School Term Research Articles

How is the Development of science Education in Primary Schools’conflict Resolution?

Science education in elementary schools is not only concerned with numbers, formulas and laboratory experiments, but includes various phenomena that often occur in the surrounding environment so that it has an impact on increasing the development of science education in resolving conflicts in elementary schools. This study aims to analyze the publication of science education in primary schools' conflict resolution using VOSviewer with a publish or perish application with a range of publications for ten years (2013 to 2023). Based on these criteria, there were 992 articles found into three areas that is Conflict Resolution, Science Education, and Primary School terms. The research results show that research has decreased significantly in the last 5 years, namely from 2013 to 2019 with a total of 205 articles down to 54 articles. From 2019 to 2022 there will be static for the publication of articles on this topic. A drastic decline has occurred in the last 2 years, namely from 2021 to 2022, with a total of 9. The latest data in 2023 saw an increase of 1 article to 10 published articles. So that it can be said that it was decreasing. Through VOSviewer, this study analyzes a lot of articles published related to the topic itself. The impact of this review becomes a reference for a starting point in conducting research on related topics in the future.

Health Education in the Bulgarian Schools

The following article focuses on health education in Bulgarian schools. A systematic health education was conducted during on school term among 71 children on current health issues directly related to the health and health behavior of adolescents. The following methods are used: traditional (lectures, conversations, discussions, individual tasks), non-traditional (debate) and interactive (role-playing games, sports activities, educational film and others) pedagogical methods aimed at developing skills in adolescents in order to recognize and avoid health risk factors. The application of non-traditional and interactive methods of health education in schools in accordance with children’s age and interests is effective, which was proved by a comparative analysis of the level of knowledge and point of view of the particular group before and after the education. It is necessary to introduce the methods during the education.

Parents warned of ‘concerning’ surge in measles ahead of new school term

Parents warned of ‘concerning’ surge in measles ahead of new school term

'We are all bringing, like a unique sort of perspective': The core elements of a strengths-based digital arts mentoring program for autistic adolescents from the perspective of their mentors.

While the adoption of strengths-based approaches to supporting autistic adolescents is growing in popularity, the application of this approach to a digital arts mentoring program has yet to be explored. This study reports on the core elements contributing to the success of a community digital arts mentoring program for autistic adolescents from the mentors' perspective. This paper presents an in-depth exploration of mentors' experiences, comprising a component of a broader line of research investigating a digital arts mentoring program for autistic adolescents emphasising positive youth development. The digital arts mentoring program spanned 20 weeks across two Australian school terms and was attended by two groups of autistic adolescents (N = 18) aged between 11 and 17 years. A qualitative approach was utilised in exploring the perspective of their mentors (N = 6). Qualitative data were collected at the end of each school term for each group with the mentors using an interpretive phenomenological approach and Colaizzi's seven-step analysis method. Thirteen individual interviews were conducted with six mentors. This research was conducted with a disability arts provider to provide a digital arts mentoring program to autistic adolescents. The mentors employed have lived experience with disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety. Five primary themes emerged from the data: positive connections, mentor knowledge and experience, mentoring approaches, autism education, program organisation, resources and environment. Subthemes underpinned the primary themes related to positive connections (three subthemes), mentoring approaches (four subthemes) and program organisation, resources and environment (three subthemes). The findings suggest that prior experience, sufficient training, a supportive environment and a flexible and adaptable approach were essential for success. Understanding the core elements of a strengths-based digitalarts program in occupational therapy provides a comprehensive framework for utilising clients' inherent strengths and creativity as therapeutic tool, creating an empowering environment, fostering meaningful outcomes for clients.

Impact of the ActTeens Program on physical activity and fitness in adolescents: a cluster randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of the ActTeens Program on physical activity and health-related physical fitness among adolescents in Brazil.MethodsThe “ActTeens Program” was conducted using a cluster-randomized controlled trial during 24-week school term. The sample consisted of 317 adolescents (52.7% girls; 13.61 ± 0.70 years) from four secondary schools that were randomly assigned to intervention group (N = 169) or control group (N = 148). This school-based physical activity (PA) intervention involved two components: (i) structured physical activity sessions delivered within physical education (PE) and (ii) healthy lifestyle guidance (mHealth). The primary outcome was PA assessed using Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A); secondary outcomes included muscular (MF) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) assessed using 90-push-up, handgrip dynamometer, standing long jump, and 20 m PACER shuttle run test. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 12- and 24-week. Intervention effects were assessed using linear mixed models (LMM).ResultsFor the primary outcome (PA), no significant group-by-time effects were observed for physical education based-PA (0.3 score; 95%CI: -0.1; 0.6; and − 0.01 score; 95%CI: -0.03; 0.03, at 12-wk and 24-wk respectively) and total PA (-0.02 score; 95%CI: -0.2; 0.2; and − 0.01score; 95%CI: -0.2; 0.2, at 12 and 24 weeks respectively). After 24 weeks, we observed a significant group by time effects for lower body muscular fitness (12.9 cm; 95%CI, 3.2 to 22.2).ConclusionThe implementation of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises used in the ActTeens intervention did not lead to improvements in physical activity. The intervention resulted in improved lower body muscular fitness, however, we found no significant differences for upper body muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Minimalist school shoes improve intrinsic foot muscle size, strength, and arch integrity among primary school students

