Learning Of Young People Research Articles

‘It hooks them in, it’s straight in there’: leveraging game culture for learning in the Key Stage 2 science curriculum

ABSTRACT Engagement with game culture is an important component of young peoples’ lives yet little is known about the potential of drawing on this culture in the primary classroom science curriculum to improve engagement across diverse socio-economic cohorts. Therefore, the aim of the study was to understand the engagement potential of the distinct pedagogy of Checkpoint Magazine’s prepared lesson materials for Key Stage 2 Science, and to evaluate feedback on any perceived enhanced classroom learning that takes place. Using mixed methods, five teachers from four schools delivered a Key Stage 2 science lesson on classification. The teachers were interviewed, and we gathered questionnaire data from most of the children who participated in the lesson in each school. The findings were positive with both teachers and children reporting increased enjoyment and engagement with the learning process. The outcomes of this project have the potential to deliver more inclusive learning for young people.

Young People Learning About Algorithms: Five Profiles Spanning From Ineptitude to Enchantment

This article focuses on young people’s understanding of algorithms and their learning methods. While many younger individuals are deeply familiar with digital media, it is erroneous to assume that this familiarity is equivalent to operational or critical knowledge. Given that algorithm awareness has only recently become a topic of debate, daily life practices and knowledge processes need further study, particularly through the lens of audiences. The analysis is based on 42 interviews carried out as part of a project on young people, news, and digital citizenship in Portugal. From the analysis, we came up with five profiles that include different ways of understanding and learning about algorithms: ethereal, ambivalent, unfamiliar, negative, and positive perspectives. Preliminary findings reveal strategies youth employ to bypass the influence of algorithms, with a dominant perspective of learning through the proximity contexts: alone, with social media (TikTok and Instagram), with peers/family, and few cases mentioning school, that surprisingly, is almost absent as a learning atmosphere. Given the newness of the collective awareness of the power of algorithms, the presented scenario claims that we need for a more structural and institutional learning context and response, which could help prevent recurring scenarios akin to digital “bowling alone.”

Effectiveness of educational interventions: An ecological systems analysis of initiatives from the UK opportunity areas programme

AbstractGovernment interventions to address inequalities in education are common in the United Kingdom and internationally. Whilst there is a tendency for policy discourse to focus on benchmarks and indicators as measures of educational success, the inclusiveness and effectiveness of government interventions in education has been questioned. This paper uses the ecological systems perspective as a way of analysing how government interventions may, or may not, lead to real impact on young people's educational outcomes. Two case studies are presented on projects funded as part of the opportunity areas (OA) programme in England to tackle barriers to learning for young people: Ipswich ‘Learning Behaviour Leads’ and Norwich ‘Engagement Coaches’. The research team carried out an evaluation of these projects in seven schools, using a mixed methods approach which involved interviews and reflective journals by the staff delivering the projects (n = 7), interviews with members of the school senior leadership teams (n = 7), an online survey with teachers (n = 23) and focus groups with young people involved in the projects (n = 14). The evaluation found that although there was shared understanding of the purpose and priorities of the OA programme between the macro and exosystems, there were tensions between these and the microsystem, and a lack of interconnection with the mesosystem. Whilst the projects benefited the young people involved, they fell short of the initial intentions to foster engagement amongst the most at‐risk groups, and failed to address the macro aims of fostering a pan‐system response.

Preparing conservatoire students for the music education workforce: conversations with alumni

Abstract Higher music education institutions should continually review their curricula to ensure that their graduates are best equipped to support musical learning for children and young people. Perspectives on early careers in instrumental teaching were obtained via an alumni-led workshop and focus group at a UK conservatoire. Findings revealed that whilst extensive pedagogical training was offered, its value was not fully acknowledged across the institution and that more could be done to alleviate students’ anxieties about their developing musician identities and future stability. As new teachers, alumni are well placed to help prepare students for the professional realities of joining the music education workforce.

