Classroom Desk Research Articles

Material Constraints for Assistant-Supported Learning

This paper explores classroom desk interaction where the student has a visual impairment (VIS), and the interaction involves a third supportive party, the student’s learning support assistant. Based on video recordings and multimodal conversation analysis, the paper examines how a VIS, his assistant, and the teacher within a contingent socio-material environment work toward solving an assignment. The analysis is organized following the sequential unfolding of the assignment-solving situation, going from a) determining the need for teacher assistance, b) the recruitment of the teacher’s assistance with the assignment, c) how the participation framework for the joint activity of reviewing the assignment is established with the assistant positioning herself as a fellow “learner”, and d) how the issue is identified and solved. The analysis shows the situated properties of the socio-material environment in which the participants and the local material contingencies are assembled and thus become consequential for the collaborative and observable production of the situation.

Primary school learners’ movement during class time: perceptions of educators in the Western Cape, South Africa

BackgroundOver the last decade, the efficacy of in-classroom movement interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour has been mainly conducted in high-income, developed countries. To date, there have been no published reports on the perceptions of principals and teachers regarding learners’ movement during class time to inform the implementation of classroom-based movement strategies to reduce sedentariness in South Africa.MethodsA sample of primary school principals and grades 5 and 6 teachers from a range of socio-economic categories participated in this exploratory, descriptive qualitative study in the metro central district of the Western Cape Education Department in South Africa. Transcripts of individual depth interviews (IDIs) with principals and focus group discussions (FGDs) with teachers were coded using Atlast ti 9* software for qualitative analysis.ResultsThirteen principals (13 IDIs) and 24 teachers (6 FGDs) participated in the study. Two main factors influencing in-classroom movement, namely teacher-related and structural factors, were identified. The teacher-related factors pertained to their classroom management practice, knowledge and beliefs about sitting, and management style influenced their role in delivering the curriculum and creating a classroom environment conducive for learning. Classroom factors pertained to classroom size, the number of learners in the class and the ergonomic utility of traditional classroom desks. Institutional expectations and acceptance of learners’ behaviour, and teachers’ practice were also notable contributing factors that influenced learners’ movement during class time.ConclusionEmerging evidence about the efficacy of in-classroom movement on sedentary behaviour and learning outcomes challenges traditional teacher practice that sitting is essential for the delivery of the curriculum and for creating an optimal learning environment. Teacher training about the behaviour control utility of in-classroom movement, and school management and policy supportive of in-classroom movement may encourage fidelity to in-classroom movement strategies.

센서와 머신 러닝을 통한 교실 책상 면 조도 예측

The purpose of this study is to predict the desk illumination of the classroom using the results obtained through sensors that can measure the natural lighting environment, and to save energy by dimming the artificial lighting of the classroom. In addition, a theoretical equation for predicting desk illumination through sensor values was produced. However, the desk illumination measured through the theoretical formula had a disadvantage of 70% accuracy and could not consider the blinds in the classroom. Machine learning was conducted to solve these shortcomings. Since constructing a machine learning dataset through actual measurement has time and space limitations, a simulation was produced to construct a dataset. As a result of comparing the produced simulation and the measured value, there was an error within 5%, which was used as machine learning data. There are a total of 192 sets and 1,728 data of natural light sensor values and classroom desk illumination values measured by changing direction, blind use, season, and time through simulation. As a result of learning this through the XGBoost regression model, the simulation value showed an accuracy of 95.4%, and the actual measurement value showed an accuracy of 95.2%. In addition, as a result of predicting desk illumination by natural lighting in each season and calculating the lighting energy saving effect, it was found to have an energy saving effect of 13.0% in winter, 29.6% in spring and fall, and 40.7% in summer.