ABSTRACT Minimalist walking shoes have been shown to improve foot muscle size and strength in active adults, but not in our previous study involving children, which could relate to the more structured footwear used in our study. Hence, this study examined the effects of true minimalists on intrinsic foot muscle size and strength, foot arch integrity, and physical function among primary school children. After a baseline assessment, 30 primary school students aged between 9 and 12 were given a pair of minimalist shoes (minimalist index = 92%) as their regular school shoes for two school terms, followed by a re-assessment. Seventeen of the 30 participants in the minimalist group completed the study. Compared to the control group, the minimalist group showed significantly increased cross-sectional area of abductor hallucis (p = 0.047, Cohen’s d = 0.57) and flexor digitorum brevis (p = 0.037, Cohen’s d = 0.80), increased strength of the hallux (p = 0.015, Cohen’s d = 0.76) and lesser toes (p = 0.014, Cohen’s d = 0.66), greater arch height (p = 0.020, Cohen’s d = 0.52) and standing long jump distance (p = 0.001, Cohen’s d = 9.79). The control group exhibited improved standing long jump performance only (p = 0.020, Cohen’s d = 10.70). Minimalist shoes worn daily to school promote intrinsic foot muscle size and strength, and improve foot arch integrity among primary school students.

Association between time of assessment within a school year and physical fitness of primary school children

The dissociation of effects of age, time of assessment and cohort is a well-known challenge in developmental science. We examined effects of time of assessment in the school year on children’s physical fitness using data from 75,362 German third-graders from seven cohorts. Children were tested once either in the first or second school term of third grade. Tests examined cardiorespiratory endurance (6-min run), coordination (star-run), speed (20-m sprint), lower (standing long jump) and upper (ball-push test) limbs muscle power, and flexibility (stand-and-reach test). We estimated the effect of time of assessment using a regression discontinuity design specified in a linear mixed model with random factors child and school and adjusted for age, sex, and cohort effects. Coordination, speed, and upper limbs muscle power were better in second compared to first school term, with boys exhibiting a larger increase of upper limbs muscle power than girls. There was no evidence for changes in cardiorespiratory endurance, lower limbs muscle power, and flexibility between assessments. Previously reported age and sex effects as well as secular fitness trends were replicated. There is thus evidence for improvement of some physical fitness components beyond age and cohort effects that presumably reflects the benefit of physical activity in physical education and other settings. Effects of assessment time should be taken into consideration in performance-based grading or norm-based selection of children.

Comparing frequencies of adolescent suicide attempters pre- and during COVID-19 pandemic school terms

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic had and still have a major impact on adolescent mental health and consequently on suicidal behavior. However, few studies have investigated whether the pandemic has changed the patterns and the triggers of suicidality peaks in adolescents, e.g., seasonal patterns or family conflicts. We hypothesized that the pandemic modified suicidality rates: an increment of suicide attempts would be observed in the first semester of the academic year during COVID-19 pandemic compared to the same period of previous academic year; and the precipitating factors would be more related to social stressors during the pandemic school year.MethodsA retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the precipitating factors, also including school-related factors and cognitive skills, of adolescent suicide attempters occurred in the first and second semesters of the year before the pandemic lockdown (study periods 1 and 2) and the year after (study periods 3 and 4).ResultsThe sample consisted of 85 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 recruited consecutively from March 2019 to March 2021 at emergency ward because of suicide attempt. Forty-eight adolescents (55.3% of the sample) were attended before the lockdown (pre-pandemic group) and 38 (44.7%) the year after. The results showed a higher proportion of female suicide attempters in period 4 (Sept 2020-Feb 2021) respect to period 3 (Mar 2020-Aug 2020), i.e., pandemic semesters compared with the increment observed between period 2 and 1 (prepandemic semesters; Fisher’s exact test = 4.73; p = 0.026). The multinomial regression models showed a significant effect in the frequency of adolescents who attempted suicide (ratio χ2 = 15.19, p = 0.019), accounted by the differences between period 4 (Sept 2020-Feb 2021) and period 1 (Mar 2019-Aug 2019), with depressive symptoms being a significant contributing factor (Exp(b) = 0.93; p = 0.04). Additionally, social triggers and age were found to be significant risk factors for suicide attempts in the first semester of the pandemic academic year (period 4) compared to the same semester of the pre-pandemic year (period 2; Exp(b) = 0.16, p = 0.01, and Exp(b) = 1.88, p = 0.006, respectively).ConclusionsDuring the pandemic, the decrement between first and second semester of the number of females attempting suicide was more pronounced than in the prepandemic school year -though this findings lacked statistical power due to very limited sample size-. Change in the frequency of adolescent attempting suicide in the different school periods was associated with greater severity of depressive symptoms. Social relations in back-to-school after the lockdown were also associated with the number of adolescents attempting suicide.

