First-year School Research Articles

Programa piloto animado infantil sobre el cambio climático, sus causas y consecuencias. [DOI:10.37785/nw.v4n2.a4

El Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (PNUMA) es el portavoz del medio ambiente dentro del sistema de las Naciones Unidas. Su labor abarca evaluar las condiciones y las tendencias ambientales a nivel mundial, regional y nacional. Por tanto, este estudio se enfoca en la creación de material audiovisual para niños de entre 7 y 10 años de edad, con el propósito de difundir una cultura ambiental en las aulas. El proyecto propone la producción de un programa de animación 2D para plataformas digitales y dispositivos físicos, cuyo tema de enfoque es la divulgación del cambio climático dentro de las escuelas. Además, plantea criterios de utilización y ejercicios audiovisuales para los niños y la buena utilización de estos nuevos recursos, herramientas de gran diversidad para la educación actual. Así, analiza de fondo un estudio acerca de la comunicación audiovisual infantil, sus éxitos y sus avances.

Research and theory into practice: Australian preservice teachers’ knowledge of evidence-based early literacy instruction

ABSTRACT Much has been written about the decline in Australian literacy standards, as measured by international tests, and concerns have been expressed about the quality of teacher preparation for teaching early literacy to young children in their first years of school. Preservice teacher knowledge of research evidence supporting the essential components of early literacy instruction and the strategies used to teach these foundation skills are explored in this study. Responses to survey questions provided both quantitative and qualitative data. Results suggest that although preservice teachers have some knowledge of the components of early literacy identified in research, they are less knowledgeable about the subject-specific pedagogical strategies identified as necessary for implementing evidence-based practices. These results are not surprising given the findings of recent research into the quality of literacy units in teacher education courses.

Describing patterns of early literacy skill development in the first year of school and reading instruction in a New Zealand sample.

This study describes trajectories of early literacy skill development of 99 children (n = 55 boys) in their first year of primary school in New Zealand (NZ). Children were assessed twice weekly for 8 weeks on Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS; Good & Kaminski, 2011) First Sound Fluency (FSF) and AIMSweb Letter Sound Fluency (LSF; Shinn & Shinn, 2002), with other early literacy and beginning reading skills assessed before and after progress monitoring. FSF and LSF growth trajectories were modeled separately. Multilevel modeling indicated improved performance; however, growth mixture modeling indicated 3 growth trajectories (i.e., latent classes; FSF and LSF, respectively): typical (77.6% of children, 65.7%), developing (10.8%, 14.6%), and limited progress (11.6%, 19.7%). Beginning of year screening was sometimes associated with latent class membership, whereas latent class membership differentiated mid- and year-end literacy skills. Results support progress monitoring of early literacy skills within the NZ context to aid earlier identification of children at-risk for difficulties with reading acquisition. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

FORMAÇÃO E ATUAÇÃO DO PEDAGOGO A PARTIR DA LEI N. 9.394/96: QUESTÕES VELHAS E NOVAS

Da configuração do curso de Pedagogia assumida pela LDB n. 9394/96 destaca-se aqui, o fato de que a formação de profissionais para atuação nos anos iniciais da escolarização (o que compreende Educação Infantil, Anos Iniciais do EF (06 a 10-11 anos) e EJA 1ª. fase do Ensino Fundamental) passa a ser realizada no âmbito da universidade. As implicações resultantes da elevação da formação do professor primário para o âmbito do ensino superior, se dão a ver no recrudescimento dos sentidos postos pela histórica problemática dada, na atual conjuntura, pela oposição entre o pressuposto da docência como base da formação nas licenciaturas versus a herança bacharelesca. Busca-se interlocução com estudos que tanto se dedicam a pensar a pedagogia no âmbito da sua nova configuração, como refletem aspectos decorrentes da mesma. Por fim, o estudo se propõe a tecer algumas considerações a respeito de dados de pesquisa interessada na formação e atuação do pedagogo, com realce sobre a perspectiva do estágio curricular obrigatório. Indica um possível hiato entre o pressuposto da docência como base identitária da formação do professor - lógica que preside o curso de Pedagogia, em face do trabalho que se realiza no estágio.

