Primary School Environment Research Articles

The use of dual training technology in the formation of professional competencies of teachers

This study aimed to use dual education technology in the formation of professional competencies of teachers working in primary schools and was patterned according to this purpose. In this context, it was aimed to conduct a study in the primary school environment. The research was created and implemented in the spring academic period of 2021–2022. 176 primary schoolteachers who are experts in their field voluntarily participated in the research. In the research, the group participating in the study was provided with dual educational technologies training in the form of a 4-week online training. In order to collect data, the ‘dual education technology’ data collection tool developed by the researchers and validated was used in the study. The data collection tool used in the study was delivered to and collected from the people participating in the study by the online method. The analysis of the data was carried out using the SPSS programme; frequency analysis was carried out using t-test; and the results obtained were added to the study accompanied by tables. As a result of the research, it is seen that the professional skills of the people participating in the research have been strengthened and they have reached the results that dual educational technologies have brought about success in their educational lives.
 Keywords: Primary schoolteachers, dual educational technology, professional competence;

Controlling SARS-CoV-2 in schools using repetitive testing strategies.

SARS-CoV-2 remains a worldwide emergency. While vaccines have been approved and are widely administered, there is an ongoing debate whether children should be vaccinated or prioritized for vaccination. Therefore, in order to mitigate the spread of more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants among children, the use of non-pharmaceutical interventions is still warranted. We investigate the impact of different testing strategies on the SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics in a primary school environment, using an individual-based modelling approach. Specifically, we consider three testing strategies: (1) symptomatic isolation, where we test symptomatic individuals and isolate them when they test positive, (2) reactive screening, where a class is screened once one symptomatic individual was identified, and (3) repetitive screening, where the school in its entirety is screened on regular time intervals. Through this analysis, we demonstrate that repetitive testing strategies can significantly reduce the attack rate in schools, contrary to a reactive screening or a symptomatic isolation approach. However, when a repetitive testing strategy is in place, more cases will be detected and class and school closures are more easily triggered, leading to a higher number of school days lost per child. While maintaining the epidemic under control with a repetitive testing strategy, we show that absenteeism can be reduced by relaxing class and school closure thresholds.

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF LEARNERS LIVING WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES IN SELECTED INCLUSIVE PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF ELGEIYO MARAKWET COUNTY, KENYA

This study explored the lived experiences of learners living with physical disabilities in selected inclusive primary schools of Elgeiyo Marakwet County, Kenya. The purpose of this study was to explore these learners’ experiences of inclusion and exclusion. Participants in this study were purposively selected. Phenomenological design and participatory visual methodologies were used to generate data in this study. Data were analysed thematically using the guidelines for thematic analysis. This study revealed that learners living with physical disabilities were included and treated well in school. However, they also reported being excluded and neglected in a few instances. These learners besides exclusion in school also reported being neglected, discriminated and marginalised at home. Inadequate teacher training, unfriendly subject content, and less time for learning and assessment were reported as some of the challenges they faced in school. This study concluded that an inclusive primary school environment was better for learners living with disabilities compared to home. Moreover, retrogressive cultural beliefs were a major hindrance to their schooling and education. This study recommends that prospective teachers be trained on how to teach learners living with disabilities in inclusive primary schools. Teachers, pupils, parents and the general community to be sensitised on how to treat, and relate with learners living with physical disabilities at home and school.

Toxic and allergenic plant species in primary school yards of Zagreb’s Lower Town district

Abstract The green infrastructure of Zagreb’s Lower Town is made up of row-planted trees and green spaces within blocks of buildings. All schools are surrounded by green spaces that have a positive impact on the environment. Although most green spaces contribute to improving the quality of life, they also contain toxic and allergenic species which are potentially hazardous, particularly to children. This paper aims to make an inventory of plant species in the environment of primary schools in Zagreb’s Lower Town district, and to determine the presence of toxic and allergenic species. The field research was conducted from March to the end of May 2021 at 7 primary school locations. 13 either annual or biennial plant families were catalogued. In total, 34 species of herbaceous perennials and geophytes, and 36 species of trees from 17 plant families were listed. A total of 38 species of shrubs and climbers were found. Also, a total of 35 poisonous and 28 allergenic plant taxa are planted in the green spaces surrounding primary schools. The most common poisonous species found are Hedera helix and Taxus baccata, and Ilex aquifolium, a highly poisonous species, was also found. No moderately poisonous species have been found at all. As far as allergenic species are concerned, school environments are dominated by those that produce low and moderate levels of pollen concentration in the air. Species that produce high levels of pollen concentration (e.g., Betula pendula, Robinia pseudoacacia, etc.) are the least represented ones, while species that produce a very high concentration of pollen have not been recorded in any of the localities.