Effect of a 16-week multi-level classroom standing desk intervention on cognitive performance and academic achievement in adolescents

The replacement of traditional classroom desks for active-permissive desks has been tested to reduce sitting time during classes. However, their impact on other domains is still unclear. We aimed to verify the potential effects of a classroom standing desk intervention on cognitive function and academic achievement in 6th-grade students. This was a controlled trial conducted with two classes [intervention (n = 22) and control (n = 27)] from a public school in Lisbon, Portugal. The intervention was carried out for 16 weeks and consisted of multi-level actions (students, parents, and teachers) centered on the implementation of standing desks in the intervention classroom. The control group had traditional classes with no use of standing desks or any other interference/action from the research team. Pre- and post-assessments of executive functions (attention, inhibitory function, memory, and fluid intelligence) and academic achievement were obtained. No differences between groups were found at baseline. Both groups improved (time effect) academic achievement (p < 0.001), memory span (p < 0.001), and inhibitory function (p = 0.008). Group versus time interactions were observed regarding operational memory (intervention: + 18.0% and control: + 41.6%; p = 0.039) and non-verbal fluid intelligence (intervention: − 14.0% and control: + 3.9%; p = 0.017). We concluded that a 16-week classroom standing desk intervention did not improve cognitive performance or academic achievement more than the traditional sitting classes.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT03137836) (date of first registration: 03/05/2017).

Effects of using standing desks for 45 minutes on the stress and executive function of elementary school students.

Studies have presented data regarding the effects of short-term (weeks) and long-term (one year) use of standing desks in classrooms on children’s health, cognition, and musculoskeletal symptoms. However, no previous study has examined such effects in an extremely short-term period such as one classroom lesson. This study aimed to examine the effects of using standing desks for 45 minutes on elementary school students’ stress and executive function. For this experiment, 56 students were recruited from public elementary schools in Setagayaku, Tokyo, Japan. There were three conditions involving the use of standing desks (standing, sitting, and mixed), and all students performed tasks for 45 minutes in each condition. Measurements of stress and executive function were performed before and after the students engaged with each condition. Stress levels did not differ between the sitting and standing conditions for the full 45 minutes. The number of correct answers in the Stroop test, an interference task, was higher in the standing and mixed conditions (switching between standing and sitting) than in the sitting condition (interaction: F(1,37) = 3.340, p = 0.04, η2 = 0.05). These results indicate that using standing desks for 45 minutes improved the ‘inhibition’ of executive function without excessively increasing stress levels.

TailorEd: Classroom Configuration and Activity Identifiers (CCID &amp; CAID)

INTRODUCTION: The study of how classroom layout and activities affect learning outcomes of students with different demographics is difficult because it is hard to gather accurate information on the minute by minute progression of every class in a course. Furthermore, the process of data gathering must produce an abundance of data to work with and hence must be automated. OBJECTIVES: A machine learning model trained on images of a classroom and thus capable of accurately labeling the classroom layout and activity of many thousands of images much faster and cheaper than employing a human. METHODS: Transfer learning can allow for preexisting computer vision models to be retrained on a smaller, more specific dataset in order to still achieve a highly accurate result. RESULTS: In the case of the classroom layout, the final model achieved an accuracy of 97% on a four category classification. And for detecting the classroom activity, after experimentation with several different versions that could work on a very small sample sizes, the best model achieved an accuracy of 86.17%. CONCLUSION: In addition to showing that using computer vision to determine human activities is possible albeit more difficult than layouts of inanimate objects such as classroom desks, the study shows the differences between the use of self-supervised learning techniques and data augmentation techniques in order to overcome the problem of small training data-sets.

Effects of classroom cleaning on student health: a longitudinal study.

BackgroundSchool districts across the world have been grappling with how to keep their schools open, students healthy, and prevent the spread of viruses in their communities.ObjectiveThe aims of this study included assessing both (1) the effectiveness of enhanced classroom cleaning and disinfecting protocol on surface biocontamination and (2) the associations between surface biocontamination and student absence due to illnesses.MethodsCleaning effectiveness was assessed using quantitative adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements during a 10-week study period in a sample of 34 public schools (15,814 students), of a district located in the Western US. The schools were randomly assigned to 17 intervention schools implementing enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocol and 17 control schools cleaning as usual. General estimating equations (GEEs) were used for modeling associations between ATP levels and weekly aggregates of student absences due to respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses, which were recorded by the schools according to district wide protocol.ResultsThe weekly average ATP levels on logarithmic scale were 5.02 (SD 0.53) and 5.26 (SD 0.48) in the intervention and control schools, respectively, where the difference is statistically significant (p < 0.001). The probability of weekly absence due to gastrointestinal illness was significantly associated with ATP levels (parameter estimate 1.16, 95% CI 1.01–1.34, per unit (log) increase of weekly average ATP), where the model accounts for student level, gender, ethnic group, and socioeconomic status as well as for school level attendance, total absence ratio, and ventilation adequacy in classrooms. Associations were not found between ATP levels and weekly probability of any absence, or absence due to respiratory illness.SignificanceEnhanced cleaning resulted in a significantly lower level of biocontamination on desktops in the intervention group. In addition, a statistically significant association was established between ATP levels on classroom desks and probability of absence due to gastrointestinal illness.ImpactWe found that enhanced cleaning protocol, including bi-weekly cleaning of classroom desks, as well as training of custodians and teachers, monitoring of effectiveness, and feedback, yielded a moderate but statistically significantly lower level of biocontamination on desktops, indicated by quantitative ATP monitoring. Within the range of weekly average desktop ATP levels observed, the probability of reported absence due to gastrointestinal illness is estimated to increase from 0.021 to 0.026. Based on the results, enhanced surface cleaning and monitoring its effectiveness is a possible district, state, or even national level policy to support healthy school environments.