Lesson Study as a bridge between two learning contexts

PurposeLesson Study is a model for advancing knowledge about how teachers can enhance teaching through collaboration in schools. This study aims to focus on two learning situations for students in Grades 1–3: elementary school (the first years of school) and school-age educare (activities for students before and after school while their parents are working or studying). The case study aims to describe how teachers use Lesson Study to enhance students' mathematical learning in the two learning situations. The objectives were to describe teachers' perceptions of Lesson Study activities and collaboration and students' knowledge before and after lessons.Design/methodology/approachData were collected as a narrative case study using audio-recorded conversations between researchers and teachers in the different learning contexts. A questionnaire comprising five open-ended questions was used to map students' knowledge of the subject.FindingsTeachers found it advantageous to cooperate with each other across the different learning situations. Mapping students' knowledge before and after a teaching session helped them understand how to create a teaching situation that benefits their students. They saw the value of continued collaboration and called for implementation of the Lesson Study method throughout the school.Research limitations/implicationsAn important limitation of this case study is that it was conducted in a very specific context, and the findings cannot, therefore, be generalized to other situations. However, there is a need for similar case studies to be conducted in different contexts, both in Sweden and in other countries, to pay attention to ways in which elementary schools and school-age educare can develop supplementary teaching situations.Originality/valueThe originality of this case lies in planning and reporting a Lesson Study in two different learning situations in the same school, and the conclusion that educators identify and develop collaborative links in different subjects.

First-year school counsellor in training professional experience in NSW: A qualitative study

AbstractThe professional experience of school counsellors in training in Australia is subject to different supervisor-supervisee relationships and school settings. The current study explored the first-year New South Wales school counsellor in training professional experience via an adapted qualitative content and framework analysis approach. Participants were students undertaking their first professional experience as part of the Master of Teaching (School Counselling) at the University of Sydney. The most common descriptive reflections explored professional psychological learning, followed by system- and process-related knowledge of the school setting. Emergent themes highlighted that professional experience prepared students for the role, which varied based on supervisor and school setting, and helped the students form professional identities via observing rich ethical and professional practice. Future professional experiences may be enriched with explicit reflections, peer-to-peer learning and support to foster working supervisor-supervisee relationships.

Academic and Personal-Social Adjustment Challenges of University of Cape Coast Freshmen

This study was carried out to investigate the common adjustment challenges freshmen in the University of Cape Coast experience during their first year in school, and the coping strategies they used in response to the adjustment challenges. A mixed model research design was used in carrying out the study. A sample of 355 students made up of 235 males and 120 females was selected through purposive and proportional stratified random sampling techniques. Adapted forms of the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) developed by Baker and Siryk (1999) and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) developed by Folkman and Lazarus (1988) were used along with a semi-structured interview. Quantitative data was analysed descriptively while qualitative data was analysed thematically. The study found that freshmen in the University of Cape Coast encountered adjustment challenges such as difficulty handling the academic pressure and lack of involvement in social activities. In terms of coping, most respondents adopted Planful Problem Solving strategies which involved planning, concentrating and taking action to resolve issues. It was recommended that university authorities make the timetable of freshmen more flexible to enable them cope with the academic pressure. Keywords: Adjustment, Challenges, Coping, Strategies DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-18-07 Publication date: June 30th 2020

Grade repetition and boys’ risk of being repeated in early schooling in Queensland, Australia

AbstractDespite the fact that many research studies (Canon & Lipscomb, 2011; Jimerson, 2001a, 2001b, 2004; Martin, 2011) have shown that grade repetition offers few benefits to students, it continues to be used as an early intervention practice to address students’ low levels of readiness for school or early school failure. The study contributes to the evidence-based research on grade repetition in Australian schools by drawing on, and analysing, the most recent data on grade repetition from Queensland’s state education department, the Department of Education and Training. Descriptive statistics and relative risk ratio, used to analyse the data, found that boys aged 5 years are overrepresented in grade repetition in the first year of schooling, ‘Prep’, in Queensland state schools. Possible reasons for the disproportionate overrepresentation of boys aged 5 years repeated in Prep are discussed, together with recommendations for future policy and practice.

