Grade Elementary School Children Research Articles

Effects of an extracurricular science intervention on elementary school children's epistemic beliefs: A randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundFurther developing students’ thinking about knowledge and knowing in science (epistemic beliefs) is considered a normative goal of science education in many countries around the world, even for elementary‐school‐aged children.AimsThe goal of the present study was to introduce and evaluate a new intervention in science education aimed at developing children's epistemic beliefs, epistemic curiosity, and investigative interests. The intervention included an inquiry‐based learning approach as well as reflections on epistemic issues because these methods are currently seen as most promising for fostering students’ epistemic beliefs.SampleData were collected from 65 elementary school children in Grades 3 and 4 (58.46% boys, age: M = 8.73, SD = 0.60) who participated in a voluntary extracurricular STEM enrichment programme in south‐west Germany.MethodsWe investigated the effectiveness of the intervention by applying a randomized block design with a treated control group and repeated measures. The effectiveness of the intervention was analysed via multiple linear regression analyses.ResultsThe results indicated that the children assigned to the intervention developed more sophisticated epistemic beliefs and a higher level of epistemic curiosity than the children assigned to the control condition. No intervention effects were found on investigative interests.ConclusionsThe results provide initial evidence for the effectiveness of the intervention and demonstrate that it is possible to improve epistemic beliefs among elementary school children in Grades 3 and 4. The study provides a starting point for understanding how young children develop epistemic beliefs.

PENGEMBANGAN BOOKLET DAN VIDEO EDUKASI KESEHATAN GIGI DALAM MENURUNKAN DERAJAT KEBERSIHAN GIGI DAN MULUT PADA ANAK KELAS V SD

Upaya peningkatan kesehatan gigi dan mulut dapat dilakukan dengan tindakan preventif dan kuratif. Upaya preventif atau pencegahan penyakit gigi dan mulut mendapat prioritas utama.Insiden penyakit gigi yang tinggi pada masyarakat di wilayah Pondok Meja belum tertangani secara optimal. Rendahnya tingkat pendidikan mendukung kurangnya kesadaran akan pentingnya kesehatan gigi dan mulut masyarakat. Latar belakang ini menyebabkan kurangnya kemauan untuk melakukan perawatan penyakit gigi dan mulut khususnya anak usia dini baik di puskesmas maupun instansi kesehatan yang lain. 
 Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengembangan booklet dan video edukasi kesehatan gigi dalam menurunkan derajat kebersihan gigi dan mulut pada Anak Kelas V SD. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian Quasi eksperimen dan pengumpulan data dari data primer yang diperoleh dari observasi derajat kebersihan gigi dan mulut (OHI-S), dan perilaku kesehatan gigi dan pengisian kuesioner. Sampel sebanyak 80 orang.
 Hasil penelitian telah dihasilkan booklet dan video edukasi kesehatan gigi dan mulut dalam menurunkan derajat kebersihan gigi dan mulut pada anak kelas V SD. Dari analisis booklet dan video edukasi kesehatan gigi efektif dalam menurunkan derajat kebersihan gigi dan mulut pada anak kelas V SD ditunjukkan dengan nilai signifikansi pada 0,000 (p < 0,05). Disarankan tenaga kesehatan gigi dalam melaksanakan pelayanan asuhan agar menerapkan edukasi kesehatan gigi dengan menggunakan booklet dan video pada anak kelas V SD.

Factors Associated with Mindful Food Parenting Practices

Background and Purpose: The prevalence of childhood obesity remains a concern in the United States and puts children at risk for poor health. As parents are the primary caretakers of their children, the practice of mindful food parenting may help parents moderate their child’s food consumption and food choices. The purpose of this research was to identify the factors associated with mindful food parenting practices among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white parents in two low-income schools in rural northern California. Methods: Two hundred ninety three parents of 3rd through 5th grade elementary school children completed a four part mindful food parenting practices survey developed to measure the factors associated with mindful food parenting practices. Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed four mindful food parenting practices domains which were positively associated with several mindful food parenting practices such as eating family meals together and present-centered awareness (p=0.001) and cooking meals at home and hungerfullness awareness (p=0.001). Several demographic variables were associated with the mindful food parenting practices. Conclusions: As parents are more mindful and attentive to their child’s eating behaviors, there is a greater potential for a positive parental impact on their child’s food intake and types of foods consumed, and indirectly, the health of their child.

