Greek Primary School Children Research Articles

Reading self-concept, trait emotional intelligence and anxiety of primary school children with dyslexia

IntroductionThe association between the cognitive and the affective domain in reading is well documented in research, especially when difficulties are manifested. The aim of this study was (a) to investigate levels of reading self-concept, trait emotional intelligence, and anxiety of students with dyslexia and compare them to students with no previous assessment and (b) explore the hypothesis that reading self-concept and trait emotional intelligence are negative predictors of state and trait anxiety taking into account students’ individual characteristics such as gender, school year, and school performance.MethodsA total of 794, fifth- and sixth-grade Greek primary school children aged 10 to 12 years old participated in the study. Of them, 50 children had a statement of dyslexia. The State and Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, the Reading Self-Concept Scale, and the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire—Short Form were administered to the participants.ResultsThe results showed that children with dyslexia were more vulnerable in terms of their perceptions of reading self-concept and emotional intelligence as compared to typical peers. Moreover, students’ characteristics, i.e., grades in math and language and dyslexia, had a direct positive path to trait emotional intelligence and reading self-concept while trait emotional intelligence and reading self-concept predicted negative anxiety.DiscussionThe implications of the results in terms of the possible protective role of reading self-concept and emotional intelligence on anxiety for children with dyslexia are discussed, and suggestions for future research are presented.

Greek primary school children’s representations of the urban environment as seen through their drawings

In the present study, we explore aspects of Greek primary school children’s representations about the urban environment through the use of drawings and their relation to sustainability. For that purpose, 104 children, aged 9–12 (4th and 6th grades), were asked to make two drawings of their town: one as it is now and another as they would like it to be. Drawings were analysed using pre-defined categories of urban sustainability and were statistically analysed using SPSS. Results revealed a serious gap in knowledge regarding energy and aspects of local development tied to sustainability in the current and future state of the children’s towns. Although the most popular characteristics in the children’s drawings were associated with the environment, the majority of children illustrated issues related to society. Evidence indicated an age-related progression of representations related to sustainability in the urban environment, at least concerning the topics of natural environment, infrastructure and the realization of problems caused by air pollution and municipal waste generation.

HelexKids: A word frequency database for Greek and Cypriot primary school children

In this article, we introduce HelexKids, an online written-word database for Greek-speaking children in primary education (Grades 1 to 6). The database is organized on a grade-by-grade basis, and on a cumulative basis by combining Grade 1 with Grades 2 to 6. It provides values for Zipf, frequency per million, dispersion, estimated word frequency per million, standard word frequency, contextual diversity, orthographic Levenshtein distance, and lemma frequency. These values are derived from 116 textbooks used in primary education in Greece and Cyprus, producing a total of 68,692 different word types. HelexKids was developed to assist researchers in studying language development, educators in selecting age-appropriate items for teaching, as well as writers and authors of educational books for Greek/Cypriot children. The database is open access and can be searched online at www.helexkids.org.

Working Memory Rating Scale's Utility to Identify Children's Memory Difficulties in Diverse Educational Environments: Can It Work in Every School?

SummaryThe aim of the present study was to explore the psychometric properties of the observer‐based Working Memory Rating Scale (WMRS) tool, in a sample of 6‐ to 12‐year‐old Greek primary school children. Results established a good internal consistency; appropriate factorial, criterion‐related and convergent validity; and diagnostic utility of the scale in the Greek population. However, the relationship between teacher's ratings and the objective assessment of children's working memory abilities was mediated by children's vocabulary knowledge, suggesting that verbal skills can constitute a form of bias in this particular educational environment. In conclusion, the WMRS can provide a reliable assessment of children's working memory capacity in Greek schools. Nevertheless, characteristics of the child such as verbal abilities could bias teacher's judgments. Therefore, the WMRS in Greek schools should be used as an initial screener, and objective working memory measures should be included in the assessment if warranted. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Academic Performance in Relation to Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Energy Balance Behaviors in Greek Primary Schoolchildren

