School Year Research Articles

Should mathematicians worry with PISA and TIMSS math results?

Since the end of last century, international large-scale assessment studies have been providing systematic information about countries’ education results. The news they convey regarding European education are not at all reassuring and have worsened with school closures and the disruption due to the recent Covid-19 pandemic. The size of the education losses and the distance of most European countries to other areas of the world, namely South East Asia, are often overlooked. A simple statistical analysis shows most European students are about one to two school years behind their peers in most advanced countries and regions, and the gap is increasing. These facts will negatively impact European workforce, economic competitiveness, and development. They will most likely also negatively impact mathematics higher education and research in our continent. To recognise the problem is the first step to cope with it. [1]

Efficacy of education outside the classroom to increase adolescent physical activity

Physical inactivity increases risks of cardiovascular disease, poor mental health, and morbidity. School-based physical activity (PA) promotion can reach children from differing backgrounds in a large proportion of their waking hours. Education outside the classroom (EOtC) is an PA-integrating pedagogical approach that aligns PA with the primary goals of schools and is therefore thought to present an acceptable, feasible, and efficacious model for school-based PA. This registered report used a cluster randomised wait list design to evaluate the efficacy of an EOtC intervention that aims to increase adolescents’ (ages 10–16 years) school-based (school week) and overall (full week) PA by providing a course on the pedagogical and didactic methods of EOtC to teachers across 30 Danish schools, and subsequently the teachers implementing EOtC in their classes > 5 h weekly over the course of one school year. Across 20 schools, 503 pupils aged 9–14 years were enrolled. The intervention group classes delivered a weekly mean of 238 (± 50) minutes of EOtC per-protocol and engaged in 20.4% moderate-to-vigorous school-based PA above the control group, however with no effect on overall PA. Enhancing effectiveness on overall PA, supplementing the intervention with additional PA activities, or adjusting its delivery and implementation is necessary.Protocol registration The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 22/08/22. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/NTM9K.

COVID-19, school closures and (cyber)bullying in Germany

ABSTRACT We analyse the prevalence of bullying in Germany during COVID-19, both as in-person bullying (in our context: school bullying) and via social media and electronic communication tools (cyberbullying). Using Google Trends data from 2013 to 2022 and exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic as a natural experiment when schools switched to distance learning, we document stark changes in the prevalence of (cyber)bullying in Germany: Our results indicate that during school years affected by COVID-19, online searches for school bullying decreased by about 29 percent, while online searches for cyberbullying increased by about 40 percent during the same periods.

Investment Pattern and Behaviour of Rural Households on Investment Avenues with Special Reference to Ernakulam District

Two-thirds (67.63% of the total population) of the people in rural India live there and contribute one-third of the country's GDP1. One of the most significant areas that increases gross domestic savings is the household sector. The main objective of the study is to understand rural household savings and investment behaviour that is influenced by a number of factors including years of age, schooling, financial status, and occupation. According to the study, the majority of respondents have lower earning potential, and even those who did earn more only set aside a little fraction of their income for savings. In India, there are numerous investment opportunities and there are advantages and disadvantages to any investment strategy. Making the best investment decisions will meet the various demands of different people requires having a thorough understanding of these investing options. This paper projects various investment options and the level of household awareness in rural areas areas. The study utilized a meticulously designed questionnaire to explore the investment preferences and awareness levels of rural investors. The primary aim was to gain insights into their preferred investment avenues and their level of understanding regarding various investment options. For data analysis, simple percentages were employed to summarize the findings, and the chi-square test was used to assess relationships between categorical variables. 300 rural households selected as sample size from Ernakulam District through convenience sampling method.

