retention tests (1h, 24h and 7 days post adaptation). Cortical activation will be registered via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the baseline, adaptation, and consolidation. Discussion We expect to find exercise benefits on motor learning and attention so that children with DCD profiles will be closer to those of children with typical development. The results of this project will provide further evidence to: (a) better characterize children with DCD for the design of educational materials, and (b) establish acute exercise as a potential intervention to improve motor learning and attention.

Touch to Learn: A Review of Haptic Technology's Impact on Skill Development and Enhancing Learning Abilities for Children

Early childhood education is critical in shaping children's intellectual and motor skills as it provides a solid foundation for cognitive, social, and emotional development, which highly depends on spatial thinking. Haptic feedback can be effectively used for educational and training purposes, particularly in fields such as physics, math, and arts, offering a more interactive learning media and supporting kinesthetic learners by its nature. Herein, different ways of implementing haptic feedback on different educational scenarios from the perspective of technological development and their impact on children's learned skills and outcomes (e.g., their motivation, their analytical or spatial thinking abilities, or fine motor skills) will be examined. This article provides an overview of how haptic feedback has been implemented in different learning scenarios for children. Particularly, it is indicated that haptics can potentially improve early childhood learning outcomes and spatial reasoning skills as it can increase children's interest, participation, performance in educational activities, and analytical ability. The major drawbacks of the current studies, such as variance in participants’ learning challenges and small sample numbers are also highlighted.

Comparisons of different focuses of attention on children’s learning and performance: a systematic review

ABSTRACT A growing body of investigation has suggested the benefits of an external focus of attention on the performance and learning of motor skills in adults and the elderly. This systematic review investigates the effects of focus of attention on the performance and learning of motor skills in children with typical and atypical development. The literature search was conducted in the electronic databases PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Scielo, with data inception in December 2023. Of the 43 studies in the review, 30 involved the performance and learning of motor skills in children with typical development and 13 in children with atypical development. The current systematic review demonstrates that the direction of instructions/feedback can influence the performance and learning of children's motor skills, regardless of the children's developmental condition or task.

Pengaruh Kombinasi Stimulasi Pijat bayi dan Esensial Oil Lavender Terhadap Motorik Kasar dan Motorik Halus Pada Bayi Usia 3-12 Bulan di Kota Bengkulu

Background: The growth and development period of infants needs special attention because the process is very fast. There are still toddlers who experience gross motor and fine motor disorders. World Health Organization (WHO) 2016 globally states that around 20-40% of infants aged 0-2 years experience problems with delays in the development process, 5-25% of toddlers who experience gross motor and fine motor disorders. The impact of delays in infant gross motor development causes a decrease in creativity in the adaptation period while the impact of delays in fine motor development causes obstacles in the child's learning process. Efforts that can be made in optimizing the growth and development of fine motor and gross motor in infants in addition to nutrition provided by the mother and one of the other ways needs stimulation. The combination of stimulation of baby massage and lavender essential oil is one of the stimulations to improve gross motor and fine motor in infants aged 3-12 months. Objective: Proving the effect of a combination of baby massage stimulation and lavender essential oil on improving gross motor and fine motor in infants aged 3-12 months. Methods: Pre-experimental quantitative research design with one group pretest-postest design. Sample 40 infants aged 3-12 months. Analysis used to assess the effect on the improvement of gross motor and fine motor in 2 PMB using t test. Results: Hypothesis testing in this study using the Wilcoxon test. Obtained a probability value (p value) of (p value) 0.02 or < 0.05, which means that there is a combined effect of baby massage stimulation and lavender essential oil on improving gross motor and fine motor in infants aged 3-12 months. The intervention was given for 4 weeks, twice a week the intervention was given a combination of baby massage and lavender essential oil, then an evaluation was carried out using the Pre-Developmental Screening Questionnaire (KPSP), consisting of 10 assessment items, starting from gross motor, fine motor, socialization and independence assessments. as well as speech and language skills. Conclusion: The combination of baby massage stimulation and lavender essential oil has an effect on improving gross motor and fine motor in infants aged 3-12 months. Suggestion: parents who have babies are expected to routinely provide baby massage stimulation.

