School-based Activity Research Articles

Towards home-school partnership: parents’ perspectives on school-based parent activities in childcare centres in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Childcare centres are increasingly recognised as educational institutions, and the current study examined parent’s perspectives on school-based parent activities provided by childcare centres. Through surveying 266 parents, we found that both structured activities (e.g., training workshops) and unstructured activities (e.g., parent-child tours) could meet parents’ needs. Activities that benefited parents practically and allowed them to cope with work and family demands were more attractive. How to deal with children’s emotions was the most needed topic. Finally, parents’ interest and participation varied depending on demographics and their children’s in-care history. Practical implications for centre supervisors, policymakers and parents are discussed.

Latino Family Engagement and Student Outcomes in Early Elementary School: Evidence from Two National Datasets

ABSTRACT Family engagement in children’s schooling is important. Research indicates that Latino families often utilize home-based practices (e.g. reading, telling stories, singing, counting) over school-based involvement (e.g. participating in school events and committees, volunteering in the classroom). Using an assets-based approach, the present study considers both school- and home-based forms of engagement for Latino families. Drawing upon data from two large, nationally representative datasets, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–11 (ECLS-K:2011; N = 4,590) and the Head Start Impact Study (HSIS; N = 1,670), this study seeks to examine national patterns of Latino family school- and home-based engagement in kindergarten, and how such engagement relates to child academic, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes in early elementary school. Descriptive findings show high levels of Latino family participation in a variety of both home-based academic activities and school-based activities. Regression analyses indicate an association between Latino family engagement and child outcomes, most evident in school-based engagement. Implications for educators, schools, and research are discussed.

Sport participation, weight status, and physical fitness in French adolescents.

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the associations between sport participation and weight status with physical fitness among French adolescents. The secondary aim was to establish sex- and age-specific physical fitness percentiles for French adolescents. The sample comprised 8084 adolescents (4126 boys, 3958 girls), aged 10-14years. Participants were tested on cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength using the following tests: 20-m shuttle run test and handgrip strength test. A questionnaire on organized sport participation was completed. Physical fitness levels were better in boys (P < 0.005). Handgrip strength increased with age whereas 20-m shuttle run performance decreased with age. Overweight and obese adolescents had significantly lower cardiorespiratory fitness levels than their normal-weight peers (P < 0.005), whereas normal-weight adolescents had lower cardiorespiratory fitness than thin adolescents (P < 0.005). Sport participation was higher for boys (57.2% boys vs. 52.8% girls) (P < 0.001). Adolescents who participated in at least one organized sport (either through a club or at school) were fitter than those who did not participate in organized sports (P < 0.005). Adolescents who engaged in organized sports were more active and physically fit than those who did not participate. The fitness benefits of club sports are greater than those provided by school-based sports, highlighting the potential of sports clubs as a key setting for promoting health. What is Known: • Physical fitness is a strong marker of health in children and adolescents. • The last French Report Card highlighted the lack of fitness data and the need for nationwide programs, while showing a significant decline in cardiorespiratory fitness among youth in recent decades.. What is New: • This study reveals that adolescents participating in organized sports have better physical fitness compared to their peers who do not, emphasizing the potential advantages of club sports over school-based activities. • We highlight the need for targeted strategies, particularly for overweight or obese adolescents and girls, to increase participation in organized sports and enhance health outcomes. • The study emphasizes the need to develop policies that improve access to organized sports clubs and expand physical education in schools, aiming to improve CRF in adolescents.

The Mental Health Clinical Liaison Programme for Schools: developing a new approach in Child and Adolescent Mental Healthcare in Spain

Mental health issues among children and adolescents have increased, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite awareness, less than half get needed care, leading to long-term consequences. The World Health Organization calls for integrated, preventive community interventions. In this paper, we present The Mental Health Clinical Liaison Programme for Schools in the Community of Madrid, Spain, which features school-based activities delivered by multidisciplinary mental health teams, offering early detection, intervention, and prevention strategies for children and adolescents. We describe the activities implemented, present the evidence supporting them, provide preliminary data, and discuss the scope and challenges of the programme. In 2023–2024, the programme intervened in 53 primary and secondary schools, helping identify in 876 cases, evaluating 356, and referring 122 to other services. It supported interventions for 179 patients already in mental healthcare and 34 reintegrations after psychiatric hospitalization. Anti-stigma workshops have been conducted, involving approximately 1620 students. Ongoing research aims to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these interventions to ensure continuous improvement in mental health services for young people.