Leveraging Physical Activities to Support Learning for Young People via Technologies: An Examination of Educational Practices Across the Field

Many technological interventions have leveraged physical activity (PA, i.e., activities that involve whole-body movements) to provide young people with active and productive learning experiences. However, there is a lack of systematic understanding of how PA can serve as a learning medium—for example, how PA can support learning and how to design technologies to support PA-based learning. This paper conducts a systematic literature review (N = 141) of PA-based, technology-mediated learning experiences for young people with a focus on how PA supports learning, what technologies are involved, and the associated challenges. Through content analysis, we identified four approaches of how PA and learning were combined (i.e., PA embodied learning content, served as a functional input method for learning tasks, guided learners through different learning sites, and generated data for learning activities) and supporting technologies like full-body interaction learning environments and mobile apps. However, many challenges might arise, such as balancing learning and PA, as well as the scalability and reliability of technologies. We conclude with a discussion and reflection on design implications for more PA-based learning experiences and technologies. Overall, this paper provides a systematic overview of the different ways to design physically active learning experiences for young people and can serve as a reference for future designs of physically active learning experiences and technologies.

How is theory used to understand and inform practice in the alternative provision sector in England: trends, gaps and implications for practice

ABSTRACT This article examines how theory features in the research literatures concerning the English alternative (education) provision (AP) sector. Despite increasing interest over the past decade in how AP can (re)engage school-aged young people in learning, there has been no comprehensive review of the theoretical ideas used to understand, analyse, and inform practice in the sector. This article presents a framework for categorising the literature on AP, which refer to theory. This framework is of international relevance and can be used by researchers who are seeking to understand the state-of-knowledge on AP in their own contexts. Applied to the English context, this framework demonstrates trends and gaps in the ways theory is used to frame and understand the sector by researchers and practitioners. The framework highlights a shortage of published research which seeks to understand how practitioners in English APs understand, and use, theoretical ideas, concepts, and frameworks to inform their work with young people. We also find that theories drawn from psychological and therapeutic orientations are more common than those drawing on socio-political framings. We reflect on the causes and implications of these trends and gaps and conclude with suggestions for future research to better understand them.

A logic of care in / of / for voice: tuning-in, enacting and assembling in student voice practices and education

ABSTRACT The present moment is beset by many complex challenges. Young people face living with the consequences of decisions being made largely without their consent or involvement. Centering youth voices may be part of the solution. But we need to go beyond liberal, individualist and rights-based models that pay insufficient attention to the enabling conditions of meaningful voice, to temporalities, or to schooling as institution and process. Seeking alternative conceptualizations of voice, this paper draws on Annemarie Mol’s work on the ‘logic of care’ in relation to health services. She describes this as a ceaseless, ongoing, mutual process of attunement to the unpredictable nature of human existence, implicating a range of actors, technologies, resources, materials, meanings, and affects. This description better captures aspects of good – responsive – educational practice. It also resonates with recent feminist scholarship on the posthuman, new materialist and affective dimensions of everyday life and education. This can support innovative work related to youth voice, as exemplified by a research project aiming to ‘attune, animate and amplify’ what matters to young people in learning about sexuality. Such reconceptualizations may help us meet the challenges we face, not only in schools but those of life on a finite planet.

Changes in responses of the amygdala and hippocampus during fear conditioning are associated with persecutory beliefs

The persecutory delusion is the most common symptom of psychosis, yet its underlying neurobiological mechanisms are poorly understood. Prior studies have suggested that abnormalities in medial temporal lobe-dependent associative learning may contribute to this symptom. In the current study, this hypothesis was tested in a non-clinical sample of young adults without histories of psychiatric treatment (n = 64), who underwent classical Pavlovian fear conditioning while fMRI data were collected. During the fear conditioning procedure, participants viewed images of faces which were paired (the CS+) or not paired (the CS−) with an aversive stimulus (a mild electrical shock). Fear conditioning-related neural responses were measured in two medial temporal lobe regions, the amygdala and hippocampus, and in other closely connected brain regions of the salience and default networks. The participants without persecutory beliefs (n = 43) showed greater responses to the CS− compared to the CS+ in the right amygdala and hippocampus, while the participants with persecutory beliefs (n = 21) failed to exhibit this response. These between-group differences were not accounted for by symptoms of depression, anxiety or a psychosis risk syndrome. However, the severity of subclinical psychotic symptoms overall was correlated with the level of this aberrant response in the amygdala (p = .013) and hippocampus (p = .033). Thus, these findings provide evidence for a disruption of medial temporal lobe-dependent associative learning in young people with subclinical psychotic symptoms, specifically persecutory thinking.

