Upper-elementary Students Research Articles

CompARe: Design and Development of a Gamified Augmented Reality Learning Environment for Cultural Heritage Sites

Understanding cultural heritage by visiting cultural sites is vital to individuals and communities across the world. It is, therefore, important to create authentic learning situations where students can experience and meaningfully learn about cultural heritage; however, authentic learning in situ can be a challenge. Learning during educational field trips at cultural sites is often not well supported, while students’ interest and motivation to learn are not always activated, which ultimately impacts the learning experience during the visit. Furthermore, students may be distracted with off-task activities and by the novelty effect of the setting during the field trip and may find it difficult to dedicate themselves to the learning activities. Augmented and virtual reality technologies, and approaches such as gamification, have created new contexts for location-based, technology-enhanced learning, which can help address some of the challenges faced during educational field trips. This paper describes the design and validation of CompARe, a gamified augmented reality learning environment (LE) created to support student learning while visiting a cultural heritage site. The CompARe LE is built around an inquiry-based scenario in which students, working in groups, take on the role of art historians and are asked to date an important wall mosaic by visiting four digital hotspots located throughout the site. CompARe was developed and validated using a design-based methodology. We present two case studies of upper elementary students using CompARe and discuss the affordances and challenges of the learning experience. We conclude with lessons learned about the effectiveness of the CompARe learning approach and discuss future steps.

Effects of the Tools for Getting Along Curriculum on Teachers’ Reports of Elementary Students’ Executive Functions, Social-Emotional Skills, and Behavior Problems

In this study, we examined the effectiveness of Tools for Getting Along (TFGA) on teachers’ reports of executive functioning (EF), social-emotional, and behavioral skills of upper elementary school students. TFGA is a classroom-level prevention curriculum that teaches students a sequence of empirically based problem-solving steps to apply in emotionally charged situations. We randomly assigned 52 elementary schools in California, Oklahoma, and Kentucky to the treatment (n = 26) or comparison (n = 26) condition, with study participants including 135 grade 4 teachers and their 1,713 students. Multilevel analyses revealed that relative to those in the comparison group, students who participated in TFGA had significantly better social skills (effect size = 0.12) and higher levels of behaviors associated with EFs (effect size = 0.11), as reported by their teachers. Further, students whose teachers reported as having higher internalizing and externalizing behaviors, lower competence, and weaker behaviors associated with EFs at baseline experienced greater improvements in these skills after participating in TFGA than their counterparts with relatively stronger skills in the comparison group. We discuss educational implications of this study to promote and scale evidence-based, social-emotional practices in elementary school classrooms.

Relationships between linguistic knowledge, linguistic awareness, and argumentative writing among upper elementary bilingual students

Relationships between linguistic knowledge, linguistic awareness, and argumentative writing among upper elementary bilingual students

Developing Multisyllabic Decoding and Encoding Skills with Upper Elementary Learners: Reporting Two Cycles of Design-Based Research

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate lessons on multisyllabic decoding and encoding with upper elementary students. Participants in this study were third, fourth, and fifth graders in a rural school in the southeast region of the United States. Design-based research was utilized with two cycles of implementation. Students were assessed at baseline, following the first cycle of implementation (and preceding the second cycle), and again after the second cycle using a battery of reading measures. Participants within each cycle received a 45-min daily intervention which included modeling, guided practice, and independent practice across word reading and spelling in isolation and in meaningful texts. Results across cycles indicated increases in students’ word recognition, vocabulary, morphology, and self-efficacy. Implications for research and practice are further discussed.

Writing Self-Efficacy and Affect Across Genres: An Exploratory Factor Analysis with Upper-Elementary Students

The purpose of the study was to develop a measure of motivation with upper-elementary learners that addressed self-efficacy and affect across the genres of persuasion and story writing. Research has found relationships between writing achievement and several motivational constructs. Indeed, motivational scales/questionnaires exist that examine self-efficacy and affect, but little research has examined whether learners’ responses remain consistent across genres. The study developed scales of self-efficacy and affect for writing in general, narrative writing, and persuasive writing. An exploratory factor analysis was employed examining factors across the genres of narration and persuasion and on the general scale from 281 learners (n = 144 female) in grades 3 to 5. Three factors were extracted across scales and results found statistically significant differences by grade on affect, grammar, and processes, across scales while female learners had higher self-efficacy and affect; genre differences were detected for processes and tasks. Limitations as well as implications for research are discussed.

Enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills in upper elementary students through game-based learning

Introduction. The acquisition of knowledge by students to more actively develop their minds through challenging activities in the form of contextual problem analysis and academically oriented training in thinking skills is still lacking. Solving an inappropriate problem can trigger students' reluctance to try to solve the problems presented because the problem presented will be an early "gateway" as a stimulus that can subsequently stimulate students' thinking, so the skill of the teacher in "packaging" a problem as interesting as possible may be one of the determining factors in the success of the application of the learning model. Study participant and methods. This study included approximately 600 middle school students (grades four through six) in Indonesia, situated in a township with a median family income of IDR72,000,000/year and a median household income of IDR48,000,000/year, where 9.3% lived in poverty. The ethnically diverse composition featured 40.22% Javanese. The chosen school lacked academic tracking in social studies classes for grades 4-6 and had a willing teacher for Game-Based Learning (GBL) interventions. Using a quasi-experimental design, three GBL intervention classes (62 pupils) were randomly selected from five sections taught by the participating teacher, while seven classes (115 students) received conventional instruction. The study aimed to evaluate GBL's impact on social studies education, employing Denah Education Game (DENDA) with specific objectives for territories. The results. The findings indicate that students in the Game-Based Learning (GBL) group had a slightly higher average post-test score (M = 3.66) compared to conventional students (M = 3.60). Similarly, the average score of GBL students on the delayed post-test (M = 2.11) was slightly higher than the score of conventional students (M = 2.00). However, both the post-test (F(1,96) =0.07, p >0.05) and delayed post-test (F(1,91) =0.45, p >0.05) did not show a consistent effect, according to these results. The study indicates that the Game-Based Learning (GBL) intervention successfully enhances students' understanding with slightly higher post-test and delayed post-test scores compared to traditional teaching methods. The findings emphasize the importance of student discourse in game-based scenarios, with higher-level conversations predominantly observed in intra- and inter-group discussions. Despite fluctuations in intellectual activities, student engagement and critical thinking remain high. However, challenges in addressing gender differences and implementing GBL in conventional classroom settings need further research and development focus. Conclusion. The study supports integrating Game-Based Learning (GBL) into conventional classrooms, noting no significant differences from traditional teaching. However, caution is advised due to implementation challenges. Gender differences underscore the need for further exploration of GBL effectiveness across genders and grade levels. Positive impacts on critical thinking are seen through student-centered learning and authentic problem-solving scenarios. GBL aligns with best teaching practices, emphasizing engagement and student-driven learning. While acknowledging limitations, the research calls for ongoing exploration of GBL's potential in fostering critical thinking and aligning it with traditional educational principles for maximum effectiveness in diverse classrooms.

The Effect of Bullying Victimization on Cyberbullying Perpetration in Upper Elementary Students: The Sequential Mediating Effect of Hopelessness and Time Spent Online

Objectives: This study examined the effects of bullying victimization on cyberbullying perpetration and investigated whether hopelessness and time spent online sequentially mediate the relationship between bullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration among upper elementary students.Methods: The participants were 596 upper elementary school students {5th and 6th graders; 291 boys (48.8%)} from Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. The data were collected through a self-report questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS macro version 4.3 (Model 6) by Hayes (2017).Results: First, bullying victimization positively influenced cyberbullying perpetration. Second, the sequential mediating effects of hopelessness and time spent online were significant. Lastly, time spent online mediated the effect of bullying victimization on cyberbullying perpetration, whereas hopelessness did not mediate this effect.Conclusion: These findings indicate a link between bullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration. Therefore, it is recommended that cyberbullying prevention programs include strategies to reduce bullying victimization. Furthermore, high levels of hopelessness resulting from bullying victimization may lead to excessive internet use, increasing the likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration. Thus, victims need to be informed of about the importance of reporting bullying incidents to adults such as teachers, counselors, or parents. Additionally, if victims already exhibit high levels of hopelessness, it is necessary to encourage them to participate in evidence-based programs. Finally, the significant mediating effect of time spent online suggests that monitoring and intervening in victims’ online activities are crucial for reducing the likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration. These efforts may help prevent victims from spending excessive time online to relieve their hopelessness and from perpetrating cyberbullying.