Rethinking the implementation of the revised history curriculum: challenges faced by teachers, learners and principals in selected public secondary schools in Khomas region, Namibia

The purpose for this study was to rethink the implementation of revised History curriculum in Namibia focusing on the Khomas regions, Windhoek. In line with qualitative research the study adopted an interpretivism paradigm, qualitative approach and case study research design. The targeted population consisted of school principals, history teachers and learners in three selected schools in Immanuel Shifidi cluster. Purposeful sampling technique was used to select teachers with three and more years of experience as history teachers. Cluster sampling was used to select learners from School A, B &amp; C. Face to face interviews, non-participant observation and document analysis were used as data collection methods and thematic analysis was used to analyse data collected using these instruments. The study revealed that training and workshops were conducted on the implementation of revised history curriculum but the majority of participants did not attend the in-service training and workshop because only few teachers were selected to be part of the training. The study also revealed that some teachers lacked knowledge in some history topics and concepts which affected the implementation of the curriculum. The challenges faced in the implementation of the revised curriculum were overcrowded in classrooms, lack of textbooks, inadequate resources such as libraries, lack of government funds and lack of time management. The study recommended teachers should make an effort to collaborate with other history teachers in the Immanuel Shifidi circuit. The collaboration forums are intended to aid them in sharing subject knowledge and assisting one another in teaching diverse historical themes and topics. The school administration should seek funding from various companies in Namibia to help create libraries, purchase textbooks for students, and purchase classroom desks. NIED should hold regular training and workshops in various circuits and have a follow up system in place to ensure that the trainings are effective. This will aid teachers in understanding the varied expectations of the new curriculum as well as staying current on curricular revisions. The study further recommends that future researchers should focus on training topics that need to be covered during curriculum in-service trainings and workshops for efficient delivery of revised history curriculum.

Can learning be enhanced with active seating?

Overweightness continues to increase at an exponential rate in children. This coupled with the demand to increase academic time in elementary schools has contributed to efforts to discover solutions that meet both challenges. Potential solutions are movement curricula and active seating options. However, little has been published relative to best practices of their implementation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the lessons learned while utilizing pedal desks in first and second grade classrooms as stations and whole class seating. Additionally, two different types of heart rate monitors (Polar Oh1 and IHT Spirit) were employed, in an attempt to increase pedaling consistency. It was discovered that elementary students can engage adequately in academic lessons while seated at pedal desks and that limitations do exist relative to the usefulness of the pedal desks. Teachers were also able to develop protocol that adequately maintained classroom management and student learning.

Student mood and responses to standing desks in the college classroom

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Physical activity enhances physical health, reduces disease, and resists metabolic syndrome and obesity, while sitting for extended periods of time has a negative effect on long term health outcomes. Thus, reducing sitting time has been identified as a health-enhancing goal. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions and responses of college students to sitting versus standing in class. Five standing desks were placed in a classroom of traditional sitting desks. In a counterbalanced, within subjects design, 88 undergraduate students (age M=21.64, SD=6.55 years) participated in the study. Some participating students first stood at a desk for three consecutive class meetings and then sat for three classes while others sat for three consecutive classes and then stood for three. Surveys were administered at the beginning and end of each class and at the end of six consecutive class sessions. Results indicated that mood was signifi- cantly higher on standing than sitting days, the majority of participants had a favorable perception of the standing-in-class experience, and would use standing stations if the option was available. This study is one of few to examine the viability and response to adding standing desks in college classrooms, and indicates standing desks may be perceived favorably and could be utilized to reduce sitting time.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Use of Community Based Participatory Research to Design Interventions for Healthy Lifestyle in an Alternative Learning Environment.

