Childhood maltreatment and violent discipline among Chinese elementary school teachers: The mediating role of attitudes and the moderating role of occupational stress.

ABSTRACT This study examines whether School Resource Officers (SROs) contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline phenomenon through increased law enforcement referrals. Using nationally representative data from the 2017–18 School Survey on Crime and Safety (N = 2,762), we analyzed the relationship between SRO presence and incident reporting rates. Schools with SROs reported 16.36% points more incidents to law enforcement than those without, controlling for school characteristics. Associations varied by school level: minimal in elementary schools (3.43% points, non-significant), but more pronounced in middle schools (18.6% points, representing a 62% increase relative to the middle school average of 29.8%) and high schools (22.5% points, a 45% increase relative to the high school average of 49.5%). These findings suggest that SRO presence is associated with increased formalization of school discipline through law enforcement involvement, particularly in secondary schools, with implications for educational equity and youth criminalization.

This paper details the design and development of a discipline-specific English for Academic Purposes (EAP) syllabus for undergraduate students majoring in architecture and design related disciplines in an art school in China. Guided by the comprehensive needs analysis model established by Dudley-Evans and St. John [Developments in English for specific purposes: a multi-disciplinary approach. Cambridge University Press (1998)] and Swales [Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge University Press (1990)] genre theory, this study employed a university-wide questionnaire to gather data from 650 participants, including students and faculty. The needs analysis identified a critical disparity between students’ target academic aspirations—such as engaging in international collaboration, pursuing studies abroad, and understanding foreign lectures—and their present situational capabilities, particularly in listening comprehension and command of disciplinary vocabulary. In response to these findings, the proposed “Architectural Art English” syllabus is constructed around a genre-based, content and language integrated learning (CLIL) as well as task-based language teaching (TBLT) approach. It systematically incorporates seven key academic and professional genres relevant to the field: textbooks and monographs, research papers, case studies, and lecture scripts as input genres; and design statements, presentation scripts, and research abstracts as output genres. Each instructional unit is organized around a central architectural theme, utilizing authentic cases and genre analysis of move structures to make disciplinary discourse conventions explicit. The pedagogical framework emphasizes task-based learning, featuring authentic activities such as case analysis, design project presentations, and paper abstract writing to bridge the gap between language skills and disciplinary knowledge. This syllabus aims to addresses the complex interaction of learners’ target needs, subjective wants, and current proficiencies, facilitating their active participation in the global academic community of architecture and design.

Examining associations between school suspension and expulsion in early life and later-life cognitive health: A mediation analysis of lifecourse educational pathways.

Character education is an important component in the educational process that aims to shape the personality of students as a whole, including in terms of discipline which is the foundation of successful learning. This study aims to describe the role of character education in improving student discipline at SDN Gadingmangu 1. The method used is a qualitative case study with data collection techniques in the form of observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation studies. The research subjects consisted of the principal, class teachers, and students of grades III, IV, and V as well as two parents as supporting data sources. Data were analyzed through the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of the study indicate that the implementation of character education at SDN Gadingmangu 1 is carried out through daily routine habits, teacher role models, the application of school rules, and the integration of disciplinary values ​​in learning activities.It has been proven that routine activities such as morning ceremonies, class responsibilities (class duty), and awards for high-achieving studentsable to form disciplined habits graduallyPunctual attendance, adherence to school policies, and accountability in completing assignments all indicate improved student discipline. This study concludes that character education, if implemented consistently and systematically and supported by various parties, will significantly contribute to the development of disciplined character in elementary school students.

Book Review: <i>Suspended Education: School Punishment and the Legacy of Racial Injustice</i> by Aaron Kupchik KupchikAaron, Suspended Education: School Punishment and the Legacy of Racial Injustice, NYU Press: New York, 2025; 286 pp.: ISBN: 978-1-4798-2113

BackgroundIn the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, children were not the primary carriers of the infection. However, during the pandemic, children’s everyday lives were significantly restricted, making it difficult to gather with one another, play and learn in person.ObjectivesTo clarify the status of their rights under 10 selected articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) during the pandemic and to propose policies that enable children to enjoy their rights through the Global Child Rights Dialogue (GCRD) process.MethodsBetween June 2022 and January 2024, 293 children in Japan, Sweden and Tanzania participated in 46 groups. Using a ‘Research with Children’ approach, they discussed the status of each CRC article and suggested policy proposals to advance the rights set out in the CRC. Text mining was used to analyse frequently occurring words. Their problem statements and policy proposals were further examined and discussed. All proposals, as outlined in each article, were aggregated and analysed in a single co-occurrence network for each country.ResultsThe proposals reflected each country’s unique circumstances while also including universal demands that transcend national borders. For example, in Japan, school rules disregarded children even before COVID-19, and in Tanzania, the exclusion of children from public transportation due to lower fares had been raised as a problem. Common issues across the three countries included violations of children’s rights, particularly restrictions on opportunities to play and learn together. Many of their proposals, such as eliminating gender altogether, were insightful beyond what adults would have considered.ConclusionThrough the GCRD, children clarified the violations of their rights under the COVID-19 pandemic and articulated policy demands to address them. Our study highlights the value of actively engaging children in research, which has implications for public policy and academia globally.

