School-based Activity Research Articles

How do teachers perceive their knowledge development through engaging in school-based learning activities? A case study in China

ABSTRACT School-based learning communities, which include a variety of learning activities, exemplify a bottom-up approach to knowledge growth for teachers. Drawing on the perspective of organisational knowledge, this paper explores the dynamic processes and effects of knowledge development among teachers in school-based settings. Thirty-one secondary school teachers in Shanghai, China, participated in this qualitative study. The findings showed that for teachers in China, school-based knowledge development was characterised by strong self-knowledge and local knowledge for enriching knowledge base of individual teachers. However, the construction of collective knowledge for exploring new practices at group level and the creation of system knowledge for transforming existing practices at school organisational levels have been insufficiently emphasised. The uneven knowledge development situated in school contexts tends to produce tension between teachers’ short-term adaptation and their long-term professional innovation. This study further discusses the implications for optimising the structure of knowledge development within the school organisations.

P73 Cultivating Connections with Farm to School Activities During School Closures

<h3>Objective</h3> To engage youth and their families in a web-based hybrid club for farm to school activities as an alternative to school-based activities when schools closed due to the pandemic. <h3>Use of Theory or Research</h3> Farm to school programs increase children's access to and knowledge of fresh and local foods primarily through experiential learning (Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory) such as gardening, tasting food and field trips. <h3>Target Audience</h3> Youth, grades 2-6, and their families who experienced disruption in usual learning and social activities due to COVID-19 restrictions. <h3>Program Description</h3> Experiential activities are the hallmark of farm to school education. In March 2020 all hands-on, school based activities planned by Extension faculty were cancelled due to the pandemic. Faculty responded by offering garden-cooking clubs using a web-based hybrid approach independent of schools. Faculty facilitated bi-weekly virtual meetings of 30 minutes for 6-8 weeks for youth and their families. Asynchronous activities were also offered via a website, kits, video demonstrations, farmers market vouchers and when possible, farm tours. <h3>Evaluation Methods</h3> Adult caregivers received a survey at the end of the 6-8 week club sessions to evaluate their child's and family's level of engagement including queries on how much time they spent using web-based tools and how likely they were to start a garden. <h3>Results</h3> One hundred and ninety youth, grades 2-6, and their families participated in 4 virtual and/or hybrid clubs delivered by Extension faculty from March 2020 to October 2020. Caregiver responses from the survey (n = 46) indicated 83% of families expanded or started a garden. On average youth and/or families spent 47 minutes per week engaged in program activities including online learning. <h3>Conclusion</h3> It appears that virtual programming can actively engage youth and their families in farm to school education and may be a tool to supplement resource intensive hands-on strategies in the future. Further research is need to determine which components are best suited for web-based delivery vs in person delivery.

School-Based Diversity Education Activities and Bias-Based Bullying Among Secondary School Students.

Bias-based bullying (e.g., bullying related to race, weight, sexual orientation) is a common experience among youth, yet few school-based prevention programs explicitly address this type of bullying. This study explores whether schools that offer diversity education activities have lower rates of bias-based bullying among students compared to schools that do not offer these activities. Data came from two sources: the 2018 CDC School Profiles Survey (N = 216 schools) and the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey (N = 64,510 students). Multilevel logistic regression tested associations between diversity education activities (diversity clubs, lessons, or special events) and eight types of bias-based bullying among students, with attention to effect modification by relevant demographic characteristics. Students attending schools that offer a wider variety of diversity education opportunities had significantly lower odds of bullying about race, ethnicity, or national origin among boys of color (OR = 0.89, CI: 0.80, 1.00), about sexual orientation for gay, bisexual, and questioning boys (OR = 0.81, CI: 0.67, 0.97), and about disability for boys with a physical health problem (OR = 0.86, CI: 0.76, 0.99). Attending a school with more types of diversity education activities may protect vulnerable students against specific types of bias-based bullying and advance health equity. A diversity education is recommended as a key component of antibullying efforts and policy.