Can a teacher-led mindfulness intervention for new school entrants improve child outcomes? Protocol for a school cluster randomised controlled trial

IntroductionThe first years of school are critical in establishing a foundation for positive long-term academic, social and well-being outcomes. Mindfulness-based interventions may help students transition well into school, but few...

Exploring Early Childhood Factors as an Avenue to Address Chronic Peer Victimization.

Most youth experience peer victimization, and when chronic, it can lead to problems related to social-emotional development,1 peer relationships,1 and school engagement.2 In their study, “Early Childhood Factors Associated With Peer Victimization Trajectories from 6 to 17 Years of Age,” Oncioiu et al3 investigate peer victimization over time, beginning with the first years of school. This study is one of the largest and most extensive studies ever conducted on this topic. The authors use a repeated-measure, person-centered approach that allows for the comparison of personal trajectories over time and for causal inferences to be drawn. Four developmental trajectories of peer victimization are uncovered. Approximately one-third of children are in the low-victimization trajectory. The remaining two-thirds of children are in either the high-chronic (11%) trajectory, in which victimization is persistently higher than peers; the childhood-limited (26%) trajectory, in which early childhood victimization decreases by adolescence; or the moderate-emerging (30%) trajectory, in which victimization levels are moderate, remaining relatively steady and above normative levels, compared with those in the low-victimization trajectory across childhood and adolescence. Given that nearly two-thirds of school-aged youth in the current study report peer victimization during elementary and/or middle school, … Address correspondence to Stephen S. Leff, PhD, Violence Prevention Initiative, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 8th floor – 8323, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19146. E-mail: leff{at}email.chop.edu

The Developmental Readiness of Government School Teachers

School readiness involves readiness in terms of ability to reading, writing and use numbers along with emotional and psychological readiness to make successful entry to formal schooling. It has been established that academic readiness is the most important component of school readiness. The present study was aimed to assess the knowledge of rural and urban government school teachers of Ludhiana regarding developmental readiness. The study was based on 100 teachers (i.e. 50 rural and 50 urban) teaching Class – I. The sample was selected from seven Government Primary Schools purposively selected from rural as well as urban locales of Ludhiana District. Self- Structured Teachers’ Knowledge Questionnaire was used to assess the academic readiness of rural and urban government school children. The questionnaire comprised of five open ended questions relating to academic readiness expected to be achieved by students of Class-I. The comparison between knowledge levels of rural and urban teachers revealed that urban teachers had better knowledge than rural teachers. Teachers play an important role in building a child’s success in their first years of school. They provide structure and help children grow in their pre-reading and pre-writing skills, teach pre-arithmetical skills and help children understand themselves.

Novel compound heterozygous mutation in NPC1 gene cause Niemann–Pick disease type C with juvenile onset

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a progressive lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the NPC1 (in 95% of cases) or NPC2 (in ~5% of cases) genes, inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. We report the case of a 38-year-old woman with learning disorder from her first year of schooling, and could notice slow progressed cognitive impairment, social withdrawal, apathy, handwriting alterations, deterioration of language skills and dysphagia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed severe cerebellar atrophy, hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, asymmetric lateral ventricular enlargement, and severe enlargement of frontal and parietal subarachnoid spaces. Next generation sequencing for NPC genes (NPC1 and NPC2) detected compound heterozygous mutations in NPC1 gene, including c.1553G[A (p.Arg518Gln), paternally inherited, and c.1270C[T (p.Pro424Ser) maternally inherited. The first mutation has been already described in literature and correlated to NPC, while the second mutation is still unknown. Moreover, filipin test and quantification of plasma oxysterols confirmed NPC diagnosis. We can suggest the missense mutation c.1270C[T (p.Pro424Ser) as a new causative mutation of NPC.