To explore possible links between adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MeD), excess body weight, energy balance behaviors, and academic performance in Greek primary schoolchildren. Cross-sectional study. Primary schools in Athens, Greece. A total of 528 students (256 boys and 272 girls), 10-12 years of age, were recruited from 21 primary schools in the area of Athens, Greece. Students completed a specifically designed energy balance behaviors questionnaire together with the KIDMED index, which evaluates the degree of adherence to the MeD. The teacher assessed academic performance through a specifically designed, 5-scale questionnaire. Standard anthropometric measurements were also taken. Block stepwise regression analysis was conducted. Adherence to the MeD (β = .140; P = .001), obesity (β = -.095; P = .001), physical activity levels (β = .206; P = .001), hours of sleep (β = .100; P = .003), television viewing (β = -.068; P = .05), and global self-esteem levels (β = .122; P = .001) are significant factors in predicting academic performance in primary schoolchildren. Poor adherence to the MeD, obesity, and low physical activity levels seem to negatively affect academic performance in children. Understanding these interrelationships could facilitate the formation of policies focused on improving children's academic achievement.

A comparative study of representations about disability in primary school children's drawings: a sociosemiotic approach

Over the past few years, perceptions about disability – at least at the theoretical level – have been shifted toward a more progressive approach, which stresses the social aspects of the construction of disability (social model) rather than personal limitations, as supported by the traditional disability approach (medical–individual model). Drawing upon the sociosemiotic approach as developed by Kress and van Leeuwen, the present study examines from a comparative perspective the representations about disability and people with disabilities, as emerging from the drawings produced by 4th grade Greek primary school children. The sample consists of two groups of children. Group A does not share the same school environment with schoolchildren with special education needs, while group B shares the same school surroundings with students attending a special education needs School. The comparative analysis of their drawings indicates that children of both groups reproduce the dominant meanings they receive from their direct social environment.

Working memory and vocabulary development in Greek preschool and primary school children

The present research investigated the relative contributions of verbal short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) to vocabulary development in the early years among Greek-speaking children. Participants were 5.5-, 7.5-, 8.5- and 9.5-year-old (N = 216) native speakers of Greek, a language differing from English in which most investigations have been conducted. Children were assessed with a receptive vocabulary task, four verbal STM measures (word, digit, and non-word list recall, as well as word list matching), and three verbal WM tasks (listening, counting, and backward digit recall). Results offer support to the view that both STM and WM influence vocabulary development in early stages. Vocabulary was associated with verbal STM at 7.5 and 8.5 years, but only with verbal WM at 5.5 years. Associations declined with age (by 9.5 years), earlier than in English-speaking children. Findings are discussed in relation to Greek language characteristics, demonstrating the importance of cross-cultural investigations.

Spelling Performance and Semantic Understanding of Compound Words by Greek Students With Learning Disabilities

The study aimed to investigate the spelling performance and the semantic understanding of compound words by 103 Greek primary school children (first through sixth grade). The experimental group comprised of 25 children with spelling difficulties and compared with a control group of 78 children of typical development. Children were asked to spell and define 20 concrete and abstract compounds. They were also asked to spell 20 different compounds after providing their definitions in terms of their morphological constituents. Main results indicated that concrete compounds were spelled and defined better than abstract ones, but the experimental group performed significantly lower than the control group on both word types. Children with spelling disabilities were able to use less etymological information in defining compound words than their typical classmates, suggesting that they understand less the internal structure of morphologically complex words. These results are compatible with the experimental literature and are discussed in terms of the morphophonemic nature of Greek language as a transparent orthography with a rich morphology.

Lifestyle and behavioural factors associated with increased Body Mass Index (BMI) in Greek primary school children

The rapid increase in obesity prevalence continues to be a leading public health problem (1,2) . The aim of the study was to explore selected behaviours and lifestyle patterns associated with increased BMI in Greek primary school children. A total of 528 students (256 boys; 272 girls), 10‐12 years old, were recruited from 21 primary schools in the area of Athens, Greece. Standard anthropometric measurements were taken and obesity was assessed using the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) cut off points. Students completed a specifically designed energy balance behaviours questionnaire together with the KIDMED index, which evaluates the degree of adherence to the MD (3) . The prevalence of overweight and obesity in was 33.6 % (37.5 % in boys & 29.8 % in girls). The level of adherence to the MD was “good” in 43.8 % of the children, “average” in 51.9 % and “poor” in 4.4%. After controlling for social-demographics factors, multiple regression analysis revealed that number of meals with family ( b= - 0.124, P = 0.004), physical activity ( b= - 0.161, P < 0.001), time spent on video ‐ internet games ( b= 0.131, P = 0.004), self esteem ( b= - 0.107, P = 0.013) and parent’s BMI ( b= 0.204, P < 0.001) are significant factors in predicting childhood overweight and obesity (Table).