The Multiple Mediating Effects of Time Use Satisfaction and Morality on the Relationship between Upper Elementary Students’ Parent-Child Relationships and Cyberbullying Perpetration

The purpose of this study was to identify the multiple mediating effects of time use satisfaction and morality on the relationship between children’s parent-child relationships and cyberbullying perpetration. To achieve this a convenience sample of 465 fifth and sixth-grade students from six elementary schools located in D City and G Do Province was recruited. The data collected for this study were analyzed using IBM SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 23.0 programs for descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and path analysis. The principal results were as follows. First, parent-child relationship significantly influenced time use satisfaction and morality. Additionally, children’s time use satisfaction and morality were found to have a significant impact on cyberbullying perpetration. Secondly, in the relationship between parent-child relationships and cyberbullying perpetration, the total mediating effect of time use satisfaction and morality, as well as the individual mediating effects of time use satisfaction and morality, were also significant. These findings emphasize the significance of the parent-child relationship in addressing cyberbullying perpetration and suggest that both home and school education should guide children to use their time satisfactorily. Supplementing this, various educational programs should be developed to enhance children’s morality.

Promoting Inference Generation: Using Questioning and Strategy Instruction to Support Upper Elementary Students

AbstractMaking inferences is essential to comprehending text. Teachers can ask inferential questions, model their thinking, and teach specific strategies to support upper elementary students in making inferences while reading.

Basic moral sensitivity, moral disengagement, and defender self-efficacy as predictors of students' self-reported bystander behaviors over a school year: a growth curve analysis.

Though school children tend to view peer victimization as morally wrong most do not to intervene on the victim's behalf and some instead choose to aid the victimizer. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate how students' defending and pro-aggressive bystander behaviors evolved over the course of one school year and their association to basic moral sensitivity, moral disengagement, and defender self-efficacy. Three-hundred-fifty-three upper elementary school students (55% girls; 9.9-12.9 years of age) each completed self-report surveys at three points during one school year. Results from latent growth curve models showed that pro-aggressive bystander behavior remained stable over the year, whereas defending behavior decreased. Moreover, students who exhibited greater basic moral sensitivity were both less likely to be pro-aggressive and simultaneously more likely to defend. Students with defender self-efficacy were not only associated with more defending behavior at baseline but also were also less likely to decrease in defender behavior over time. Conversely, students reporting a higher degree of moral disengagement were linked to more pro-aggressive behavior, particularly when also reporting lower basic moral sensitivity. These short-term longitudinal results add important insight into the change in bystander behavior over time and how it relates to students' sense of morality. The results also highlight the practical necessity for schools to nurture students' sense of morality and prosocial behavior in their efforts to curb peer victimization.

Analisis Hakikat Keterampilan Menulis Lanjutan Pada Kelas Tinggi

The aim of this research is to find the problems of advanced writing skills of upper elementary school students, and provide solutions. The research method used is a literature review. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that there are two factors that cause students' difficulties in writing at a high level, namely internal factors and external factors. Internal factors include students' weak motor skills, weak visual memory, low students' interest and motivation to learn, and finally students' study habits in class and at home. Meanwhile, external factors include lack of attention from parents towards students, an atmosphere at home that is less supportive, environmental conditions and finally the influence of social media. The lack of writing skills in elementary school students may also be caused by the less than optimal use of innovative learning methods. One way to optimize the writing learning process and increase students' writing motivation is to increase students' interest in writing through interesting learning models and learning media.