Challenges of teaching isiZulu reading in the early grades

The present study was conducted at a time when South African educational researchers and practitioners have become increasingly concerned about the state of the reading competence of the country’s primary school learners. Another concern that also drove this study was the teaching practices of foundation phase teachers, specifically regarding the current ‘science of reading’ (SoR). In a cross-sectional study of Grades 1–3 learners and their teachers in a primary school in Soweto, Johannesburg, the aim was to capture not only the reading competence of the learners, but also the teachers’ pedagogy and their reflections about their work. To this end, 263 learners were randomly selected from a population of 2 001, along with 24 teachers. Classroom practice was observed and recorded, and interviews with teachers were conducted over a period of six weeks during the third school term in 2019, while the selected learners completed the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA). The outcome of the qualitative data from the classroom observations and the interviews with teachers captured their struggle with instructional methods. The assessment results show young learners’ worryingly low scores, leaving teachers with the urgent pedagogical challenge of teaching reading that could lead to learners’ improved performance.

Forecasting Super Typhoon Saola and its effects on Hong Kong

AbstractHong Kong was severely impacted by Super Typhoon Saola (2309), necessitating the issuance of the highest tropical cyclone warning signal. Saola skirted past the south‐southwest of Hong Kong, bringing hurricane force winds and significant storm surge. Saola had its closest approach to Hong Kong on 1 September 2023, posing a unique challenge in forecasting and early warning for the start of the new school term, where higher impact to traffic and public safety was anticipated. This paper covers the challenges on the forecasting aspect of the super typhoon.

Associations between chronotype, diet quality and timing of energy intake in Portuguese children and adolescents: The potential role of summer holidays

ABSTRACT Later chronotypes may be associated with lower diet quality and later timing of energy intake in paediatric age. Period of data collection of these variables may affect these parameters and inter-relationship. We aimed to assess the cross-sectional association of chronotype with a diet quality score (HEI) and caloric midpoint (time of achieving 50% of total daily energy intake), considering summer holidays, using data from the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2015–2016 for 578 participants (6–14 years of age). Chronotype was estimated by the midpoint of sleep and categorized as Early, Intermediate and Late, using physical activity diaries, while outcomes using two food diaries/24 h recalls. Associations of chronotype with outcomes were assessed by linear regressions adjusted for sex, age, parental education (model 1), BMI, sports practice (model 2), and summer holidays (no/yes) (model 3). In model 2, a Late vs. Early chronotype was negatively associated with HEI ( β ˆ = −0.74; 95% CI: −1.47, −0.07) and positively with caloric midpoint ( β ˆ = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.69). However, associations lost significance in model 3. The association between chronotype and dietary habits may be benefit from being studied considering school terms and summer holidays. Future larger prospective studies are needed to clarify the role of summer holidays on this inter-relationship.

Development of the Arabic Inventory of Parent and Domestic Worker Attachment (A-IPDWA): A tool to assess adolescents' attachment to secondary figures.