Development of an instrument to measure NEET-youth self-directed learning skills

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid self-report instrument to measure self-directedness in learning for young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET-youth). Accomplishing this purpose involved two stages: (a) formulating scale items that describe the factors of self-directed learning (SDL), and (b) validating the factor structure of the questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis produced a six-factor structure of openness to experiences, resilience, attitudes, future orientation, metacognition, and responsibility. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed a satisfactory model fit and factor loadings. The reliability and convergent validity of the instrument were assessed and the results of the six factors were described and compared across different samples. The resultant 34-item SDL Scale for NEET-youth (SDL-NEET) is a highly reliable (α = 0.927) instrument for using with students and NEET-youth.

Mapping Informal Learning for Displaced Learners during the War on Gaza 2023- Application of Situated Cognition

War on Gaza since October 2023, presented a dire picture of the displaced children's situation, marked by psychological stress, health risks, educational disruption, and a profound impact on their physical, emotional, and cognitive development.This paper explores the criticality of sustaining learning and development for Gazan young people, particularly those displaced, amidst challenging environments such as war zones. And the primary aim of this study is to propose a construct to help develop and initial informal learning to help displaced not to miss learning opportunities.The researchers have taken into consideration the scenario of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the Israeli occupation's increasing atrocities without seeing clear intentions for ceasefire. Then, the researchers propose a framework for informal learning that adapts to the realities of displacement and war, grounded in the concept of situated cognition. The constructs prioritize hands-on experiences and skills relevant to the displaced students' immediate context. It suggests a shift towards informal learning methods that foster cognitive reserve, resilience, and adaptability in children, utilizing play, storytelling, exploration, and cultural activities.The paper concludes by discussing the vital role of informal learning in maintaining the continuity of education for displaced children in Gaza. It argues for immediate educational interventions alongside long-term strategies for rebuilding the educational system, tailored to the complex needs of students in the recovery and healing phases. The study recognizes its limitations in addressing the potential of technology in informal learning, given the severe constraints of the situation in Gaza.

Interest-Oriented Dance Education: Goals and Implementation Pathways

With the increasing emphasis on quality education in China, learning dance has become an essential way for more and more young people to improve their quality of life. However, the traditional approach of specialized teaching of dance skills dominates the teaching practice of dance teachers. The theory of multiple intelligences should guide popular dance education to stimulate everyone's interest in dance and provide targeted support and assistance based on the difficulties encountered by students in dance learning. This will minimize the number of students giving up in the middle of their studies and shift the focus of teaching from the development of professional skills to the appreciation and experience of dance. The focus of teaching should shift from "developing professional skills" to "appreciating and experiencing the charm of dance". This article reveals the characteristics and common problems of young people's dance learning, some of the misconceptions that exist in teachers' teaching, and analyzes the target orientation and ways of achieving dance education for the public. This study is of reference value in promoting the healthy development of dance education, based on surveys and interviews with dance education practitioners and students and observation of the teaching process.

Exploring Effective Teaching Strategies Employed by Social Studies Teachers: A Comprehensive Study

Teaching is a profession that plays a vital role in the learning, social, cultural, and economic development of children and young people. It is responsible for instilling fundamental social values, including democracy, equality, tolerance, cultural understanding, and respect for fundamental freedoms. This study aimed to determine the teaching strategies utilized by high school Social Studies teachers in Ozamiz City Division. The researchers used a questionnaire to collect data from twelve (12) Social Studies teachers from four (4) different schools. The findings showed that most teachers employed collaborative strategies encouraging active participation, such as a community-based approach, cooperative learning activity, and inquiry approach. These strategies were employed to make Social Studies more engaging and interesting to students, maximizing their participation and involvement in class. In addition, using these strategies helped eliminate the perception that Social Studies is a boring subject

Mapping Senior Leaders' Perceptions of the Impact of Local and National COVID-19 Closure/Lockdown Policies on Schools and Vulnarable Young People and Those at Risk of Exclusion

