School Grounds Research Articles

Creating a Positive Attitude toward Learners with Disabilities at a Primary School in Shiselweni Region, Eswatini

The study that directed this article focused on how a primary school in the Shiselweni Region, Eswatini, created a positive attitude toward learners with disabilities in line with the Suitability, Availability and Equitability (SAVE) Framework. Learners with disabilities in Eswatini primary schools encounter challenges such that they are either not admitted or not catered for if accepted. A qualitative approach was used, engaging a case study design of one primary school in the study. The participants of the study included the school principal, two class teachers and a parent of an out-of-school child with a disability. The findings were used to develop a framework that could assist in creating a positive environment for learners with disabilities in the school in order to comply with the SAVE Framework. The study portrayed that the school environment exhibited a negative attitude toward learners with disabilities; therefore, it was not in line with the minimum standards of the SAVE Framework. The school grounds and building structures never accommodated learners with disabilities. The way the learners were taught did not consider their disabilities. The school prospectus did not articulate how learners with disabilities were accommodated. The study recommended that the principal and teachers should be workshopped on inclusion, while learners were to be educated on behaviour that depicts the understanding of an inclusive environment. The study recommends that researchers could conduct a quantitative study focusing on how school principals should transform the traditional way of managing regular schools into an inclusive approach.

O8-4 The effect of The Daily Mile on primary school children's aerobic fitness levels after 12 weeks: a controlled trial

BackgroundThe Daily Mile is a school-based physical activity intervention that aims to improve children's aerobic fitness levels. It encompasses a 15-minute run for the whole class on or around the school grounds at least three times per week. The Daily Mile is an easy and accessible intervention, but the downside is a low threshold to stop or skip a session. Therefore, we aimed to determine 1) the effects of performing The Daily Mile for 12 weeks on the aerobic fitness levels of Dutch primary school children and 2) if additional personal support for teachers impacted the effectiveness of The Daily Mile.MethodsWe conducted a controlled trial in grades 5 through 8 of nine primary schools across the Netherlands. Schools were allocated to control, intervention (12 weeks The Daily Mile) or intervention-plus (12 weeks The Daily Mile and additional support) group. Children completed the shuttle-run test (SRT) at baseline and follow-up, 12 weeks apart. We analyzed the data using multi-level linear regression models clustered within individuals and by classes and schools. All models were adjusted for sex and age.ResultsWe collected complete data sets for 536 children (mean age 10.0 years). The participation rate of classes in the intervention group was 87.8% and in the intervention-plus group 89.7%. After correcting for age and sex, the adjusted model showed a significant intervention effect on SRT-score after 12 weeks for both the intervention group (1.1 stages; 95% CI 0.75, 1.47) and the intervention-plus group (0.6 stages; 95% CI 0.32, 0.89), when compared to the control group.ConclusionPerforming The Daily Mile at least three times per week for a 12 week period can be effective in increasing the aerobic fitness levels of primary school children. Additional personal support for teachers did not improve the effectiveness of the intervention on aerobic fitness within this time frame. This may be due to the high implementation rates in both the intervention group and the intervention-plus group. Possibly additional personal support might become beneficial for maintenance on the longer term.

The Comfort Analysis Model Design of the Ground Light Environment of a Dome Reflective Badminton Court in a University

School sports is an important part of sports. The participants are mainly school students. Students play an important role in the development of the country. The development of campus sports is particularly important for the future development of the country. With the continuous improvement of the level of sports technology, to achieve higher, faster, and stronger sports goals, the requirements for sports venues continue to increase. To study whether the environment of the school’s badminton court meets the requirements of the school’s teachers and students to exercise and whether it can achieve the purpose of improving their own sports skills, the above problems are studied. Through the analysis of the light environment in the school grounds, to judge some problems existing in the badminton field of the school, improvement measures are put forward through research, and feasibility analysis of the improvement measures is carried out.

Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Students Experiencing Homelessness and Substance Use in the School Context: A Statewide Study.

