Early School Years Research Articles

Leading the early years of school: A relational and responsive model of early childhood pedagogical leadership

Early childhood pedagogical leadership has been found to enhance program quality by assisting educators to reach deeper understanding of pedagogical practices. In the early years of school where pedagogical tension resides, research on early childhood pedagogical leadership is scarce. Furthermore, there are few models of early childhood pedagogical leadership that describe how early childhood pedagogical leadership might be enacted in practice. This paper presents a relational model of early childhood pedagogical leadership that was developed from the findings of an investigation into early childhood pedagogical leadership enactment in school settings. The practical elements of pedagogical leadership outlined in this model may assist educators to understand how they can lead continuous improvement while empowering their colleagues and building leadership capability of their team.

Associations of incident myopia and its development with related factors among school-aged children across different grades: a four-year longitudinal study.

To assess the progression of myopia across different academic grades and investigate the associations between potential myopia-related factors and the incidence of myopia at various grade levels. We utilized data from an ongoing longitudinal study that began with grade 1 students across 12 schools. Four waves of annual eye examinations and questionnaire surveys were conducted. Longitudinal analyses were performed on three groups: Group 1 (n = 1223, non-myopic in grade 1) examined factors in grade 1 associated with incident myopia in grade 2; Group 2 (n = 653, non-myopic in grade 2) investigated factors in grade 2 related to incident myopia in grade 3; and Group 3 (n = 746, non-myopic in grade 3) evaluated factors in grade 3 associated with incident myopia in grade 4. The incidence of myopia increased from 4.3% in grade 2 to 21.6% in grade 4. Our findings revealed a consistent positive association between the number of myopic parents and incident myopia in grades 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Outdoor activity in earlier grades showed significant protective effects, reducing the risk of incident myopia in the subsequent grades 2 and 3 (e.g., in Group 1, adjusted HR 0.46 [95% CI 0.24 ~ 0.86]). However, no significant association was observed between outdoor activity in grade 3 and incident myopia in grade 4. It is important to consider the grade level of schoolchildren when addressing myopia control. Implementing early-phase interventions, particularly those emphasizing outdoor activities, may help mitigate the onset and progression of myopia during the earlier school years.

Consequences of parental neglect of academic performance Brazilian child

AbstractThe negative effects of child neglect on the development of children are serious and have far‐reaching negative consequences for children, especially in Brazil, with great social inequality. The research investigated the consequences of neglect for children in their early years of schooling. The academic performance was evaluated in three groups: children with formal notification of neglect, children with suspected unreported neglect and children who did not suffer any form of abuse. Information was collected from different sources: parents/caregivers, teachers and the children themselves. The groups comprised children in their early school years, aged between six and eight. The results showed that neglected children had borderline or clinical levels of school skills and below‐average school performance. The reference group had, for the most part, normal scores and average or above‐average school performance. Considering that school is a protective factor, children with learning difficulties and neglected children need support that favours child development.

Mental health problems identified in early school age and later mental health problems and disorders

Abstract Background Poor mental health in childhood and adolescence youth is an important public health challenge. We aimed to examine the prospective association between mental health problems among primary school children and later diagnosed mental disorders and mental health problems in youth. Methods A prospective cohort study of children participating in school health nurse examination during first years of primary school (approx. 6 years) in 17 municipalities in the capital region of Copenhagen, Denmark, with follow-up until their 16th birthday. Baseline data included information from national population registers and school health nurse records. Outcome variables: mental disorders diagnosed at hospital from approx. age 6 until 16 years (N = 6,930) and school health nurse records of mental health problems at approx. age 16 (N = 11,250). Results Problematic relations to peers in early primary school was associated with later neurodevelopmental disorders, including intellectual disability, autism-spectrum disorder and disorders of hyperactivity and inattention (AOR=4.14, 95% CI 2.15-7.97), and poor home related well-being in youth (AOR=1.67, 95% CI 1.02-2.74). Poor school well-being in early primary school was associated with poor school well-being ten years later (AOR=1.67, 95% CI 1.19-2.34) as well as problematic relations to peers (AOR=1.83, 95% CI 1.08-3.10). Further poor general well-being in early primary school was associated with problematic relations to peers in youth (AOR=2.21, 95% CI 1.17-4.18). Conclusions School health nurses identify a group of children in the early years of primary school with mental health problems and an increased risk of later mental health problems and disorders, and therefore they play an important role in the early identification of children at risk. Key messages • Children with problematic relations to peers have up to a fourfold increased risk of later mental disorders. • The school health nurses play an important role in the early identification of children at risk of later mental health problems.

