Grade Level Research Articles

The Effect of Ecological Environment on Language-Minority Students’ Math and Reading Development: A Hierarchical Linear Analysis of a Longitudinal Study

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study illustrated whether and how ecological environments are associated with language-minority students’ (N = 12,500) math and reading development from kindergarten to the eighth grade. Results identified the robust effects of preschool type, kindergarten length, classroom activities, parent-child reading, parent expectation, and teacher-child relationship on reading and math outcomes. In third and fifth grade, all significant predictors of reading outcome are at the family level: parent-child reading time and parent’s expectations. Additionally, parent-child reading time also significantly predicts LMSs’ reading in kindergarten. Meanwhile, predictors for math outcomes have a different pattern in the mid to late elementary periods. All predictors during this period are at the family level: parent-child reading time, parent showing love to children, and parent’s expectations. Lastly, the only significant predictor for eighth grade math is teacher-child closeness. Practice or Policy: The significant findings at different grade levels suggest a multifaceted approach to policy development, including (a) supporting parent engagement, (b) high-quality preschool, and (c) multicultural teacher education and professional development.

A description of COVID-19 related delusional content in admissions to an acute psychiatric unit.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound global impact, affecting individuals, including those with mental illness, through early and widespread information dissemination. Although the neurobiological basis of delusions remains unclear, external stimuli and historical events are known to influence them. The pandemic provided a unique opportunity to explore this phenomenon. To determine the prevalence of COVID-19-related delusional content, among individuals presenting for treatment of psychosis during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate associated clinical and demographic factors. Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in-patient psychiatry department. Data were extracted retrospectively from adult psychiatric admissions spanning April to September 2020 on patients whose presenting complaints included delusions. Demographic factors, symptoms, psychiatric, medical and substance use history, and a documented Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnosis by the attending psychiatrist were collected. The prevalence of COVID-19-related delusional content was 25.5%. Significant demographic association was observed with education level of Grade 12 and above (p = 0.000338). The odds of a diagnosis of schizophrenia and related disorders were 2.72 times greater than mood and psychotic disorder due to another medical condition in those with COVID- 19-related delusional content (OR 2.19, 95% CI: [1.4-3.4]). The presence of COVID-19-related delusional content in patients admitted to hospital with psychosis provides further evidence of the role of external stimuli in the formation of delusions. This study underscores the influence of socio-cultural factors on delusions and advocates for interventions and expanded research to address mental health outcomes.

TrachGPT: Appraisal of tracheostomy care recommendations from an artificial intelligent Chatbot.

Safe home tracheostomy care requires engagement and troubleshooting by patients, who may turn to online, AI-generated information sources. This study assessed the quality of ChatGPT responses to such queries. In this cross-sectional study, ChatGPT was prompted with 10 hypothetical tracheostomy care questions in three domains (complication management, self-care advice, and lifestyle adjustment). Responses were graded by four otolaryngologists for appropriateness, accuracy, and overall score. The readability of responses was evaluated using the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level (FKRGL). Descriptive statistics and ANOVA testing were performed with statistical significance set to p < .05. On a scale of 1-5, with 5 representing the greatest appropriateness or overall score and a 4-point scale with 4 representing the highest accuracy, the responses exhibited moderately high appropriateness (mean = 4.10, SD = 0.90), high accuracy (mean = 3.55, SD = 0.50), and moderately high overall scores (mean = 4.02, SD = 0.86). Scoring between response categories (self-care recommendations, complication recommendations, lifestyle adjustments, and special device considerations) revealed no significant scoring differences. Suboptimal responses lacked nuance and contained incorrect information and recommendations. Readability indicated college and advanced levels for FRE (Mean = 39.5, SD = 7.17) and FKRGL (Mean = 13.1, SD = 1.47), higher than the sixth-grade level recommended for patient-targeted resources by the NIH. While ChatGPT-generated tracheostomy care responses may exhibit acceptable appropriateness, incomplete or misleading information may have dire clinical consequences. Further, inappropriately high reading levels may limit patient comprehension and accessibility. At this point in its technological infancy, AI-generated information should not be solely relied upon as a direct patient care resource.