KAJIAN EFEKTIVITAS PUZZLE GAME AKSARA BALI SEBAGAI MEDIA PENDUKUNG PEMBELAJARAN BAGI ANAK SEKOLAH DASAR DI DENPASAR

Literacy is a system of graphical signs or visual symbols of the language that people use to communicate. Balinese script is a mother tongue for Balinese people, which is still used for the benefit of social order and religious ceremonies.For this reason, Balinese script is very important to learn and understand from an early age.But its existence is now increasingly marginalized, along with the times.In its current development, the interest of children to learn Balinese script is decreasing.One of the factors causing a reduction in children's interest in learning Balinese script is a learning system by using conventional media with lectures in class and guided by manuals or student worksheets that contain more text than illustrative illustrations, so that it becomes less interesting and boring. So that learning supporting media is needed, with Balinese Script Puzzle Game that are in accordance with the Balinese Language curriculum for grade 1-3 elementary school children.The purpose of this study was to examine the extent of the effectiveness of the Balinese Script Puzzle Game as a supporter of Balinese script learning and preservation of Balinese script for technology-based grade 1-3 elementary school children.The research method used is qualitative and quantitative methods by going through several stages, among others, beginning with observations by observing the extent to which interest in elementary school children in grades 1-3 on the Balinese Script Puzzle Game,and observe changes that occur after trying to use the Balinese Script Game Puzzle as a supporter of Balinese Script learning. The next stage is doing sampling and measuring the level of effectiveness based on the data obtained and the measurement scale.

Effects of an instructional program for 5th and 6th grade children with negative feelings toward sprinting

This study was performed to devise an instructional program for children who were not good at sprinting and to verify the program’s effectiveness for improvement of sprinting ability and motion. The participants were 19 upper grade elementary school children who were not good at sprinting. The program included 2 drills with some teaching devices and running on flat markers. The children attended the program for 8 days (2 days per week) and each lesson lasted an hour. In order to validate the program outcome, sprint time (50 m), interval speed (every 10 m), average speed, maximal speed, rate of speed decline, interval and average step frequency and step length were analyzed, and sprint motions were evaluated. The results were as follows: 1) Most of the children’s 50 m times were below the national average. This suggested that their negative feelings toward sprinting resulted from the realization that they were unable to run as fast as other children. 2) The children’s sprint times were improved after the program, and a significant correlation between pre-time and post-pre time was revealed. It was also found that the greater the increase in the children’s step frequency, the faster their sprint times became. These results suggest that sprinting instruction allows low-performing children to increase their step frequency and improve their sprint times. 3) The main aim of the program was to improve children’s sprint motions in the mid sprint phase, and the participants practiced start motions only twice during the program. As a result, speeds from the start to 10 m, 20-50 m, and maximum speed were increased significantly by this practice, suggesting that significant changes of speed led to improvement of the sprint times. 4) Participants became able to swing back their leg under their body and to make contact with the ground with the middle or front of the foot. Therefore it was considered that the drills and running on flat markers with teaching devices were valuable for improving the children’s sprint motions. 5) Although the scissors-like leg motion was not improved by practice with a color board and bells, the kneefolding motion of the swing leg did appear to be improved. Therefore, the children seemed to acquire basic skill in more rapid scissors-like leg motion. These results suggest that our instructional program was effective in enabling children to improve their sprinting ability and motion. However, additional research focusing on aspects such as the relationship between sprinting ability and sprint motion, or individual feelings and motor competency in the context of sprinting, will be needed.