DO ANTROPOCENTRISMO AO ECOCENTRISMO: O PROJETO RIOS NA MUDANÇA DE ATITUDES AMBIENTAIS

In a society where anthropocentrism prevails in relation to ecocentrism, it is important to focus on didactic strategies that lead to the change of attitudes toward an ecocentric vision of the world. The Rivers Project is an Iberian project of public participation in action in our country for 12 years and uses an effective methodology for changing environmental attitudes in children in the first years of schooling. The present study aimed to assess the influence of the Rivers Project on the change of anthropocentric vision for an ecocentric vision in children of the primary school. For this, a questionnaire with open and closed questions was applied to two groups of the 4th year of primary school in the city of Bragança, namely a focus group (121 students) and a control group (33 students). The questionnaire was applied to the focus group before and after an educational intervention (pre and post-test), namely two field trips within the Rivers Project, and the control group in the same time periods, with students who did not make this field trips to the river. The question concerning the purpose of this communication was the drawing up of a drawing that mirrored its representation of a river and its banks. The resulting drawings were analyzed and categorized and were subsequently checked for statistically significant changes through the Wilcoxon test between pre and post-test in both groups. The results show that changes occurred in the focal group. The majority of the children went from an anthropocentric vision to an ecocentric vision after leaving the Rivers Project, thus evidencing the effectiveness of this Project in changing environmental attitudes.

Bērnu stresu veicinošie faktori sākumskolas posmā

After the preschool, primary school is the first educational institution where the pupil encounters difficulties in the learning process. The first years of schooling form the basis for further education, influencing the child's social, physical, cognitive, emotional, and psychological development. For this development to be successful, it is essential to be aware of the pedagogical demands placed upon children and their resources in meeting them. Considering the peculiarities of the primary school age group, the curriculum requirements and desired outcomes can be rated as very high, which a pupil can only achieve with an increased effort, extra learning hours and prolonged concentration – the resources that are not characteristic for primary school pupils. As the requirements exceed the resources on the regular basis, the child is exposed to increased stress level, and if it is prolonged, the child's overall development is adversely affected, as well as his/her attitude and abilities. In this stage, it is important to ensure positive development of systematic and purposeful working skills, healthy self-confidence, cooperation and self-management skills, so that the child develops as a self-sufficient, active citizen of Latvia. Formation of a positive stress experience in the childhood supports successful child’s personal growth and development in the future. In the pedagogical process, it is important not only to identify the causes of children's stress, but also to teach how to reduce stress and how to manage the consequences. Further research and particularly action research studies are needed in primary schools of Latvia fully assessing the children’s workloads in practice and determining the level of stress associated with learning.

Young children’s responses to teachers’ metacognitive questions

ABSTRACT This paper examines the ways that teachers use questions to promote metacognitive knowledge and skills in early childhood classrooms. Taking a Conversation Analytic approach, we show that although metacognitive questions were infrequent in our data, they could be used to create learning opportunities for students to develop their knowledge of word-decoding strategies and metalinguistic concepts that can be used to aid reading. This study of in situ classroom interaction supports earlier work suggesting that metacognitive knowledge and skills develop in early childhood, and demonstrates the usefulness of metacognitive questions as a pedagogical strategy to promote metacognitive thinking and teach literacy skills to children in their first year of school.

Learning outcomes of children with teacher-identified emerging health and developmental needs.

