School Experiences Of Children Research Articles

The Effect of Screen Time and Positive School Factors in the Pathway to Child and Youth Mental Health Outcomes.

Beyond achievement, educational settings offer informal supports that may be critical for child and youth mental health. However, children's educational environments have experienced significant disruption with the coronavirus pandemic. School settings offer unique opportunities to support children's mental health, but research must identify powerful points of intervention. This study examined school factors (aspirations, perceived competence, sense of belonging, and emotional engagement) as predictors of children's mental health, and the potential consequences of increasing screen time in and outside of school. Participants (N = 707) were parents and their children (6-18 years) from community and clinical settings who completed prospective surveys about children's school experiences and mental health symptoms (November 2020-May 2022). Standardized measures of depression, anxiety, irritability, inattention, and hyperactivity were collected. Structural equation modelling tested longitudinal associations between screen time, school factors, and mental health outcomes. Positive associations between each of the school factors (B = 0.14 [SE = 0.04] to B = 0.43 [SE = 0.04]) suggested they may reinforce one another. Longitudinally, sense of belonging and emotional engagement at school predicted lower severity for symptoms of depression, anxiety, irritability, and inattention (B=-0.14 [SE = 0.07] to B =-0.33 [SE = 0.10]). Greater screen time was associated with lower aspirations and perceived competence (B = - 0.08 [SE = 0.04] to B = - 0.13 [SE = 0.06]). Results suggest that school factors beyond achievement may be key correlates of child and youth mental health. While curriculum expectations emphasize academic achievement, an investment in supporting positive attitudes and aspirations at school is also warranted.

‘Trying differently’ towards improving school experiences: Systematically reviewing research on school experiences for students with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and their teachers

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is a complex brain-based developmental disability. Research on the experiences of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and their caregivers consistently highlights the difficulties and frequent exclusion they experience with the education system as one of the most stressful aspects of their lives. Previous studies have identified the need for more integrated approaches to support and learning for children with FASD that recognize the integral role of positive teacher-student relationships on student outcomes. A systematic review of existing research on the school experiences of children and youth with FASD and their teachers was conducted, and a critical iterative approach was used to interpret the data. Key findings are discussed, and important recommendations are made for researchers, policymakers, and educators to address the longstanding gaps in research and practice regarding the complex care and support needs of those with FASD from an anti-oppressive, destigmatized, and holistic framework.

Children's experiences during their first dental visit: A qualitative study.

While the child's first dental visit can shape his/her attitude towards further treatments, little consideration has been given to exploring this experience from the child's perspective. Therefore, the aim of the study was to delineate the experiences of the first dental visit of children based on self-written stories in their own words. Qualitative study conducted as part of the oral health promoting school program in Isfahan city, Iran. Data collection was based on the responses to a question included in the programme's printed educational content. Schoolchildren were asked to explain about their experiences of their first dental visit in a story. Two researchers read the stories separately and identified concepts and themes. In a discussion panel gained consensus about the main themes. Then the researchers integrated and grouped together similar themes to new categories. Categories originating in the data provided insights into and explanations of factors that might influence the schoolchildren's experience in the dental office. Sampling continued until saturation, when no new codes appeared in the data. The childrens' stories were imported in the MAXQD software and analyzed to retrieve the main categories and themes. Factors that influenced experiences appeared to be idiosyncratic, but could be classified into three categories: the person accompanying the child, child and dentist-related factors. Two sub-categories of the person accompanying the child were the role of person in their treatment and the types of persons accompanying them. Dentist-related factors included three more sub-themes of applied behavioral management techniques, their role in oral health education, and organization of the office environment. The three sub-themes of children's related factors were experiencing fear, remembering the details of their experience, and type of care received. Although the method was limited to the qualitative written stories of children and there was no opportunity to explore more and consider the detailed opinions by face-to-face interviews, some noticeable elements were mentioned by children. The person accompanying the child, child and dentist-related factors were three main categories obtained from the data.