This study explored differences between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB)-housed and homeless students regarding substance use patterns on and off school grounds and the unique contribution of homelessness to substance use in school. Data were from the 2013-2015 California Healthy Kids Survey, a statewide survey of school protective factors and risk behaviors. A representative sample of 9th- and 11th-grade students (N=20,337) was used. Comparisons between housed (n=19,456) and homeless (doubled up: n=715; acute homeless: n=166) LGB students were conducted. We used chi-square tests to compare rates of lifetime, past-30-day, and in-school substance use and conducted multivariate logistic regression models for each substance use variables. Chi-square test results indicated significant differences in rates of substance use among students experiencing homelessness (both categories) and housed LGB students. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual students experiencing homelessness were more likely to report substance use off and on school grounds. Results from logistic regression analyses indicated that LGB students who experience homelessness were significantly more likely to report recent and in-school substance use. For example, students experiencing acute homelessness were about 3 times as likely to report heavy episodic drinking (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.13, 4.26) and more than 5 times as likely to smoke marijuana in school (AOR=5.38; 95% CI=3.46, 8.36), compared to housed LGB students. LGB students who experience homelessness are at higher risk than housed LGB students of substance use on and off school grounds. Findings highlight the need to provide support in the school context for this subpopulation.

Mental Health Clinic Administrators' Perspectives on the Impact of Clinic-School Partnerships on Youth Mental Health Services Continuity and Quality.

Partnerships between mental health (MH) clinics and school systems in which providers deliver MH services on school grounds are growing. To date, however, there is little research examining MH clinic administrator perspectives on how this service delivery model affects continuity and quality of MH services among low-income youth. We conducted a state-wide (online and mail) survey of administrators at MH clinics (n = 60) to assess their perspectives on the advantages and challenges of school MH services for Medicaid-enrolled youth. Among survey respondents (n = 44), 86% reported that their clinic had at least one school partnership. With respect to advantages, more than four-fifths reported that school-based MH services (compared to clinic-based services) were very helpful or extremely helpful (versus not helpful at all, a little helpful, or somewhat helpful) for: (1) reducing gaps in MH treatment (86.8%); (2) improving communication between MH providers and teachers (86.9%), and (3) improving the overall quality of MH care (89.5%). In addition, the estimated no-show rate for appointments in school settings (7.2%) was lower than the estimated no show-rate for clinic appointments (23.9%; p < 0.01). Several challenges were also reported; more than two-thirds of respondents reported difficulties when delivering school-based services related to parent engagement (i.e., appointment attendance [89.5%], communication [81.6%], timely consent [68.4%]) that occurred sometimes, often, or always (versus rarely or never). As MH clinics continue to enter into and expand partnerships with schools, stakeholders should implement family-centered strategies to enhance engagement. Nevertheless, MH clinic administrators highlight potential benefits of school MH services (compared to clinic-based services) with respect to continuity and quality of MH care.

Children’s perception of biodiversity in their school grounds and its influence on their wellbeing and resilience

ABSTRACT Evidence increasingly demonstrates nature engagement benefits. However, little evidence shows nature engagement provides children with a reflective perception of biodiversity, nor whether perception influences children’s wellbeing and resilience. We explored the impact of weekly nature engagement in schoolgrounds on 509 eight-to-eleven-year-olds’ biodiversity perception, wellbeing, and resilience. At the start and end of the academic year, wellbeing and resilience questionnaires were completed, and biodiversity perception was assessed by children drawing what they thought was in their schoolgrounds. Children initially perceived few organisms within easily visible taxa, and perceived more vertebrates compared to invertebrate species. After, children were more aware of taxa, resulting in a more reflective biodiversity perception. Children with initially low scores in wellbeing and resilience increased in these measures, and a positive association was found between increased invertebrates and vertebrates perception and improved resilience. Nature engagement within curriculum could reduce children’s extinction of experience and improve wellbeing and resilience.

Investigation of air pollution mitigation measures, ventilation, and indoor air quality at three schools in London

In UK urban areas, due to ease of accessibility and convenience, many schools are located close to main busy roads. This often results in pollution hotspots around schools due to on-road vehicular pollutant emissions, especially during drop-off and pick-up times of students to and from schools. As well as being exposed to air pollutants in the school grounds, students are also exposed indoors. Thus, the need for scientific investigations focusing on mitigation of air pollution exposure indoors and outdoors for schools has significantly increased. The main objectives of the present study were therefore to: 1) obtain a clearer understanding of the extent of the air pollution problem inside and around schools and the factors that affect it; and 2) determine how it may be mitigated effectively using a range of interventions. These were achieved by carrying out monitoring of air pollution and associated parameters in and around three primary schools in London, UK. The study investigated the exposure reduction potential of various interventions, such as green screens, air purifiers, and school streets. A good understanding was obtained of the improvement in air quality that was achieved by the interventions both inside and outside the classrooms in the three schools. A green screen along the fences of the school reduced PM concentration by up to 44% in the playground. Installing air purifiers in a classroom resulted in lowering in PM concentration of about 57%. The school street initiative decreased PM concentration by about 36% in front of the school during pick up time. From the overall findings, practical recommendations have been included, as far as has been possible, that will enable formal guidance to be produced to help improve air quality in and around UK schools.