Introduction/ObjectivesChildhood obesity develops as the result of the interplay between individual and environmental factors. Community based participatory research (CBPR) is an effective tool for improving health of communities. There is limited research on CBPR for facilitating healthy lifestyle in community schools with an alternative learning environment. The objective of the study was to explore student and staff perspectives via focus groups on barriers and facilitators for healthy eating and physical activity in a community school with alternative learning environment and to prioritize, design, and implement suggested interventions to improve healthy lifestyle.MethodsWe conducted qualitative research through 8 focus groups of middle and high school students (n = 40) and 2 focus groups of school staff (n = 8). The school community and research team subsequently identified and implemented interventions for facilitating healthy lifestyle in students within the school environment.ResultsBarriers identified for healthy lifestyle included lack of motivation, lack of healthy food options at school, inadequate knowledge about healthy lifestyle and insufficient opportunities for physical activity. Facilitators for healthy lifestyle were support and motivation from mentors and knowledge about healthy nutrition. Key strategies implemented were addition of healthier food options, educational materials for healthy eating, creation of a walk path, standing desks in classrooms and additional equipment in the school gymnasium.ConclusionsFormative feedback from students and staff was helpful in the implementation of strategies for facilitating healthy lifestyle among students within a community school with an alternative learning environment.

Occurrence of respiratory viruses on school desks

Schools represent high occupancy environments and well-documented high-risk locations for the transmission of respiratory viruses. The goal of this study was to report on the area density, occurrence, and type of respiratory viruses on desks in primary school classrooms. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) techniques were employed to measure nucleic acid area densities from a broad range of human adenoviruses and rhinoviruses, as well as coronavirus OC43, influenza A, and norovirus GI. Every two weeks, virus monitoring was conducted on the desks of four primary school classrooms in Colorado, USA, during the 2019 respiratory virus season. DNA and RNA from respiratory viruses and norovirus were recovered from more than 20% of the desks sampled; occurrence patterns that indicate a greater than 60% probability of encountering any virus, if more than five desks were occupied in a day. Rhinoviruses and adenoviruses were the most commonly detected viruses as judged by the composite of occurrence and number of gene copies recovered. Desktop adenosine triphosphate monitoring did not predict the recovery of viral genomic materials on desks. School desks can be commonly contaminated with respiratory viruses. Genomic surveys of the identity, distribution and abundance of human viruses on "high-touch" surfaces, can help inform risk assessments, design cleaning interventions, and may be useful for infection surveillance.

Measuring the Lighting Quality in Academic Institutions: The UPM Faculty of Aerospace Engineering (Spain)

This article analyzes the current status of the lighting quality at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Aeronáutica y del Espacio (ETSIAE), the aerospace engineering faculty at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), and evaluates possible improvement actions based on the use of DIALux® lighting simulation software together with measured data. The results show rather low levels of measured illuminance on classroom desks and blackboards in one of the buildings comprising the faculty. The improvements proposed (a new coat of paint on the walls and replacement of luminaires) were simulated in four individual classrooms representing all rooms in two of the ETSIAE buildings (where the lower illuminance levels were measured). In order to study these improvements, the current situation of the four selected classrooms was simulated using DIALux® and fine-tuning attenuation of the luminaires to take into account their wear and tear. The correlation between the DIALux® simulation and the test results was analyzed with quite good results. The results clearly reveal a need to fully replace the classroom lighting systems in ETSIAE building A (the oldest building, dating back to 1955). According to the results from the selected classrooms, the average lighting over the desks can be greatly improved by using LED technology in order to meet UNE 12464-1 standard (that is, 500 lx, from an initial situation with much lower illuminance values: 129 lx to 295 lx). This article represents an innovative way to perform lighting improvement projects as real measured lighting data is used as initial input for the lighting simulations.

Teachers' Perspective on Strategies to Reduce Sedentary Behavior in Educational Institutions.