Representation of Friendship and Aggressive Behavior in Primary School Children.

This study examines the representation of friendship during middle childhood and its impact on aggressive behavior. The literature shows that friendship is almost a “gym of social skills,” which, in turn, are protective factors against aggressive behavior; in this regard, the quality of friendship is especially important, but this quality becomes less and less accessible to direct observation as children grow older and spend most of their time in the externally regulated environment of primary school. To assess friendship quality requires allowing children to present their own perspective on the relationship, a goal that we have tackled through drawing. Children aged 6–11 years were individually asked to draw themselves and a close friend in two situations (i.e., relational wellbeing and relational distress) and to complete a 20-item scale of physical and verbal aggression. Data were analyzed with three main aims, namely, (1) to show if and how the representation of two core features of relationships (i.e., relatedness and individuality) changes according to the situation and/or according to the children’s gender; (2) to focus on the representation of distressing situations to verify if they coincide with forms of conflict and if they differ according to the children’s gender; and (3) to verify if the strength of indices of relatedness and individuality, both in situations of wellbeing and distress, predicts children’s tendency to enact aggressive behaviors. The results confirm that relatedness is the dominant feature of friendship, especially in the situation of wellbeing and when the situation becomes distressing. Conflict is not always present when children do not feel fine with their friends; boys and girls do not differ significantly in this regard, but they do differ in terms of the management of relatedness and individuality when problematic situations arise. In line with previous studies, sex is the main predictor of aggressive behavior with peers, with boys more at risk than girls; however, the capacity to relate with one’s own friend even in difficult times (in which boys are not inferior to girls) predicts lesser aggression with peers in general.

Modifikace kurikula jako „příležitost“ k elitářství nadaných žáků

Elitism in education is often applied by a different and prefered approach to students belonging to the so-called elite. This elite is segregated and developed, often at the expense of the needs of other students. Can elitism be one of the problems of pedagogical practice with intellectually gifted students in ordinary inclusive primary schools? We carried out qualitative research in the environment of ordinary primary schools by observing school lessons and interviews with teachers. We spent 70 hours in eight schools, tracking 24 gifted students. The aim was to identify and describe the pedagogical situations leading to the elitism of gifted pupils. We focused on teachers as the creator of a modified curriculum for gifted pupils, which gives space for the emergence of elitism. We analyzed the data using open and axial coding. We found that teachers apply pedagogical situations leading to the elitism of gifted pupils, in all components of the modified curriculum, but especially in pedagogical strategies such as extracurricular activities, gifted as a teacher's assistant, complementary tasks and group work. Finally, the features of the curriculum leading to elitism are defined. Research highlights one of the negative consequences of increasing formal support of giftedness.

The Nature of School Atmosphere Association to Improve the Students' Personalities in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) of Kota Langsa

The article scrutinised the nature of primary school atmosphere association to improve students' personalities in Kota Langsa. Kota Langsa has a mixed community background and is located on the eastern coast of Aceh province, which ratifies to perform Islamic Sharia area. The study informants were the people who shared daily interactions with the students, particularly in education performances and religious practices, i.e., the school teachers, parents, village prominent, and religious figures. The article employed a constant comparative method, which examined the conceptual finding of equivalences atmosphere associations. It grounded a theory to explain the phenomena of the nature and nurture of the Islamic primary school environment, when the parents' educational goals, teachers' objectives, and local figures' wisdom meet with the early process of students in their school days. The article proposed the result that confirmed the link between school atmosphere and students' personality development. Finally, the result confirmed the research objective, which described the socio-economic, facility, local figures, and teachers are the main elements to mediate developing students' personalities in Islamic primary school.