Readability of online patient education material for foregut surgery.

Health literacy is the ability of individuals to use basic health information and services to make well-informed decisions. Low health literacy among surgical patients has been associated with nonadherence to preoperative and/or discharge instructions as well as poor comprehension of surgery. It likely poses as a barrier to patients considering foregut surgery which requires an understanding of different treatment options and specific diet instructions. The objective of this study was to assess and compare the readability of online patient education materials (PEM) for foregut surgery. Using Google, the terms "anti-reflux surgery, "GERD surgery," and "foregut surgery" were searched and a total of 30 webpages from universities and national organizations were selected. The readability of the text was assessed with seven instruments: Flesch Reading Ease formula (FRE), Gunning Fog (GF), Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Coleman Liau Index (CL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), Automated Readability Index (ARI), and Linsear Write Formula (LWF). Mean readability scores were calculated with standard deviations. We performed a qualitative analysis gathering characteristics such as, type of information (preoperative or postoperative), organization, use of multimedia, inclusion of a version in another language. The overall average readability of the top PEM for foregut surgery was 12th grade. There was only one resource at the recommended sixth grade reading level. Nearly half of PEM included some form of multimedia. The American Medical Association and National Institute of Health have recommended that PEMs to be written at the 5th-6th grade level. The majority of online PEM for foregut surgery is above the recommended reading level. This may be a barrier for patients seeking foregut surgery. Surgeons should be aware of the potential gaps in understanding of their patients to help them make informed decisions and improve overall health outcomes.

Looking beyond enrollment rates: The long-term influence of preschool science curricula on children’s science achievement

This study provides evidence that what happens in preschool (i.e., preschool curriculum) can have long-term consequences years later. In the current study, we seek to answer the question of whether the inclusion of science in the preschool curriculum is associated with fourth- and eighth grade science achievement scores. Based on science achievement data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2015 and 2019 cycles), the quality of preschool science learning opportunities showed long-term impacts on science achievement at the fourth grade level. Even after controlling for enrollment rates, the quality of the preschool curricula was a statistically significant predictor of fourth grade science scores with a high effect size (d=0.74). The observed impacts, however, appeared to diminish by eighth grade. Results from this study suggest that science concepts and skills should be an integral part of preschool curricula and curricular frameworks, and policy makers should allocate resources to provide well-designed preschool education programs with high quality curricula.

Readability of Online Spanish Materials for Breast Reconstruction Using Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flaps.

Background The internet has become an increasingly popular tool for patients to find information pertaining to medical procedures. Although the information is easily accessible, data shows that many online educational materials pertaining to surgical subspecialties are far above the average reading level in the United States. The aim of this study was to evaluate the English and Spanish online materials for the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap reconstruction procedure. Methods The first eight institutional or organizational websites that provided information on the DIEP procedure in English and Spanish were included. Each website was evaluated using the Patient Education and Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), Cultural Sensitivity Assessment Tool (CSAT), and either Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) for English websites or Spanish Orthographic Length (SOL) for Spanish websites. Results The English websites had a statistically lower CSAT score compared to the Spanish websites (p=0.006). However, Spanish websites had a statistically higher percentage of complex words compared to English sources (p<0.001). An analysis of reading grade levels through SMOG and SOL scores revealed that Spanish websites had statistically lower scores (p<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in the understandability or actionability scores between the English and Spanish websites. Conclusions Online educational materials on the DIEP flap reconstruction procedure should be readable, understandable, actionable, and culturally sensitive. Our analysis revealed that improvements can be made in understandability and actionability on these websites.Plastic surgeons should be aware of what constitutes a great online educational resource and what online educational materials their patients will have access to.