Standing desks and physical activity breaks can counteract the negative consequences of sedentarism at school. However, the implementation of these strategies should not restrict the pedagogical process. The aim of this study was to assess teachers’ perspectives on strategies to reduce sedentary behavior (SB) of students in the classroom. An online survey was conducted, and the answers were analyzed using descriptive statistics and frequency distribution. The relationships between the variables were assessed using Spearman’s coefficient and a chi-square test. Most teachers believed that a student–furniture mismatch was present. The most common reasons given for not using standing desks were concerns about desks being uncommon and their potential to disrupt the class. However, the majority of the teachers believed it feasible to perform physical activity (PA) breaks during classes. Further intervention studies are needed to determine for which courses the use of standing desks are feasible, for what time periods standing desks should be used, and the appropriate number and layout of standing desks in classrooms.

Experiential Learning From a Classroom Desk: Exploring Student Perceptions of Applied Coursework

Experiential learning promotes the development of a variety of skill competencies that will better prepare sport management students to enter the industry. In order to maximize opportunities for experiential learning, many sport management curricula incorporate applied coursework options in addition to internships, because the classroom serves as an important conduit for preprofessional learning in which faculty can both supervise and mentor students. It has become increasingly important to delineate the pedagogical and professional value of students’ experience of applied learning, because more programs have integrated these types of experiences into coursework; however, there has been limited research exploring this topic. Anchored in qualitative-data collection with students enrolled in four different applied courses, this research identifies three themes—curricular freedom, skill development, and relationship building—that highlight the categorical benefits and nuanced mechanisms through which knowledge is transferred in and through applied coursework.

Effects of Installing Height-Adjustable Standing Desks on Daily and Domain-Specific Duration of Standing, Sitting, and Stepping in 3rd Grade Primary School Children.

Background: Aim of this intervention study was to evaluate whether availability of standing desks in classrooms may reduce sitting time and enhance standing and stepping time during lessons and breaks. Further, we evaluated if differences in standing desk use differed by physical fitness (PF) levels of children.Methods: To assess sitting, standing and stepping during a typical school week in 3rd grade primary school children (N = 52), activPAL monitors were used at baseline: T0, 1st follow-up: T1 and 2nd follow-up: T2. At baseline, PF was measured using the standing long jump and the 6-min jog-walk to assign children as having low PF (LPF) or high PF (HPF). Standing desks were assigned randomly to intervention and control groups at T1 (group 1) and T2 (group 2) with a cross-over design. Changes of sitting, standing and stepping were analyzed to investigate intervention effects at follow-up, using linear mixed models.Results: At baseline, children spent about 60 and 30% of time sitting during lessons and breaks, respectively. After installing standing desks (T1), significantly lower proportions of sitting were observed in the intervention group 1 [−13.1%, 95%-CI: (−20.5; −5.72)] and the control group 2 [−9.78%, 95%-CI: (−17.3; −2.28)]. Compared to the baseline measurement (T0), lower proportions of sitting were particularly expressed during school breaks in group 1 and 2 after intervention in T1 [group 1: −10.3%, 95%-CI: (−16.4; −4.25)] or in T2 [group 2: −8.59%, 95%-CI: (−15.2; −1.94)]. In general, children with higher physical fitness were less sedentary and more active, but intervention effects did not differ by fitness levels.Conclusion: Standing desks provide an opportunity to reduce sedentary time during lessons and breaks at school in primary school children, but do not directly increase PA of high intensity such as stepping. Future studies should consider potential bandwagon effects caused by structural interventions.

Sit–stand desks to reduce sedentary behaviour in 9- to 10-year-olds: the Stand Out in Class pilot cluster RCT