The Video-Feedback Intervention to Promote Positive Pedagogy and Sensitive Discipline in School (VIPP-School) aims at enhancing teacher sensitivity and sensitive discipline in interactions with children showing behavior problems. Although the first evidence for effectiveness has been shown, the mechanisms of change that underly the learning process of teachers during the intervention are still unclear. This study presents two case studies of kindergarten teachers participating in VIPP-School. Drawing on the intervention manual, logbooks, intervener feedback, and independent observations, we describe how the intervention was carried out and how each teacher’s personalized learning path related to changes in sensitivity and sensitive discipline. These cases highlight the importance of iterative cycles of reflection and application of new strategies for learning. The results provide further insight into mechanisms of change in video-feedback interventions and show how the protocolized VIPP-School intervention can be tailored to individual teacher–child dyads.

Multi-tiered systems of support for behavior (MTSS-B) is a widely-used tiered preventive intervention currently used in over 25,000 schools across the USA. This study leveraged data from 16,907 elementary students across 42 schools that participated in a prior randomized controlled trial (RCT) of MTSS-B, where schools were randomly assigned to implement Tier 1 + 2 (intervention) supports or Tier 1 only (comparison). The RCT data, collected between 2008 and 2012, were linked to administrative records of behavior in grades 6-12 collected between 2008 and 2024. We used machine learning methods to identify elementary school predictors of three long-term outcomes (i.e., in-school suspension (ISS), out-of-school suspension (OSS), and arrest) signifying Tier 1 non-response. For ISS, the strongest predictors were family involvement, being female, and internalizing problems, which serve as protective factors. For OSS, they were family involvement, internalizing problems, and academic performance, all of which were protective. For arrest, key predictors included family problems, where lower problems were protective against arrest, and prosocial behavior and family involvement, which were both protective. The top predictors were similar for students in the Tier 1 + 2 and Tier 1 only conditions. These findings can inform early screening for possible non-response to MTSS-B and highlight the need for family engagement practices.

Face masks are a commonly used public health measure to control the spread of airborne infections, including in school-aged children. However, no trial of their effectiveness has been conducted in school settings to date. We undertook a mixed-method study to explore the feasibility of conducting such a trial. This study followed a multi-phased mixed-methods approach. We first conducted a secondary analysis of qualitative data (39 young people) and five Patient and Public Involvement focus groups (11 young people, three teachers, two parents), to understand the barriers and facilitators relating to engaging with a trial of face masks. Strategies to enhance recruitment and engagement were generated based on this qualitative work. These were refined further in additional PPI focus groups with young people (n = 7). We then conducted a 6-week two-arm parallel cluster-randomised feasibility trial in a local school. Two year groups were cluster-randomised into one of the two arms: (1) school rules group (SR, control), following school policy at the time on the use of face coverings; (2) face-mask group (FM, intervention), wearing standard lightweight surgical masks while in an indoor setting for the duration of the school day. Primary outcomes were recruitment and adherence to trial procedures: completion of surveys capturing frequency of mask-wearing, impact of mask-wearing, mood and compliance with the provision of weekly saliva samples for the detection of viral infections. A total of 93 pupils (29% of approached) participated in the feasibility trial and were randomised (SR = 46, FM = 47). The number of intervention participants wearing face masks at all times while at school increased from 7% at baseline to an average of 28% over trial weeks 1-5. Completion rate of weekly surveys varied between 15 and 100%, while provision of weekly saliva samples varied between 15 and 38% over the trial period. Recruitment and adherence in the trial were lower than those observed in trials conducted in other community or healthcare settings. Our data suggest that incentivising participants, giving participants greater agency in how to fulfil trial procedures such as giving them choices on where to collect saliva samples, and allowing survey completion during timetabled activities would be important considerations for a future trial.

Purpose: This study examines the structural relationships among community participation, teacher engagement, and school discipline in private secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria, with particular attention to the mediating role of teacher engagement. Methodology: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was used. Data were collected from 500 teachers selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Measurement and structural models were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. Results: The results indicate that community participation has no significant direct effect on school discipline. However, community participation significantly predicts teacher engagement, and teacher engagement has a strong positive effect on school discipline. Teacher engagement fully mediates the relationship between community participation and school discipline, indicating that community participation's influence on discipline operates primarily through teachers’ psychological engagement. Novelty and contribution: This study contributes to the literature by integrating Social Capital Theory and the Job Demands–Resources model within the context of urban private secondary schools. It provides empirical evidence that teacher engagement is a critical mechanism linking community participation to disciplinary effectiveness in market-driven educational settings. Practical and social implications: School proprietors and administrators should prioritise strategies that transform community participation into a supportive resource for teachers. Policies that strengthen teacher engagement may yield greater improvements in school discipline than direct disciplinary interventions alone.