Children's additional health and developmental needs are often first identified by teachers when they begin school. This study estimates the Grade 3 literacy and numeracy outcomes of children with teacher-identified additional needs emerging in the first year of school, including the added burden conferred by socioeconomic disadvantage. Population linked data (n = 42,619) were analysed from the Australian Early Development Census, which include teacher reports on children's health and development at school entry, and the National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy, a direct assessment of reading and numeracy skills at Grade 3. Linear regression analyses were used to estimate associations between emerging needs and learning outcomes, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics. The combined effect of emerging needs and low maternal education (an indicator of socioeconomic disadvantage) on academic outcomes was examined by estimating the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI). Emerging health and developmental needs at school entry were associated with lower reading (b = -26.86, 95% CI = -29.19, -24.52) and numeracy (b = -24.39, 95% CI = -26.43, -22.35) outcomes at Grade 3. The combined effect of emerging needs and socioeconomic disadvantage was greater than expected when their individual effects are summed (RERI = 0.38, 95% CI 0.22, 0.55 for reading and RERI = 0.27, 95% CI 0.10, 0.43 for numeracy). In the current study, emerging health and developmental needs identified by teachers at the outset of schooling were associated with poorer literacy and numeracy skills at Grade 3, and family socioeconomic disadvantage appeared to further amplify this effect. Meeting the needs of these children will require timely and coordinated supports across the health and education systems, particularly for those children who are also disadvantaged.

Functional Writing in the Primary Years: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Writing Intervention Study

This protocol article describes the project Functional Writing in the Primary Years, which received funding in late 2018 and was started in August 2019. The Functional Writing in Primary School (FUS) project aims to increase the quality of teaching and learning writing in the first years of schooling. A large-scale, mixed-methods study, the FUS project investigates the effects of an early start with functional writing, focusing on young students’ development as writers and their ability to use writing as a tool for learning and communication. The project also investigates teachers’ writing instruction and professional development. The protocol describes the project’s rationale and major methodological aspects and culminates in a concluding discussion about possible caveats.

OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP BASIC MOTOR SKILLS IN VOLLEYBALL AT THE INITIAL STAGE OF EDUCATION

Most volleyball experts believe that developing basic motor skills and abilities to practice the game of volleyball should begin as early as the age of 8-9. Mini volleyball provides a good opportunity for forming groups of students and organized activities in the first years of school. THE PURPOSE of this study is to reveal the possibilities for early development of basic motor qualities and skills needed for volleyball. METHODS: Research, analysis and summary of the specialized scientific methodological literature, pedagogical observation, pedagogical sports experiment. RESULTS: Dependencies have been established between the development of specific physical qualities for the game of volleyball, specific motor training and the acquisition of basic motor skills in volleyball at the initial stage of elementary school. CONCLUSION: In order to practice some elements of mini volleyball, good coordination of movements, mastery of technical skills and rational management of movements at a certain speed, pace and rhythm are needed. Mini volleyball provides an opportunity to lower the age limit for starting early volleyball training.

La coeducación patrimonial o cómo aplicar la perspectiva de género en la educación patrimonial en instituciones culturales y museos

The coeducational approach as a pedagogy in formal education, goes beyond no singlesex education and is the basis for educating children and adolescents equally, without gender discrimination. It seeks to suppress all forms of exclusion or undervaluation, to overcome sexist stereotypes and to eliminate androcentric gender roles and hierarchies from the first years of schooling for boys and girls and along their educational development. The coeducational approach mainstreams a gender perspective through practical tools; when applied in a heritage context it becomes a heritage coeducational approach. The objective of the article is to bring the reader closer to the knowledge of a new educational methodology based on the heritage coeducational approach, to be able to apply it in the educational programs offered to schools by museums and heritage institutions, to guarantee an equal and non-discriminatory education, thus helping to form critical, fair-minded and free people.

He box of surprises: Pedagogical strategy to strengthen reading literacy competence in 1st grade students at the Eustorgio Colmenares Baptista school

The little box Surpresas” project is a pedagogical strategy to strengthen reading literacy competence in 1st grade students at the Eustorgio Colmenares Baptista school, focused on improving reading literacy in the first years of schooling. According to the above, the general objective of the research project sought to strengthen the literacy competence in students of 1st grade of the Eustorgio Colmenares Baptista school through a pedagogical strategy, through the implementation of a pedagogical proposal based on classroom projects. The research was governed by a qualitative methodology of action research type that allowed to carry out the degree project and respond to the problem raised. The pedagogical proposal was based on classroom projects with various activities and the implementation of different strategies that favor the reading process.