Does geographical location impact educational disparities among Ecuadorians? A novel two-stage inequality decomposition method

The aim of this paper is to assess the extent of educational disparities among Ecuadorians attributed to their geographical location. For this purpose, a novel two-stage hierarchical decomposition of inequality for the half of the square of the coefficient of variation is introduced. This method, an extension of the one-stage (within/between) decomposition, is applicable to variables that can take the value zero, such as the ‘years of schooling’ variable. Using microdata bases from Ecuador’s National Survey of Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment (encompassing all twenty-four provinces and four regions in 2014 and 2021), we estimated the ‘years of schooling’ for individuals aged 24 and over, determining provincial, regional and national mean values. The proposed method allows the identification of the extent to which educational disparities among Ecuadorians (total inequality) can be attributed to differences between provinces and regions (spatial inequality), and the extent to which such educational inequality is due to variations among individuals within provinces. Moreover, it measures the educational inequality within each province and evaluates the contribution of each province to intra-provincial inequality. The results indicate that, although spatial inequality increased between the study years, total educational inequality decreased. This is because the contribution of spatial inequality to total inequality was practically negligible compared to the influence of disparities among individuals within provinces. Consequently, the reduction in the intra-provincial inequality is the reason for the decrease in educational differences among Ecuadorians. The findings potentially reflect individual-focused policies, socioeconomic features of Ecuador’s provinces and align with the official educational statistics.

Examining the relationship between receipt of Extended School Year services and educator roles

The current study examined educator-reported frequency of Extended School Year (ESY) services recommendation and receipt and the variation in educator perceptions as to the recommendation and receipt of ESY services. Findings suggest that educator roles are associated with differences in the perceived receipt of ESY services. Self-contained teachers and specialists reported higher percentages of students who were recommended for ESY services that subsequently received those services as compared to inclusion and resource teachers. Results also indicated that self-contained teachers were more likely to perceive that students outside of a self-contained setting received ESY services while resource teachers were more likely to perceive these students as not receiving ESY services outside of a self-contained setting. It is posited that educational placement should not dictate the receipt of ESY services but it appears that this may be inadvertently occurring.

Associations of incident myopia and its development with related factors among school-aged children across different grades: a four-year longitudinal study.

To assess the progression of myopia across different academic grades and investigate the associations between potential myopia-related factors and the incidence of myopia at various grade levels. We utilized data from an ongoing longitudinal study that began with grade 1 students across 12 schools. Four waves of annual eye examinations and questionnaire surveys were conducted. Longitudinal analyses were performed on three groups: Group 1 (n = 1223, non-myopic in grade 1) examined factors in grade 1 associated with incident myopia in grade 2; Group 2 (n = 653, non-myopic in grade 2) investigated factors in grade 2 related to incident myopia in grade 3; and Group 3 (n = 746, non-myopic in grade 3) evaluated factors in grade 3 associated with incident myopia in grade 4. The incidence of myopia increased from 4.3% in grade 2 to 21.6% in grade 4. Our findings revealed a consistent positive association between the number of myopic parents and incident myopia in grades 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Outdoor activity in earlier grades showed significant protective effects, reducing the risk of incident myopia in the subsequent grades 2 and 3 (e.g., in Group 1, adjusted HR 0.46 [95% CI 0.24 ~ 0.86]). However, no significant association was observed between outdoor activity in grade 3 and incident myopia in grade 4. It is important to consider the grade level of schoolchildren when addressing myopia control. Implementing early-phase interventions, particularly those emphasizing outdoor activities, may help mitigate the onset and progression of myopia during the earlier school years.

Base Rates of Non‐Proficiency in Reading and Math: Implications for Universal Screening

ABSTRACTSeveral researchers have called for schools to interpret universal screening results using posterior probabilities. Following this recommendation could require schools to move away from direct‐route, single‐measure screening unless base rates of risk fall within a narrow range. In this descriptive study, we investigated two questions surrounding the feasibility of adopting a probability‐based approach in schools. First, how many districts had base rates of risk that would allow educators to classify all students using a single screener? Second, to what extent would yearly fluctuation in base rates require planned flexibility in screening procedures? We used public state test data to estimate base rates of risk for each district in Florida, Oregon, and Wisconsin across four school years. Districts' base rates of risk were rarely within the required range for a single screener to classify all students based on posterior probabilities. Many districts had base rates conducive to direct route screening in at least 1 year but very few had base rates in the required zone across the 4 years. Using posterior probabilities to make screening decisions may require more changes to existing practices than simply interpreting screening results as probabilities. Additional research to promote the use of this approach in schools is needed.