Parental Involvement in Secondary Education: A Comparative Study Between Private and Government Schools

This paper explores parental involvement in secondary education through a comparative study between private and Government schools in India. Acknowledging the crucial role of parental engagement in children's educational journey, the study seeks to understand how parents contribute to their children's schooling experiences in different educational settings. Drawing upon historical contexts, the emergence of private schools in India, and the objectives of the study, the research employs a mixed-methods approach, including surveys, interviews, and academic performance analysis. The results reveal differences in the extent and nature of parental involvement between private and Government schools, influenced by factors such as socioeconomic status, parental education level, and school culture. While both types of schools benefit from parental involvement, private schools often exhibit more direct engagement from parents in shaping school policies and programs. The findings underscore the importance of recognizing and addressing variations in parental involvement to promote equitable opportunities for all students to thrive in school. Government

The perceived challenges to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationwide study of K-12 parental perspectives (Arab and other parents) in Qatar

This study aimed to explore self-reported challenges Arab and other parents encountered during the sudden shift to online teaching and learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers investigated the likely effect of demographic and contextual factors on the perceived challenges reported by parents. To achieve the study's objectives, the researchers utilized a mixed-method design involving a random sample of students' parents (Arab and other parents) in public and private schools in Qatar. The study's sample consisted of 2781 parents who responded to the online survey and 25 parents who participated in online semi-structured interview. The results derived from this study identified several challenges like lack of social interaction with schoolteachers, lack of motivation among children to participate in online classes and complete their homework, and dealing with the technical problems encountered during the online learning experience. The results further disclosed differences between Arab and other parents regarding the technologies and devices used during online teaching and learning. Finally, the results revealed differences between schools that do not organize additional activities in the curriculum compared to those that organize such activities. The study recommends home-school communication in order to empower parents and train them on how to manage effective learning at home and deal with children's learning behaviors. The study proposes developing parents' technical skills for online earning and the provision of material support for parents. Finally, it is important to raise a flag calling for revisiting the current curriculum to enrich children's schooling experiences and strengthen the bonds with their schools.

“Harriet Tubman is a Superhero”: Conceptualizing Young African American Children's Sociopolitical Awareness as Imaginative Praxis

Imagination is often relegated to the margins of African American children's schooling experiences. Furthermore, the varied role of children in liberation struggles and their centrality in ushering in just futures remain underexplored. This article examines five African American first graders’ sociopolitical knowledge and how they used their imagination to develop counternarratives of refusal and agentic possibilities. I offer imaginative praxis as a conceptual tool to analyze how young African American children name historical and contemporary racialized realities and generate joyful visualizations of actionable resistance. Young children's imaginative praxis challenges the notion that the fight for liberation is void of joy.

Chinese parents' school-readiness beliefs and parenting styles: patterns and associated factors.

A smooth transition to primary school is positively related to children's later school experience. Certain parental school-readiness beliefs and parenting styles, among other factors, contribute to the smoothness of this transition. Therefore, this study adopted a latent profile analysis to examine the patterns of Chinese parents' school-readiness beliefs and their parenting styles and investigated socioeconomic status (SES) differentials in both. Two-stage probability sampling method is adopted in this study and a total of 1,204 Chinese parents of 5- to 6 years-old children were investigated with school-readiness beliefs scale, Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, as well as scale of attitudes regarding roles in school readiness All data analyses were processed in Mplus 8.6. Three profiles were identified: (1) supportive parenting with a very strong emphasis on school readiness; (2) partially supportive parenting with a reflection of school readiness; (3) weakly supportive parenting with no emphasis on school readiness. Higher SES was found to be more likely to be associated with membership in Profile 1 rather than Profile 2. The present study shows quantitative support for Anette Lareau's work and has implications for the development of more targeted parental intervention programs.

Online education during the pandemic: Experiences of school children in Bihar

Online education during the pandemic: Experiences of school children in Bihar

Use of diabetes technologies in the primary school environment: a scoping review protocol.