Classroom Climate and Student–Teacher Relationship: A Study Among Students and Teachers in Slovenia

&lt;p style="text-align:justify"&gt;The primary objective of this study was to determine how students and teachers in primary schools view the classroom climate and its dimensions: (a) peer relationships and (b) student-teacher relationships. Additionally, the study aimed to explore the role of students' age (11-12 years old - 7th grade students vs. 14-15 years old - 9th grade primary school students) and gender on their perceptions of the school climate. Classroom climate was measured with the "Classroom Climate Questionnaire", which was completed by a total of 1,531 students (792; 51.6% female) and 348 teachers (296; 84.6% female). The findings of the study indicated that both students and teachers generally perceived the classroom climate as being relatively neutral to positive. However, teachers tended to report more positive classroom relationships compared to students. Furthermore, the study found no significant gender-based differences in how students perceived the classroom climate, peer relationships, and student-teacher interactions. However, differences were identified based on the age or grade level of the students. The results were discussed in the context of the students’ psychological development characteristics and the aspects of socio-emotional learning within school environments, also considering educational policies for achieving greater school quality.&lt;/p&gt;

Unpacking the Relationship Between Online Student Engagement and Online Self-Regulation in Higher Education

Online student engagement refers to the level of students’ involvement and effort in online learning activities. Individuals with self-regulation skills actively and constructively set their goals and strategies based on their own knowledge, independent of environmental influences. However, research exploring the relationship between self-regulation and student engagement in online learning environments is limited. This study aimed to examine this relationship within online learning environments. The research utilized survey, causal-comparative, and correlational research models to address its questions. Participants included 660 bachelor’s degree students, and data was collected using an online student engagement scale and an online self-regulation skills scale. The findings indicated that both online self-regulation skills and online student engagement were at moderate levels. The study found that online student engagement did not significantly differ by gender. However, university students aged 25 and over had significantly higher online engagement than other age groups. Additionally, fourth-year university students exhibited significantly higher online involvement than students in other grade levels, and students from numeric fields demonstrated significantly higher online engagement compared to those from other fields. In terms of online self-regulation, there were no significant differences by age and grade level. Nevertheless, female students exhibited significantly higher self-regulation skills than male students, and students from numeric fields had significantly higher self-regulation skills than those from other fields. Moreover, the study found a significantly positive moderate correlation between online student engagement and online self-regulation skills. The findings also revealed that online self-regulation skills could explain 40.4% of the variance in online student engagement.

Mathematical Modeling Self-Efficacy of Middle School and High School Students

Mathematical modeling is a cyclical process involving the competencies of understanding the problem, simplifying, mathematizing, working mathematically, interpreting, and validating. Mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs are essential to students’ mathematical modeling performance. This study examined middle and high school students’ mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs. The participants consisted of 1091 middle school students and 974 high school students. The data were collected through the “Mathematical Modeling Self-Efficacy Scale [MMSS]”. T-tests and ANOVA test statistics were used to determine the effect of gender, school level, grade level and previous engagement in model-eliciting activities on the mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs. The results showed that the mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs of middle school students were significantly higher than those of high school students. Furthermore, middle school students’ mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs did not differ significantly by gender, while at the high school level there was a significant difference in favor of males. Regarding grade levels, only a statistically significant difference was found between the mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs of seventh- and eighth-grade students. Moreover, middle and high school students who had previously engaged in model-eliciting activities had significantly higher mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs than those who had not. In the accessible literature, there is no study on the mathematical modeling self-efficacy beliefs of middle and high school students. Therefore, we believe this study’s results will contribute to the literature on mathematical modeling.