Coached habitus: Mapping the role of shadow education in shaping students' educational trajectories

AbstractStudies have shown how family (typically parents) and formal institutions (specifically schools and universities) shape individuals' dispositions—or habitus. However, other sites of academic socialisation, such as tutoring centres and coaching institutions (collectively forming a shadow education system), are seldom scrutinised for their role in this process. To address this gap in scholarship, this paper draws on interviews with 30 Indian students who narrated their experiences of shadow education in its diversified form, from schooling and higher education to moving to the United Kingdom for advanced education. The discussion of the research findings unveils how shadow education experiences impact students' (academic) dispositions throughout their scholastic lifespan, thus aiding in nurturing academic selves (in early schooling years), cultivating competitive selves (during the transition to university), harnessing enterprising selves (when transitioning within and from university education) and developing transnational selves (as students prepare for international mobility). A synthesis of these empirical realities culminates in introducing a new concept of coached habitus that accounts for the role of shadow education in orchestrating the practices by which students may inculcate specific values, beliefs and habits aiming to prepare them to navigate increasingly competitive educational fields throughout their academic trajectories successfully. The paper argues that shadow education is a key site for habitus formation, particularly in contexts such as India and other Asian countries where non‐formal education is inextricably entwined with everyday schooling experiences.

Sprachsensibler Fachunterricht an „Nationalitätenschulen“ in Regionen mit autochthonen deutschen Minderheiten – Modelle und Herausforderungen

Abstract This article deals with so-called “nationality schools”, educational institutions in which the primary language of instruction generally differs from the language of the majority society. Conceptually, this applies to minority schools in regions with autochthonous German minorities, which since the 1990s have tended to develop into schools of encounter, as the proportion of autochthonous native speakers has fallen to a maximum of 5 percent of the student body. This makes the educational institutions, which are often referred to as elite schools, all the more sought-after by the majority society. The social relevance of these schools is based on a pedagogical concept that transcends national borders in education and training and makes international perspectives a matter of course in early school years. It opens up transnational educational spaces in which linguistic diversity and multilingualism are part of everyday life. Subject lessons at these schools are usually taught in the pupils’ second or foreign language and require language-sensitive subject teaching, which requires the teaching and learning of the subject matter, the educational language of the subject and the foreign language German in equal measure (Content and Language Integrated Learning). Various models are presented for locating the language of education, which illustrate the particular importance of linking language and subject learning. Only mastery of the language of education enables difficult and cognitively demanding contexts to be penetrated linguistically and information to be processed. Educational language is therefore an indispensable prerequisite and at the same time a challenge for subject teaching a second or foreign language. The article shows examples of the educational language tools that need to be taught at different levels and provides a possible structuring aid for teachers and learners by discussing the “scaffolding” model.

An early parenting intervention focused on enriched parent-child interactions improves effortful control in the early years of school.

This study examined long-term mediating effects of the smalltalk parenting intervention on children's effortful control at school age (7.5 years; 2016-2018). In 2010-2012, parents (96% female) of toddlers (N = 1201; aged 12-36 months; 52% female) were randomly assigned to either: standard playgroup, smalltalk playgroup (group-only), or smalltalk playgroup with additional home coaching (smalltalk plus). Multi-informant data indicated that smalltalk plus had unique indirect effects on children's effortful control, through parents' capacity to 'maintain and extend' children's focus during joint interactions. Possible mediating pathways via parent verbal responsivity, home learning activities, and descriptive language use were not supported. When parents received a structured playgroup program with additional home coaching, sustainable benefits were evident in children's self-regulation, assessed in the early school years.

The effects of the 'active before school' programme on the academic skills of 8-9-year-old children: a physically and cognitively engaging intervention.

Literature underscores the significance of exercise and cognitive stimulation for achieving academic success. This study aims to investigate the effects of the technology-based "Active Before the First School Bell" programme, comparing the effects of two school-based interventions (physical activity vs. cognitive engagement) on the academic skills of 8-9-year-old children. This encompasses their school skills, visual-motor coordination, levels and attitudes towards physical activity, and fitness. The study involved 88 primary school children (age: 8.3 years, 58.0% girls). To assess the programme's distinct effects children were categorised into three groups. The first group (n = 31) participated in cognitive classes (CEG), the second (n = 27), in physical activity classes (PAEG), and the third (n = 30), was a control one (CG). A 12-week intervention, consisting of three 15-min sessions per week before school, was implemented. Self-report questionnaires gauged levels of physical activity. Academic skills were assessed using a battery of diagnostic methods for school failure in early childhood education. Fitness was measured using selected items from the Eurofit test battery. Pre- and post-test measures were collected and analysed, employing one-way ANOVA on ranks with Dunn's post-hoc tests. Significant post-test differences between the groups were observed in visual spatial function, with the PAEG outperforming the CG, and in auditory and language functions, where both experimental groups outperformed the CG. Results suggest that before school physical activities may be more effective than cognitive activities in improving the academic skills. The short-term effects obtained provide insights for implementing before-school programmes for children in the early school years.