Costly involved? An examination of latent motivational profiles in physical education

ABSTRACT Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT) posits that expectancy for success, task value, and perceptions of cost are pivotal motivational factors influencing learning in a specific educational setting. The purpose of this study was to examine the profiles of expectancy, value, and cost beliefs pertaining to participation in physical education. Additionally, this study aimed to explore the longitudinal associations between these belief profiles and students’ demographics (gender, grade), class engagement and cardiorespiratory fitness throughout a school year. A total of 455 students from two urban public middle schools in China participated in this study, with latent profile analyses employed for the analysis. Three distinct profiles were identified: a high cost with moderate attainment value profile, a high expectancy-value with moderate effort cost profile, and a moderate mixed motivation profile. Further analyses demonstrated associations between gender and grade level with latent profile memberships (b = 1.13, SE = .31, p < .01). The high expectancy-value with moderate effort cost profile exhibited higher initial class engagement compared to the other two profiles (χ²(2) = 18.74, p < .01), while the decline in cardiorespiratory fitness over time was most pronounced in the high cost with moderate attainment value profile (χ²(2) = 5.10, p < .05). This study enhances our comprehension of the amalgamation of various motivational beliefs within student groups and emphasises the importance of taking into account diverse perceptions of cost. Tailored support may be crucial for students with differing motivational beliefs to foster continuous development in physical education.

A registry study on nonsyndromic craniosynostosis: Long-term associations with academic achievement

To assess the association between nonsyndromic craniosynostosis (NSC) and academic achievement. Registry data were analyzed on demographic background, presence of craniosynostosis and other comorbidities, grades, and results on national standardized tests (NSTs) across primary and upper secondary school, as well as the presence of academic degrees. The analysis used regression modeling on a sample of N=1110 individuals with NSC and a matched cohort of N=10,654 individuals. There was a significant negative association between NSC and NST scores in third grade for both mathematics (aOR 0.76, 95% CI 0.60-0.99, p=.020) and Swedish (aOR 0.69, 95% CI 0.54-0.89, p=.004). The association seemed to primarily be carried by females with NSC (aORs for the interaction term 0.26-0.45, all ps <.05). Further, a slightly stronger negative association was observed in individuals with psychiatric comorbidities (aOR 0.44, 95% CI 0.22-0.90, p=.025 for mathematics; aOR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21-0.98, p=.045 for Swedish). No statistically significant association was found between NSC and NST scores or grades in later school years, or with academic degrees. There is evidence for a limited temporary negative association between NSC and academic achievement. A stronger negative association between NSC and academic achievement seems to be present in girls, and for individuals with psychiatric comorbidities. This has important implications for clinical management and provision of support in educational contexts.

The contributions of motor skill proficiency to cognitive and social development in early childhood

With limited evidence from intervention studies, causal relationships between motor competence and cognitive and social development have yet to be clearly established. In this research, we investigated whether a targeted training programme to improve fundamental movement skills (i.e., object control, locomotor) in young children would also lead to improvements in the cognitive (i.e., executive function) and social (i.e., socioemotional competence) domains. Using a two-arm group randomised intervention design, 185 children aged 36 to 60 months (mean 47.51, SD 8.11 months) were allocated to a motor skill intervention group or an active control group. The intervention was implemented over one school year, and outcomes were monitored across five time points. Longitudinal analysis was performed using hierarchical linear mixed-effects and latent growth curve models. Participation in the motor skill intervention led to higher rates of development of object control skills (p < 0.001) and executive function (p < 0.001). A dose‒response relationship was found in which those children who displayed greater development of object control skills over time also displayed greater development of executive function (p = 0.001). We found no significant effects of the intervention on locomotor skills, social behaviours, or socioemotional competence. These findings provide evidence of a causal relationship between motor and cognitive development.