BackgroundSedentary behaviour (sitting) is a highly prevalent negative health behaviour, with individuals of all ages exposed to environments that promote prolonged sitting. The school classroom represents an ideal setting for environmental change through the provision of sit–stand desks.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to undertake a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial of the introduction of sit–stand desks in primary school classrooms, to inform a definitive trial. Objectives included providing information on school and participant recruitment and retention, acceptability of the intervention, and outcome measures. A preliminary estimate of the intervention’s effectiveness on the proposed primary outcome (change in weekday sitting time) for inclusion in a definitive trial was calculated, along with a preliminary assessment of potential cost-effectiveness. A full process evaluation was also undertaken.DesignA two-armed pilot cluster randomised controlled trial with economic and qualitative evaluations. Schools were randomised on a 1 : 1 basis to the intervention (n = 4) or control (n = 4) trial arms.SettingPrimary schools in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK.ParticipantsChildren in Year 5 (i.e. aged 9–10 years).InterventionSix sit–stand desks replaced three standard desks (sitting six children) in the intervention classrooms for 4.5 months. Teachers were encouraged to ensure that all pupils were exposed to the sit–stand desks for at least 1 hour per day, on average, using a rotation system. Schools assigned to the control arm continued with their usual practice.Main outcome measuresTrial feasibility outcomes included school and participant recruitment and attrition, acceptability of the intervention, and acceptability of and compliance with the proposed outcome measures [including weekday sitting measured using activPAL™ (PAL Technologies Ltd, Glasgow, UK) accelerometers, physical activity, adiposity, blood pressure, cognitive function, musculoskeletal comfort, academic progress, engagement and behaviour].ResultsThirty-three per cent of schools approached and 75% (n = 176) of eligible children took part. At the 7-month follow-up, retention rates were 100% for schools and 97% for children. Outcome measure completion rates ranged from 63% to 97%. A preliminary estimate of intervention effectiveness, from a weighted linear regression model (adjusting for baseline sitting time and wear time) revealed a mean difference in change in sitting of –30.6 minutes per day (95% confidence interval –56.42 to –4.84 minutes per day) between the intervention and control trial arms. The process evaluation revealed that the intervention, recruitment and evaluation procedures were acceptable to teachers and children, with the exception of minor issues around activPAL attachment. A preliminary within-trial economic analysis revealed no difference between intervention and control trial arms in health and education resource use or outcomes. Long-term modelling estimated an unadjusted incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of Stand Out in Class of £78,986 per quality-adjusted life-year gained.ConclusionThis study has provided evidence of the acceptability and feasibility of the Stand Out in Class intervention and evaluation methods. Preliminary evidence suggests that the intervention may have a positive direction of effect on weekday sitting time, which warrants testing in a full cluster randomised controlled trial. Lessons learnt from this trial will inform the planning of a definitive trial.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN12915848.FundingThis project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full inPublic Health Research; Vol. 8, No. 8. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Stand Out in Class: restructuring the classroom environment to reduce sitting time \u2013 findings from a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial

BackgroundExcessive sedentary behaviour (sitting) is a risk factor for poor health in children and adults. Incorporating sit-stand desks in the classroom environment has been highlighted as a potential strategy to reduce children’s sitting time. The primary aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of conducting a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a sit-stand desk intervention within primary school classrooms.MethodsWe conducted a two-armed pilot cluster RCT involving 8 primary schools in Bradford, United Kingdom. Schools were randomised on a 1:1 basis to the intervention or usual practice control arm. All children (aged 9–10 years) in participating classes were eligible to take part. Six sit-stand desks replaced three standard desks (sitting 6 children) in the intervention classrooms for 4.5-months. Teachers were encouraged to use a rotation system to ensure all pupils were exposed to the sit-stand desks for > 1 h/day on average. Trial feasibility outcomes (assessed using quantitative and qualitative measures) included school and participant recruitment and attrition, intervention and outcome measure completion rates, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of the intervention for reducing sitting time. A weighted linear regression model compared changes in weekday sitting time (assessed using the activPAL accelerometer) between trial arms.ResultsSchool and child recruitment rates were 33% (n = 8) and 75% (n = 176). At follow-up, retention rates were 100% for schools and 97% for children. Outcome measure completion rates ranged from 63 to 97%. A preliminary estimate of intervention effectiveness revealed a mean difference in change in sitting of − 30.6 min/day (95% CI: − 56.42 to − 4.84) in favour of the intervention group, after adjusting for baseline sitting and wear time. Qualitative measures revealed the intervention and evaluation procedures were acceptable to teachers and children, except for some problems with activPAL attachment.ConclusionThis study provides evidence of the acceptability and feasibility of a sit-stand desk intervention and evaluation methods. Preliminary evidence suggests the intervention showed potential in reducing children’s weekday sitting but some adaptations to the desk rotation system are needed to maximize exposure. Lessons learnt from this trial will inform the planning of a definitive trial.Trial registrationISRCTN12915848 (registered: 09/11/16).