Examining the Academic Achievement of Latinx Students from an Early Lifespan and Intersectional Perspective

ABSTRACT The present study examined Latinx school readiness and 3rd grade student achievement, considering differences based on social categories of gender, race, ethnicity, and home language. The sample included 683 racially diverse children (Mage = 4.94; SD = .57) of Dominican- or Mexican-origin from Spanish-English or Spanish-only proficient homes. Baseline data included a test of school readiness and mother and teacher ratings of behavior. Follow-up data included the 3rd grade New York State test. Results show that 74% of Latinx children were not proficient in 3rd grade reading, with boys and children from Spanish-only homes less likely to be at grade level. School readiness predicted achievement for all groups. On the whole, Latinx students, and especially boys and non-English speakers, appear to be marginalized in U.S. public education systems.

CLASSROOM SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN MATHEMATICS: A CORRELATIONAL STUDY

This study investigated the association between classroom social environment and student engagement in mathematics. It utilized the descriptive correlational and causal-comparative research design and applied the following statistical tools: mean, Pearson-r, independent T-test, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). This investigation used an adapted, content-validated, and reliability-tested survey questionnaire. A proportional stratified random sampling technique was used to obtain a sample of 282 respondents from Manat National High School – Junior High School. The result of the study revealed that students often show high engagement with mathematics in emotional, social, and cognitive domains, with cognitive engagement peaking. The classroom social environment is favorable, with teachers providing support and mutual respect, even when performance goals are not as important. Moreover, the study revealed a significant correlation between engagement dimensions and classroom social environment, with a minor association between social environment quality and emotional and social engagement and a moderate correlation with cognitive engagement. The study found no significant differences in engagement based on sex and age, but observed substantial variation in engagement across different grade levels, suggesting that grade level significantly influences students’ mathematics engagement. Based on the findings, it was highly recommended that teachers use techniques like acknowledging student accomplishments, offering constructive criticism, and creating a friendly learning environment to promote healthy mathematical learning. They should also encourage group projects, peer tutoring, and engaging mathematical tasks to enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills. A respectful classroom culture and tailored engagement strategies were also suggested. School administrators should also conduct professional development workshops for teachers.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0779/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

A meta-analysis on the effectiveness of Dynamic mathematics Software on K-12 students' mathematics learning

ABSTRACT Since COVID-19, Dynamic Mathematics Software (DMS) has been more widely used in mathematics classes, and many studies have been published. These data, generated because of technological updates and the popularity of COVID-19, should be addressed. To examine comprehensively the effectiveness of DMS on K-12 students' mathematics learning, this meta-analysis assessed 68 effect sizes from 68 studies. The results suggest that DMS has a large effect size on K-12 students' mathematics learning (g = 0.820, p<.01, 95 % CI [ 0.625 − 1.015 ] ). This study explored the effect size of potential moderators, namely mathematical topics, mathematical ability, grade level, assessment methods, teaching method, and assessment period, and found that effect sizes of DMS in spatial abilities were smaller than we thought. Therefore, this study has implications for the dissemination and standardised use of DMS and for providing mathematics educators with new perspectives for research.

A Confirmatory and Multigroup Invariance Analysis of the Indonesian Version of the High School Chemistry Self-Efficacy Scale: Gender and Grade Level Overview

A Confirmatory and Multigroup Invariance Analysis of the Indonesian Version of the High School Chemistry Self-Efficacy Scale: Gender and Grade Level Overview

Examination of Peer Bullying and Sense of Loneliness in Secondary School Students in Terms of Various Variables

Purpose: This study aimed to examine peer bullying and loneliness levels of secondary school students in terms of various variables. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study included 823 middle school students in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades during the autumn semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. A correlational survey model was used as the research approach. The Peer Bullying Scale and the Loneliness Scale for Children were used to collect data. Findings: The findings indicated that feelings of loneliness increased as peer bullying increased among secondary-school students. Gender-based differences were evident in the levels of loneliness and bullying. Additionally, there was a significant difference in loneliness levels according to the school type, grade level, parent’s education level and mother's employment status. Highlights: Furthermore, a significant disparity was observed in the bullying subdimension based on the mother's employment status. Conversely, there wasn’t significant correlation between father's employment status and student’s level of peer bullying and loneliness.