Association between narrow palate and respiratory function in children: a literature review

Changes in the airways and dentoalveolar system are one of the most challenging aspects of modern practical and theoretical dentistry. Nasal breathing is essential for the normal development of the maxillofacial area. During a child’s growth, the respiratory tract and facial skull development are closely linked. The main stage of dentoalveolar system development occurs during preschool and elementary school years. Nasal breathing disorders are currently widespread in this age group. Dental professionals are frequently the first to detect these disorders. A dental professional can then inform parents on the potential causes and consequences of habitual mouth breathing, justify the need for treatment and prevention of this pathology, and refer a child to an ENT specialist. The review examines the association between narrow palate and respiratory function in children. Domestic and international studies addressing the association between dentoalveolar system pathologies and respiratory patterns and functional parameters were analyzed. The studies present a variety of opinions: some authors confirm the association between narrow palate and mouth breathing, while others refute it. Moreover, changes in respiratory function parameters following rapid palatal expansion have been analyzed, emphasizing the importance of timely orthodontic treatment to improve breathing.

COVID-19 Incidence and Age Eligibility for Elementary School

Understanding the role of school attendance on transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among children is of importance for responding to future epidemics. Estimating discontinuities in outcomes by age of eligibility for school attendance has been used to examine associations between school attendance and a variety of outcomes, but has yet to be applied to describe associations between school attendance and communicable disease transmission. To estimate the association between eligibility for elementary school and COVID-19 incidence. This case series used data on all pediatric COVID-19 cases reported to California's disease surveillance system between May 16, 2020, and December 15, 2022, among children within 24 months of the age threshold for school eligibility. Birthdate before or after the age threshold for elementary school eligibility during periods when school was remote vs in person. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Between May 16, 2020, and December 15, 2022, there were 688 278 cases of COVID-19 (348 957 cases [50.7%] among boys) and 1423 hospitalizations among children who turned 5 years within 24 months of September 1 of the school year when their infection occurred. The mean (SD) age of the study sample was 5.0 (1.3) years. After adjusting for higher rates of testing in schooled populations, the estimated pooled incidence rate ratio among kindergarten-eligible individuals (eg, those born just before the age threshold for school eligibility) compared with those born just after the eligibility threshold for in-person fall 2021 semester was 1.52 (95% CI, 1.36-1.68), for in-person spring 2022 semester was 1.26 (95% CI, 1.15-1.39), and for in-person fall 2022 semester was 1.19 (95% CI, 1.03-1.38). Reported incidence rates among school-eligible children remained higher during the month-long winter 2021-2022 school break but were lower during the longer summer break that followed. The findings were unable to establish whether associations between school eligibility and COVID-19 incidence were based on in-school vs out-of-school routes (eg, classrooms vs school buses). The study lacked power to detect associations between school attendance and hospitalization. Results were robust to functional form. A simulation study was conducted to demonstrate bias associated with nonadjustment for differential case acquisition by exposure status. In this case series of children in California, the magnitude of the association between school eligibility and COVID-19 incidence decreased over time and was generally lower than other published associations between out-of-school child social interactions and COVID-19 incidence. This regression discontinuity design approach could be adapted to other geographies and/or disease systems to assess associations between schooling and disease transmission.

Does Play-Based Learning Support Children's Everyday Resiliency? A Cross-Case Analysis of Parents' and Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions of Play-Based Learning as a Precedent to Young Children's Coping During the Pandemic-Affected 2020-2021 School Year.