Associations between self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption and home availability of fruit and vegetables among Greek primary-school children

To examine whether the self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption of Greek primary-school children is associated with the home availability of fruit and vegetables. Cross-sectional study. Five primary schools in the city of Pyrgos in south-west Greece. One hundred and sixty-seven students in fifth and sixth grades. Fruit and vegetable consumption was assessed using an FFQ. Home availability of fruit and vegetables was assessed using a modified version of a US home availability questionnaire. Participant BMI was assessed and parental education obtained by self-report. Hierarchical regression models that took account of the clustering of participants in schools were used to examine the relationship between consumption and availability after controlling for parental education and BMI. Regression analyses showed that home availability of fruit was a significant predictor of consumption (beta=0.524, Z=9.77, P<0.001) in a model that explained 46 % of the overall variance. Home availability of vegetables was a significant predictor of vegetable intake (beta=0.378, Z=6.23, P<0.001) in a model that explained 29 % of the overall variance. Home availability of fruit and vegetables was associated with consumption among Greek primary-school children. The association between home availability of fruit and intake was higher than the associations that have been reported in other samples. Results support focusing on the home availability of fruit and vegetables as a potential mediator of consumption that could be manipulated as a means of increasing fruit and vegetable intake among children.

Bullying in Greek Primary and Secondary Schools

The problem of school bullying among Greek primary and secondary school children was investigated by using a translated version of the Olweus Questionnaire with a total of 1,758 students, mainly aged 10—14, from 20 schools in the greater Thessaloniki area. Overall, 8.2 percent of all students were victims, 5.8 percent were bullies and 1.1 percent were bully/victims. In line with earlier findings, more boys were identified as bullies, whereas no sex differences emerged for rates of victimization. Separate results for primary school pupils revealed that boys and girls were equally self-identified as bullies. Younger students were more at risk of being bullied. The most common type of bullying was `general name-calling'. Significant sex differences in types of victimization emerged only for physical bullying, which was more common in boys, and for spreading malicious rumours, which was more common in girls. Survey results were similar to those of other countries with regard to class and gender of the bully and location of bullying. Surprisingly, almost 25 percent of victims reported being victimized in the gym class.

Motivational beliefs, cognitive engagement, and achievement in language and mathematics in elementary school children

The contextual differences in the patterns of relations among various motivational, cognitive, and metacognitive components of self‐regulated learning and performance in two key curriculum subject areas, language and mathematics, were examined in a sample of 263 Greek primary school children of fifth‐ and sixth‐grade classrooms. Age and gender differences were also investigated. Students were asked to complete the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich &amp; De Groot, 1990), which comprised five factors: (a) Self‐efficacy, (b) Intrinsic Value, (c) Test Anxiety, (d) Cognitive Strategy Use, and (e) Self‐regulation Strategies. They responded to the statements of the questionnaire on a 7‐point Likert scale in terms of their behaviour in mathematics and language classes, respectively. Moreover, their teachers were asked to evaluate each of their students' academic achievement in Greek language and mathematics on a 1‐ to 20‐point comparative scale in relation to the rest of the class. The results of the study indicated very few differences in the pattern of relations among self‐regulated components within and across the two subject areas and at the same time revealed a context‐specific character of self‐regulated components at a mean level differences. Further, the current study (a) confirmed the mediatory role of strategies in the motivation‐performance relation, (b) stressed the differential role of cognitive and regulatory strategies in predicting performance in subject areas that differ in their structural characteristics of the content, and (c) pointed out the key motivational role of self‐efficacy. In fact, self‐efficacy proved the most significant predictor not only of performance but of cognitive and regulatory strategy use as well. Gender differences in motivation and strategy use were not reported, while motivation was found to vary mainly with age. The usefulness of these findings for promoting greater clarity among motivational and metacognitive frameworks and ideas for future research are discussed.

