Primary School Settings Research Articles

Effect of a School-Based Anxiety Prevention Program among Primary School Children.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders in childhood, and children with anxiety have an increased risk of psychiatric disorders during adulthood. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based anxiety prevention program for reducing anxiety among primary school students relative to a school-as-usual control group. Secondary to this, the current study aimed to examine the effect of a school-based prevention program on worry coping skills and self-esteem. A two-group parallel cluster randomized controlled trial of a single-blinded study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, with schools as the unit of allocation and individual participants as the unit of analysis. The intervention program was conducted between May 2016 and December 2017. The primary outcome was anxiety, whereas the secondary outcomes were worry coping skills and self-esteem measured at three months post-intervention. Data were analyzed by using a generalized linear mixed model, accounting for the clustering effect. Subgroup analyses were performed for children with anxiety. A total of 461 students participated in this study. At baseline, there was no significant difference between groups for anxiety score, worry coping skills score, and self-esteem score (p > 0.05). The intervention was effective in reducing anxiety for the whole sample (p = 0.001) and the anxiety subgroup (p = 0.001). However, it was not effective in improving worry coping skills and self-esteem. These findings suggest that the program could be effective for reducing symptoms of anxiety when delivered in schools and provide some support for delivering this type of program in primary school settings.

Nurture interest-driven creators in programmable robotics education: an empirical investigation in primary school settings

In response to the call from the founders of the Interest-Driven Creator (IDC) theory, this study aimed to explore the relationship of the interest loop with creativity in the context of robotics education. Specifically, we designed a programmable robotics course for primary school students. We attempted to explore in detail how interest loop, i.e., triggering interest, immersing interest, and extending interest, exerts influences on students’ robotics creation. Eight hundred one online questionnaires were collected from students who participated in our designed programmable robotics activities. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was first used for validation of each study variable, and results suggested a good fit of the study variables in terms of convergent and discriminant validity. Then, structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted for examining the potential relationships between them, and results indicated significant and positive paths from triggering interest to immersing interest, and from immersing interest to extending interest, suggesting the valid theoretical proposition of interest loop of IDC theory. In addition, immersing interest is positively related to robotics creation, which in turn increases the chance of extending interest. Our findings suggested the importance of raising students’ interest in robotics learning such that young students can become life-long interest-driven creators. Implications of the study were discussed at the end of the paper.

The Efficacy of a Computer Program for Increasing Phonemic Awareness and Decoding Skills in a Primary School Setting for Children with Reading Difficulties

Abstract: This paper addresses a gap in research regarding the efficacy of software programs to help children with reading difficulties. Forty-two children aged 5-13 years identified as poor readers participated in a study over twelve weeks using Reading Doctor, a software program targeting phonemic awareness, orthographic-phonemic mappings, decoding ability and sight word recognition. Measures were taken using the Sutherland Phonological Awareness Test - Revised (SPAT-R), the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE), and the graphemes and decoding subtests of the Phonological Awareness Test 2 (PAT-2). A quasi-experimental one group study with three multiple baseline measures was used. The dependent variables/measures were assessed seven times over a period of 32 weeks, allowing the research to be completed in the school-allocated time frame. Significant improvements were found on all three measures of phonological/phonemic awareness and word-reading efficiency. These improvements were maintained when assessed three months later, during which time the software program was not used.

The effectiveness of Nurture Groups in improving outcomes for young children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties in primary schools: An evaluation of Nurture Group provision in Northern Ireland

Concerns have grown regarding the increased prevalence of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties observed in young children in primary school settings. Contributory factors are multiple and varied but one consistent emphasis has been on the negative effects of children’s poor attachments with significant others which, due to contextual factors, may not have developed sufficiently. Some groups of children are more at risk of not developing strong attachments, particularly children in care whose ‘pre-care’ and ‘in care’ experiences make it more likely that their attachments will have been adversely impacted. Reflecting this increasing concern, there has been a growth of school-based interventions that aim to strengthen attachments in order that children can develop social and emotional skills; thus enabling them to be better placed to access learning opportunities and reach levels of educational achievement and attainment similar to their peers. One such intervention is Nurture Groups, modelled on attachment theory. Nurture Group provision is a short-term, schools-based intervention targeted at individual children beginning school who are already displaying social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. This article reports the findings of one of the first larger-scale evaluations of the effectiveness of Nurture Group provision in improving outcomes of children, and the first to explore the differential effects of Nurture Groups in relation to school-, pupil- and programme-level characteristics. The evaluation used a non-random control group design, involving a total sample of 384 children, aged 5–6 years, from 30 Nurture Group schools and a further 14 matched schools with no Nurture Group provision in Northern Ireland. The trial found effect sizes ranging in magnitude from g = 0.528 to 1.352 for a range of social, emotional and behavioural outcomes, using the Boxall Profile and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. However, no evidence of effects was found for academic outcomes. The article discusses the implications for policy and practice of the findings.