School Shooters: Patterns of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Bullying, and Social Media.

Since 2013 there have been at least 421 recorded incidents of gunfire on school grounds METHOD: This study used a critical review of national and local media news reports of 25 American male school shooter cases from 2013 to 2019. Approximately 88% of school shooters had at least one social media account, and 76% posted disturbing content of guns and threatening messages. Over 72% of shooters had at least one reported adverse childhood experience, and 60% reported being bullied in-person or online DISCUSSION: Professionals who work with adolescents are front-line providers who routinely assess student safety. Social media use is often underassessed, demonstrating a knowledge gap that may reveal insights into the perspective and well-being of adolescents. Inclusion of questions on social media, adverse childhood experiences, and experiences of bullying by pediatric nurses and others may be proactive measures that can help identify, protect, and intervene with at-risk students.

The healthiness of New Zealand school food environments: a national survey

ObjectiveTo evaluate the healthiness of New Zealand school food environments. MethodsIn 2016, primary and secondary schools were invited to complete a cross‐sectional questionnaire. School nutrition policies were analysed using an adapted Wellness School Assessment Tool. Canteen menus were analysed using the National Food and Beverage Classification System, and a sample of menus (n=54) were validated using fieldworker observations. ResultsIn total, 819 schools (response rate 33%) participated. Forty per cent had a nutrition policy, and those analysed (n=145) lacked comprehensiveness and contained weak statements. Seventy‐one per cent sold food and beverages during the school day. The school food service offered mainly unhealthy items. Many schools (81%) used food and beverages for fundraising with 90% of them using ‘less healthy’ items. Most had vegetable gardens (80%), included nutrition education in the curriculum (90%), were not sponsored by food and beverage companies (94%) and did not have commercial advertising on school grounds (97%). ConclusionNew Zealand school nutrition policies are weak, and canteen and fundraising items are largely unhealthy, which undermine other positive efforts. Implications for public healthThis study provides evidence of unhealthy school food environments and supports the need for stronger national‐level policy.

Identidad cultural en colegios bilingües

The present research study sought to analyze if the daily and systematic teaching of a foreign culture within the context of a bilingual school in Barranquilla constituted a risk factor for mainstream cultural identity. Research objectives aimed at determining to what degree learners used foreign cultural markers and at characterizing how school community perceived status of foreign culture. Primary data collected came from a group of fifth grade students. The research study used a qualitative approach with an ethnographic case study design. Concepts explored in theoretical framework are culture, language, identity, and intercultural competences. Research results indicate that learners have not adopted a foreign cultural identity and that mainstream culture prevails in school ground. It is inferred based on results that the teaching of a foreign culture does not necessarily compromise mainstream cultural identity. However, further research is necessary to specify which factors safeguarded community’s cultural identity from foreign one.

Physical Activity and Food Environments in and around Schools: A Case Study in Regional North-West Tasmania.

A better understanding of the physical activity (PA) infrastructure in schools, the walkability of neighborhoods close to schools, and the food environments around schools, particularly in rural, socioeconomically challenged areas such as the North-West (NW) of Tasmania, could be important in the wider effort to improve the health of school-age children. Accordingly, this research aimed to assess PA resources, walkability, and food environments in and around schools in three socioeconomically disadvantaged, regional/rural Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Tasmania, Australia. A census of schools (including assessment of the PA infrastructure quality within school grounds), a walkability assessment, and a census of food outlets surrounding schools (through geospatial mapping) were executed. Most of the schools in the study region had access to an oval, basketball/volleyball/netball court, and free-standing exercise equipment. In all instances (i.e., regardless of school type), the quality of the available infrastructure was substantially higher than the number of incivilities observed. Most schools also had good (i.e., within the first four deciles) walkability. Numerous food outlets were within the walking zones of all schools in the study region, with an abundance of food outlets that predominantly sold processed unhealthy food.

Implementation of High Reliability Organizing (HRO): The Inherent Vice of Stress, Fear, and Threat

Implementation of High Reliability Organizing (HRO): The Inherent Vice of Stress, Fear, and Threat

Muscle-Building Exercise and Weapon Carrying and Physical Fighting Among U.S. Adolescent Boys.