The Pro12Ala Polymorphism in PPARγ2 Gene Affects Lipid Parameters in Greek Primary School Children: A Case of Gene-to-Gender Interaction

In the present study we sought to evaluate the impact of the PPAR-gamma2 Pro12Ala polymorphism on blood lipid levels of primary school children. 81 male and 92 female schoolchildren were genotyped. Biochemical, anthropometric, and lifestyle variables were assessed. 14.1% females and 14.8% males were heterozygotes, while the rest of the subjects were homozygotes for the Pro allele. A significant interaction between the PPARgamma-2 gene and gender on blood lipid levels was detected. In particular, Pro/Pro females exhibited higher values of total cholesterol (194 +/- 32 vs 180 +/- 28 mg/dL, P = 0.06) and triglycerides (94 +/- 31 vs 77 +/- 11 mg/dL, P = 0.045) compared to Pro/Ala individuals. The gene-to-gender interaction term was highly significant (P < 0.001). On the other hand, Pro/Pro males showed higher values of HDL cholesterol (47 +/- 8 vs 43 +/- 9 mg/dL, P = 0.001), lower total cholesterol/HDL ratio (4.04 +/- 0.59 vs 4.45 +/- 0.61, P = 0.031), lower values of apoB (59.8 +/- 11.3 vs 66.8 +/- 6.6 mg/dL, P = 0.007) and lower values of apoB/apoA1 ratio (0.41 +/- 0.09 vs 0.48 +/- 0.08, P = 0.019) compared with Pro/Ala. Even after adjusting for body mass index (BMI), total energy intake, total fat intake and saturated fat intake, differences in total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and the apoB/apoA1 ratios remained significant. Regarding females, no differences were observed among genotypes concerning total cholesterol/HDL levels (P for gene-to-gender interaction = 0.001) and the apoB/apoA1 levels (P for gene-to-gender interaction = 0.029). We show for the first time a gene-to-gender interaction on total cholesterol/HDL and apoB/apoA1 ratios, in male schoolchildren genotyped for PPAR-gamma2 Pro12Ala.

Dietary Habits of Greek Primary School Children

The purpose of this study was to assess Greek primary (1st to 6th grade) school children’s dietary habits and the factors influencing them. Our results show that children know the value of different foods. The socio-economic status of father has no effect on the attitude of children towards choosing their diet, however, mothers’ educational status appears to have an effect on their children’s behaviour. Place of residence (urban or semi-rural areas) and gender does not influence their knowledge about different diets. It was, finally, shown that as children grow older they tend to eat less healthy foods.

Construct Validity of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency–Short Form for a Sample of Greek Preschool and Primary School Children

The construct validity of the short form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency for the assessment of gross and fine motor skills was assessed in 377 nondisabled Greek preschool and primary school children (age range 5 yr. to 8:3 mo.) from urban areas of northern Greece. Analysis showed the three factors accounted for 54.1% of the total score variance, agreeing with the earlier findings. Moreover, the item scores had statistically significant relationships with the total short-form score, except for that of copying a circle with the preferred hand. This latter item was also the only one with a small effect size. Age confirmed a statistically significant effect on the scores of the half items of the test battery, also an earlier finding. This test seemed to be a valid test of motor proficiency in normal Greek preschool and primary school children.

The IL-6 gene G-174C polymorphism related to health indices in Greek primary school children.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine expressed in many tissues. A polymorphism in the IL-6 gene, associated with differences in IL-6 transcription rate, has been recently described. Subjects with the -174GG genotype are prone to lipid abnormalities. We investigated the effect of the G-174C IL-6 polymorphism on health indices and lipid values of 184 Greek primary school children. The genotype distribution of the polymorphism was 37.5% for GG and 52.2% and 10.3% for GC and CC, respectively. No differences were observed between genotype distribution and gender (p = 0.37). Boys homozygous for the G allele showed higher triglyceride levels than boys carrying the C allele (86 +/- 28 vs. 74 +/- 20 mg/dL, p = 0.02) and lower mid-upper arm muscle circumference (17.46 +/- 1.86 vs. 18.91 +/- 2.53 cm, p = 0.013). In addition, girls homozygous for the G allele had higher values for suprailiac skinfolds compared with those bearing the C allele (21.28 +/- 12.56 vs. 17.09 +/- 13.36 mm, p = 0.06). These findings were confirmed by multiple linear regression analysis, after controlling for age, sex, BMI, energy and total fat intake, and weekly physical activity. From the results of the present study, we concluded that individuals homozygous for G allele on the IL-6 gene have higher values in some parameters associated with obesity.