Distorção idade-série de estudantes paulistas com e sem necessidades educacionais especiais

&lt;p&gt;O estudo visou a analisar a distorção idade-série de estudantes paulistas da educação básica, comparando-se aqueles designados como público-alvo da educação especial (PAEE) em relação aos demais. Os dados foram extraídos do Censo Escolar, com amostra segmentada de estudantes de 48 cidades paulistas, no período histórico de 2008 a 2014, considerando-se o ano de nascimento e a série do estudante. Os resultados evidenciaram, em relação ao PAEE, entrada tardia na educação infantil, proporção muito mais elevada de distorção idade-série concentrada já nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental, e falta de evolução nesses indicadores ao longo da série histórica dos sete primeiros anos de vigência da política de inclusão escolar. Conclui-se que é preciso avançar para que, mais do que uma carteira em uma classe comum, o país assegure de fato o direito à educação para o público-alvo de educação especial e torne suas escolas mais inclusivas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Palavras-chave&lt;/strong&gt;: Educação Especial, Defasagem Idade-Série, Estatística da Educação Especial, Censo Escolar.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Distorsión edad-año escolar de estudiantes de São Paulo con y sin necesidades educativas especiales &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;El estudio tuvo el propósito de analizar la distorsión edad-año escolar de estudiantes de São Paulo de educación básica, comparando los designados como público-objetivo de la educación especial (PAEE) a los demás. Los datos se obtuvieron en el Censo Escolar, con una muestra segmentada de alumnos de 48 ciudades de São Paulo, en el periodo histórico de 2008 a 2014, considerándose el año de nacimiento y el año escolar del estudiante. Los resultados pusieron de manifiesto en relación ao PAEE un ingreso tardío en educación infantil, proporción mucho más elevada de distorsión edad-año escolar concentrada ya en los primeros años de educación fundamental, y falta de evolución en estos indicadores a lo largo de la serie histórica de los siete primeros años de vigencia de la política de inclusión escolar. Se concluye que hay que avanzar para que, más que un asiento en una clase común, el país con efecto asegure el derecho a la educación al público-objetivo de educación especial y haga que sus escuelas sean más inclusivas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Palabras clave:&lt;/strong&gt; Educación Especial, Desfase Edad-Año Escolar, Estadística de la Educación Especial, Censo Escolar.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Age-grade distortion of students from São Paulo with and without special educational needs&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This study aimed to analyze the age-grade distortion of basic education students from the state of São Paulo, comparing the target population of special education (PAEE) to the others. The data were collected from the School Census, with a quota sample of students from 48 cities in São Paulo, in the historical period from 2008 to 2014, considering the student’s birth year and grade. In relation to the PAEE, the results showed a late entry into early childhood education, a much higher proportion of age-grade distortion concentrated already in the initial years of basic education, and a lack of evolution in these indicators along the historical series of the first seven years of the school inclusion policy. It can be concluded that there is a need to move forward so that, more than simply providing a desk in a regular classroom, the country can effectively ensure the right to education for the target population of special education and make its schools more inclusive.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keywords:&lt;/strong&gt; Special Education, Age-Grade Distortion, Statistics of Special Education, School Census.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;

Agenda Ambiental na Administração Pública (A3P) como instrumento de gestão de inservíveis em Escola Pública Estadual de Salvador, Bahia

A gestão ambiental é fundamental para o desenvolvimento sustentável e deve contemplar cuidados no gerenciamento de resíduos sólidos (RS) gerados em escolas, considerando os instrumentos de políticas públicas para a viabilização desses processos. Este artigo tem como principal objetivo analisar o papel da Agenda Ambiental na Administração Pública (A3P) como contribuição para se pensar a gestão de materiais inservíveis em escolas públicas estaduais, visando obter elementos para práticas sustentáveis. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório, delineado por levantamento fotográfico e observação in loco da disposição e armazenamento de cadeiras e carteiras escolares em uma escola pública. Esta pesquisa documental tem como base legal a Lei nº 12.305/10 e como instrumento principal de análise a Cartilha Agenda Ambiental na Administração Pública (A3P), além da Portaria Conjunta SAEB/SEC, nº 036 de 24 de abril de 2015, que orienta sobre a retirada de bens móveis inservíveis em órgãos públicos. Os resultados apontaram uma gestão ambiental inadequada durante o descarte e a disposição interna de bens móveis escolares. A A3P pode contribuir com elementos para incorporação de princípios sobre responsabilidade socioambiental e práticas ambientais sustentáveis, que incluem a política dos RS e a Educação Ambiental para uma gestão e gerenciamento adequado dos resíduos gerados nas escolas públicas estaduais.