Connecting moments of creativity, computational thinking, collaboration and new media literacy skills

PurposeThis paper aims to present a novel pedagogical model that aims at bridging creativity with computational thinking (CT) and new media literacy skills at low-technology, information-rich learning environments. As creativity, problem solving and collaboration are among the targeted skills in twenty-first century, this model promotes the acquisition of these skills towards a holistic development of students in primary and secondary school settings. In this direction, teaching students to think like a computer scientist, an economist, a physicist or an artist can be achieved through CT practices, as well as media arts practices. The interface between these practices is imagination, a fundamental concept in the model. Imaginative teaching methods, computer science unplugged approach and low-technology prototyping method are used to develop creativity, CT, collaboration and new media literacy skills in students. Furthermore, cognitive, emotional, physical and social abilities are fostered. Principles and guidelines for the implementation of the model in classrooms are provided by following the design thinking process as a methodological tool, and a real example implemented in a primary school classroom is described. The added value of this paper is that it proposes a pedagogical model that can serve as a pool of pedagogical approaches implemented in various disciplines and grades, as CT curriculum frameworks for K-6 are still in their infancy. Further research is needed to define the point at which unplugged approach should be replaced or even combined with plugged-in approach and how this proposed model can be enriched.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a pedagogical model that aims at bridging creativity with CT, collaboration and new media literacy skills.FindingsThe proposed model follows a pedagogy-driven approach rather a technology-driven one as the authors suggest its implementation in low-tech, information-rich learning environments without computers. The added value of this paper is that it proposes a novel pedagogical model that can serve as a pool of pedagogical approaches and as a framework implemented in various disciplines and grades. A CT curriculum framework for K-6 is an area of research that is still in its infancy (Angeliet al., 2016), so this model is intended to provide a holistic perspective over this area by focusing how to approach the convergence among CT, collaboration and creativity skills in practice rather than what to teach. Based on literature, the authors explained how multiple moments impact on CT, creativity and collaboration development and presented the linkages among them. Successful implementation of CT requires not only computer science and mathematics but also imaginative capacities involving innovation and curiosity (The College Board, 2012). It is necessary to understand the CT implications for teaching and learning beyond the traditional applications on computer science and mathematics (Kotsopouloset al., 2017) and start paying more attention to CT implications on social sciences and non-cognitive skills. Though the presented example (case study) seems to exploit the proposed multiple moments model at optimal level, empirical evidence is needed to show its practical applicability in a variety of contexts and not only in primary school settings. Future studies can extend, enrich or even alter some of its elements through experimental applications on how all these macro/micromoments work in practice in terms of easiness in implementation, flexibility, social orientation and skills improvement.Originality/valueThe added value of this paper is that it joins learning theories, pedagogical methods and necessary skills acquisition in an integrated manner by proposing a pedagogical model that can orient activities and educational scenarios by giving principles and guidelines for teaching practice.

The Socialization of Gender-Based Aggression: A Case Study in Cambodian Primary Schools

As Cambodia confronts the implications of recent genocide and traditional gender norms, gender-based violence is increasingly important in Cambodian policy and practice. Typically, research focuses on adolescence or gender-based violence in secondary schools, however, we argue that understanding the factors and processes leading to the perpetuation and acceptance of gender-based violence begins in primary school settings with gender-based aggression. A case study of four target schools in and around Siem Reap, Cambodia indicates that gender-based aggression is socialized through the normalization of aggression as play and flirting or teasing and that power, physicality, and blame lay the foundation for the perpetuation and acceptance of gender-based aggression. Additionally, although boys are also victims of gender-based aggression in primary schools, silence surrounding their victimization supports these socialization processes. These findings have important implications for understanding the processes of gender-based aggression in young children and how these processes could lead to gender-based violence in later years.