Racial and gender education in the early school years: An examination of teachers’ reactions to discrimination

Teachers play a vital role in socializing children's anti-biased beliefs. Kindergarten through second grade teachers (N = 147; 99% women; 93% White, non-Hispanic) in the U.S. responded to hypothetical vignettes of peer-based racial and gender discrimination. Content analysis revealed 21 practices across three themes: Anti-Bias, Minimizing, and General. Teachers more frequently referenced Anti-Bias and Minimizing practices and less frequently referenced General practices in gender versus racial contexts. Further, the specific types of Anti-Bias and Minimizing practices were more varied in gender versus racial contexts. Findings have implications for ways teachers promote inclusive spaces for all children, including children of color and girls.

Nyitottság, elhivatottság, patriotizmus. Beszélgetés Szilágyi Istvánnal [Interjú] = Openness, Commitment, Patriotism: Conversation with István Szilágyi [Interview

This interview presents Professor István Szilágyi’s life and the major events in his career. It includes, among other things, the early school and university years, as well as all those by whom his career has been shaped. The semi-structured interview discusses his research activities, his travels and his advice for the younger generation of geographers. Professor István Szilágyi is a retired professor at the University of Pécs and the former Dean of the Faculty of Modern Philology and Social Sciences at Pannon University. He is a renowned researcher in the theory of international relations, geopolitics and political changes in Latin America and the Hispanic world. The Professor has not only published more than hundreds of papers and book chapters in Hungarian, English, German, Russian, Portuguese and Spanish, but also, he is the author of seventeen monographs. Throughout his career, he has developed significant foreign contacts in Latin America and Europe. As a guest professor, he has visited Valladolid, Paris, Cluj-Napoca, Cadiz, Valencia, La Laguna and Dijon, among others. He has also carried out research in Portugal, Brazil, Chile, Russia and Cuba.

Mathematical Concept Representations in the Early Years of School: Analyzing Student’s Errors

In this paper we analyze students’ mathematics errors in the early years of Brazilian school. To achieve this goal, we developed a questionnaire with eight math problems that included basic operations. This instrument was distributed to 76 third-grade students in three different classes from three different schools. To comprehend what caused the errors, we analyzed each question. To perform these analyzes we used the following categories: Errors due to language difficulties; Errors due to difficulties in obtaining spatial information; Errors due to incorrect associations or rigidity of thinking; Errors due to the application of irrelevant rules or strategies; Errors due to deficient mastery of prerequisite skills, facts, and concepts; Incorrect reproduction of the task; Error of counting; Errors in the assemblage of the arithmetic operations; Errors in the summing up with values bigger than ten; and Specific errors of subtraction. We believe that using errors as motivation could improve students' understanding of mathematics. We seek to help teachers (and researchers) identify most of the mistakes made by students in order to recognize them in their classrooms. The results indicated that some of the students' most common errors are in line with what the literature points out, that is, difficulty in translating the problem into mathematical language; difficulties in using the operations algorithms and difficulties in understanding what the problem is asking.

Sustainable School Financial Education: a possibility in the Early Years of Elementary School

School Financial Education is a subject that has yet to be widely disseminated in Brazil, although indicated in official documents. That said, there is a lack of material aimed at children. This research is justified by proposing a Teaching Guide that seeks to respond to the problem of how to work on Sustainable School Financial Education in the Early Years of Primary School. This paper aims to present the results of a doctoral research project that looked at the value of things, the fundamental and the superfluous, ethics, economics, and sustainability. The methodological approach applied was Didactic Engineering. The main result was confirmation of the hypothesis that students aged between 7 and 9 can work on the themes and put their learning into practice.