Who is the Teacher and Who is the Student? The Dual Service- and Engaged-Learning Pedagogical Model of Anatomy Academy

Anatomy Academy is a simultaneous service-learning experience for preprofessional school undergraduate students and preclinical professional students acting as classroom paraprofessional teachers (Mentors), and engaged-learning experience for fourth to sixth grade elementary school children (Students). Using didactic and kinesthetic active learning teaching strategies in small-group classroom environments, Mentors taught anatomy, physiology, and nutrition concepts to Students. In this study of the program’s early years (2012-2014), overall objectives of improving Mentors’ pedagogical confidence; and Students’ science interest, science knowledge, and exercise self-efficacy were assessed. Mentors showed (89% response of 595 surveyed) improvement in content delivery (P < .001), student engagement (P < .001), classroom management (P < .001), and professionalism (P = .0001). Postprogram Mentor reflections were categorized into 7 major themes that demonstrated personal growth through the service-learning opportunity: (1) realization of an ability to make a difference in the world now; (2) acknowledgment of the importance of listening in teaching; (3) recognition that lives can and will change with “a little love”; (4) insight into the effectiveness of guiding Students through material rather than lecturing; (5) awareness of the value of respect in the learning environment; (6) cognizance of the power of individualized attention to motivate Students; and (7) reflection of one’s own personal growth through the open influence of Students. Students showed (88% response of 1259 surveyed) improvement in science knowledge (P = .014) and exercise self-efficacy (P = .038), but not science interest (P = .371). Thus, while Students are learning more science and becoming more aware of their health, we need to be more overt in our presence as scientists in the educational arena.

Community Gun Violence as a Social Determinant of Elementary School Achievement

ABSTRACTThe association of indirect exposure to firearm-related violence and standardized test scores among third grade elementary school children were analyzed using geospatial mapping of police department data for all gunshots in Syracuse, NY (n = 2, 127) and state standardized test scores from 2009-2015. Confirmed gunshots were geocoded and mapped across the city and neighborhood school catchment areas. Third grade standardized New York State test scores for English Language Arts (ELA) and math were coded as dichotomous variables of proficient and below proficient scores. State standardized test scores for ELA and math were found to be 50% lower in the elementary schools located within higher concentration gunshot areas, than in elementary schools in lower gunshot areas. Higher levels of gun violence within school catchment areas were significantly associated with higher rates of ELA and math failure (p ≤ .05). These findings suggest that community violence may be an important, though under recognized, social determinant of poor school performance.

"초등학교 1-3학년 ADHD 아동의 말하기, 읽기, 쓰기에서 연음 발달 연구"

"초등학교 1-3학년 ADHD 아동의 말하기, 읽기, 쓰기에서 연음 발달 연구"

The Relationship between Attachment and Children’s Friendship Network and Friendship Quality: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Empathy

This study investigated associations between attachment and friendship. This study also examined the mediating effects of empathy on the association between two variables. Participants consisted of 4th to 6th grade elementary school children including 173 boys and 141 girls. Two elementary schools were located in Seoul and Bucheon. Children participated in a peer nomination interview. They nominated their three most liked peers. Children’s responses to the best friend of the peer nomination identified the children’s best friends. A Friendship Quality Scale measured children’s positive friendship quality and friendship satisfaction. Children completed the Inventory of the Parent and Peer Attachment Scale that assessed maternal and paternal attachment. In addition, they completed a children’s version of the Empathy Quotient that measured empathy. Pearson’s correlation and Structural Equation Modeling were used to analyse the data. The results indicated that attachment had a direct influence on friendship network. Children who had the high levels of attachment security had large friendship network. However, attachment did not have a significant effect on friendship quality. Moreover, empathy had mediating effects on the association between attachment and friendship quality as well as the friendship network. The results of this research highlight the importance of attachment and empathy on children’s friendship. Keywords: attachment, empathy, friendship