Pre-primary educators’ views on peace education as a strategy for building a sustainable society in Tanzania

ABSTRACT Though children are recognized as change agents to make the world a better place, it remains generally unknown how educational leaders and teachers conceptualize peace education based on classroom practices for building a peaceful and sustainable society. This study involved 42 pre-primary educators and leaders drawn using purposive sampling. Face-to-face interviews with individual study participants and semi-structured questionnaires were used to generate data. The study adopted a phenomenography approach to data analysis. Findings indicate that peace education in pre-primary education should be provided even in countries without conflicts or wars to develop children’s capacity to recognise and respect human dignity regardless of one’s socio-economic background. The study concludes that respondents were well-informed about strategies for provision in contributing to a peaceful and sustainable society. Integration of peace education into pre-primary teaching and learning for children was seen as essential in schooling and when cooperating with others within and outside the school.

Database as method: Exposing ‘data’ about educational technology through a design intervention

Ubiquitous datafication of children and families in educational and everyday settings is both a result of and catalyst for power asymmetries between digital platforms and their users. These platforms seek to know their users by extracting and analysing various streams of personal information, often discreetly. However, the users are rarely equipped to do the same to the platforms as information about these platforms is often obscured, convoluted, or simply unavailable. This article explores the possibilities of reversing such power imbalance via the design intervention of an Australia-focused educational technology (EdTech) database developed by the authors of this paper. Employing a design intervention method, the database is a collection of publicly available information about EdTech companies and products that target young children in Australia. As an alternative publication, this short article presents and discusses the ongoing processes of developing the database to reflect on what it says about the power relations between EdTech providers and their users. It demonstrates how it is a pedagogical space where people learn how to critically unpack and think about EdTech platforms. The database is positioned as a point of convergence for different actors involved in children's digital learning to collectively understand what needs to be done to enact and protect children's digital rights in education.

Are minimally verbal autistic children's modality and form of communication associated with parent responsivity?

Prior work examined how minimally verbal (MV) children with autism used their gestural communication during social interactions. However, interactions are exchanges between social partners. Examining parent-child social interactions is critically important given the influence of parent responsivity on children's communicative development. Specifically, parent responses that are semantically contingent to the child's communication plays an important role in further shaping children's language learning. This study examines whether MV autistic children's (N = 47; 48-95 months; 10 females) modality and form of communication are associated with parent responsivity during an in-home parent-child interaction (PCI). The PCI was collected using natural language sampling methods and coded for child modality and form of communication and parent responses. Findings from Kruskal-Wallis H tests revealed that there was no significant difference in parent semantically contingent responses based on child communication modality (spoken language, gesture, gesture-speech combinations, and AAC) and form of communication (precise vs. imprecise). Findings highlight the importance of examining multiple modalities and forms of communication in MV children with autism to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of their communication abilities; and underscore the inclusion of interactionist models of communication to examine children's input on parent responses in further shaping language learning experiences.

Shaping the Discourse around Quality EdTech in India: Including Contextualized and Evidence-Based Solutions in the Ecosystem

This paper examines the extent to which an initiative in India, namely EdTech Tulna, has been able to move towards decolonization of EdTech by shaping the discourse around the adoption and use of good quality and contextual educational technology solutions for Indian learners. Set up as a collaboration among researchers, practitioners, teachers and governments, EdTech Tulna aims to encourage the selection of EdTech solutions that are appropriate for the community they are designed for, rather than adopting solutions that market themselves or those that have been successful in Western countries. The paper adopts the lens of justice-oriented design and first critically examines the design of the EdTech Tulna index. Then, it examines the success and hurdles of the collaborative efforts towards the implementation of contextualized and evidence-based solutions in the ecosystem. By analyzing stakeholder interviews and meeting notes, this paper addresses two questions. First, how does Tulna assist in identifying quality contextual solutions that are likely to enhance the learning of children in India? Second, how do state government officials and practitioners collaborate with researchers to use research-based standards for selecting such solutions? The discussions outline the progress and draw a broad contour of the road ahead.