A qualitative study of the continuing professional development activities of the Chinese private kindergarten teachers’ professional competence

Aim. The number of kindergartens is swelling in China, and that of private kindergartens in particular. The quality of teaching in the latter is positively linked to the levels of teachers’ professional competence. Thus, to enhance the teaching quality in private kindergartens, strengthening teacher’s professional competence is one of the vital approaches. Teacher’s professional competence can be enhanced via effective CPD activities. Therefore, this study aims to explore the types and content of CPD activities for Chinese private kindergarten teachers. Methods. A qualitative approach was adopted in this research. 18 kindergarten teachers were selected as participants from three private kindergartens in Shenzhen. Data was collected by semi-structured interview from 18 teachers. Results and conclusion. The findings showed that the school-based CPD activities are valued by most private kindergarten teachers. Furthermore, this study found that CPD activities can help private kindergarten teachers to be more inclusive and positive in teaching. They enabled teachers to acquire knowledge and skills that are relevant to child care and development, teaching, as well as cooperation with colleagues and children’s parents. Practical application. The research findings presented herein have significant implications for the knowledge base of private kindergarten teachers’ CPD in China. It also has implications for the practice that is relevant to private kindergarten teachers, principals and policy makers.

Design and strategies used for recruitment and retention in a double blind randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of soluble corn fiber on bone indices in pre-adolescent children (PREBONE-Kids study) in Malaysia

BackgroundRecruitment and retention in longitudinal nutrition intervention studies among children is challenging and scarcely reported. This paper describes the strategies and lessons learned from a 1-year randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial among pre-adolescent children on the effects of soluble corn fiber (SCF) on bone indices (PREBONE-Kids). MethodsParticipants (9–11 years old) were recruited and randomized into 4 treatment groups (600 mg calcium, 12 g SCF, 12 g SCF plus 600 mg calcium and placebo). Interventions were consumed as a fruit-flavored powdered drink for 1-year. School-based recruitment was effective due to support on study benefits from parents and teachers, peer influence and a 2-weeks study run-in for participants to assess their readiness to commit to the study protocol. Retention strategies focused on building rapport through school-based fun activities, WhatsApp messaging, providing health screening and travel reimbursements for study measurements. Compliance was enhanced by providing direct on-site school feeding and monthly non-cash rewards. Choice of 2 flavors for the intervention drinks were provided to overcome taste fatigue. Satisfaction level on the manner in which the study was conducted was obtained from a voluntary sub-set of participants. ResultsThe study successfully enrolled 243 participants within 6 months and retained 82.7% of the participants at the end of 1 year, yielding a drop-out rate of 17.3%. Compliance to the intervention drink was 85% at the start and remained at 78.7% at the end of 1 year. More than 95% of the participants provided good feedback on intervention drinks, rapport building activities, communication and overall study conduct. ConclusionSuccessful strategies focused on study benefits, rapport building, frequent communication using social media and non-cash incentives helped improved compliance and retention rate. The lessons learned to maintain a high retention and compliance rate in this study provide valuable insights for future studies in a similar population.

The Influence of Parental Characteristics on Parental Involvement in Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

ABSTRACT Parental involvement is considered to be a key element in the success of programs for children with intellectual disabilities (ID). This study investigated parental involvement in school- and home-based activities within a sample of parents of students with ID. The effects of parents’ demographic characteristics on parental involvement were also investigated. The sample consisted of 208 parents of elementary school-aged children with ID in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All participants completed an online survey and were asked to rate their involvement in home- and school-based educational activities. The results of the web-based survey revealed a relatively low mean level of parental involvement within the sample. Additionally, the results revealed significant subgroup differences in parental involvement. Mothers were more involved than fathers, just as non-working parents were more involved than working parents. Significant differences were noted among income, education, and family-size subgroups; some of these differences varied between home- and school-based involvement scores. Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Using action research to initiate school-based teacher development activities: insights from Northern Sindh, Pakistan

ABSTRACT The latest trends in Professional Development (PD) support grounding teacher development activities in the school context. This shift carries remarkable implications for school leadership through the realization that school leaders have a major role to play in PD of teachers. On this basis, action research was undertaken in a higher secondary school in Northern Sindh so as to introduce and sustain school-based PD activities. The research lasted eight months. The school leader, as a researcher, initially played a major role in organizing PD sessions, gradually involving teachers in planning and facilitating such sessions, and finally shifting the overall responsibility to the teachers. The outcomes of this research project suggest that, although challenging, it is possible to initiate and sustain school-based PD activities even in this remote region. The paper discusses several interesting contextual and cultural insights determining the viability of school-based PD activities in this particular region which carry significant implications for school leaders, PD providers, change agents and policy makers.