Play has long been credited with fostering self-regulation in young children, though few studies have examined how children draw upon early childhood experiences with play to navigate adversity later in childhood. The purpose of this study is to describe the facets of the children's everyday resiliency that were attributed to their play-based experiences by parents and teachers as they reflected on the children's kindergarten experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a cross-case study design to examine the positive coping strategies parents and teachers observed in three five-year-old girls and one six-year-old boy entering kindergarten during the 2020-2021 pandemic-affected school year. We recruited parent participants based on their child's enrollment at a Reggio Emilia-inspired, play-based early childhood center in Northern Colorado for three or more years prior to entering kindergarten. Once parents enrolled in the study, we extended an invitation to their child's kindergarten teacher to participate. Data included three one-hour interviews with each participant, field visits during remote learning, and artifact collection over the course of the school year. Cross-case analysis revealed four themes: "Willing to Adjust", "Understands the Situation", "Uses Advanced Language", and "Embraces Challenge". Participants describe these children as willing to adjust to public health orders, having a deep understanding of the pandemic's societal repercussions, using sophisticated language to process adversity, and embracing the challenge of becoming kindergarteners. Participants believed these children's experiences with play-based learning promoted the interdisciplinary development of their social language, persistence, altruism, and cognitive flexibility; these traits fostered the children's positive coping strategies throughout the pandemic-affected kindergarten year.

Outcomes Associated with Nevada SafeVoice: A Statewide Anonymous Tip Line for School-Age Youth

ABSTRACT The State of Nevada launched the Nevada SafeVoice anonymous tip line to prevent harmful events in schools and to promote student safety, health, and wellbeing. We assessed the extent to which SafeVoice contributed to reductions in school discipline incidents, youth suicides, and increases in the positive school climate. Using interrupted time-series analyses, we found statistically significant reductions in the rates of violence against staff (an estimated 32% reduction across the two school years) and possession of weapons (also 32%). Comparing annual data over time, we also found significant improvements in school climate during the study period from 2018 to 2019. We found no effects of SafeVoice on incident rates of bullying, cyberbullying, violence against students, or suicides among youth. We estimated that savings associated with the prevented incidents of violence against staff and weapons possession totaled $34 million. Every dollar spent on the State’s operation of SafeVoice saved $13.80 in identifiable prevented events, including $3.45 in direct out-of-pocket costs.

Intentionality, Pygmalion, and Cognitive Fun Redirects Elementary School Children in Pull-Out Neural Enrichment

This study describes an academic enrichment intervention for 15 ‘high risk’ children who were pulled out of General Education classrooms in Bangalore India for 40 minutes four-times a week during a typical school year. Could a brain-based intervention reduce achievement gaps that showed up for these children in terms of below-grade academic outcomes and impoverished social and emotional wellbeing? The null hypothesis stated that a teacher’s mental model that shifted to brain-based methodology would have no perceivable effect on (i) children’s academic achievement or (ii) their social and emotional engagement. This study was grounded in teacher education literature involving mental models that illuminate classroom management techniques. Subjects were drawn from second grade students (mean 6.7 years; n = 15). Study was an opportunistic quasi-experimental design reflecting school life across India. Qualitative ethnographic data using grounded theory were triangulated with quantitative measures that best account for observed outcomes. Findings highlight significant academic, and social and emotional growth, which dramatically reduced the achievement gap for all participants.

Integrating culturally-oriented activities in physical education: Analysis on the incidental learning and appreciation of learners to Philippine culture

The study investigates incidental learning and the appreciation of college students towards culturally-oriented activities in physical education sessions. The exploratory research design uses one-on-one interviews to gather data from 20 physical education students enrolled in the 2023–2024 school year. The positive impact of integrating culturally-oriented activities into physical education sessions is that it emphasizes the importance of cultural awareness and inclusivity in educational settings. The benefits of incorporating culturally-oriented activities into physical education include promoting cultural understanding and enriching students’ educational experiences. The transformative effect of culturally oriented activities in physical education prepares students to become responsible global citizens, emphasizing the importance of cultural enrichment. Incorporating culturally-oriented activities in physical education sessions has significant implications for educational practices, policies, and societal attitudes towards diversity, promoting global citizenship and inclusivity. Integrating culturally-oriented activities in physical education is essential in the current context to nurture cultural awareness, respect, and diversity among students. Investigating the effects of such activities can help educators create more inclusive and culturally responsive learning environments, preparing students for a diverse and interconnected world. Physical education is a way of education through physical activities that are selected and carried on with full regard to values in human growth, development, and behavior. Help learners to better understand both their own identity and the ethos of the school context and environment they share with others. Teachers’ and students’ perspectives on culturally relevant physical education. Aspects of culture and education should be complementary in terms of complementing and reinforcing each other.