Exploring the Views, Perspectives, and Current Practices of Educational Speech-Language Pathologists and Psychologists in Canada: How Childhood Developmental Language Disorders Are Identified and Diagnosed.

Across Canada, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and educational psychologists (EPs) work in schools to identify and diagnose childhood learning difficulties, including language disorders; however, both professional groups use different terms to identify and diagnose them. Using the term developmental language disorder (DLD), developed by the CATALISE consortium, would provide consistency across fields. To effectively implement the use of DLD, it is crucial to understand how EPs and SLPs currently identify childhood language disorders and to investigate the potential impact of a practice change in this area. The study conducted 13 moderated focus groups and one one-on-one semistructured interview across six Canadian provinces in English and French. We found some social and structural barriers that impact SLPs' and EPs' current practice of identifying and diagnosing language disorders generally (e.g., the belief that children should not be labeled "too early," institutions that prioritize certain professional diagnoses over others, board policies that do not allocate funds for language disorders, professionals' reticence to convey difficult information such as a diagnosis to collaborators) and DLD specifically (e.g., different professional taxonomies, lack of familiarity with or uncertainty about the label, not recognized as a condition in schools that may or may not even identify language disorder as a category of exceptionality). Nevertheless, the focus groups also revealed the extent to which DLD could be useful in their current practice. Both EPs and SLPs acknowledged the importance of working together; therefore, DLD could inspire more collaborative practice between SLPs and EPs around language disorders.

싱가포르 국가수준 유아교육과정 탐색

Objectives The purpose of this study was to exlore the Singaporean early childhood education curriculum, which emphasizes competency-based education, and to examine insights that can be applied to our own early childhood education curriculum. A literature review was conducted comparing and analyzing the characteristics, significance, and implications of the Singaporean early childhood education curriculum before and after its revision. Methods A literature review was conducted comparing and analyzing the characteristics, significance, and implications of the Singaporean early childhood education curriculum documents before and after revision. Results Firstly, through the revision process, the Singaporean early childhood education curriculum expanded its understanding of children's learning, and emphasized values, socio-emotional competencies, and learning dispositions. Additionally, it streamlined learning areas and altered area names. These changes are aimed at laying the foundation for learning essential for adapting to future society, fostering lifelong learners from early childhood, and enabling them to grow. Secondly, the Singaporean early childhood education curriculum emphasizes the learning of competent learners and underscores the importance of learning experiences tailored for this purpose. It emphasizes the formation of children's competencies and consistently stresses the intention and role of educators. Furthermore, it encourages interest in assessing children's learning, providing guidance on specific learning content and observable behaviors. Conclusions Through exploring the Singaporean early childhood education curriculum, insights were gained into various content and structures that can be incorporated into educational curriculum documents. It also suggests the need for reflection on the scope of documents that contain this content.

Exploring the Role of Social Media in Transforming Learning to Children: A Case of Selected Private Pre-Primary Schools in Tabora – Tanzania

Globally, technological advancements, particularly the use of social media in transforming learning, significantly impact the effectiveness of children's success in educational settings. This study explores social media's role in transforming children's learning, focusing on private pre-primary schools. It intends to assess the quality of content and the accessibility of social media. Social learning theory by Albert Bandura guides this study, which, in its natural setup, allows descriptive cross-sectional design. A total number of 200 children and 36 teachers were selected to inform this study. The observation checklists were prepared to collect data from teachers, children, and schools, such as St. Francis, Greenlane, Themihill, Ipuli Holly Family, and Matumaini Pre & primary schools. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that transformation in learning using social media depends on the well-established environment. Further, the findings reveal that children accessed the same content from local television and TV cables apart from website sources such as Ubongo Kids and Kilimani Sesame. It was observed that the schools had computer laboratories with computer facilities, electricity sources, and teachers with social media skills. The study recommends that parents and teachers guide children to access information resources relevant to their cognitive development