Nurse-Led School-Based Healthy Nutrition Themed Motor Play Activities

Çocukluk obezitesi, ilerleyen dönemlerde baş edilmesi zor ciddi problemlere yol açan küresel bir sağlık sorunudur. Bu soruna yönelik önleyici müdahalelerin uygulanmasında okullar, önemli roller üstlenen uygun ortamlardır. Rollerin yerine getirilmesinde ise okul hemşireleri oldukça kritik bir konumdadır. Hemşire liderliğinde yürütülen müdahale programlarıyla obezitenin azaltılmasına yönelik yaklaşımlar ortaya koyulmaktadır. Programlarda yer alan sağlık etkinlikleri, çocuklara farklı öğretim yöntemleri ile sunulmaktadır. Ancak hareket kaslarını çalıştıran ve çocukluk çağının vazgeçilmezi olan motor oyun aktivitelerine oldukça az rastlanmaktadır. Motor oyun aktiviteleri, sağlıklı beslenme konusundaki bilgileri artırmak ve sağlıklı beslenme davranışını geliştirmek için eğlenceli bir öğrenme yöntemidir. Çocukların bu dönemde iyi planlanmış motor oyun aktivitelerine gereksinimi vardır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, hemşire liderliğinde oluşturulan ve yürütülen okul temelli sağlıklı beslenme temalı motor oyun aktivitelerini tanıtmaktır. Fiziksel aktivitenin sağlıklı beslenmeye daima eşlik etmesi gerektiğine dayanarak oluşturulan oyunların, hazırlanma ve uygulanma basamakları çalışmada ayrıntılı olarak anlatılmaktadır. Bu motor oyun aktivitelerinin okul hemşireliği uygulamalarında kullanılması önerilmektedir.

Feasibility of the Go2Play Active Play intervention for increasing physical and social development in children with intellectual disabilities

IntroductionAn active play is designed to increase children’s physical activity levels and fundamental movement skills through outdoor play and is well-suited to the needs of children with intellectual disabilities. However, no active play interventions have included children with intellectual disabilities. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of a school-based active play intervention for children with intellectual disabilities.MethodChildren aged 7–12 years who had intellectual disabilities and were independently ambulatory were eligible. This single-group 17-week intervention was implemented in two additional support needs schools. It consisted of a weekly 1-h active play session incorporating 30 min of structured games and 30 min of free play. Feasibility of recruitment/retention, adherence, and outcome measures were investigated. Outcome measures included school-based physical activity (ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer), fundamental movement skills (Test of Gross Motor Development-2), and social interactions (Playground Observation of Peer Engagement). Staff feedback was collected via open-ended questionnaire. Feasibility was investigated using descriptive statistics and questionnaire data analyzed using thematic analysis. Potential pre-post changes were investigated for school-based physical activity, fundamental movement skills, and social interactions using paired samples t tests. The progression criteria were (1) > 50% of eligible participants recruited, (2) > 50% of recruited participants retained, (3) > 50% of active play sessions spent in MVPA, and (4) > 50% of participants complete outcome measurements.ResultsAll progression criteria were met. Recruitment and retention rates were 100% (n=21 participants). Intervention adherence was high, based on data from n=1 school, with 90% of participants attending all sessions. Measuring physical activity using accelerometry and fundamental movement skills using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 were feasible. The Playground Observation of Peer Engagement tool to measure social interactions was not feasible. The only significant increase post-intervention was for social interactions during structured play (pre–post mean difference: –1.46, 95% CI −1.99, −0.93). Staff feedback was positive with the intervention well received by schools and potential benefits post-intervention identified by teachers.ConclusionThe Go2Play Active Play intervention is feasible for children with intellectual disabilities. Future research should further investigate feasibility and implementation on a larger scale using a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial.Trial registrationISRCTN registry: ISRCTN10277566.

Mapping the professional learning of primary teachers in Vietnam: a multi-method case study

ABSTRACT Over the past 20 years, teacher professional learning as been reconceptualised as a process that is initiated during pre-service preparation but which continues in the form of job-embedded and collaborative learning activities. Researchers ave mapped the range of professional learning activities employed in selected Western and Asian societies. The current case study used a variety of qualitative data sources including open-ended interviews with the principal and teachers, observations of meetings and documents analysis, to identify model practices used to foster teacher learning in one primary school in a central province of Vietnam. The research identified nine professional learning activities for teachers, comprised of both external and school-based activities. These activities are described in detail and also linked to features of the Vietnamese social, political and cultural context under the lens of phenomenological analysis.