Positive dispositions and close alignment: Using Bourdieusian concepts to understand parents' and teachers' perceptions of homework

ABSTRACT This paper presents findings about teachers’ and parents’ perceptions of homework in a middle-class, primary school setting in Ireland, from a qualitative study that aimed to provide an insight into the neglected area of homework from the perspectives of two of the main stakeholders in the process. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with six parents and six teachers of fifth-class pupils from adjoining boys’ and girls’ urban primary schools. Bourdieusian concepts of habitus, capitals, field, and practice were used as a theoretical framework and an interpretive lens. Homework perceptions are explored against the backdrop of a global phenomenon of education commodification, whereby parents are viewed as consumers of education, and in the context of parents and teachers as partners in children’s education. An overriding positive disposition towards homework by parents and teachers was evident in perceptions of its necessity and importance, indicating an alignment of their homework habitus.

Counsellors in Hong Kong Primary Schools: On Becoming Visible Counselling Professionals

This article examines the implications of a new school counselling policy, namely, ‘one school social worker for each school’, for the professional identity of school counsellors and guidance and counselling services in Hong Kong primary schools. This paper reviews primary school counselling development since the 1970s with a focus on workforce planning. As a result, it identifies two themes: (1) counselling workforce planning has gradually shifted from purely government-led to more school-based planning, and (2) school counsellors with master’s-level counselling training qualifications are not adequately recognized in primary school settings. Making school counsellors visible to school principals, the Education Bureau and the public before the full implementation of the new policy in 2021/2022 is critical. The strategic positions of counsellor educators and counselling associations that are central to the advancement of the professional identity of school counsellors are discussed.

Collaborative care model for treatment of persistent symptoms after concussion among youth (CARE4PCS-II): Study protocol for a randomized, controlled trial

BackgroundCurrently, there is limited evidence to guide intervention and service delivery coordination for youth who suffer a concussion and subsequently experience persistent post-concussive symptoms (PCS) (Lumba-Brown et al. JAMA Pediatr 172(11):e182853, 2018; Lumba-Brown A et al. JAMA Pediatr 172(11):e182847, 2018). We have developed a collaborative care intervention with embedded cognitive-behavioral therapy, care management, and stepped-up psychotropic medication consultation to address persistent PCS and related psychological comorbidities. The CARE4PCS-II study was designed to assess whether adolescents with persistent symptoms after sports-related concussion will demonstrate better outcomes when receiving this collaborative care intervention compared to a usual care (control) condition.Methods/designThis investigation is a randomized comparative effectiveness trial to receive intervention (collaborative care) or control (usual care). Two hundred sports-injured male and female adolescents aged 11–18 years with three or more post-concussive symptoms that persist for at least 1 month but less than 9 months after injury will be recruited and randomized into the study. The trial focuses on the effects of the intervention on post-concussive, depressive, and anxiety symptoms measured 3, 6, and 12 months after baseline.DiscussionThe CARE4PCS II study is a large comparative effectiveness trial targeting symptomatic improvements in sports injured adolescents after concussion. The study is unique in its adaptation of the collaborative care model to a broad spectrum of primary care, sports medicine, and school settings. The investigation incorporates novel elements such as the delivery of CBT through HIPAA complaint video conferenceing technology and has excellent widespread dissemination potential should effectiveness be demonstrated.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03034720. Registered on January 27, 2017.

An early start to foreign language literacy in English primary school classrooms

ABSTRACT This study investigated the systematic and principled teaching of foreign language (FL) literacy in two young learner classrooms in England. Over the course of 23 weeks, two classes of 9–11 year olds (N = 45) learned spoken and written language through an integrated pedagogy. The underpinning rationale was to explore principled ways of teaching FL literacy to young beginner learners. The study also set out to document the nature of linguistic progression and potential attrition in primary school foreign language classrooms through measuring a range of FL outcomes: receptive vocabulary and elicited imitation (general proficiency); reading aloud and reading comprehension (literacy). It was found that 45 the participants made slow but statistically significant and long-term progress, the latter evidenced by limited attrition, across both FL general proficiency and FL literacy constructs. Qualitative data showed that children enjoyed aspects of literacy instruction and opportunities to experiment with FL use. Findings have the potential to inform young FL learning empirical and pedagogic evidence, particularly relating to the teaching and learning of FL literacy in primary school settings.

Trauma among Kenyan School Children in Urban and Rural Settings: PTSD Prevalence and Correlates.