Recommendations on the management and prevention of spinal cord injury in children following backbend dance

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a kind of disease that indiscriminately affects all age groups, although the number of SCI cases in children is far lower than that in adults. In this paper, we discuss the appropriate diagnostic methods and prevention methods for SCI caused by repetitive hyperextension movement. Case study reports available in the published literature concerning SCI due to hyperextension movement, which were categorized using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grades, were gathered. Moreover, the age, gender, lesion length on magnetic resonance image (MRI), time of symptoms appearance, initial spinal cord atrophy region, neurological level of injury, and initial and final ASIA grades were analyzed. A total of 144 cases with SCI after backbend dance were included in our analysis, with some cases with an incubation period ranging between 15 min and 4 h showing no symptoms. Most of the collected cases were young girls of &lt;11 years old. Early MRI showed that the pathological changes had extended toward cephalocaudal regions. In summation, the number of SCI cases, which are disabling for many children, is rapidly accumulating in China. Thus, SCI following repetitive hyperextension movements requires further research.

Trends in myopia development among Chinese children and adolescents in Xuzhou during one academic year.

This study investigates the prevalence and progression of myopia among primary and secondary school students in Xuzhou City, China, during one academic year. The study employed a prospective research design and utilized a whole-group sampling method to conduct non-cycloplegic spot photo screenings on 37,938 students from 44 primary and secondary schools in Xuzhou City, China. A one-year study was conducted to gather spherical equivalent refraction (SER), and subsequent analysis was carried out to explore the disparities in myopia prevalence among primary and secondary school students within the same academic year, as well as the progression of myopia. During the 2022 academic year, the overall prevalence of myopia in the first and second semesters was 62.6 and 64.2% respectively, indicating an increasing trend. Particularly in primary school (Grades 1-6), the prevalence of myopia increased with higher grade levels, and significant variations in myopia prevalence were observed mainly in grades 1-3 and 7 (p < 0.05). The incidence rate of myopia in middle school remained stable, while in primary school, there was a positive correlation between myopia incidence and the grade level, with the highest rate of 20.1% in grade 6. Among the myopic population, the median value of spherical equivalent refraction slightly decreased between the two semesters. The proportion of high myopia increased among students in grades 5-8. Our study revealed that within one academic year, the prevalence of myopia and the severity of myopia have significantly increased in Xuzhou City, China, accompanied by an increase in the proportion of high myopia. For different grade levels, we should adopt personalized prevention and control measures, with a particular focus on lower grade levels and students who have just entered a new grade.

General Trends in National Research on Web-Based Instruction in Science Education: A Meta-Synthesis Study

This study analyzes Turkish studies on web-based instruction in the field of science education using the meta-synthesis method with the aim of determining the general trends of the analyzed studies. A total of 20 studies published between 2006 and 2022, including 7 doctoral dissertations, 11 master theses, and 2 journal articles, were analyzed with a qualitative research design. These studies were identified using the databases of the YÖK National Thesis Center, EBSCO, Google Scholar, and ProQuest. The studies were analyzed using a coding form that included ten categories: year of publication, type of publication, purpose of the research, method, data collection tools, data analysis method, grade level, sample size, learning domain, and outcome of the research. The obtained data were interpreted according to the specified categories. It was concluded that a significant portion of the analyzed studies were conducted with the aim of examining web-based instruction and Web 2.0 tools, mixed research designs and semi-structured interview forms were most often used, most studies were conducted with students in the 6th and 7th grades, and web-based instruction was generally found to be more effective than traditional instruction. This study provides an overview of research on web-based instruction in the field of science education, serves as a resource for future research, and offers new ideas and suggestions for researchers in this field.