The objective of this scoping review is to map the literature on the use of diabetes technologies in the primary school environment by children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and/or their parents. T1D is a complex chronic disorder that is one of the fastest growing diseases in childhood. Technological advances in recent times have seen a growth in the use of diabetes technologies. Despite these advances, having T1D still creates challenges for parents' and children's school experiences. Furthermore, the literature on the use of diabetes technologies during the primary school day is under-investigated. This review will consider peer-reviewed primary research studies or systematic reviews that include children with T1D aged 6 to 12 years who use diabetes technologies in the primary school environment and/or their parents. This review will be conducted in accordance with JBI methodology for scoping reviews and will be reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Following an initial limited search, a full search strategy was developed using index terms and key text words. This strategy will be used across relevant databases, including Embase, MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), and Web of Science Core Collection for the full scoping review. There will be no limitations on language or year. Two reviewers will independently screen titles, abstracts, and full-text articles and extract relevant data using the JBI data extraction instrument. Data will be presented in a descriptive manner, supported by tables and charts, and accompanied by a narrative summary.

The Burden of Sickle Cell Disease on Children and Their Caregivers: Caregiver Reports of Children's Health-Related Quality of Life and School Experiences, Caregiver Burden, and Their Association with Frequency of Vaso-Occlusive Crises.

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience a multiplex of disease-related symptoms and complications, including vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), episodes characterized by extreme pain. A cross-sectional observational survey examined the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and school experiences of children with SCD 2 months-11 years, burden experienced by their caregivers, and associations between these outcomes and VOC frequency. Caregivers (N=167) of children with SCD in the US completed the Infant-Toddler Quality of Life-Short Form 47 (ITQoL-SF47) for children 2 months-4 years, the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form 50 (CHQ-PF50) and PROMIS Pain Interference and Sleep Disturbance Parent Proxy short forms for children 5-11 years, and a study-specific survey of school experiences. Children with SCD 2 months-4 years had lower ITQoL-SF47 scores (ie, worse HRQoL, p<0.001) than a normative sample of children; across domains, differences ranged from 18.73-45.03 points and exceeded minimal important difference (MID) thresholds. Except for the behavior domain, children with SCD 5-11 years had lower scores on all CHQ-PF50 domains than the normative sample (p<0.001); differences ranged from 6.78-36.37 points and exceeded MID thresholds. Children with more frequent VOCs had lower HRQoL and worse school experiences than children with less frequent VOCs (p<0.05, except for behavior domains). The largest differences based on VOC frequency were observed for overall health and bodily pain/discomfort among children 2 months-4 years (differences=40.88 and 32.50 points, respectively), and bodily pain and role/social limitations due to physical health among children 5-11 years (differences=38.99 and 37.80, respectively). Caregivers of children with more frequent VOCs experienced greater burden than caregivers of children with less frequent VOCs, though specific areas of impact (eg, caregiver emotions, time) differed across child age groups. VOC frequency is negatively associated with HRQoL, highlighting the burden experienced by children with SCD and their caregivers.

Impact of Long Covid on the school experiences of children and young people: a qualitative study

ObjectivesTo explore the impact of Long Covid (LC) on the school experiences of children and young people (CYP).DesignQualitative study using narrative interviews.Participants22 CYP (aged 10–18 years, 15 female) with LC...

Oral Health Survey in Burundi; Evaluation of the Caries Experience in Schoolchildren Using the DMFT Index.

Background and objectives: There are no data on oral health in the population of Burundi. This study aimed to describe the oral health status of schoolchildren in Burundi using the dmft/DMFT index for the first time. Materials and methods: The study was designed as a cross-sectional population-based epidemiological survey. The survey was designed according to the WHO methodology for oral health surveys. Oral examinations were conducted in school rooms using a dental mirror, probe, and headlight. The following characteristics of primary dentition status were recorded: decayed (d/D), missing (m/M), and filled (f/F) teeth, and the dmft/DMFT (d + m + f t/D + M + F T) index was calculated for each subject. Quantitative and qualitative variables were represented by measures of position and variability. One-way ANOVA was used to assess differences between parametric variables. Logistic regression was performed for total caries experience and gender, age groups, living area, and geographical provinces. Results: A total of 1902 children were examined, 1007 (52.94%) six-year-olds and 895 (47.06%) in the older group. The dmft/DMFT and subgroups were statistically significantly different in terms of age groups, living areas, and geographical regions (dmft/DMFT d-subgroup and D-subgroup p < 0.01), but only for DMFT for sex. The ORs estimated by logistic regression by total caries experience showed a protective effect for 12 year old subjects and those living in southern provinces, an OR of 0.52 (95%CI 0.43-0.64) and an OR of 0.26 (95%CI 0.21-0.32), respectively. Conclusions: Dental caries in African countries, including Burundi, remains a major problem affecting the general health and wellbeing of the population. Tackling untreated caries requires a multifaceted approach, including strengthening oral health infrastructure, promoting oral health education, providing affordable dental services, and encouraging healthier eating habits.