This study estimated the prevalence and correlates of PTSD in Kenyan school children during a period of widespread post-election violence. The UCLA PTSD Reaction Index was administered to 2482 primary and secondary school students ages 11-17 from rural and urban communities. A high proportion of school children had witnessed people being shot at, beat up or killed (46.9%) or had heard about the violent death or serious injury of a loved one (42.0%). Over one quarter (26.8%, 95% CI = 25.1% - 28.7%) met criteria for PTSD. Correlates of PTSD included living in a rural (vs urban) area (AOR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.41-2.11), attending primary (vs secondary) school (AOR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.67-3.04) and being a girl (with girl as referent AOR = .70, 95% CI = .57-.86). We recommend training Kenyan teachers to recognize signs of emotional distress in school children and psychosocial counselors to adapt empirically-supported mental health interventions for delivery in primary and secondary school settings.

Rethinking learning? Challenging and accommodating neoliberal educational agenda in the integration of Forest School into mainstream educational settings

A nation's education system plays a key role in future economic competitiveness. Political attention to education has fuelled geographical interest in the role of formal education and informal learning environments in the cultivation of future citizen‐workers. To date, formal and informal learning have largely been considered separately, but this paper responds by critically evaluating the intersections between the two spheres. This agenda is pursued through in‐depth analysis of two state‐funded, mainstream primary schools in the Midlands, UK, which adopt a Forest School programme. Qualitative in nature, the research involved 37 semi‐structured interviews with teachers and children in the Reception class and Year 4 (ages four to five, and eight to nine, respectively). The findings demonstrate that children understand classroom learning to contribute to their future pathways in a credentialised labour market, yet some struggle to frame Forest School activities as educational. Although presented as an antidote to the regimen of the school day, Forest School can thus be justified by some participants in relation to curriculum alignment and the future efficacy of the skills and knowledge acquired. In conclusion, this paper contributes to debates on the intersections of formal and informal education to examine how alternative education can function to counteract the institutionalisation of mainstream settings, while paradoxically developing skills in children that are valued by neoliberal states. More broadly, this furthers debates in geographies of education about what constitutes valuable learning in the primary school setting, and draws attention to the ways innovations might further exclude children currently disadvantaged in the education system.

Teachers’ perceptions of an attachment-informed psychosocial programme for schoolchildren with social and emotional problems in Istanbul, Turkey: theory & practice

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the role positive attachment relationship plays in improving children’s social and emotional development. In doing so, we are using the Attachment Theory as our principle theoretical framework. We carried out qualitative interviews with 18 teachers and school staff working in a primary school setting located in a deprived neighbourhood of Istanbul, Turkey. Significant number of children attending this school had experienced social and emotional problems. We devised an innovative psychosocial programme where 40 university student mentors and their professors provided weekly psychosocial support to 160 year-one and year-two primary schoolchildren over a period of 8 months. The objective was to create a secure proximity zone from which the university students acted the older and more knowledgeable secondary caregivers to the schoolchildren. This paper evaluates the teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the attachment-informed psychosocial programme on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.

Hunger in the primary school setting: evidence, impacts and solutions according to school staff in the North East of England, UK

ABSTRACTThe issue of ‘holiday hunger’ (i.e. food insecurity during school holidays) has received increased attention in recent years, though research in this area is limited. Through qualitative, semi-structured interviews, the current study investigated the views of 12 primary school staff on the existence, impacts and potential solutions to holiday hunger. Thematic analysis revealed holiday hunger forms part of a broader, year-round experience of deprivation and poor nutritional habits. Staff proposed a need for a multi-agency approach to address a range of complex, inter-related needs. Additionally, the findings highlighted a need to address poverty stigma in the development of familial support.

Nutrition and Physical Activities in the Schools: A Qualitative Study of Children Perceptions in Brunei Darussalam

Aims: The aim of the study was to elicit opinions and attitudes towards healthy eating and physical activity in their schools and barriers towards the activities.
 Study Design: Qualitative study.
 Place and Duration of Study: Primary school settings in Brunei Darussalam. Duration of the study was January 2012 – January 2013. 
 Methodology: Five focus groups of primary school students in years 4, 5, and 6 were conducted at 5 selected primary schools in Brunei Darussalam. The focus group session was between 30 minutes and 45 minutes duration and was divided into two separate sections: ‘healthy eating' and ‘physical activity'. Interviews were transcribed verbatim into a word document and names were removed to ensure confidentiality and anonymity. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected data.
 Results: Thematic analysis of the focus group discussions with children produced the following three themes: ‘healthy eating and physical activity are important for a healthy and strong body free of disease’, ‘unhealthy foods make us fat, cause diabetes and are bad for teeth’ and ,physical activity mainly related to playing together in groups.’
 Conclusion: The children have a good understanding of the detrimental effect of poor diet and inactivity on physical health, but, without a supportive environment, children are faced with a significant barrier in translating their knowledge into action. The students were keen to do more fun activities such as sports activities in the school but were hindered by the availability of time, equipment and safety within the school compound.