Relationship between maternal knowledge of balanced nutritional guidelines and snack food selection by school-aged children at school

Eating behavior of school-aged children was dominated by street foods. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between maternal knowledge of balanced nutritional guidelines and snack food selection by school-aged children during school hours. This also aims to describe each demographic data and level of mother's knowledge. This study conducted a descriptive correlational design. The participants were selected using simple random sampling technique, consisting of 4th and 5th grade elementary school children and their mothers in SDN Tugu 4, Depok City, Indonesia. Demographic data were also taken for each. The instruments used the Food Frequency Questionnaire and questions about the balanced nutritional guidelines. Statistical analysis conducted a univariate (descriptive) and bivariate (relationship) analysis. Bivariate analysis used independent t test and ANOVA test, using (P value < 0.05) to indicate a significant relationship. A total of 118 elementary students and their mothers participated. The results showed that there was no significant relationship between maternal knowledge of balanced nutritional guidelines and snack food behavior by children during school hours (P = 0.108). Level of knowledge of the mothers on balance nutritional guidelines was dominantly moderate (58.4%). Parents no longer became a major factor influencing the child's diet. Peers have more influence on the diet of children this age. This study points to the importance of education on healthy and safe snack foods for school-aged children in collaboration with peers, parents, teachers, and food vendors at school.

Oral health literacy of upper grade elementary school children

Oral health literacy of upper grade elementary school children

Do Children with Better Inhibitory Control Donate More? Differentiating between Early and Middle Childhood and Cool and Hot Inhibitory Control.

Inhibitory control may play an important part in prosocial behavior, such as donating behavior. However, it is not clear at what developmental stage inhibitory control becomes associated with donating behavior and which aspects of inhibitory control are related to donating behavior during development in early to middle childhood. The present study aimed to clarify these issues with two experiments. In Experiment 1, 103 3- to 5-year-old preschoolers completed cool (Stroop-like) and hot (delay of gratification) inhibitory control tasks and a donating task. The results indicated that there were no relationships between cool or hot inhibitory control and donating behavior in the whole group and each age group of the preschoolers. In Experiment 2, 140 elementary school children in Grades 2, 4, and 6 completed cool (Stroop-like) and hot (delay of gratification) inhibitory control tasks and a donating task. The results showed that inhibitory control was positively associated with donating behavior in the whole group. Cool and hot inhibitory control respectively predicted donating behavior in the second and sixth graders. Therefore, the present study reveals that donating behavior increasingly relies on specific inhibitory control, i.e., hot inhibitory control as children grow in middle childhood.

고유-전정감각 중심의 감각통합 중재가 초등학교 저학년 아동의 글씨쓰기와 소운동에 미치는 영향

목적 : 본 연구는 고유-전정감각 중심의 감각통합 중재가 초등학교 저학년 아동의 글씨쓰기와 소근육 능력 향상에 영향을 미치는지 알아보고자 하였다. 연구방법 : 본 연구는 부산 소재 초등학교에 재학 중인 저학년 아동 8명을 대상으로 단일집단 사전-사후 설계(one group pretest-posttest design)를 사용하였다. 2016년 5월에서 10월까지 주 2회, 총 14회기의 고유-전정감각 중심의 감각통합중재를 실시하였으며 글씨쓰기와 소근육 능력에 대한 측정은 한글자모쓰기검사와 Bruininks- Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP)의 Fine motor영역 검사를 실시하였다. 결과 : 중재 후 한글자모쓰기검사 결과 자음쓰기와 전체 총점은 통계적으로 유의한 차이를 나타냈으며 모음쓰기는 통계적으로 유의한 차이는 없었으나 점수의 향상을 나타내 글씨쓰기 능력의 향상을 나타냈다. BOTMP-Fine motor결과 Response Speed항목은 통계적으로 유의한 차이를 나타냈으며 Visual-Motor control항목은 중재 전후로 점수의 증가가 있었으나 통계적으로 유의한 차이는 없었다. 결론 : 본 연구는 고유-전정감각 중심의 감각통합 중재가 초등학교 저학년 아동의 글씨쓰기와 소근육 능력 향상에 긍정적 영향을 미치는 것을 확인하였다.