Refractive error correction among urban and rural school children using two self-adjustable spectacles

ObjectiveSelf-refracting spectacles (SRSs) have different optical and mechanical designs, which may affect the refractive outcome, depending on the experience of the end user. This study compared the performance of two...

Lessons from lockdown: Autistic students, parents and mainstream schools

AbstractThis paper reports on the findings of a BERA‐funded small‐scale project that explores the impacts of COVID‐19 lockdowns on the educational experiences of autistic children and young people who attend mainstream schools and their parents/carers in England. We observe that, unsurprisingly, lockdown resulted in associated stresses for families. However, our main argument is that for the participants, the pandemic has not been experienced to the same extent as is popularly understood; that is, causing major disruption to children's schooling experiences and/or unusual levels of social isolation. Using the concept of stigma as a theoretical resource, we argue that this is because the families with whom we spoke were already experiencing, pre‐COVID‐19, disrupted schooling and degrees of social isolation. Indeed, for many of the young people, the break from school occasioned by lockdown allowed them a release from the more negative and stigmatising aspects of their routine experiences within school. We therefore argue that the disruption of the pandemic sheds light on how stigma shapes students' daily school experiences.

Autism and mainstream education: The parental perspective

Malta has one of the highest rates, across Europe, of children with a statement of special educational needs receiving their education in mainstream schools. Research has suggested that to be successful with achieving inclusivity, the contribution of the family must be considered. This study aims to explore the perspectives and experiences of parents of autistic children who attend mainstream education settings in Malta in relation to their perception of educator's knowledge about autism, satisfaction or concerns with their child's progress, perception of support received and their feelings relating to their child's school experience. A mixed methods research design was utilised involving a questionnaire comprising 10 questions, as well as 10 parent interviews to yield qualitative data. Results showed that the majority believed that the teachers did not have the necessary knowledge to effectively adapt and teach their autistic child in a mainstream setting. While positive elements in their experience emerged, there were reports of feelings of anxiety and worry and lack of support. There is work required within the Maltese education system to embrace the parental experience and use it to help guide additional supports to benefit the autistic child's educational placement.

Advancing the inclusion agenda in Australia: A multi-case study of the school experiences of children adopted from overseas

Current approaches to inclusive education in Australian schools, supported by legislation and policy are slowly raising awareness about the diverse needs of children from complex trauma backgrounds. One group of children who experience complex trauma are children adopted from overseas countries (Intercountry Adoptees). These children and their support needs are often absent in education research, teacher training, and development. The research reported in this paper, informed by theories of attachment and complex trauma supports the goals of inclusive education, identifying school practices that appear to promote resilience in some children while other practices perpetuate ongoing struggles. This paper presents key findings from a multi-case study of ten adoptive families in Queensland (15 parents;15 children aged 6 to 12 years) to suggest divergent perspectives on traditional meanings of attachment, including the impact of multiple attachment disruptions on the children's school experience. Insightful theoretical explanations and case study examples reveal the potential ongoing impact of complex trauma on these children at school resulting from their early life experiences. Children's perspectives are captured through drawings and conversations, extended by their adoptive parents through the analysis of interview data and documents they provided. Findings emphasise the importance of school culture, leadership, teacher professional development, and the relational aspects of teaching and learning to further advance inclusive education in schools by supporting the ongoing resilience and development of children with unique trauma histories.

Peers' Emotionality and Children's Academic Achievement in Second Grade: Testing the Moderating Role of Children's Behavioral Self-Regulation.