Investigating The Status of Local Government Education Authority in Providing Quality Learning Environment in Gombe Local Government Area of Gombe State

This study investigated the status of Local Government Education Authority in providing quality Learning Environment in Gombe Local Government Area; two objectives were used to guide the study. The study adopted survey research design, the population of the study comprised of 2,244 total number of teaching staff and head teachers in which 327 respondents were selected using simple random sampling. A four-point rating scale questionnaire consisting of 14 items were used in collection of data. Data collected were analyzed using mean (X) and Standard deviation (Std.) The findings of the study revealed that the physical learning environment in primary schools is not sufficiently provided which may affect the quality of teaching and learning in primary school education. It’s also indicated a disagreement in the opinions of teachers and head teachers in GLEA in providing quality aesthetic learning environment at primary school. The Study among others, recommended that The LGEA should be supported and fully involved in decision making and funding of primary education through collaborative effort among all education stakeholders in providing quality attractive learning environment for children not just a supervisory role.

Assessment of the obesogenic environment in primary schools: a multi-site case study in Jakarta

BackgroundChildhood overweight and obesity have increasingly been recognized as a significant global public health crisis, including in Asia. This study aimed to assess the obesogenic environment in primary schools in Jakarta, Indonesia.MethodsA qualitative, multi-site, case study design was used to capture different elements of the school environment and policies related to obesity, with a focus on nutrition and physical activity. An adaptation of the Primary School Environmental Assessment tool was used. Six primary schools in Jakarta were purposively selected based on their location, socioeconomic status, and type (public or private). In addition to direct observation at each school, interviews were conducted with the principal, physical education teacher, canteen staff, street food vendors, and students.ResultsAmong the six schools, two were private and four were public. The most popular foods consumed by students were unhealthy, such as deep-fried foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. Students had easy and constant access to unhealthy foods, whereas only limited variation of healthy foods were available in the school canteen. Some schools also allowed the student to have access to street food vendors. School policies related to healthy eating and physical activities had been implemented, mainly in the form of teaching these topics as part of the school curriculum. However, promotion of healthy eating and physical activities by the schools was still limited.ConclusionsThis study showed the usefulness of the Primary School Environmental Assessment tool in identifying obesogenic factors in urban area of Indonesia. Effective implementation of guidelines to foster good nutritional practices and healthy lifestyles at school should be prioritized to improve the health and nutritional status of the students.

Assessment of The School Environment of Public and Private Primary Schools in Ekiti State

Assessment of The School Environment of Public and Private Primary Schools in Ekiti State

Enhancing interethnic tolerance in masters of education in Ukrainian multiethnic primary school

Interethnic tolerance is a determining part of professional competence of Masters of Education (Primary Teaching) in Ukraine. It is seen both as a social order for the modern education system, as a personal-professional quality formed on the basis of humanistic worldview, allowing to perform professional duties effectively. The paper’s aim is to introduce education of Masters of Education into the context of interethnic tolerance formation to perform professional duties in the multiethnic educational environment of primary school. The paper examines the experience of 199 Masters of Education (Primary Teaching) who graduated with the learning strategy to improve the level of interethnic tolerance formed. We used a combination of research methods: analysis of normative documents and curricula, observation of students’ performance, questionnaire, testing, pedagogical experiment, quantitative and qualitative analysis of experimental data. To improve the level of interethnic tolerance formed we developed and introduced methodical support for the effective organisation of extra / curriculum, independent work and pedagogical practice. The developed learning procedure, implemented in the experimental group, gave positive results in the formation of interethnic tolerance by motivational-value, cognitive, activity-behavioural, and reflexive-creative components. The number of students in the experimental group with high level of interethnic tolerance formed increased by 23.48%; with sufficient level − increased by 14.54%; with average and low level − decreased by 16.07% and 21.94%, respectively. The research findings are relevant for other educational programs.