From learning without limits to leading without limits: An autobiographical reflective case study of leading academic development within higher education

ABSTRACTThis autobiographical case study reflects upon how a senior academic leader repurposed the Learning without Limits pedagogical framework originally developed within UK primary and secondary school settings to inform the development of a new transformational leadership framework within a higher education setting. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle is used to structure an analytically self-reflective account of the leadership behaviours deployed for a distributed model of academic development to be effective, viewed through the lens of Learning without Limits. As a result, a new framework to inform effective approaches to the leadership of change in higher education is suggested: Leading without Limits.

The role of self‐efficacy beliefs in learning English as a foreign language among young Indonesians

This article examines the role of self‐efficacy beliefs in learning English as a foreign language in an Indonesian primary school setting. Self‐efficacy is a significant motivational factor affecting the cognitive and behavioral engagement of learners (Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2003). The study adopted a mixed‐methods research design that involved the administration of a questionnaire (N = 516), an English proficiency test (N = 516), and a semistructured interview (N = 12). The participants of the study were sixth graders from 12 primary schools in the Indonesian province of East Java. The quantitative findings indicate a relationship between self‐efficacy and language ability, which the interview findings support by pointing to the different cognitive and motivational engagement of the students who held different self‐efficacy levels. These findings provide empirical evidence for the motivational role of self‐efficacy beliefs in language learning. The article ends with practical implications for using EFL instructional processes in the Indonesian primary school context.

Making job-sharing work

How can flexible working conditions, such as job-shares, improve the recruitment and retention of teachers? Caroline Cafferty speaks to headteacher Angela Pagett to get her perspective on job-sharing in a primary school setting

Oral Reading Intervention for an English Language Learner: A Single-case Design

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the effectiveness of conducting a reading intervention in a public primary school setting in Chinese vernacular school in Malaysia. Literature indicated that struggling readers did not master letter-sound correspondences despite the phonics was emphasised in to date curriculum. One male learner who was identified by his classroom teacher as needing special assistance in reading performance participated this research. Using a single-case research design, the participant’s oral reading fluency (ORF) in terms of word correct per minute (WCPM) was measured. Several nonparametric statistics methods, such as Tau and percentage of nonoverlapping data (PND) were applied to compute the degree of association and effectiveness of the intervention, respectively. Visual analysis was carried out to interpret the graph. The data collected was also compared with the updated ORF norm that was established in the United States. The results revealed that the reading intervention facilitated the improvement of ORF of the participant. The significant implications and future research recommendations on the development of reading intervention were highlighted.

Government and school community member perception on childhood obesity prevention in the primary school settings of Brunei Darussalam

Introduction: Childhood obesity is increasing in the Southeast Asian region, including in the nation of Brunei Darussalam. Within the public health focus on obesity prevention, specific settings, including primary schools, have been singled out as suitable sites for action. Recognizing that stakeholders are, in their various roles, producers of policy or implementers of practice, the purpose of this study in Brunei was to establish a baseline for interventions as well as to establish strengths and limitations in the current practice.
 Methods: Semi-structured interview with government and school community stakeholders was conducted, and transcriptions were thematically analyzed.
 Results: Three themes emerged from the data. The first theme was “children’s eating habits today = healthy adult population tomorrow;” many of the stakeholders believed that, if healthy eating is not practiced from an early stage, this can lead to the development of harmful diet-related diseases in the future. The second theme was “barriers to effectively addressing the issue of childhood obesity;” all were able to identify barriers such as workforce issues to address obesity prevention and health promotion activities. The third theme was “parental responsibility for children’s diet and physical activity habits.” The majority of respondents believed that parents are responsible for the rise in childhood obesity in Brunei.
 Conclusions: The widespread ethos of personal responsibility for health behaviors has resulted in policies having a heavy emphasis on individual health behavior management and blame for the problem being directed primarily at parents. This individualization of the problem of childhood obesity is a barrier to the planning and implementation of ecological interventions.