Performance on curriculum-based mathematics assessments in developmental dyscalculia: the effect of content domain and question format

Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) is characterised by persistent difficulties in learning mathematical skills, which usually becomes apparent in the early years of schooling. Traditionally, DD is known to affect children’s arithmetic processing, whilst other domains of mathematics receive much less research attention. Nevertheless, contemporary diagnostic guidelines suggest that DD is linked to widespread and diverse difficulties, both within and outside of the domain of numbers. This study examined the performance (i.e., accuracy and number of questions attempted) of children on a curriculum-based mathematics assessment, considering the effect of content domains, question format (i.e., multiple-choice questions vs. constructed response questions) and test half. Participants were forty children aged 8 to 11 years old with DD (n = 20) and a carefully matched control group of typically developing children (n = 20) from primary schools in Northern Ireland. Results revealed that the DD group achieved significantly lower scores than the control group across all areas of the curriculum, and the magnitude of group differences was similar across all content domains. These findings indicate that performance in content domains other than in arithmetic may be equally informative in supporting the identification of children with DD. In addition, we found that using multiple-choice questions may support learners with DD in achieving the best outcome, and, thus, could be useful for assessing mathematics skills in dyscalculic children in classroom contexts. Nevertheless, constructed response questions may show the greatest sensitivity to identifying learners at risk, and could be the most useful in diagnostic settings.

Financial literacy in the Early Years of Primary School: children's literature as a proposal for children to reflect on conscious consumption

Financial Literacy is understood as the ability to understand, analyze and apply financial concepts in everyday situations, not necessarily linked to money, but which cover topics such as conscious consumption, sustainability, the environment and other ways of being and relating to the world. Based on this concept, this paper, which is part of a dissertation developed as part of a professional master's degree, aims to present a pedagogical practice carried out at the interface of Literature and Mathematics, designed to address Financial Literacy topics with students in the Early Years of Primary School. The dialogues established with the children raise questions about conscious consumption, sustainability and respect for the environment, topics that run counter to the attitudes encouraged by the consumer society.

Use of 3D foot and ankle puzzle enhances student understanding of the skeletal anatomy in the early years of medical school

Purpose3D visualization is an important part of learning anatomy with cadavers generally used to effectuate this. However, high cost, ethical considerations, and limited accessibility can often limit the suitability of cadavers as teaching tools. Anatomical 3D printed models offer an alternative tool for teaching gross anatomy due to their low cost and accessibility. This study aims to investigate if combing gamification with 3D printed models can enhance the learning experience and be effective for teaching anatomy.Methods3D printed models of the bones of the foot and ankle were generated, and 267 first-year medical students from 2 consecutive cohorts worked in groups to put it together as a puzzle. Participants completed a questionnaire regarding perceptions of 3D models and their knowledge of foot anatomy, before and after the session and were asked to provide comments.ResultsAnalysis of the responses showed a significant increase in the confidence of the learners in their anatomy knowledge and an increased appreciation of the role that 3D models have in enhancing the learning experience. After the session, there were many comments saying how enjoyable and engaging 3D models were.ConclusionThrough the puzzle element of the session, the students were challenged mentally to work out the anatomical features of the foot and ankle. The combined elements of the puzzle and the features of the 3D model assembly made the activity fun and conducive to active learning. The possibility of having fun was not something the students had considered before the session.

An Evaluation of the Experimental Science Teaching Program for Primary Education from the Teachers’ Perspective: An Educational Design Research Journey

The concerns about ensuring scientific literacy for all are underpinned by international recommendations from organizations such as the UN and the OECD for science education. They advocate for science education from a contextualized, sequential, systematic, and active perspective on the students’ learning process, starting from the early years of schooling. It is based on these pedagogical principles that the research project the “Experimental Science Teaching Program” (PEEC) was founded. This article aims to disseminate an evaluation of the PEEC for primary education, which includes a science teaching curriculum proposal, teaching activities and resources (e.g., digital games), and assessment record instruments for learning. This program was developed using an Educational Design Research methodological approach based on iterative cycles, with the collaboration of a multidisciplinary team (e.g., teachers, researchers, and children). For a final evaluation of the PEEC components, we consulted the ten participating teachers through a questionnaire survey one year after the end of their official collaboration. The main results highlight the relevance and appropriateness of the proposals presented for the targeted age group and the assumptions and objectives of science education in terms of the curriculum, teaching resources, and digital assessment games. Teachers also mentioned continuing to use the PEEC resources after their participation in this study. These results underscore the need to expand and promote projects of this nature to contribute to more practical science education in Portugal and, consequently, to increase children’s levels of scientific literacy.

Reciprocal relations between dimensions of attention-deficit/hyperactivity and anxiety disorders from preschool age to adolescence: sex differences in a birth cohort sample.