Fundamental movement proficiency of Welsh primary school children and the influence of the relative age effect on skill performance – implications for teaching

ABSTRACT The primary aim of this study was to identify levels of fundamental movement skills (FMS) proficiency in primary school children. A secondary aim was to establish if these FMS proficiency levels differentiated between children born in different quartiles of the school year. The results demonstrated overall levels of FMS proficiency were low in both genders with significant differences in FMS proficiency established between genders on several of the skills. In addition, significant differences were shown with some FMS and quartiles of the school year in boys only. In summary, these findings suggest that there is a greater need for a clearer strategy or focus to promote and develop FMS proficiency within the primary school environment. It is also important, for PE teachers, and practitioners, to be aware of the effect of the RAE with FMS proficiency on development, assessment, and selection at this age.

HOLISTIC MUSIC THERAPY AS ONE OF THEPREVENTIVE ACTIVITIES IN PUPILS WITH PROBLEM BEHAVIOR

The paper provides insight into the implementation of music therapy activities within holistic music therapy. In its first part, it conveys theoretical information about holistic music therapy, which can be very flexibly applicable. In the second part, the author focuses on the application of music therapy in a special primary school environment with a target group of students with a combined disability and severe mental disability. It presents the forms, the course of lessons, the specifics of music therapy activities and a specific case study of the student, in which he describes the course of music therapy lessons. The last part of the paper consists of a description of the project of holistic music therapy for pupils with manifestations of problematic and risky behavior in the primary school in BohumĂ­n and its evaluation.

COMPLEX DIAGNOSIS OF THE LEVEL OF YOUNG TEENAGERS’ SPEECH COMPETENCE FORMATION IN THE CONDITIONS OF INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The article considers the method of studying the state of young teenagers’ speech competence formation in an inclusive learning environment of primary school.
 The content of the key diagnostic blocks meets the criteria and indicators of five key components of teenagers’ speech competence. A set of tasks that correspond to the structure of a given component of speech competence is identified for each of the indicators based on the analysis of secondary school programs in the subject ‘The Ukrainian language and literature’. The system of task assessment and evaluation of the speech competence level is revealed. The types, methods and tools included in the diagnostic process are offered. Participation in the process of diagnosing young teenagers with speech disorders of the team of specialists (support team), namely, a Ukrainian language teacher, a speech therapist, and a psychologist is substantiated.
 The method of comprehensive diagnosis of the level of formation of speech competence of young adolescents was tested during a pedagogical experiment during the 2018-2020 school years and proved its effectiveness. This proves the need for its further implementation in the system of inclusive education in order to prevent complications in educational activities and the development of the personality of young adolescents with speech disorders.

Race-Discordant School Attendance and Cognitive Function in Later Life

Early schooling plays an important role in shaping cognitive development, both due to the level of academic rigor and the social environment of primary and secondary schools. This is reflected in current racial disparities in cognitive function in later life. Older minorities who attended predominantly White schools with more resources experienced significant cognitive benefits. This study explores whether there are benefits to cognitive functioning in later life from having attended socially diverse schools in early life. We examine the effects of having attended schools composed primarily of different race peers—race discordant schools (RDS)—among Black, Hispanic, and White older adults. Using retrospective and prospective data from the Health and Retirement Study, we examine the association between RDS exposure and four measures of cognitive function (working memory, episodic memory, mental status, overall cognitive function). We assess function at age 55 and 70, and examine change in functioning between age 55 and 70. We find that RDS exposed Blacks and Hispanics experience significant benefits in cognitive function at age 55, but only Blacks experience benefits at age 70. RDS exposed Whites reported higher overall working memory at age 70 relative to Whites in non-RDS schools, suggesting a cognitive benefit from diversity. Results suggest that exposure to more racially diverse school environments have potentially beneficial effects on cognitive function over the life course. Our findings suggest that the cultivation of diversity in schools could be an important long-term public health investment.