Adolescents' attachment security toward parental figures has been assessed in multiple cultures and languages. In some cultural contexts, the presence of a secondary parental figure is ubiquitous, though its effect on children's and adolescents' well-being has been understudied. The present study aimed to validate a culture-specific Arabic instrument of attachment security, in an adolescent sample of Qatar. Since foreign domestic workers (Khadama) play a key role as secondary caring figures in Middle Eastern countries, the new instrument included parents (i.e., mother and father) and domestic workers as providers of attachment security. A sample of 387 adolescents (ages 12-17 years; 48.3% females) participated in the study in the 2020-2021 school term. While 286 students completed the version in modern Arabic, 101 counterparts attending international schools filled in the English version for comparison purposes. Confirmatory Factor Analysis for all three forms (i.e., mother, father, and domestic worker) showed the one-dimension of the Arabic tool. Optimal Tucker's Phi coefficient indicated a comparable one-factor structure of attachment security across linguistic versions. Moderate correlations (positive and negative, respectively) of attachment security towards father and mother (but not towards domestic workers) with family cohesion and family conflict dimensions of the Family Environment Scale provided evidence for the concurrent validity. Gender differences in the links between adolescents' attachment security and family conflict were observed; culturally relevant relationship family patterns are stressed. The practical implications of the Arabic Inventory of Parent and Domestic Worker Attachment (A-IPDWA) validation are discussed.

Salt Intake of Children and Adolescents: Influence of Socio-Environmental Factors and School Education.

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the salt consumption by children and adolescents from the Silesian Province (Poland), taking into account the region's dietary traditions and the age of the students+. (2) Methods: 300 students aged 10-18 from different types of schools were enrolled in the study and divided into groups in terms of school, sex, and the state of their nutrition. A survey questionnaire about dietary habits, including the frequency and serving size with respect to 12 salty products, was used. On the basis of the frequency and the amount of consumed products, as well as the data on salt content, the amount of total daily intake of salt was estimated. (3) Results: The mean daily intake of salt by children and adolescents was 1.083 g (0.433 g of sodium); children aged 10-12 consumed the highest amount of salt (1.296 g/day) compared to pupils aged 13-15 (1.131 g of sodium) and adolescents aged 16-18 (0.863 g/day). (4) Conclusions: With age, as a result of various factors, the consumption of salt declines. The parents' impact and the familial socio-environmental factors begin to wane, and other factors start to have influence, e.g., school education of a healthy lifestyle and health behavior of peers.

Pitfalls of Digitalization: Teacher Recruitment in Malaysia International Schools

Human resource practices, particularly teacher recruitment, are evolving due to digitalisation. There is a critical need for international schools to attract and select quality teaching staff to ensure the quality of learning for students and maintain their competitiveness within a dynamic market. This paper reported the findings of a study that investigated the challenges that school administrators faced during the digitalisation of teacher recruitment practices at international schools in Malaysia. A series of semi-structured interviews involving fourteen management personnel from eleven international schools revealed seven challenges highlighted by the participants: 1) a rise in competition, 2) attracting irrelevant or underqualified applicants, 3) time-consuming preparation of detailed job ads and recruitment booklets, 4) escalating recruitment costs, 5) student privacy issues, 6) managing a large number of applications, and 7) loss of important information during virtual interview. To address these challenges, the participants took four actions: 1) advanced planning before the new school term, 2) building rapport with potential candidates, 3) selecting a suitable online recruitment platform, and 4) integrating online and offline recruitment. The findings of the study contribute to the growing literature on talent acquisition at international schools by providing empirical evidence of the existing challenges faced at a sample of international schools in Malaysia.

Be SMART: Promoting goal setting with students at-risk of early school leaving through a mentoring program

Mentoring programs are a very popular tool in educational contexts. Over the years, many schools have been using mentoring programs to improve academic adjustment and counter the disengagement of students at risk of early school leaving. Since 2016, the Portuguese Ministry of Education has implemented a universal educational policy focused on the implementation of mentoring sessions in public schools. This policy targets students older than 12 years old with multiple school retentions and diverse characteristics likely to place them at risk of early dropout. In the context of this policy, a school-based mentoring program to promote SMART goal-setting skills through the training of self-regulation was developed to be implemented with elementary and middle school students at-risk of early dropout. The 20-session program was implemented over two school terms. Throughout the program, we conducted a multiple case study to examine how students’ goals and SMART goal-setting processes may change after their enrollment in the mentoring program. Students’ goals were collected pre- and post-program through the fulfillment of life map diagrams. Post-program overall data indicated that most students set more academic and fewer non-academic goals. However, a granular analysis showed that a group of older students (17 years old) did not set any academic goal in both pre- or post-program moments; furthermore, only younger students (aged between 12 and 16 years old) integrated SMART characteristics into their academic goals. Limitations and future research directions, as well as implications for practice, are provided.