“Transience, Disruption, and Unfamiliarity in Refugee Journeys”: How Are Newly Arrived Refugee Families Supported in Their Children’s Transition to School in a Host Country?

ABSTRACT Newly arrived refugee families face cultural and linguistic difficulties when navigating their children’s transition to school in a host country. However, little is known about how families are supported in their child’s transition to school. Therefore, this article aimed to investigate how leaders and facilitators in community hubs and centers support refugee families in their child’s transition to school in Australia. Data gathered from interviews with 32 community hub leaders and center facilitators from three Australian states were analyzed thematically. The support provided to families fell into six themes: promoting children’s early learning; building families’ or mothers’ capital about starting school; promoting connections between school, families, and children; offering cultural and linguistic brokerage; providing soft entry support; and easing children’s and families’ transition to school via school-based transition activities and programs. The implications of this holistic model of support for educators that is built on place and strength-based approaches in facilitating newly arrived refugee children’s and families’ smooth start to school in their new communities are outlined.

Parents’ multilingual storytelling in the school setting: evaluating influence on family language practices

The linguistic choices parents make while communicating with their bi- and multilingual children is fundamental to the development of their children’s linguistic repertoire and multilingual development. The involvement of parents in the implementation of multilingual pedagogies can play a fundamental role in fostering parents’ awareness on topics related to multilingualism. This paper illustrates school-based multilingual storytelling activities conducted by parents in a pre-school in northern Italy. The activity was designed as part of the project L’AltRoparlante (Carbonara &amp; Scibetta, 2020), an Italian network of schools which adopted multilingual pedagogies at curricular level. The findings suggest that involving parents in multilingual pedagogies have a positive influence on family language use as they encourage children’s linguistic diversity awareness and parents’ biliteracy planning. Parents’ involvement in multilingual pedagogy can be a useful tool to build inclusive home-school collaborations and to guide parents in shaping multilingual storytelling activities at home.

Development and psychometric testing of a questionnaire for the Korea Youth risk behavior survey to assess physical activity behaviors

BackgroundPhysical activity is essential for physical, mental, and cognitive health. Providing evidence to develop better public health policies to encourage increased physical activity is crucial. Therefore, we developed an in-depth survey as part of the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey to assess the current status and determinants of physical activity among Korean adolescents.MethodsWe developed an initial version of the questionnaire based on a review of validated questionnaires, recent trends and emerging issues related to adolescent physical activity, and the national public health agenda pertaining to health promotion. Content validity was confirmed by a panel of 10 experts. Face validity was confirmed through focus group interviews with 12 first-year middle school students. The test-retest reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated by administering it twice, approximately two weeks apart, to a sample of 360 middle and high school students. Additionally, the frequency or average number of responses was analyzed in a sample of 600 students who participated in the initial test-retest reliability evaluation of the questionnaire developed in this study.ResultsThrough item pool generation and content and face validity test, the final 15 questionnaire items were developed across five themes: levels of physical activity, school sports club activities, transportation-related physical activity, physical activity-promoting environments, and factors mediating physical activity. The test-retest reliability ranged from fair to substantial. Results from the newly developed survey reveal that only a minority of adolescents engage in sufficient physical activity, with only 17.2% and 21.5% participating in vigorous and moderate-intensity activities, respectively, for at least five days per week. Among school-based activities, 44.3% of students do not participate in school sports clubs due to reasons including absence of clubs and disinterest in exercise. The major motivators for physical activity are personal enjoyment and health benefits, whereas preferences for other leisure activities and academic pressures are the predominant barriers.ConclusionsThis study developed valid and reliable in-depth survey items to assess physical activity among Korean youths. It will hopefully enhance our understanding of adolescent physical activity, offering essential preliminary evidence to inform the development of public health strategies aimed at promoting adolescent health.