How do socioeconomic indicators and fiscal decentralization affect stunting? Evidence from Indonesia

Purpose Stunting has emerged as a prominent concern on a global scale. Over the past seven years, the average prevalence has consistently exceeded the World Health Organization standards. This study aims to investigate the roots and model of stunting. Design/methodology/approach The samples were collected from 406 regencies (counties) and municipalities across 34 provinces in Indonesia from 2017 to 2022 and used the dynamic panel data analysis. Findings The findings showed that the food security index, poverty line, women’s years of schooling, the specific allocation of funds and hopeful family program negatively influenced stunting. Otherwise, village funds and fiscal decentralisation positively affect stunting. The results also confirmed that stunting had a dynamic impact. In addition, the effect of income per capita, the poverty severity index and government funds for education and health on stunting rates were inconclusive. Practical implications The policy implication of the study suggests that the government must consider the budgetary concerns of each region and focus on the regions that exhibit different needs. Originality/value This paper will contribute to the literature about the modelling of determinants of Stunting in Indonesia.

An Analysis of Common Errors Made by Grade 7 Students in Writing English Paragraphs at a Secondary School in Hanoi, Vietnam

Error analysis is a technique that identifies and classifies the inappropriate forms that foreign language learners produce (Crystal, 1987), and it is considered a useful tool for helping them improve their writing skills. The study investigated the secondary students' common errors in writing English paragraphs. During the first term of the school year 2023-2024, 43 grade 7 students from a secondary school in Hanoi participated in a descriptive quantitative research project. The participants were asked to complete three writing tests at three different times to generate their written errors based on Ferris’ (2014) model of error analysis. The findings indicate that the types of errors that grade 7 students made are lexical errors, syntactic errors, morphological errors, orthographical errors, and paragraph errors. Lexical, syntactic, and orthographical errors are greatly committed by the students. Accordingly, it comes to the conclusion that secondary students in general and 7th graders in particular struggle with writing English paragraphs. The results of the research would also give the secondary teachers of English some implications, such as focusing on grammatical patterns, emphasizing irregular instances, offering adequate practice opportunities, implementing explicit instructions, and engaging students in interactive exercises, visual aids, collaborative activities, authentic materials, etc. to mitigate the students' written errors.

Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Discovery Learning dan Keterampilan Berpikir Kreatif Terhadap Pemahaman Konsep Biologi Siswa SMA Bunda Hati Kudus

In the era of globalization marked by the presence of Society 5.0, education faces new challenges. One of the essential skills that students need to have is critical thinking. The discovery learning learning model is considered effective in fostering students' critical thinking skills, so that it can improve their understanding of concepts. This study aims to determine the influence of the discovery learning model and creative thinking skills on the understanding of biology concepts of SMA Bunda Hati Kudus students. The research method used is a quantitative method. The population of this study used 160 students in class XI science of Bunda Hati Kudus High School for the 2022/2023 school year. The sample used was 64 people. Hypothesis testing using MANOVA and ANOVA techniques with a significance level of 0.05. The results of the study show that the application of the discovery learning learning model significantly improves the understanding of concepts, critical thinking skills, and creative thinking skills of SMA Bunda Hati Kudus students. Statistical analysis with the F test showed a very significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) between the group of students who used the discovery learning model and the group that used the direct learning model. These findings indicate that the discovery learning model can be an effective alternative to improve the quality of student learning