Fracture analysis of spatially graded piezoelectric-flexoelectric materials using XIGA

Dielectric Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) exhibit superior flexoelectric properties. Gradual changes in material properties lead to large strain gradients and excellent flexoelectric responses. Cracks behave in a complex manner inside piezoelectric-flexoelectric FGMs subjected to electromechanical loading. An extended isogeometric analysis (XIGA)-based formulation is developed for flexoelectric FGMs with crack discontinuities. Ceramic-polymer FGMs of barium titanate (BTO) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) are selected for analysis since this material combination has shown better flexoelectric response solely due to gradation. A higher-order electromechanical J-integral is used to study the behavior of cracks. The fracture behavior of different crack geometries at various grading indices and levels of flexoelectricity is investigated. A crack interaction study is conducted with varying crack parameters. The length-scale effect on the energy release rate is also shown. A significant reduction in the energy release rate is observed in FGMs due to the flexoelectric effect.

Disposable e-cigarette use: Factors, frequency and cigarette smoking among United States high school students.

Disposable e-cigarette use has increased among United States (US)high school students in recent years. However, there is limited research on the profile of these users, how often they use these products, and whether they displace cigarette smoking. This study aimed to measure how disposable e-cigarette use among US youth varies according to demographic characteristics and whether there is any association between e-cigarette use and reduced use of traditional cigarettes. We used cross-sectional data from the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey and conducted a multinomial logistic regression to examine factors associated with the types of e-cigarette devices used in the prior 30 days, adjusting for sex, sexual identity, grade level and race/ethnicity. We also used a finite mixture model to account for unobserved differences among users and identify e-cigarette use patterns in different subgroups of users. United States. High school students in grades 9-12 (n = 14 389). Survey participants self-reported the type of e-cigarette device used, the frequency of e-cigarettes used and cigarettes smoked over the past 30 days. Disposable e-cigarettes were the most popular e-cigarette type. Sex, sexual orientation, grade level and race/ethnicity were associated with disposable e-cigarette use. The odds of disposable e-cigarette use were lower in male students than in female students (odds ratio [OR] = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.64-0.96]), and higher in students who identified as gay or lesbian (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = [1.11-2.61]) or bisexual (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = [1.16-1.99]) than in heterosexual students. The odds of disposable use were higher among students in higher grades (10th, 11th and 12th) than in 9th graders (OR = 1.71, 2.24 and 2.52, respectively). Disposable e-cigarette users had a lower frequency of traditional cigarette use than other e-cigarette users, both in the low-frequency class (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.33, 95% CI = [0.12-0.92]) and the high-frequency class (IRR = 0.27, 95% CI = [0.08-0.92]). Disposable e-cigarette use appears to be higher among United States high school students who are female, older and/or identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Disposable e-cigarettes appear to be associated with reduced traditional cigarette use.

Optimizing High School English Language Learning: The Impact of Modern Learning Apps and Technology Platforms

The aim of this research is to gain a thorough understanding of how the most recent information technology has affected English language learning in the present, as well as to determine what kinds of platforms and applications are thought to be most useful for helping students improve their command of the language. Additionally, a detailed analysis of the English language learning platform's implementation in Muhammadiyah schools in the Metro will be included in this research. A survey design is used in this study as a quantitative research methodology. The participants in this survey research will be drawn from MTs Muhammadiyah Metro, SMP Muhammadiyah Metro, and SMP Muhammadiyah Ahmad Dahlan, three Muhammadiyah secondary schools located in Metro City. Once the pre-survey is completed, samples will be chosen and the methodology will be decided upon by researchers at the schools and madrasas that have been identified as the research population. The result of the study shows that Female research participants make up the majority (90.09%) of the sample, while male subjects make up just 9.01%), according to the findings of the demographic analysis of the study data. The demographic information provided above indicates that there may be gender biases or trends in the research that could affect the analysis's findings or the dynamics of student participation in the use of technology in the classroom. Moreover, the research focus was at a certain grade level or educational unit stage in high school, as the bulk of research subjects (90.08%) were 17 years old.