Symptoms of anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are prospectively related from childhood to adolescence. However, whether the two dimensions of ADHD-inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity-are differentially related to anxiety and whether there are developmental and sex/gender differences in these relations are unknown. Two birth cohorts of Norwegian children were assessed biennially from ages 4 to 16 (N = 1,077; 49% girls) with diagnostic parent interviews used to assess symptoms of anxiety and ADHD. Data were analyzed using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model, adjusting for all unobserved time-invariant confounding effects. In girls, increased inattention, but not hyperactivity-impulsivity, predicted increased anxiety 2 years later across all time-points and increased anxiety at ages 12 and 14 predicted increased inattention but not hyperactivity-impulsivity. In boys, increased hyperactivity-impulsivity at ages 6 and 8, but not increased inattention, predicted increased anxiety 2 years later, whereas increased anxiety did not predict increased inattention or hyperactivity-impulsivity. The two ADHD dimensions were differentially related to anxiety, and the relations were sex-specific. In girls, inattention may be involved in the development of anxiety throughout childhood and adolescence and anxiety may contribute to girls developing more inattention beginning in early adolescence. In boys, hyperactivity-impulsivity may be involved in the development of anxiety during the early school years. Effective treatment of inattention symptoms in girls may reduce anxiety risk at all time-points, while addressing anxiety may decrease inattention during adolescence. Similarly, treating hyperactivity-impulsivity may reduce anxiety risk in boys during late childhood (at ages 8-10).

Towards an advanced mathematical language task for the early primary school years: preliminary results on reliability and validity

Towards an advanced mathematical language task for the early primary school years: preliminary results on reliability and validity

“By Any Means Necessary”: A Case Study Examining How School Leaders Facilitated Community Connectedness in the Early Years of Elementary School

ABSTRACT Elementary school principals play a central role in inducting families into their school communities. As early childhood programs, such as prekindergarten, increasingly become part of elementary schools, this role is expanding. Yet, principals often struggle to establish and maintain such relationships, particularly with many of the historically disenfranchised communities that prekindergarten programs are often designed to serve; these struggles are troubling because success in the early years of schooling can lead to sustained and positive impacts for students as they progress through schooling. Furthermore, few studies have investigated this issue. In this article, we do so by employing Yosso’s Communities of Cultural Wealth to examine how a collection of principals working in Texas described their interactions with the children and families as they entered the early grades of their schools and what these principals hoped these children and families would gain from their early childhood education programs. Our findings revealed strengths and growth areas in their descriptions of fostering the cultural wealth of the children and families entering their schools, which provides an opportunity to consider how to support and train principals as well as the structural changes that need to be addressed to support principals in these activities.

Formation of language competence of a child in many preschool and early school years

Artykuł określa podstawowe koncepcje rozwoju mowy dziecka. Analiza poszczególnych jego etapów połączona jest z przedstawieniem sposobów stymulowania poprzez działania rodziców, opiekunów, a następnie nauczycieli edukacji przedszkolnej i wczesnoszkolnej. Opanowanie przez dziecko elementów języka stanowi o jego kompetencjach komunikacyjnych, a tym samym o skuteczności porozumiewania się w sposób adekwatny do zastałych warunków czy określonej sytuacji. Nieodłącznym elementem nabywania kompetencji językowych przez dziecko jest więc nie tylko bierne słuchanie i powtarzanie zasłyszanych słów czy zwrotów, ale także umiejętne włączanie dziecka w tworzenie własnego języka, budowanie słownika poprzez poprawianie i wzmacnianie wypowiedzi. W artykule zwrócono również uwagę na konieczność stymulowania potrzeby mówienia dziecka, zwłaszcza w początkowej fazie kształcenia. Sposób i jakość przekazu informacji, kontaktu werbalnego z dzieckiem już od okresu prenatalnego ma dla jego rozwoju istotne znaczenie i może dać wymierne efekty w późniejszym czasie. Istotą artykułu jest przekazanie najważniejszych informacji związanych z kształtowaniem mowy u dzieci. Publikacja stanowi formę pomocy naukowej dla studentów pedagogiki oraz nauczycieli z zakresu edukacji przedszkolnej i wczesnoszkolnej. Zawarte w niej treści służą także edukowaniu przyszłych rodziców, których wiedza dotycząca tak zaawansowanego i złożonego procesu, jakim jest rozwój mowy, powinna odgrywać znaczącą rolę w procesie wychowania i kształcenia nowego pokolenia.