This study aimed to determine the association between engagement in muscle-building exercise and weapon carrying and physical fighting among adolescent boys. Cross-sectional data from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (U.S.) were analyzed (N = 4120). Muscle-building exercise was assessed based on the number of days reported in the past 7days, recategorized into four levels of engagement (no engagement [0days], low engagement [1-2days], moderate engagement [3-5days], and high engagement [6-7days]). Three forms of weapon carrying (general, on school grounds, gun carrying) and two forms of physical fighting (general, on school grounds) were assessed. Five logistic regression analyses with adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to determine the association between engagement in muscle-building exercise and weapon carrying and physical fighting, while adjusting for relevant demographic and control variables. Over 75% of participants reported engaging in muscle-building exercise. One in five (19.8%) participants reported any general weapon carrying in the past 30days, 3.3% reported any weapon carrying at school in the past 30days, 6.5% reported any gun carrying in the past 12months, 28.0% reported any general physical fighting in the past 12months, and 10.7% reported any physical fighting at school in the past 12months. Logistic regressions showed that, compared to no engagement, participants who reported high engagement of muscle-building exercise had higher odds of general weapon carrying (AOR 2.18, 95% CI 1.54-3.07), gun carrying (AOR 2.12, 95% CI 1.23-3.64), and general physical fighting (AOR 2.07, 95% CI 1.53-2.79). These are novel findings that add to a growing literature related to engagement in muscularity-oriented behaviors among males. Prevention and intervention efforts are needed to ensure that adolescent boys engage in muscle-building exercise in ways that are not harmful and to reduce weapon carrying and physical fighting.

Lessons from a breast cell annotation competition series for school pupils

Due to COVID-19 outbreaks, most school pupils have had to be home-schooled for long periods of time. Two editions of a web-based competition “Beat the Pathologists” for school age participants in the UK ran to fill up pupils’ spare time after home-schooling and evaluate their ability on contributing to AI annotation. The two editions asked the participants to annotate different types of cells on Ki67 stained breast cancer images. The Main competition was at four levels with different level of complexity. We obtained annotations of four kinds of cells entered by school pupils and ground truth from expert pathologists. In this paper, we analyse school pupils’ performance on differentiating different kinds of cells and compare their performance with two neural networks (AlexNet and VGG16). It was observed that children tend to get very good performance in tumour cell annotation with the best F1 measure 0.81 which is a metrics taking both false positives and false negatives into account. Low accuracy was achieved with F1 score 0.75 on positive non-tumour cells and 0.59 on negative non-tumour cells. Superior performance on non-tumour cell detection was achieved by neural networks. VGG16 with training from scratch achieved an F1 score over 0.70 in all cell categories and 0.92 in tumour cell detection. We conclude that non-experts like school pupils have the potential to contribute to large-scale labelling for AI algorithm development if sufficient training activities are organised. We hope that competitions like this can promote public interest in pathology and encourage participation by more non-experts for annotation.

Safety Factors Associated with Mathematics Achievement in South African Primary Schools

According to the South African Constitution, all children have a right to equitable education which is free from harm. According to the South African Children’s Amendment Act No. 41 of 2007, it is a legal requirement that cases of violence against schoolchildren be reported to law enforcement officials. Still, news of horrendous incidents in schools continues to grab South African news headlines. The creation of a safe environment conducive to learning is vitally important in the academic achievement of learners. All learners have the right to basic education as a fundamental human right, and this can be fulfilled only when all learners have access to education in a safe school environment. Safety factors associated with the South African Grade 5 mathematics achievement were investigated. A quantitative design, a deductive approach, a positivist philosophical stance and a secondary data analysis study design were followed. In this study, I analysed the 2019 data of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study for respondents from South Africa and proposed a model containing 10 constructs, consisting of nine independent variables (gender, socio-economic status and seven variables related to safety aspects in schools) and one dependent variable (mathematics achievement). The multilevel analysis using HLM software indicated that not feeling safe at school, property being stolen or purposefully damaged, being hit, hurt or threatened, living in an impoverished area, having a shortage of or inadequate school buildings and grounds, and intimidation or verbal abuse of teachers or staff were the best predictors of mathematics achievement of Grade 5 learners. I conclude with recommendations and a summary.

Exploring children’s participation in the framework of early childhood environmental education

ABSTRACT The paper explores the participation experiences that a nursery school gained through its involvement in an environmental education program that focused on the transformation of the school ground. The research took place in a nursery school in Greece, in which 15 preschool children aged 4 years old and their teacher were engaged in participatory action research. The research emphasizes the rights and abilities of young children as equal participants, solution seekers, problem solvers and initiators of action on authentic issues of their everyday environment. The research was based on a combination of action research and participatory planning methods. The findings of the research highlight the ability of young children to express their ideas and practice critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration skills. When the teachers decided to withdraw their authority, the whole nursery school practiced democratic dialogue and action skills. New participation experiences took place for both children and adults.