Integrating social media for teacher training: Learners’ acceptance to the new normal

The study aimed to determine the learners’ receptiveness to the incorporation of social media into the conventional Open and distant learning delivery method. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the researcher has incorporated diverse online educational tools alongside Facebook Live as a crucial element to connect with training teachers. The experiment was carried out in two rounds using an online platform. Every phase consists of a 12-days online program. The inaugural workshop was concluded in November 2020, and the subsequent session was arranged in January 2021. A total of 13,200 learners have received training, and feedback was obtained from them after the workshops through the use of Google Forms. A total of ten thousand three hundred learners, which is the sum of 6073 and 4227, have submitted their feedback. After examining the feedback on several aspects, the researcher has determined that online teaching and learning have become the prevailing standard, and teacher trainees have embraced it with a good attitude. There is a growing need for online counselling and workshops, as well as increased opportunities for engagement with teachers. Conferencing platforms such as Google MEET and ZOOM can be seamlessly integrated with streaming services like Facebook Live to efficiently meet the requirements of a wide range of learners. Online technologies for teacher training programs are widely accepted. Online teaching-learning should be a fundamental element in all teacher training programs. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU’s) experiences indicate that practical components like as internships, school-based activities, and workshops can be effectively conducted online. The academic counselling components of traditional Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programs should also be implemented via online methods.

School-Based Professional Development (SBPD) Model: School Principals' Opinions and Suggestions

The School-Based Professional Development (SBPD) Model is a program developed by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) to address the individual and professional needs of principals and teachers by providing them with specific competencies. The Regulation on In-Service Training for Ministry of National Education Personnel, published by MoNE in 2022, introduced three new approaches: School-Based Professional Development, Professional Development Communities, and Teacher Mobility Program. School-based professional development activities have recently gained importance as a crucial component of the in-service training plan for teachers. Given that school principals are primarily responsible for planning and implementing these practices in schools, it is important to consider their opinions, suggestions, and needs in the process. This qualitative research involved in-depth interviews with 18 school principals using a semi-structured interview format, and data analysis was conducted using content analysis. The results indicated that school principals generally viewed the SBPD Model positively and expressed a need for expanding its implementation.

Effects of a 10-Week Integrated Curriculum Intervention on Physical Activity, Resting Blood Pressure, Motor Skills, and Well-Being in 6- to 7-Year-Olds.

Integrated curriculum interventions have been suggested as an effective means to increase physical activity (PA) and health. The feasibility of such approaches in children living in deprivation is unknown. This study sought to pilot an integrated curriculum pedometer intervention in children living in deprivation on school-based PA, body fatness, resting blood pressure, motor skills, and well-being. Using a pilot cluster randomized intervention design, children (6-7y old, n = 64) from 2 schools in central England undertook: (1)10-week integrated curriculum intervention or (2)control (regular school-based activity). School-based PA, body fatness, resting blood pressure, motor skills, and well-being were assessed preintervention and postintervention. For the intervention group, PA was higher on school days when children had physical education lessons or there were physically active integrated curriculum activities. Body fatness significantly decreased, and well-being and perceived physical competence increased, pre-post for the intervention group compared with the control group. Accelerometer-derived PA, motor skills, and resting blood pressure were not significantly different pre-post for intervention or control groups. A 10-week integrated curriculum PA intervention is feasible to conduct and can positively impact aspects of health in 6- to 7-year-old children in England.