Although there is interest in the role of peers in children's schooling experiences, few researchers have examined associations and related underlying processes between peers' emotionality, an aspect of temperament, and children's academic achievement. This study evaluated whether target children's (N = 260) own self-regulation, assessed with two behavioral measures, served a moderating function for associations between peers' emotionality and children's own academic achievement in second grade. There was a positive association between peers' positive emotionality and reading scores for children with higher self-regulation. Peers' negative emotionality was negatively related to target children's reading scores, particularly for children with higher self-regulation levels, but was unrelated to math scores. Peers' positive and negative emotionality did not predict math scores, and there was no strong evidence for the moderating role of target children's self-regulation in this association. This study highlights the potential role of children's self-regulation in modulating peer effects on academic achievement, particularly reading.

Assessments of the Results of Person’s Educational-Cognitive Activity and General Development in Waldorf School

The relevance of the study is caused by the need to consider the achievements of world pedagogy and to analyse Waldorf experience objectively in order to use it in the New Ukrainian School, which will help to improve schoolchildren’s assessment, develop person’s learning motivation, form his self-confidence and prevent didactic fears and stresses.&#x0D; The aim of the study has been determined in the article. The aim is to clarify the specifics of assessment of person’s learning results and general development in Waldorf school. The general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, comparison, systematization, classification and generalization) have been used to conduct this study.&#x0D; It has been found that Waldorf school has not used a grade assessment system since its inception. The main forms of schoolchildren’s qualitative assessment in Waldorf school are the following: constant informing of parents about the success and progress in children’s development at the basic level of education (grades 1-8); oral feedback by all teachers at the senior level of education (grades 9-12); written feedback – a detailed description of every child at the end of each school year (during the 12-year learning process); final exams.&#x0D; The recording of schoolchildren’s academic achievements is carried out on the basis of a system of certain criteria, and each school develops it independently. At the same time, all schools have one feature in common: they use the criteria that characterize person’s emotional, volitional and cognitive spheres (memory, fantasy, imagination).&#x0D; The process of assessment in Waldorf school involves shifting the emphasis from control and schoolchildren’s evaluation to self-control and self-assessment. It also promotes schoolchildren’s interest in learning, forms their internal motivation for cognitive activity, takes away children’s didactic fears and stresses and stimulates their personal intellectual activity, awareness and correlation of own activities with the activities of the environment.&#x0D; The authors emphasize on the expediency of using Waldorf school experience in schoolchildren’s assessment for the practical solution of the problem of assessment in the New Ukrainian School.

Measuring school children's experiences of the school health services in Sweden: a pilot study

This pilot study describes the initial testing of two age-matched questionnaires aiming to measure school children's experiences and satisfaction of services provided by the school health services (SHS) in Sweden. Experiences from the point of view of school children is important to improve services. The methodology followed several steps. First, an expert panel (n=8) selected items based on earlier questionnaires used in healthcare. Second, cognitive interviews with children (n=25) were performed to adjust items to be understood by school children. Finally, the questionnaires (n=144) were distributed and compared. After adjustments to items in both questionnaires the pilot study indicated overall high satisfaction, but there are differences between age groups, where younger children are more positive than older children. Involving children to evaluate and improve SHS is an important consideration. In future studies, such questionnaires need further development to increase the sensibility and reveal further insight.

Distance Learning in Cameroon: Case Study of Private Nursery School Children's Experiences and Challenges Amidst COVID-19 Lockdown

This article analyses data from a study that explored distance learning teaching and nursery school children's experiences in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Douala, Cameroon. Following the spread of COVID-19 to Africa, the Cameroon Government placed emphasis on the impact of the pandemic on the socio-economic sector and actions to support this sector. There has been no reported research on the effects of the pandemic on the early childhood education sector and how children have experienced it. This article discusses distance learning techniques employed by teachers from a private nursery school and the views and feelings of young children whose teacher encouraged them to draw and tell stories about their experiences. Engaging in such conversations empowered and encouraged children to verbalise their COVID-19 Lockdown experiences. These conversations can help the teacher rethink and seek new ways to understand and guide children through challenging situations. In addition, the insights gained from the study can be helpful for policymakers concerned with maximising the capacity for schools and families to ensure continuous learning for all children in the event of a crisis.