Positive Youth Development Among Diverse Racial-Ethnic Children: Quality Afterschool Contexts as Developmental Assets.

Positive youth development (PYD) deserves more empirical attention, particularly among children of diverse racial-ethnic backgrounds. Given the need among families for monitoring and supervision during out-of-school time, community-based afterschool is a potentially promotive ecological setting. This study explores the quality of afterschool experiences upon PYD. This multimethod study includes over 500 elementary school children in Grades 2-5 (Mage =8.80, SD=1.12). The sample comprises of 49% White, 27% African American, 7% Latino, and 17% mixed race/others with 45% free/reduced lunch eligible children. In multilevel models, independently observed quality across time positively impacted competence, connection, caring for all youth, and cultural values for racial-ethnic minority youth. Afterschool fosters PYD, including sociocultural dimensions, when comprised of appropriately structured, supportive, and engaging interactions.

SNAP® For Schools: Impact on Internalizing Symptoms

Stop Now And Plan (SNAP®) is an empirically supported cognitive behavioural program for children identified as presenting with externalizing problems. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the implementation of the SNAP® for Schools program as a universal prevention program for children not identified as presenting with internalizing or externalizing problems, specifically, whether the program would lead to reductions in emotion dysregulation, anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and anxiety sensitivity. It was hypothesized that the SNAP® for Schools program would reduce emotion dysregulation and internalizing constructs in non-identified, school-aged children. The sample consisted of elementary school children in Grades 3 and 4. Participating children completed a battery of symptom measures one week pre- (n = 65) and post-SNAP® (n = 57) as well as one month after (n = 54) completing SNAP® in their classrooms. For children who scored in the upper 10% on the measure total and/or subscale scores, reductions in emotion dysregulation, anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity were observed. Findings contribute to a better understanding of the effectiveness of SNAP® for reducing emotion dysregulation and internalizing symptoms in children with elevated internalizing symptoms and emotion dysregulation. Limitations and future directions are discussed.Keywords: Stop Now and Plan®; universal prevention program; internalizing symptoms; emotion dysregulation; cognitive behaviour therapy

Acquiring a Taste: Alcohol Experiences of German Elementary School Children

Few data are available on alcohol experiences among elementary school children, although early onset and trying of alcohol use is known to be a risk factor for adolescent alcohol abuse. Until now, research leaves open the question on which factors encourage early trying behavior. In a cross-sectional study design, a written survey was conducted in 49 randomly selected elementary schools in Germany. The survey was carried out among 3rd and 4th graders with a median age of 9 years during class time in the school year 2010/2011. 1806 questionnaires were included in the study. The risk behavior of having tried alcohol was analyzed. A total of 37.7% (n = 681) of all children reported to have already tried alcohol. While grade and age had no significant influence in the final multivariate model, the gender effect stayed relevant (Male: aOR 1.2, 95%-CI 1.0–1.5), as did the question of whether the child liked going to school (No: aOR 1.4, 95%-CI 1.1–1.7), a lack of parental monitoring (aOR 1.5, 95%-CI 1.1–2.1), consistent parenting (Sometimes/never: aOR 1.5, 95%-CI 1.1–1.9), a regularly provided break-time snack (No: aOR 2.2, 95%-CI 1.3–3.8), as well as parents’ drinking (Yes: aOR 2.0, 95%-CI 1.6–2.6) and drinking among peers (Yes: aOR 8.5, 95%-CI 6.2–11.6). Our study shows that alcohol experiences can be highly prevalent among 3rd and 4th grade elementary school children in Germany. Our findings suggest that especially those variables which may be controlled by the parents are strongly associated with children’s alcohol experiences suggesting a starting point for preventative intervention measures. The results also indicate the need for innovative gender-sensitive approaches in the living environment of elementary school children.