This study synthesizes empirical evidence on the development of discipline and responsibility character among elementary school students using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) based on the PRISMA 2020 framework. The review analyzed 15 articles selected from 120 records retrieved from Google Scholar (2021–2026). Data were examined through thematic coding and narrative synthesis. The findings indicate that discipline and responsibility character are shaped by multiple interrelated factors, including the role of teachers, active learning strategies such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Numbered Heads Together (NHT), habituation through school rules, school environment, parenting, extracurricular activities, and character assessment practices. The results also show that character development occurs gradually through continuous and collaborative efforts among teachers, parents, and schools. These findings highlight that character formation in elementary education is a complex and multi-factor process with important implications for educational practice and future research.

Zero-tolerance policies in school discipline have been widely criticized for their disproportionate effects on marginalized students, yet little attention has been paid to how such policies shape the lives of parents. This article draws on a phenomenological study of 20 parents living in Kibera, Nairobi’s largest informal settlement, to explore how demographic attributes moderate parental experiences of zero-tolerance discipline. Findings show that gender, marital status, income, education, household size, and access to support systems significantly shaped parents’ responses and coping strategies. Single mothers and widows reported intensified caregiving and economic burdens; casual laborers and self-employed parents faced immediate income losses when summoned to schools; and less-educated parents often complied silently, while better-educated parents demanded fairness and accountability. Large households experienced compounded stress, while smaller households concentrated it on a single parent-child dyad. Coping strategies included prayer, community mediation, and reliance on school networks, but stigma often silenced families. The study demonstrates that zero-tolerance discipline functions as an amplifier of inequality in contexts of urban poverty, transforming school misconduct into family-level crises. It concludes by calling for equity-oriented, restorative approaches that engage parents as partners and acknowledge the socio-economic realities of families in informal settlements.

This paper contributes to decolonising ways in which corporal punishment has been understood and represented in Africa, through engaging with the complex views of young Ugandans about corporal punishment in schools. Conceptualising time as non-linear, and violence as a web of power, our analysis of longitudinal, mixed method data traces how physical punishment functioned to maintain the generational order, and as a regulatory practice in schools. While young people adopted critical standpoints against corporal punishment, structural conditions and violence in schools evoked feelings of insecurity, that could generate resistance to change. Our analysis problematises assumptions that legal bans alone will create meaningful change.

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of school regulations in improving student discipline at SMA Negeri Totikum Selatan. The research is grounded in the understanding that discipline plays a crucial role in shaping students’ character, responsibility, and the creation of a positive learning environment. A descriptive quantitative approach supported by qualitative data was employed in this study. Data were collected through classroom observations, student questionnaires, and interviews with teachers and school administrators. The findings indicate that the implementation of school rules has been carried out consistently, supported by active teacher supervision and the balanced application of sanctions and rewards. Clear regulations, continuous socialization of rules, and teachers’ role modeling significantly contribute to students’ compliance, including punctuality, proper dress code adherence, and appropriate classroom behavior. However, certain challenges remain, such as limited individual awareness among some students and external environmental influences. In conclusion, the enforcement of school regulations at SMA Negeri Totikum Selatan can be considered effective in enhancing student discipline, particularly when reinforced by collaboration among the school, students, and parents. This study suggests that periodic evaluation of school policies is necessary to ensure their relevance to students’ developmental needs

Currently, more than 250 public schools in the United States are named after Confederate leaders who actively fought to preserve slavery in America. This history, however, is implicitly omitted when their names are emblazoned over the entryway to a school. The current research considers how the use of Confederate names at the school level impacts how individuals construct and interpret both the Confederacy and the history of white racist violence in the South more generally, by linking Confederate naming to racialized punishment outcomes. To do so, we combine data from 65,820 schools in the US Department of Education's Civil Rights Data Collection for 2017–2018 with data on Confederate naming of schools from the Southern Poverty Law Center and use both bivariate and multivariate analyses to examine school characteristics associated with Confederate naming, as well as the impact of Confederate naming on racialized punishment. Results reveal that Confederate-named schools (1) have larger Black populations and (2) are more punitive, especially toward Black students, than non-Confederate schools. These findings suggest the need for Confederate-named schools to be renamed, at the very least, as a preliminary step toward addressing the structural disadvantages producing negative racialized outcomes for Black students.