Impact of School-Based Physical Activities on Academic Performance in Canada

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of martial arts training on self-esteem and discipline in youth in South Korea. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Studies show a strong link between school-based physical activities and academic performance. Regular exercise enhances cognitive function, attention, and memory, leading to improved classroom behavior and motivation. Schools with comprehensive physical activity programs report higher test scores and graduation rates. Integrating physical activity into the curriculum is crucial for fostering holistic student development and academic success. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social cognitive theory, brain plasticity theory &amp; self-determination theory may be used to anchor future studies on analyze the impact of school-based physical activities on academic performance. Educators should receive ongoing professional development to enhance their knowledge and skills in incorporating physical activities into the classroom. Policymakers should advocate for policy changes at the local, state, and national levels to prioritize physical education and physical activity in schools.

The involvement of primary school pupils with visual impairment in extracurricular activities: Teachers’ perceptions and practices in Tanzania

This qualitative study used a multiple case study to explore teachers’ perceptions and practices of involving visually impaired pupils in extracurricular activities in Tanzania’s special and inclusive primary schools. Data collected from teachers and pupils with visual impairments (VIs) using interviews, focus group discussions and observations were subjected to thematic analysis in accordance with the research objectives. The study found that teachers had similar views on the benefits of involving pupils with VI but varied perceptions of the modality of involving them. Moreover, the teachers performed several practices that do and that do not support the involvement of pupils with VI in extracurricular activities. It emerged that teachers’ perceptions inform their practices, which are vital in involving pupils with VI in school-based extracurricular activities. As such, it is pertinent for teachers to avoid negative statements that discourage pupils with VI from active participation in school-based extracurricular activities. Instead, they should establish inclusive plan amenable for pupils with VI to engage in these activities.

Exploring the Feasibility of Deploying Technology Enhanced School-Based Teacher Continuous Professional Development in Internet-Limited Environments in Tanzania

In low-income countries, the use of technology to enhance teacher continuous professional development (TCPD) activities has been increasing significantly. However, most technology initiatives related to TCPD require the installation of complex information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure in schools or availability of reliable Internet connectivity. While installation of ICT infrastructure is costly, the cost of the Internet is unaffordable to most teachers in low-income countries. This study explored the feasibility of deploying Raspberry Pi computers and tablets as micro-servers to facilitate school-based TCPD activities via a learning management system (LMS) without Internet connectivity. Teachers in eight schools in Dar es Salaam and Lindi accessed a TCPD sample module with Raspberry Pi and tablets providing hotspotting and treated as offline local servers hosting a LMS. After the trial, data was collected through focus group discussion, observation, and LMS logs involving 69 teachers. The findings showed that both Raspberry Pi and tablets could be used as micro-servers to provide access to learning resources in offline environments, but Raspberry Pi fared more favorably. Raspberry Pi was easy to set up and connected more devices than did the tablet. However, Raspberry Pi required careful handling as it is a delicate device. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in terms of the performance and cost of the two micro-servers. This study provided further evidence that both Raspberry Pi and tablets could be cost-effective approaches to deliver TCPD activities without installing complex ICT infrastructure or in areas with limited Internet connectivity.

Unveiling school community perceptions of nutrition-friendly school initiatives in preschool settings in rural Sindh province, Pakistan: an exploratory study.

In 1995, the World Health Organization launched its Global School Health Initiative to expand the Health Promoting School (HPS). The objective of this study was to explore the perception of the school community in implementing nutrition-friendly school initiatives in preschool settings. This paper delineates the exploratory phase of a mixed-method study, which broadly aims to assess the adoption of the Nutrition Friendly School Initiative (NFSI) through a preschool preparedness intervention package in rural Sindh province, Pakistan. The study sites include three campuses of the Aga Khan School (Mirpur Sakro, Junior Campus Vur, and a community-based school in Sujawal). Participants were selected purposively from these campuses and constituted a committee named 'school community,' which was responsible for implementing all activities outlined in the intervention package. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews and consultative meeting with the school community. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis. The analysis established five major themes that represent the participants' perception of school-based nutrition interventions in preschool settings. These five themes include (i) Challenges in health and nutrition for pre-school age children, (ii) Clarity in roles and responsibilities for school-based nutrition intervention, (iii) Advancing school-based nutrition activities and interventions, (iv) Recognizing resources requirements, (v) Opportunities and challenges for the way forward in school-based nutrition. Findings also suggest sustainability and scalability measures that include the aligning School Nutrition Policy with the school handbook, ways to engage with parents, a nutrition theme corner, the inclusion of a parenting component in the nutrition manual, and capacity building of the school community. Qualitative findings have guided the refinement of the intervention package, proposing additional measures for sustainability and scalability across AKES, P. The school community is hopeful that the implementation of the refined intervention package will enhance preschool preparedness toward achieving nutrition-friendly school checklist items. This study holds strong potential for replication in a public school setting and presents an opportunity to launch a school accreditation program to certify schools as Nutrition-friendly.