Development and Validation of a Global Citizenship Education Teaching-Learning Plan and its Effects on Fostering the Global Citizenship Competencies of Elementary School Students

The objectives of this study were to develop, implement a home economics education teaching-learning plan and assess its effects to enhance global citizenship competencies among upper elementary school students. The ADDIE model was employed for learner needs analysis, instructional design, development and implementation. This was followed by assessments of global citizenship competencies and class satisfaction. Based on an analysis of the core ideas associated with an area of "Living Environment and Sustainable Choice," four practical problems were designed: What actions should I take for the rational management of living resources? What actions should I take to ensure consciousness of the need to respect diversity in daily life? What actions should I take to maintain a safe and healthy living environment? What actions should I take to make sustainable choices? Based on these four practical problems, four lesson topics were developed in accordance with both the voyeur's and the critical perspectives, resulting in a total of 8 sessions. The subsequent delivery of an 8-session class on global citizenship education in home economics yielded significant improvements in the global citizenship competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes, and willingness to act) of 37 elementary school students immediately after the sessions. The significance of this study lies in its focus on the core ideas of the revised 2022 curriculum, thereby offering directions for the development of global citizenship education within the curriculum.

Friendship dimensions in diverse Greek primary education classrooms: Roma students and their non-Roma peers

ABSTRACT For children, friends play an important role in their socio-emotional development and psychological well-being. Friendships may hold additional value for students who come from minoritized backgrounds. This study aimed to examine representations and themes of friendship in diverse Greek classrooms in which Roma and non-Roma elementary-age students interact daily as an attempt to examine how dyadic relationships may help minoritized students better cope and overcome barriers and adversity. For this qualitative survey, Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the answers of a sample of 57 upper elementary students, 25 Roma, and 32 non-Roma counterparts, that came from similar low socioeconomic status backgrounds, had a permanent residence, systematically attended school, and according to their school grades and teacher, information demonstrated low language achievement. Identified themes revealed that students across groups reported similar information. Children highlighted the perceived similarity between their closest friend and themselves in terms of physical and personality characteristics, emphasised their shared lived experiences expanding through space and time while reflecting the stability and richness, and brought forth aspects of high-quality friendships, such as intimacy and support. The significance and implications for researchers and practitioners of this study are presented.

The Dynamic Relationship Between Students’ Talk About Their Learning and Teachers’ Reading Instruction

Historically, in educational research, student learning is frequently represented as quantitative data that demonstrates academic achievement. However, examining student learning by quantitative measures alone means that we do not fully understand the dynamic relationship between the instructional practices of teachers and how students learn. In this study, grounded theory methods were used to explore the relationship between the learning experiences of upper elementary students with specific learning disabilities and their special education teachers’ reading practices. We found a relationship between the way teachers structured interactions within their word study instruction and how students perceived themselves as “readers” as evidenced by their talk. This study demonstrates the potential for teacher educators and researchers to use how students talk of their learning experiences and interactions during instruction, along with performance-based data, as a tool for understanding how teacher instruction affects student learning.

초등고학년 창의ㆍ정서 통합프로그램 효과성 연구

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the creativity and emotion integration program for upper elementary school students is effective in improving the creativity and emotional abilities of elementary school students. The subjects of the study were a total of 63 upper-grade students from elementary schools in the metropolitan area, and 10 classes were conducted for 33 students in the experimental group. The effectiveness of the program was confirmed using Creativity Standardization Test (Lee, 2014) and Emotional Intelligence Test(Moon, 2001). The collected data was used to check the homogeneity of the two groups using the t-test in the SPSS 25.0 program, and then the results of the post-test were compared. The research results are as follows. First, the creativity-emotion integration program for upper grades of elementary school was effective in improving students' creative abilities among integrated creativity. Second, there was no statistically significant difference in the emotional intelligence scores of upper elementary school students. Accordingly, implications for improving the creative abilities and emotional intelligence of elementary school students using this program were discussed.