At present, generative AI technology is in rapid iteration and has exerted a broad and profound impact on the education industry. Experiential teaching emphasizes learners' experience and reflection in the learning process, so as to realize the internalization of knowledge, which is highly consistent with the core quality cultivation advocated by the new curriculum standard. However, the traditional experiential teaching is faced with such practical difficulties as static situation creation, superficial experience process, and formalization of reflection. Generative AI makes it possible to solve this dilemma by virtue of its capabilities of multimodal content generation, intelligent dialogue and interaction, and personalized adaptation. Drawing on Kolb's experiential learning cycle and taking the "VR Moot Court" course as an analytical case, this paper discusses four paths of generative AI enabled junior high school Morality and Rule of Law experiential teaching: situational infiltration, interactive infiltration, reflective infiltration and migration verification. These four paths together form a complete learning closed loop from experience to internalization, so that students can obtain embodied experience, deepen cognitive reflection in human-machine dialogue, and complete the meaning construction in the visual thinking. This study provides practical reference for the innovation of Morality and Rule of Law teaching in junior high school under the background of digital transformation of education.

This study aims to analyze the disciplinary character of fifth-grade students at SDN 112 Pekanbaru and to identify the factors influencing its development. The research employed a qualitative descriptive approach involving the principal, the fifth-grade teacher, and fifth-grade students as research subjects. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, and analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model consisting of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with data validity ensured through source, technique, and time triangulation. The findings indicate that students’ disciplinary character has developed fairly well, reflected in three main indicators: time discipline, rule compliance, and behavioral discipline. Time discipline is demonstrated through punctual attendance and timely assignment submission; rule compliance is reflected in adherence to school regulations and willingness to accept gradual sanctions; while behavioral discipline is shown through politeness, responsibility, and respect toward teachers and peers. Supporting factors include teacher role modeling, consistent habituation practices, enforcement of school rules, and character-based school programs, whereas inhibiting factors mainly stem from inconsistent discipline practices within the family environment. In conclusion, the disciplinary character of fifth-grade students at SDN 112 Pekanbaru has been developed through continuous habituation and collaboration between school and family, although further reinforcement is needed to transform external compliance into students’ internal awareness.

Moral decadence among adolescents has become a serious issue in the educational environment, marked by a decline in behavior, ethics, and character. This phenomenon is increasingly visible in various forms of student misconduct that disrupt both learning processes and social harmony in schools. This study aims to identify the forms of moral decadence among students and examine the collaboration between Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers and Guidance and Counseling (BK) teachers in addressing these issues. The research employs a qualitative descriptive approach, with data collected through interviews, observations, and documentation, and analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model. The findings reveal that moral decadence among students includes behaviors such as fighting, bullying, smoking, stealing, truancy, and violations of school rules. To address these problems, collaboration between PAI and BK teachers is implemented through preventive and curative efforts. Preventive measures include religious habituation activities, counseling services, disciplinary monitoring, and awareness programs, while curative actions involve direct guidance, behavioral monitoring, and counseling interventions. The study highlights that effective collaboration between teachers plays a crucial role in reducing moral deviations among students. The implications of this research suggest that integrated efforts among educators, supported by school policies and parental involvement, are essential in fostering students’ moral development and creating a positive, disciplined, and value-oriented educational environment for all learners in schools.

Corporal punishment has historically been embedded within schooling systems across Fiji and the Pacific, often justified as a culturally accepted method of maintaining discipline and authority. However, increasing global advocacy for child protection, alongside regional policy reforms aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, has intensified calls to critically reassess its role in contemporary education. This paper interrogates the continued use and perceived effectiveness of corporal punishment in addressing student behavioural challenges, arguing that it is neither pedagogically sustainable nor ethically defensible in modern learning environments. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature, policy analysis, and emerging empirical insights from the Pacific context, the study highlights the adverse psychological, social, and educational consequences associated with punitive disciplinary practices. It further situates corporal punishment within broader ethical frameworks, particularly deontological ethics, utilitarianism, and the ethics of care, to demonstrate its incompatibility with principles of dignity, equity, and relational pedagogy. Importantly, the paper foregrounds the tension between entrenched cultural norms and evolving human rights discourses, emphasizing the need for contextually grounded yet transformative approaches to discipline. In response, the paper advances a reconceptualization of school discipline through the lens of positive behaviour support, restorative practices, and culturally responsive pedagogy that resonate with Pacific values of respect, community, and reciprocity. It argues that effective discipline must move beyond compliance-driven models toward approaches that foster self-regulation, accountability, and holistic student development. The study concludes by offering policy and practice recommendations aimed at supporting educators, school leaders, and policymakers in transitioning from punitive to restorative and ethically grounded disciplinary frameworks. Ultimately, this paper contributes to ongoing debates on educational reform in Fiji and the Pacific by positioning discipline not as control, but as a transformative process central to nurturing inclusive, respectful, and future-ready learners.