Bully/victim problems and their association with Machiavellianism and self‐efficacy in Greek primary school children

Previous research demonstrated that Machiavellian beliefs are linked with bully/victim problems at school. However, Machiavellianism was treated as a single construct and not as multidimensional. Children's perceptions of self-efficacy in both social and academic domains have been related to conflictual peer interactions but not directly to bully/victim problems. This study extends previous work by examining the association of Machiavellianism and self-efficacy with bully/victim problems. The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between bully/victim problems and (a) components of Machiavellian beliefs, (b) Self-efficacy for Assertion, (c) Self-efficacy for Aggression and (d) Self-efficacy for Learning and Performance, among school-age children. It was also examined whether children who bully others and are bullied themselves (bully/victims) are a distinct group in terms of Machiavellian beliefs and the above perceptions of self-efficacy. The sample consisted of 186 children drawn from the fourth to sixth grade classrooms of four primary schools in central Greece. Peer victimization and bullying behaviour were assessed by two 6-item self-report scales (Austin & Joseph, 1996), Machiavellian beliefs with a 20-item scale (Christie & Geis, 1970), Self-efficacy for Assertion and Self-efficacy for Aggression with two 6-item scales (Egan & Perry, 1998) and Self-efficacy for Learning and Performance with an 8-item scale (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1991). Higher scores reflected greater victimization, bullying behaviour, Machiavellianism and domain specific self-efficacy. Data were analysed using both correlational and categorical approach. Factor analysis of the Kiddie Mach scale revealed four main factors: Lack of Faith in Human Nature, Manipulation, Dishonesty and Distrust. The results of the correlational approach suggest that both bullying and victimization are associated with most of these factors, overall Machiavellianism and self-efficacy measures. Separate analyses for boys and girls provide a more precise picture of that association. The results of the categorical approach, regarding differences in the Kiddie Mach and Self-efficacy scales between bullies, victims and bully/victims, suggest that bully/victims are a distinct group in terms of Lack of Faith in Human Nature and overall Machiavellianism. Moreover, bully/victims were found to be similar to victims with respect to Self-efficacy for Assertion but similar to bullies with respect to Self-efficacy for Aggression. Anti-bullying interventions might profit from a greater focus on mastery-oriented motivation and more emphasis on citizenship and interpersonal relationships in order to minimize children's aggression-encouraging cognition and reduce Machiavellian attitudes. Further research is needed to explain satisfactorily the behaviour patterns of bully/victims.

W14.394 The PRO12ALA polymorphism of the PPAR-γ2 gene affects lipid levels in Greek primary school children

W14.394 The PRO12ALA polymorphism of the PPAR-γ2 gene affects lipid levels in Greek primary school children

W14.394 The PRO12ALA polymorphism of the PPAR-$gamma;2 gene affects lipid levels in Greek primary school children

W14.394 The PRO12ALA polymorphism of the PPAR-$gamma;2 gene affects lipid levels in Greek primary school children

Understanding Nutrition: A Study of Greek Primary School Children Dietary Habits, Before and After Classroom Nutrition Intervention

The purpose of this study was first to assess and then to improve the diet of Greek primary school children teaching them healthy dietary habits and instructing them to face critically advertisements and media projected dietary models using a program which included intervention on cognitive, emotional, and social level. The results show that our intervention was more effective on the cognitive level and in particular on children's ability to estimate the dietary value of different kinds of food. However, their food preferences were not affected significantly, suggesting that these are more resistant to change since they are already consolidated and, therefore, need longer intervention.