Capabilities in Physical Education: A Comparative Analysis of School Heads’ and Teachers’ Perspectives

Background: Effective education delivery relies on PE teachers’ abilities. Research indicates that students’ school performance significantly depends on the quality of PE teaching. Objectives: This study focused on assessing instructional capabilities in physical education. Specifically, it examined how school heads and teachers evaluated teachers’ abilities in content knowledge, pedagogical skills, communication, and professionalism. Additionally, the study compared assessments between the two groups. Methods: The study employed a descriptive research design involving 98 physical education teachers and 59 school heads from the Division of Batangas City. Data collection utilized a researcher-made questionnaire and interviews. Statistical analysis involved weighted mean and independent t-tests for data interpretation. Results: The assessment revealed valuable insights regarding PE teachers’ instructional capabilities. Administrators acknowledged strengths in lesson introduction and accurate content delivery. However, areas for improvement included integrating key elements and promoting higher-order thinking skills. PE teachers felt confident introducing lessons but recognized a need to refine performance demonstrations. Administrators praised diverse teaching methods but suggested creating more challenging experiences. Communication skills were positive, with room for improvement in grammatical accuracy. PE teachers expressed dedication to student physical education but identified a need for more decisive leadership in school-based activities. The findings highlighted specific improvement needs while emphasizing contrasting perceptions between administrators and PE teachers. Conclusion: The assessment found that physical education (PE) teachers are capable in delivering junior high school PE. However, they need familiarity with emerging trends to enhance instruction. School heads and PE teachers have differing views on instructional capabilities, attributed to assessment sources: administrators rely on scheduled observations, while PE instructors use self-assessment and daily teaching experiences.

Achievement Goal Orientation Profiles and the Experiences of Gymnasium Students with Digital Technologies in Education

Using a longitudinal person-oriented approach, this study aimed to examine the prevalence and stability of achievement goal profiles among gymnasium students (N = 794) in relation to their experiences with digital technologies in education. Achievement goal orientations and experiences with digital technologies in education (ICT use in learning and school-based activities, attitudes toward ICT use for educational purposes, flow experience while using ICT, and satisfaction with ICT implementation) were assessed by online questionnaire administered twice, seven months to one year apart. Results revealed four groups of students based on their achievement goal orientation profiles: mastery-oriented, success-oriented, avoidance-oriented and indifferent. In total, 77% of the students displayed identical profiles in both measurements suggesting a substantial stability in goal profiles. The transitions that were observed were mainly from more to less favourable profiles. The comparison of the goal orientation profiles indicated that the mastery-oriented and success-oriented students were generally more inclined towards digital technology for educational purposes, although the differences between the success-oriented and indifferent students were less pronounced at the second assessment point. The indifferent and avoidance-oriented students were less satisfied with ICT implementation. The findings build on previous work on the prevalence and stability of achievement goal profiles among high school students while also offering new insights into the relations between goal profiles and experiences with digital technologies in education.