Promoting physical activity and health in Hong Kong primary school children through a blended physical literacy intervention: protocol and baseline characteristics of the \u201cStand+Move\u201d randomized controlled trial

BackgroundChildren predominantly remain sedentary in a traditional classroom. This study aimed to demonstrate the design and baseline characteristics of a three-armed intervention program that targeted enhancements in children’s physical literacy (PL), physical activity (PA), sleep, and executive functions by constructing an active classroom environment in primary schools. The blended approach involved organized PA participation during recess combined with changes to the classroom environment in response to the emphasis on nurturing children’s PL in Hong Kong.MethodsThis blended “Stand + Move” intervention adopted a randomized controlled trial design to investigate its effectiveness in improving health-related aspects. Three groups were compared: (1) PA recess intervention, (2) blended (sit-stand desks and PA recess) experimental, and (3) control groups. In this 13-week intervention (from March to September 2019), 76 students (59.2% girls) were recruited and randomly assigned to the three groups. The primary outcomes were children’s PL and PA. The secondary outcomes were children’s sleep and executive functions.ResultsBaseline data were evaluated. The mean age was 9.6 years [standard deviation = 0.61, range 9.0–12.0]. There were no significant differences between trial arms at baseline concerning any of the outcomes (all P = 0.06–0.89). Overall, 22.4% met the recommended PA guidelines, 36.8% met the sleep guidelines, and 10.5% met both guidelines. Three aspects of executive functions were evaluated: inhibition, executive control, and planning. Over half of the participants reported satisfaction with their perceived sleep quality.ConclusionsThe designed intervention is regarded as an innovative strategy that incorporates sit-stand desks and PA breaks to reconstruct children’s traditional classroom environment. The baseline results suggest that intervention was satisfactory in reducing students’ sitting time and increasing their PA engagement. We demonstrated the benefits of this intervention on children’s PL, various sleep patterns, and executive functions. As expected, the designed intervention changes made to the classroom improved children’s health behaviors, as well as the support from stakeholders at schools and the children’s families. Our results also provided the desired evidence for policy reforms in teaching and learning strategies.Trial registrationChiCTR ChiCTR2000035038. Registered on July 29, 2020—retrospectively registered

ОСНОВНІ ЧИННИКИ РОЗВИТКУ ЕМОЦІЙНОГО ІНТЕЛЕКТУ МОЛОДШИХ ШКОЛЯРІВ В ІНКЛЮЗИВНОМУ ПРОСТОРІ ПОЧАТКОВОЇ ШКОЛИ

The article highlights an important issue of the development of emotional intelligence in primary school children as an important component of personality formation. The basic concepts of the research topic are revealed. The emotional sphere as an important component of the development of “emotional intelligence” of the personality of a junior schoolchild is analyzed. It is proved that the study of emotional manifestations of children and the development of emotional intelligence in primary schoolchildren with special educational needs is the most important issue, especially in the period of their adaptation to the educational environment of primary school. It is relevant in the light of psychological and pedagogical approach to solve the problem of socialization of such children in society by increasing the level of perception and understanding primarily of themselves as individuals and others, and, very important, to solve the problem of emotional health of the child. . The paper also found that a high level of emotional intelligence affects a child's well-being. Such children are able to regulate their own emotions, they are less prone to stressful circumstances and socially adapted. Children who have a low level of emotional intelligence are more likely to face various difficulties at school; they may have problems with mental development. The child, feeling all the emotions on himself, understanding them, recognizing the emotions of others, becomes more developed in understanding such concepts as “self-control”, “selfregulation of emotions”, etc. It is noted that the early school age is a favorable period for the development of the individual's ability to differentiate and further recognize the emotional states, feelings and experiences of both themselves and others. Junior schoolchildren are able to understand and recognize familiar emotions that have arisen throughout life. It is established that the source of emotions and feelings of junior schoolchildren is the leading educational and play (which is still important) activities. During each important activity, there is a positive and negative experience of feelings, which further affects the behavior, activities, and personality development. Theoretical analysis of the scientific literature has also identified factors in the development of emotional intelligence. A promising area of research will be an experimental study of the level of the development of emotional intelligence in primary schoolchildren in the inclusive space of primary school. &nbsp

Moving Well-Being Well: a process evaluation of a physical literacy-based intervention in Irish primary schools