The Contribution of Information Gap Activities to Support Honduran Ninth-grade Students’ speaking Fluency

This article corresponds to an action research which explored the contribution of information gap activities to support a group Honduran ninth-graders’ speaking fluency. Their speaking fluency was assessed in terms of speech rate, breakdowns or pauses, and repairs. This study adopted a mixed method approach: quantitative and qualitative. The sample chosen was a purposive sample made up of a group of seven ninth graders who had been learning English in rural context in a public high school in Comayagua for two years, all aged between 14 and 15 years old, with an A1 level.The information gap technique was implemented during seven sessions following the regular topics scheduled for the school term. Data were collected by applying a pre-test and a post-test to assess students’fluency, and results were assessed with an analytic rubric; and their perceptions were assessed by a focus group. The pre and post-test results showed an improvement in participants’ speaking fluency, and these results were in agreement with their positive perceptions. Moreover, participants expressed that information gap activities had impacted positively their motivation and their awareness of mistakes. In conclusion, information gap activities helped learners improve their speaking fluency and might support English teachers in Honduran rural public contexts not to rely upon traditional textbook use and make their classes more motivating and communicative.

Stress Level and Use of Coping Strategies Among Nursing Students During the Pandemic Period: Looking Back and Reflecting its Impact

This study aims to assess the stress level of nursing students in different settings and their use of coping strategies during the pandemic. The researchers used a descriptive-correlation research design for 288 nursing students purposively selected for the study. The study took place during the academic year of 2022-2023. The study also employed three (3) research tools for the data gathering. It subjected the data to descriptive and inferential analysis using SPSS 23. In general, the study found that in terms of stress level, the nursing students remarked “moderately high,” as for the coping strategies, they “sometimes” used them. The inferential computation also observed significant variations in the stress level in the study in terms of gender, age, school, and year level. Moreover, there was a low positive relationship between the level of stress and the use of coping strategies among the nursing students. To confirm the connection, perceived stress and external stressors were significant predictors of the use of coping strategies among nursing students. The researchers then gave several implications at the end of the study.

What is Shyness and How to Overcome it

In today’s world, there are many situations in which teamwork, communication skills, and leadership are highly valued. In these situations, shy people may have a disadvantage. The challenges they face may prevent them from achieving their goals, possibly resulting in feelings of disappointment. This article will present current knowledge on the subject of shyness, based on various research methods. I will explain what “shyness” actually is, discuss what causes it, and describe some of the day-to-day consequences. The article will examine several questions: are kids born shy or do they develop shyness? What role do parents play? What does shyness look like in various settings? In terms of school, how do teachers see shy students, and what can be done to support these students and help them deal with their fears?

The Impact of a School Dog on Children's Social Inclusion and Social Climate in a School Class.

Animal-assisted pedagogy is well known in classroom practice, but scientific evidence of its impact on teaching and learning conditions is still lacking. At the same time, the biggest challenge in education systems worldwide is the social inclusion of students. In a pre-post design, 30 heterogeneous students (16 f/14 m) from four different school classes (grades 5-8) of two secondary schools and one grammar school were interviewed (in a problem-centered interview) about their social inclusion and their social climate in class before and after being taught selected subjects with a school dog for one school term. At the second measurement point, participants were also asked about their perception of animal-assisted pedagogy. The qualitative data analysis (Kuckartz) showed that the presence of a dog leads to an improved social climate, more social integration and to a change in social roles; therefore, we discussed our findings in the context of role theory (Krappmann). In addition, we found that the mutual perception of the other students and the teacher changes to a more positive and friendlier image. Through animal-assisted pedagogy, a new social role is added to the classroom, where caring and bonding are prioritized. Social interaction and norms are influenced and stereotypical and individual roles can be changed. Therefore, animal-assisted pedagogy can be key to promoting social inclusion in the school environment.

Promoting young EFL learners’ oral production through storytelling: coursebook adaptation in the Vietnamese classroom

Abstract A global push to start learning English early has heightened interest in effective pedagogical practices for young learners. In many parts of the world, however, teachers feel constrained by the educational system in which they work. Coursebooks are mandated, tests and examinations dominate, and teacher education may not consider the particularities of teaching young learners. Such factors have all been identified in Vietnam, where this study was conducted. A storytelling innovation based on coursebook texts was introduced and taught for one school term. Pre- and post-tests of speaking found that learners who experienced the storytelling innovation significantly outperformed the learners who followed the textbook when measured by English tokens, English types, idea units in English, and idea units in English and Vietnamese. The study demonstrates how a relatively modest course book adaptation can lead to improved learning outcomes in an EFL context where change is often considered difficult to achieve.