Mutualism as Mutual Trust: An Ethnographic Case Study on an Elementary-School Teacher-Team Participation in a Science PD Program

This grounded in social constructivism yearlong ethnographic case study was conducted at the final stage of a larger, longitudinal, multisite, and multi-year project. The current research focused on a group of urban public elementary schoolteachers who volunteered to participate in the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded interdisciplinary science and engineering partnership (ISEP) project. These teachers were enrolled in the professional development (PD) college courses in physics and engineering design, summer research in university laboratories, and interdisciplinary science inquiry (ISI) pedagogy sessions. This research sought to understand the factors which contributed to successful teamwork at the elementary school under investigation. Additionally, this study investigated the changes in the ISEP-participating educators’ teaching approaches, methods, and techniques upon their completion of their studies with the ISEP Summer Institute. Data were collected from the structured interviews with the participating teachers and their students and observations of the school-based activities during in-class and extra-curricular instruction. The researchers used Saldaña’s (2013) thematic and value coding and Miles and Huberman (1984) memoing for data analysis. This research found that the teachers’ team embedded their newly acquired research experiences and pedagogic knowledge into their instruction. Joint endeavors of the project participants lead to higher interest and engagement in learning processes in this school’s student population as well as greater involvement of the schoolchildren, their families, and the surrounding community in the team-organized science-based educational events and activities.

Urban-Rural Differences in School Districts' Local Wellness Policies and Policy Implementation Environments.

Higher rates of obesity in rural compared to urban districts suggest environmental differences that affect student health. This study examined urban-rural differences in districts' local wellness policies (LWPs) and LWP implementation environments. Cross-sectional data from two assessments in Texas were analyzed. In assessment one, each district's LWP was reviewed to see if 16 goals were included. In assessment two, an audit was conducted to identify the presence of a wellness plan (a document with recommendations for implementing LWPs), triennial LWP assessment, and school health advisory councils (SHACs) on the district website. Rural districts' LWPs had a smaller number of total goals (B = -2.281, p = 0.014), nutrition education goals (B = -0.654, p = 0.005), and other school-based activity goals (B = -0.675, p = 0.001) in their LWPs, compared to urban districts. Rural districts also had lower odds of having a wellness plan (OR = 0.520, 95% CI = 0.288-0.939), p = 0.030) and a SHAC (OR = 0.201, 95% CI = 0.113-0.357, p < 0.001) to support LWP implementation, compared to urban districts. More resources may be needed to create effective SHACs that can help develop and implement LWPs in rural areas. Important urban-rural differences exist in Texas LWPs and LWP implementation environments.

Poverty, adolescent males, and singing: A profile of schools in Bogotá, Colombia

The purpose of this study was to gather and explicate the narratives of adolescent males in Bogotá, Colombia about their experiences in school choral music instruction. The data were analyzed to explore the participants’ reasons for continued or discontinued participation in school-based singing activity. There were twelve participants, ages 12 to 17 years, representing four schools with music program funding provided through the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá. Interviews were conducted in-person and on-site, with Spanish-English translation support as needed. Findings reflected themes of culturally relevant pedagogy, and previous research of adolescent male choral singers’ motivations, interests, personal goals, and persistence. Two unique findings emerged, that impoverished living conditions provided insulation from common stereotypes about males, singing, and choral music; and that these same conditions amplified the importance of the music teacher in their students’ lives.

School participation of autistic youths: The influence of youth, family and school factors.

School-aged youths have a basic human right to participate in educational and recreational activities at school. Yet, autistic youths are at high risk of being excluded from school and from school-based activities. It is important to understand how this occurs, to ensure that all autistic youths have opportunities to participate in school activities that are equal to the opportunities of their non-autistic peers. The present study investigated multiple influences on the school participation of autistic youths, including youth factors (age and autistic traits), family factors (parent education level and parental self-efficacy for supporting their child's schoolwork) and school factors (the impact of problems autistic youths experienced with the physical and social environments of school). Using an online survey, we gathered the views and experiences of the parents of 200 autistic youths aged between 4 and 16 years, in the Netherlands. We found that among the factors, only the impact of problems that autistic youths experienced with the physical environment of school was associated with their school participation. In particular, autistic youths who experienced greater difficulties with the physical environment of school had lower levels of school participation. Our findings highlight the pressing need to modify school environments to better accommodate the needs of autistic youths so that they can participate easily and comfortably.