ABSTRACT Background Many Irish children are failing to meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. Research shows that children are failing to develop the necessary physical literacy skills to reverse this trend. Early childhood has been identified as a critical period to intervene, with the school environment identified as a key environment to do so. Qualitative research is increasingly included in intervention studies to aid the development of acceptable, attractive, effective and sustainable interventions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation process of the MWBW intervention (Exploratory trial) in the primary school setting, allowing the research team to assess the quality of the intervention’s implementation. Objectives included assessing whether the intervention is suitable for the primary school environment, and to inform for future, mainstream implementation through a comprehensive process evaluation. Methods The intervention is underpinned by both the theory of constraints and self-determination theory, and is designed using the comprehensive framework outlined by the behaviour change wheel. The intervention was delivered in 18 primary schools (22% DEIS) to 925 participants (age range 6–10 years, mean 7.55). The intervention was co-delivered by trained coaches and class teachers who were being upskilled (by trained coaches) whilst the intervention was being delivered. Qualitative data were gathered in the form of child focus groups (N = 32, 62% Male), teacher (N = 31) and principal (N = 5) questionnaires (open-ended questions), coach focus groups (N = 16, 81% Male) and weekly reflections. Data were analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke guidelines on using thematic analysis. Results Five key themes, with subsequent sub-themes, were identified: (1) Implementation of the Moving Well-Being Well model, (2) Outcomes from the intervention, (3) Fidelity of implementation, (4) Key components of favourite games and (5) Challenges faced and areas to develop. Conclusions Findings would suggest that the MWBW intervention is suited to the Irish primary school environment and its model of implementation can provide benefits to both children participants and teachers. Findings also show that the intervention has largely been delivered as intended showing potentially significant increases in participants overall FMS. Future research should examine the contextual impacts on the overall FMS improvement and how it varies from site to site. Evidence from this study also suggests that in order to produce similar or improved results in the future as part of a wider-scale roll-out of the intervention in schools, researchers should look to further assist teachers (possibly through added resources and/or training) to assist fidelity of implementation as well as looking at other factors that may influence intervention outcomes such as weather, seasonality, access to indoor facilities and environmental factors.

Policy actors in a hostile environment: the views of staff in maintained nursery schools in England

ABSTRACT The nearly 400 maintained nursery schools in England are schools for children aged 2–4 years. They hold a unique position in offering state-funded provision for this age group, outside of a primary school environment, and are disproportionately located in areas of disadvantage [EE. 2020. Briefing Note: The Comprehensive Spending Review and Funding for Maintained Nursery Schools. Accessed 13 October 2020. https://early-education.org.uk/sites/default/files/Briefing%20note%20-%20CSR%20and%20maintained%20nursery%20schools%27%20funding.pdf]. While there have been policy-based attempts to reduce the impact of social deprivation on educational outcomes, we argue that education policy has created a hostile environment for nursery schools. This arises from the national strategies on funding, ‘free hours’ for parents, and staff qualifications, alongside social policy. Based on interview data with staff and leaders in four nursery schools, the paper explores the views of these teachers and discusses them as policy actors within a precarious environment, faced with possible closure. We explore their agency as they navigate this hostile terrain and their ways of maintaining their sense of professional pride and commitment to social justice.

Дидактичні умови формування мовленнєвої компетентності молодших підлітків в умовах інклюзивного навчального середовища основної школи

The article substantiates the need to develop and test the didactic conditions for the formation of speech competence of young adolescents in an inclusive learning environment of primary school. Based on the analysis of the current state of the education system, the main vectors of its development, the main problems and tasks are identified main vectors of its development, the main problems and tasks are identifiedThe necessity of formation of speech competence of junior teenagers in the conditions of inclusive educational environment is highlighted. The didactic requirements for junior teenagers speech competence development under the conditions of inclusive educational environment of the basic school are defined, substantiated and experimentally checked: creating a favorable speech environment for junior teenagers in an inclusive educational environment of basic school; ensuring didactic adaptability of speech therapy support for junior teenagers; development and implementation of educational and correctional methods for the speech competence development of junior teenagers. The content and main ways and methods of realization of the complex of the offered didactic conditions are characterized. The three main stages of experimental verification of the effectiveness of the application of certain didactic conditions are named and revealed. The first organizational and introductory (aimed at preparing teachers, speech therapists, psychologists for the introduction of didactic conditions).Corrective activity, as the second stage, is aimed at developing components of speech competence of junior teenagers. Functional-communicative, focused on consolidating the speech competence development of junior teenagers, the development of initiative and activity in communication. The dynamics of the level characteristics of the study competence are presented, which demonstrates positive changes in junior teenagers, members of the experimental group.