집단음악치료가 저소득층 고학년 초등학생의 심리 및 사회적 변인에 미치는 영향

집단음악치료가 저소득층 고학년 초등학생의 심리 및 사회적 변인에 미치는 영향

Profile formation of academic self-concept in elementary school students in grades 1 to 4.

Academic self-concept (ASC) is comprised of individual perceptions of one’s own academic ability. In a cross-sectional quasi-representative sample of 3,779 German elementary school children in grades 1 to 4, we investigated (a) the structure of ASC, (b) ASC profile formation, an aspect of differentiation that is reflected in lower correlations between domain-specific ASCs with increasing grade level, (c) the impact of (internal) dimensional comparisons of one’s own ability in different school subjects for profile formation of ASC, and (d) the role played by differences in school grades between subjects for these dimensional comparisons. The nested Marsh/Shavelson model, with general ASC at the apex and math, writing, and reading ASC as specific factors nested under general ASC fitted the data at all grade levels. A first-order factor model with math, writing, reading, and general ASCs as correlated factors provided a good fit, too. ASC profile formation became apparent during the first two to three years of school. Dimensional comparisons across subjects contributed to ASC profile formation. School grades enhanced these comparisons, especially when achievement profiles were uneven. In part, findings depended on the assumed structural model of ASCs. Implications for further research are discussed with special regard to factors influencing and moderating dimensional comparisons.

Prevalence of depressive symptoms among schoolchildren in Cyprus: a cross-sectional descriptive correlational study

BackgroundDepressive symptoms in the young constitute a public health issue. The current study aims to estimate: (a) the frequency of depressive symptoms in a sample of final grade elementary-school children in Cyprus, (b) the association among frequency of depressive symptoms, gender and nationality and, (c) the metric properties of the Greek-Cypriot version of the children’s depression inventory (CDI).MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study with internal comparison was performed. The occurrence of depressive symptoms was assessed with the CDI, which includes 5 subscales: depressive mood, interpersonal difficulties, ineffectiveness, anhedonia and negative self-esteem. Clinical depressive symptoms were reported as CDI score ≥19. CDI was anonymously and voluntarily completed by 439 schoolchildren [mean age 12.3 (±0.51) years old] from fifteen public elementary schools (217 boys and 222 girls), yielding a response rate of 58.2%. The metric properties of the CDI were assessed in terms of internal consistency reliability and construct validity via exploratory factor analysis (rotated and unrotated principal component analysis). Descriptive and inferential statistics were explored.Results10.25% of Cypriot schoolchildren reported clinical depressive symptoms (CDI score ≥19). Statistically significant differences were reported between boys and girls in all five subscales of the CDI. Girls reported higher scores in “Depressive mood”, “Negative self-esteem” and “Anhedonia” subscales, while boys scored higher in “Interpersonal difficulties” and “Ineffectiveness” subscales. There were no statistically significant differences among ethnicity groups regarding the entire CDI or the subscales of it. Concerning the metric properties of the Greek-Cypriot version of the CDI, internal consistency reliability was adequate (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.84). Factor analysis with varimax rotation resulted in five factors explaining 42% of the variance.ConclusionsThe Greek-Cypriot version of the CDI is a reliable tool for the assessment of the severity of depressive symptoms in schoolchildren. Institutional counseling services, as well as interventions aiming to empower the young need to address the different psychological needs of boys and girls. Longitudinal studies within this cultural context may be warranted, with special attention to other factors related to depressive symptoms and low self-esteem in schoolchildren, such as suicidality or bullying.

First Grade Elementary School Children’s Early Childhood Private Education Experience and Later School Adjustment

First Grade Elementary School Children’s Early Childhood Private Education Experience and Later School Adjustment