Supporting Upper Elementary Students in Learning AI Concepts with Story-Driven Game-Based Learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly finding broad application in every sector of society. This rapid expansion of AI has increased the need to cultivate an AI-literate workforce, and it calls for introducing AI education into K-12 classrooms to foster students’ awareness and interest in AI. With rich narratives and opportunities for situated problem solving, story-driven game-based learning offers a promising approach for creating engaging and effective K-12 AI learning experiences. In this paper, we present our ongoing work to iteratively design, develop, and evaluate a story-driven game-based learning environment focused on AI education for upper elementary students (ages 8 to 11). The game features a science inquiry problem centering on an endangered species and incorporates a Use-Modify-Create scaffolding framework to promote student learning. We present findings from an analysis of data collected from 16 students playing the game's quest focused on AI planning. Results suggest that the scaffolding framework provided students with the knowledge they needed to advance through the quest and that overall, students experienced positive learning outcomes.

The Relationship between Peer Support and Feedback Attitude in Peer Feedback among Upper Elementary Students: The Mediating Effect of Teacher-student Relationship

The Relationship between Peer Support and Feedback Attitude in Peer Feedback among Upper Elementary Students: The Mediating Effect of Teacher-student Relationship

The Effect of Socially Prescribed Perfectionism in Upper Elementary School Students on Their Interpersonal Anxiety: The Sequential Mediating Effect of Dichotomous Thinking and Rejection Sensitivity

This study examined the effects of perceived discrimination on multicultural adolescents regarding feelings of This study examined the direct effect of socially prescribed perfectionism on interpersonal anxiety in upper elementary school students and the sequential mediating effect of dichotomous thinking and rejection sensitivity on this relationship. The sample comprised 306 upper elementary school students (grades 4 to 6; 149 boys, 48.7%) in Seoul, Incheon, and Busan. The Data were collected through an online self-report questionnaire completed by the participants and analyzed using SPSS version 27.0 and MPlus version 8.7 software. The analyses revealed three key findings. First the direct effect of socially prescribed perfectionism on interpersonal anxiety was not statistically significant. Second dichotomous thinking mediated the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and interpersonal anxiety, whereas rejection sensitivity did not. Finally, socially prescribed perfectionism influenced interpersonal anxiety through the sequential mediation of dichotomous thinking and rejection sensitivity. In conclusion, although socially prescribed perfectionism does not directly influence interpersonal anxiety, children may experience interpersonal anxiety in situations involving dichotomous thinking due to socially prescribed perfectionism, leading to rejection sensitivity. These findings suggest that interventions for interpersonal anxiety in upper elementary school students should focus on psychological problems attributed to socially prescribed perfectionism.

Self-regulated learning: Validating a task-specific questionnaire for children in elementary school

This paper describes the development and initial validation of the Cognition and Emotion/Motivation Regulation (CEMOR) questionnaire, a task-specific questionnaire for upper elementary school students that measures self-regulated learning (SRL). Using a multistep procedure, 22 items were developed, divided over five theory-informed dimensions (Planning, Monitoring, Cognition Control, Emotion/Motivation Control, and Reflecting). The CEMOR was applied in a math context. Children from grades 3–6 (N = 547, 54.7 % females) completed the CEMOR. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the five proposed scales have adequate to good model fit, with factor loadings ranging from .54 to .83, and acceptable to good composite reliability (ρ range = .75–.85). To find further validity support, the SRL scales were correlated with students’ performance on a math task, experienced emotions, and level of motivation during the task. Most correlations were statistically significant and in the expected direction. Hence, the CEMOR questionnaire shows promise as a new SRL instrument for elementary education.

Resilient Warriors: A Mixed Methods Investigation of an Expressive Arts-Based Resiliency Small Group Intervention With Rural Children

Upper elementary students in a Title I rural school participated in an expressive arts-based resiliency small-group intervention entitled Resilient Warriors (RWs). This mixed-methods study revealed positive changes in participating students based on teacher ratings on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. We also found four qualitative themes that emerged from student group interviews: (a) learning resiliency strategies and skills, (b) growth, (c) enjoyment and fun, and (d) future recommendations. We discuss the study implications, limitations, and future recommendations.