Mapping Senior Leaders' Perceptions of the Impact of Local and National COVID-19 Closure/Lockdown Policies on Schools and Vulnarable Young People and Those at Risk of Exclusion

Growing up in Victoria, Australia, in the midst of the climate emergency

Children and young people (henceforth referred to as young people) are one of the groups most affected by climate change and are at the forefront of climate action. Yet, there is scarce evidence on how young people navigate the challenges presented by climate change using their personal strengths and the resources accessible to them. This study aimed to address this gap by drawing on qualitative data from workshops with 31 young people between 12 and 22 years of age from metropolitan Melbourne and a bushfire-risk region in Victoria, Australia. An inductive thematic analysis of workshop transcripts showed that participants had progressively become aware of climate change in an increasingly uncertain world and sought to gain a sense of connection, agency, and hope. Participants aimed to achieve the latter by becoming aware of opportunities for climate actions in everyday life and developing themselves as agents of change. We discussed our findings from a developmental perspective to gain a better understanding of how supporting young people in learning about and acting on climate change can benefit their mental health and sense of agency.

Neuropedagogical Features of Communication in the Process of Online Education

The article reveals the features of communicative interaction with students in conditions of quarantine restrictions and martial law. The aim of the study is to analyze the psychological issues of the organization of distance learning of adolescents and young people and determine, based on this, the main directions and technologies of pedagogical communicative interaction. The objectives of the study included the following features of the work: 1) determining the theoretical and methodological foundations of distance learning; 2) analysis of the main issues and psychological features of pedagogical-student communication in terms of distance learning; 3) elucidation of psychological and pedagogical ways and technologies of pedagogical interaction in the period of quarantine restrictions. The article presents the peculiarities of the educational process during the quarantine period as an aspect of neuropedagogy, defines the peculiarities of communication with children when using information and communication technologies. To study the processes of further immersion in the essence of brain behavior in the digital stream, the formation of new neuropedagogical knowledge is necessary to understand how to make learning and, more broadly, socialization a pedagogically controlled process in this new environment.

Youth participatory action research: Integrating science learning and civic engagement

Strengthening young people's scientific literacy and civic engagement are important educational goals for Cooperative Extension. We implemented youth participatory action research (YPAR) projects over three years at five schools. The YPAR approach integrates science learning and civic engagement by empowering youth, with the help of adult facilitators, to decide upon a community issue to research, design and implement their research, and then plan a service project based on research findings to address the issue. We explored young people's and educators' perspectives on which project elements influenced youth participation, examined opportunities for youth science and civic-related learning, and asked educators to reflect on their own learning and development. Using data generated from youth focus groups and educator interviews, we found that YPAR grounds science learning in young people's lived experience. It also provides a meaningful approach to science learning through raising young people's critical consciousness of community issues. YPAR may be used in other extension programs to increase motivation for deeper and sustained participation in learning experiences.

청소년의 시민의식 개인별 변화궤적에 관한 잠재계층 분류 및 영향 요인

Objectives The purposes of this study were to explore the trajectory of changes over time in the level of civic consciousness of Korean youth and to analyze the factors affecting the formation of civic consciousness. 
 Methods To do this, Descriptive statistics, potential growth model analysis, and multinomial logistic regression analysis were conducted based on data collected from 2,727 first-year middle school students for 4 years in 2017 among the Daegu Education Longitudinal Study data. In order to identify how the level of civic consciousness of Korean adolescence follows the trajectory, this study uses a latent growth model and the sturcutural equation of Mplus 8 to explore each individual’s trajectory. The growth mixing model can group students according to the different trajectory, and it suggests the influencing factors by classified latent groups. 
 Results As results, first, the individual change trajectory of middle school students' civic consciousness changes by time point, and the difference in the change between individuals was found to be significant. Second, middle school students' civic consciousness change trajectories could be classified into high-level gradual growth, middle-level maintenance, and low-level maintenance. It appeared the high-level gradual growth class showed significant growth each year, while the other two classes showed insignificant rate of change over time. Third, the higher the career maturity, morality, and more active attitude, the higher the possibility of being included in the high-level gradual growth class.
 Conclusions This shows that it is possible to help build a sense of civic consciousness through institutional support that can create an environment that respects young people's learning attitude, career search for the future, compliance with rules, and conscience, and that can improve such environment.