An Overview of Tobacco Policies in Kansas Unified School Districts.

IntroductionIn 2019, 25.8% of Kansas high school youth reported using any form of tobacco product. Schools can prevent and reduce youth tobacco use by adopting comprehensive tobacco policies, which include all tobacco products, on school grounds and at school-sponsored, off-campus events, for all individuals at all times, and integrate cessation services for students who violate the tobacco policy. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of comprehensive tobacco policies in unified school districts (USD) across Kansas to determine how many schools have adopted such policies.MethodsAll 286 USDs in Kansas were eligible to participate in this study including elementary, middle, and high schools. Participating schools were asked to upload their policies to a website developed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). Frequencies and percentages were computed to identify the type of tobacco products prohibited, the locations where tobacco use is prohibited, who is prohibited from using tobacco, when tobacco is prohibited, and consequences of students’ violation of the tobacco policy.ResultsSeveral USD policies met some of these comprehensive recommendations; however, 97.9% (n = 280) did not. In other words, 2.1% of USD policies (n = 6) were comprehensive in Kansas. Most districts (98.3%, n = 281) presented policies prohibiting use of all forms of tobacco for students, but policies often offered more leniency for faculty/staff and visitors. Fewer districts presented policies prohibiting use of all tobacco products for staff/faculty (73.1%, n = 209) and visitors (45.8%, n = 131) of policies.ConclusionsNearly all USDs in Kansas have an opportunity to strengthen their tobacco policies. Relatively simple edits can be made to prohibit all tobacco products, prohibit use on school grounds and at school-sponsored, off-campus events, ensure these policies apply to everyone, at all times, and integrate cessation resources for students who violate the tobacco policy.

Public opinion on laws regulating public gun carrying

This study sought to examine public support for gun carrying-related policies from 2019 to 2021, a period encompassing the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing calls for racial and social justice. We conducted the National Survey of Gun Policy in January 2019 and 2021. The surveys were fielded using the NORC AmeriSpeak panel. Respondents indicated support for six policies regulating civilian gun carrying. Analyses, conducted in 2021, incorporated survey weights for nationally representative estimates. There were significant declines in support from 2019 to 2021 for two policies that would expand where civilians can lawfully carry guns: allowing concealed carry when on K-12 school grounds (23% in 2021 vs 31% in 2019) and college/university campuses (27% vs 36%). Support was also significantly lower for requiring concealed carry applicants to pass a test demonstrating safe and lawful use (74% in 2021 vs 81% in 2019). For the two new policies in the 2021 survey, more than half of respondents overall supported prohibiting open carry at demonstrations/rallies (54%) and prohibiting the carry of guns into government buildings (69%). There was lower support among gun owners (39% and 57%, respectively). Since 2019, there has been a decline in support for expanding locations for civilian gun carrying. Support remains high among U.S. adults, including the two-thirds of gun owners, for requiring concealed carry applicants to demonstrate competence in safe and lawful gun use. Our findings in support of a more regulated approach to concealed carry are in direct contrast to state-level shifts eliminating concealed gun carrying regulations.

Affordances of School Ground Environments for Physical Activity: A Case Study on 10- and 12-Year-Old Children in a Norwegian Primary School.

Several studies have focused on how different school ground environments can stimulate physical activity (PA) in children. This study aimed to investigate the contributions of two school ground environments (a constructed schoolyard and a natural forest) in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of Norwegian school children in the 5th and 7th grades. This study described two school ground environments that provided large and multifunctional spaces, giving the children several affordances for being physically active during the school day. The constructed schoolyard afforded a space of 44 m2 per child and had an access to sports and game courts and various types of equipment for PA. The natural forest provided a space of 50.6 m2 per child and had a varied landscape for activities that afforded a wide range of PA. On average, the children engaged in 50% of the 60-min period of MVPA when playing in the natural and constructed play settings. The two different environments, thus, contributed equally to the daily MVPA of the school children. The findings can inform policies and programs aiming at promoting recommended levels of PA among children using school outdoor environments that may eventually have implications for the physical and mental health of school children during the current pandemic.

Social well-being among children with vs without food allergy before and during coronavirus disease 2019

Social well-being among children with vs without food allergy before and during coronavirus disease 2019