An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Parents’ Views on a School Oral Health Program

Introduction: School-based oral health programs enhance the oral health knowledge, practices and attitudes of children by employing oral health education, promotion, prevention, treatment and/or referral services to reduce the prevalence of oral diseases among school children. Periodic evaluation of School Oral Health Programs is essential to assess the impact of the program, its effectiveness, acceptability and to promote quality improvement. Objective: To explore the parents’ views on Asnani (My Teeth) School Oral Health Program. Materials and Methods: This descriptive, exploratory, cross sectional study was conducted among parents of children in public primary schools of Qatar, who had participated in Asnani (My Teeth) School Oral Health Program. Primary data on parents’ views, experiences, opinions and suggestions towards Asnani School Oral Health Program was obtained utilizing open-ended questionnaires. Thematic analysis was employed for the organization of the rich descriptive data, while deriving at themes which convey the explicit and implicit interpretation of the data collected. Results: Qualitative responses from 359 parents revealed five principal themes i.e. Perceived value, Reinforcement of Oral Health Education and Promotion, Frequent dental check-ups, Continuity of care and Additional school-based activities. Conclusion: Perceptions of parents regarding the Asnani School Oral Health Program disclosed in this study provide valuable insights about their acceptability of this school based oral health program. The results are also encouraging as the parents realize the importance of oral health for their children and recommended need for reinforcement of the oral health education and promotion.

Class, capital, and school culture: Parental involvement in public schools with specialised music programmes

This study examines parental involvement in urban public schools, focusing on how parents in organised school-centred networks support, navigate, and negotiate from their different social positions. The multiple case study of specialised music programmes provides insights into parent strategies and behaviours in intermediate practices between school-based socialisation and extracurricular activities largely run by the parents associations. The paper draws on data from in-depth focus group interviews with members of parents associations in socially, culturally, and historically different schools. Findings demonstrate that parent approaches to specialised education and their modes of involvement vary according to social class, resources, and school culture. There are class-based differences in parent strategies and the way their collective symbolic capital is used in policy negotiation. However, relationships between a parents association and the school administration are generally regulated by the social and cultural history of a particular school.

Association between Implementation and Effect in the Randomized Controlled Trial “Move for Well-Being in School”

Background: Research in school-based physical activity interventions has primarily focused on effectiveness. The main aim of this paper is to assess the association between the degree of implementation of a multicomponent physical activity intervention and effectiveness on students’ physical self-worth (PSW). Methods: The Move for Well-being in School study used a cluster randomized controlled study design including 24 schools with a total of 3123 students 4th to 6th grade. 1269 students and 148 educators were, for a whole school-year, part of the activities at 12 intervention schools, The intervention program targeted settings for school-based physical activity in recess, in-class and Physical Education (PE). The association between change in PSW and implementation were analysed using multilevel linear regressions models estimated in R. Results: Three components were to be implemented at all intervention schools. For PE, half of the performed lessons were from the program, which was in line with the protocol aim. Classes with a higher implementation rate of the PE-component had a significant higher PSW at baseline. An average of 5.8 brain breaks was implemented per class per week, and no significant differences were established between implementation and change in PSW. Recess implementation was the hardest for most schools to implement, but schools with a high level of recess implementation had a significant increase in PSW at follow-up. Conclusions: This paper explores an important aspect of school interventions, showing that implementation varies both at school and class level and that this potentially has an effect on outcome measures. The discussion point to several methodological difficulties in linking implementation and effects in multicomponent school-based activity interventions. This area of research needs further development to increase the understanding of how physical activity-related interventions are implemented and how this affects final outcomes. Trial Registration:Date of registration: 24 April 2015 retrospectively registered at Current Controlled Trials with study ID ISRCTN12496336.