Examining the attitudes towards further education of students in the bachelor training programmes of higher education

PurposeBased on empirical data, this study investigates the intention of BA/BSc students in higher education to either pursue their studies or start working.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyses how students' attitudes towards higher education and studying (quality of undergraduate education and performance in higher education), as well as the intention to meet labour market needs, influence the decision of pursuing studies in a Master's programme.FindingsThe main reason why respondents do not intend to pursue their studies is not because they do not want to work. It is primarily the acquisition of knowledge and the motivation to learn that encourages students to stay in higher education. Moreover, individual performance in Bachelor programmes has no influence on the decision made by students to study or work after graduation.Research limitations/implicationsAs for the limitations of the study, the authors have to mention that although the survey is based on data from a single country, the similarity of the international and Hungarian previous research results suggests that similar results would have been obtained in an international sample. Furthermore, the impact of the current ongoing epidemic on the further learning of young people in tertiary education at primary level could not be investigated by the authors.Practical implicationsThe bivariate logistic regression results show that the correlation between secure job placement in a field of study and the quality of education is not significant. Furthermore, students are primarily motivated by the desire to learn and acquire knowledge. The reasons can therefore be explored based on the analysis of more detailed data, which could be the subject of a subsequent study.Originality/valueThe authors conducted their research in Hungarian higher education at seven universities between 2019 and 2020 to determine the influencing factors of career choice decisions, the degree of students' satisfaction with their selected course, their attitude towards higher education and learning, their job opportunities after graduation and the extent to which their decision is made according to their labour market orientation. Although the study relies on data from a single nation, the similarity between the findings of previous international (Hovdhaugen and Ulriksen, 2021; Sikyr et al., 2019); and Hungarian (Berezvai, 2022; Kiss and Varga, 2022) research suggests that an international sample would have produced similar results.

Football supporterism in Tunisia: facilitating participatory democracy through citizen education

ABSTRACT After the Arab Spring (early 2010's), the relationship between football supporterism and politics has been the subject of much debate. We attempted to describe, understand, and explain the modes of interaction between supporterism in post-revolution Tunisia, the ultras supporters’ (i) involvement in their club’_ affairs, and (ii) participation in the political life of the country. The case studied is that of ultras supporters of the Tunisian football team ”Club Africain” (CA). We opted for a constructivist-grounded methodology, using semi-structured interviews with 10 CA fans and 10 fans of the rival team from the same city (Tunis), Espérance Sportive de Tunis (EST), who represented the control group. A conceptual diagram was constructed to visualize the relationships between the items collected and the emerging theoretical dimensions. The results indicate an inclusive and autonomous commitment based on universal values. This persuasion experiment revealed a dynamic and creative model that led to positive changes in attitudes within the club and in the country's political life. During the club's crisis, this mobilisation led to the development of solidarity, mutual aid, and meaningful actions. As a result, it encouraged real involvement in the country's political events. The research model constructed visualizes a voluntary and autonomous educational process involving political participation that helps to regulate the country's democratic process. The study proposed pro-social alternatives, highlighting young people's spontaneous learning to participate in a dynamic and reflective political process. The results of the study should be verified with other types of supporters and in other Arab Spring countries.

The Influence of Healthy Lifestyle Technologies on Young People’s Physical Activity Participation and Health Learning: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT Healthy lifestyle technologies (HLT) have gained popularity in young people’s daily lives, but the long-term effect of these technologies on their physical activity (PA) participation and health learning is unclear. This systematic review (a) explores the effect of HLT use on the PA participation and health learning of young people (aged 13–18), and (b) determines whether the effects were long-term and/or sustainable. Literature searches were conducted in five databases to identify studies published in academic journals in English between 2011 to 2022 which explored young people’s use of HLT to support their PA participation and health learning. Twenty-six studies were identified. The reported impact of these technologies focused on three dimensions: behavior change, psychological responses, and facilitators and barriers to HLT use. This review concluded that HLT can have positive short-term effects on young people’s PA participation and health learning, but the long term or sustainable influence remains inconclusive.