Relationship between students’ motivation and instructors’ leadership in school-based extracurricular activities

Relationship between students’ motivation and instructors’ leadership in school-based extracurricular activities

Changes associated with transition from school-based extracurricular sports activities to junior sports clubs in elementary school:

Changes associated with transition from school-based extracurricular sports activities to junior sports clubs in elementary school:

ASI Space Science Data Center participation to high-school outreach program

Since 2017 the Italian Space Agency (ASI) participates to so-called ‘Alternanza Scuola-Lavoro’ (i.e. ‘school-work synergy’) outreach projects promoted by the Italian government, and the ASI Space Science Data Center (SSDC) actively contributes to them, with the primary aim of bringing students closer to space-related activities before choosing their university studies.The SSDC outreach programme is split into two parts: one theoretical, in which relevant topic are presented and explained, and one practical, consisting of hands-on activities aimed to replicate scientific analysis of real space data. The impact of the programme on students’ attitude is then evaluated by means of questionnaires specifically designed to gather information on the students’ educational background, the level of engagement triggered by the proposed activities, their relevance to school-based activities, and the perceived ease of understanding of the covered topics.As reported in this paper, the analysis of the answers clearly shows that students greatly appreciated this outreach project, supporting its possible expansion and development, even articulated in a more complex pedagogical plan, as already done for one school in a pilot case. Therefore, we plan to expand these activities in the next future both by including new topics (e.g. cosmology, stellar physics), and by proposing new more articulated teaching pathways inclusive of on-site activities in the classroom.

More than fun and games? Understanding the role of school-based mentor-mentee match activity profiles in relationship processes and outcomes

• Mentoring relationships can serve as a platform to address youth challenges. • Activities engaged in by mentors and mentees may influence relationship outcomes. • A balanced approach to activities shows potential promise for relationship outcomes. This study investigated associations between mentor-mentee activities and relationship outcomes of school-based mentoring. Multigroup three-step latent profile analysis (LPA) assessed whether youth could be classified into distinct profiles based on their mentoring relationship activities, and whether these profiles were similar when taking into account youth academic success. Furthermore, regression analyses examined whether activity profile membership of mentored youth predicted youth relationship process outcomes. Participants (N = 1110) were drawn from a national, randomized longitudinal study of youth in Big Brothers Big Sisters School-Based Mentoring Programs. Multigroup LPA results indicated a two-profile model, labeled Balanced and Instructional based on varying engagement in mentoring activities. Descriptive analyses revealed no differences in youth, mentor, and program characteristics across groups. Controlling for these characteristics, mentees in the Balanced profile demonstrated more relational benefits than youth in the Instructional profile. Research and practice implications are discussed.

The Praxis of Literacy Movement in Indonesian Context

Indonesia faces challenges in improving its literacy rank. In 2011, the literacy level of Indonesian fourth graders were in the 45th rank (with score 428 under 500) from 48 countries in PIRLS. In 2015 PISA’s report the fifteen-year-old Indonesian Junior High School students, occupied the 64th rank of 72 countries with score 396 under 496. To overcome this problem, the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture issued its Ministerial Regulation no. 23/2015 pertaining the students’ character building. This constitutes the basis of school-based literacy movement (Gerakan Literasi Sekolah). This study explores the praxis of literacy movement at one school (has implemented GLS since 2016) located in the condensed slum area of North Jakarta. Stratified purposeful sampling was deployed to select the research participants, i.e. 290 students and 20 teachers. The data were obtained from questionnaires and interviews. The result showed that not all teachers read the literacy guidelines determined by the government and their reading habit had not met the ideal number. Both teachers and students have different perception regarding to the time and frequency of schoolbased literacy activity. The fifteen minutes reading activity and reading strategies taught by the teachers were not varied. The teachers merely supervised the students while conducting the literacy activity. The students read the books they brought from home. The school-based literacy program gained the students’ literacy competence in understanding level (understand the content of the book they read) and built students’ character such as tolerance, teamwork skills, perseverance, responsibility, confidence, independence, politeness, and composure.&#x0D; Keywords: literacy movement, reading literacy, literacy competence, 15-minutereading activity

Facets of Mindfulness and Test Anxiety of Senior High Students: Basis for Strengthening Mindfulness Program

The study focused on the link between school-based mindfulness program activities using the facets: explaining, observing, reacting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reacting to students level of test anxiety.

Identifying Meaningful Indicators of Parent Engagement in Early Learning for Low-Income, Urban Families

The purpose of this study was to identify indicators of parent engagement in early learning that would be relevant for children’s academic success; equitable for all families regardless of social, educational, or economic backgrounds; and actionable for urban school districts seeking to promote parent engagement with limited resources. Using a Delphi technique, a panel of parents, school staff, and researchers rated 106 parent engagement indicators extracted from stakeholder interviews. After multiple Delphi rounds and panel discussion, 30 indicators were retained. Retained indicators focused on home-based activities and home-school relationships/communication; no school-based activities met criteria for relevance, feasibility, and actionability.