Search Results (454)

Childhood obesity increases chronic disease risk, but no comprehensive synthesis has evaluated the impact of school-based combined nutrition education and physical activity interventions on cardiometabolic biomarkers in children aged 3 to 12 years. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251085194). Five databases were systematically searched through June 2025. Twelve randomized controlled trials involving 18,231 children were included and assessed using the PEDro scale. Ten trials demonstrated significant improvements in at least one cardiometabolic biomarker. Blood pressure (8 studies) outcomes showed systolic reductions of 1.41–6.0 mmHg in six studies. Glucose metabolism (5 studies) improved in two studies with reductions of 0.20–0.22 mmol/L. Lipid profiles (7 studies) improved in three studies, including total cholesterol (−0.32 mmol/L). Insulin levels (5 studies) decreased significantly in two investigations. Anthropometric improvements included BMI and body fat. Physical activity increased by >45 min/week and dietary habits improved significantly. Programs with daily implementation (90-min sessions 4x/week), longer duration (≥12 months), family involvement (parent education), and curriculum integration (classroom lessons) showed superior effectiveness. Interventions targeting children with overweight/obesity demonstrated higher changes compared to the general population. However, methodological limitations included a lack of assessor blinding, absence of subject/therapist blinding, and inadequate retention rates. School-based interventions combining nutrition and physical activity can produce significant improvements in cardiometabolic biomarkers, supporting comprehensive, sustained multicomponent programs for early chronic disease prevention. Full article

Background/Objectives. Social and Emotional Education (SEE) interventions during early childhood have shown considerable promise in enhancing children’s emotion understanding, social competence, and behavioural adjustments. However, few studies have examined their long-term impact, especially across the preschool-to-primary school transition. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a manualized SEE program, Timmy’s Trip to Planet Earth, in promoting emotional, behavioural, and social functioning over time. Methods. A quasi-experimental longitudinal design was adopted with pre- and post-test assessments conducted approximately 18 months apart. Participants were 89 typically developing children (aged 59–71 months), assigned to an experimental group (n = 45) or a waiting-list group (n = 44). The program combined teacher training, classroom-based lessons, home activities, and teachers’ ongoing implementation support. The effectiveness of the program was measured via the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE-30). Results. Significant Time × Group interactions were observed for the TEC External and Mental components, indicating greater improvements in emotion recognition and mental state understanding in the intervention group. The SDQ revealed significant reductions in conduct problems and increased prosocial behaviours. In the SCBE-30, a significant interaction effect was found for social competence, with the intervention group showing greater improvement over time compared to the control group. Conclusions. The findings suggest that SEE programs can produce meaningful and lasting improvements in children’s emotional and social skills across key educational transitions. Teacher training and family involvement likely played a critical role in supporting the program’s sustained impact. Full article

Inclusive education emphasizes the right of all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to access equitable learning opportunities in mainstream classrooms. This study presents the implementation and evaluation of a school-based intervention within the BATTIE (Bottleneck Analysis and Teacher Trainings for Inclusive Education) project in Greece, aiming to enhance inclusion through differentiated instruction (DI) and a whole school approach. The intervention was conducted across 26 schools and involved 116 educators and 130 students with SEND. A qualitative methodology was employed, utilizing structured classroom observations, field notes, and semi-structured interviews with teachers. The data were thematically analyzed using NVivo 11. Findings indicated notable improvements in student engagement, academic participation, and classroom collaboration, especially among students with SEND. Teachers reported enhanced professional confidence, better understanding of inclusive strategies, and improved collaboration with special education staff. However, limitations in interdisciplinary cooperation—particularly with school psychologists—were identified. This study concludes that sustained professional development, school-wide collaboration, and differentiated instruction are essential for fostering inclusive practices. It underscores the potential of structured, whole school interventions to improve learning environments for diverse student populations and provides insights for educational policy and practice reform. Full article

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), launched by the United Nations in 2015, outline 17 interconnected objectives designed to promote human well-being and sustainable development worldwide. Education is recognized by the United Nations as a key factor in promoting sustainable development. To cultivate students with both global perspectives and local engagement, it is essential to integrate sustainability education into elementary curricula. Accordingly, this study aimed to enhance elementary school students’ understanding of the SDGs by designing a structured instructional activity and developing a hybrid digital-physical board game. The game was implemented as a supplementary review tool to traditional classroom teaching, leveraging the motivational and knowledge-retention benefits of physical board games while incorporating digital features to support learning process monitoring. To address the limitations of conventional review approaches—such as reduced student engagement and increased cognitive load—the instructional model incorporated the board game during review sessions following formal instruction. This was intended to maintain student attention and reduce unnecessary cognitive effort, thereby supporting learning in sustainability-related content. A quasi-experimental design was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the instructional intervention and the board game system, focusing on three outcome variables: learning motivation, cognitive load, and learning achievement. The results indicated that students in the game-based Sustainable Development Goals group achieved significantly higher delayed posttest scores (M = 72.91, SD = 15.17) than the traditional review group (M = 61.30, SD = 22.82; p < 0.05). In addition, they reported significantly higher learning motivation (M = 4.40, SD = 0.64) compared to the traditional group (M = 3.99, SD = 0.69; p < 0.05) and lower cognitive load (M = 1.84, SD = 1.39) compared to the traditional group (M = 2.66, SD = 1.30; p < 0.05), suggesting that the proposed approach effectively supported student learning in sustainability education at the elementary level. Full article

The use of augmented reality (AR) tools and innovative learning environments in education have increased over the last few years due to the rapid advancement of technology. In this study, an AR mathematics learning intervention has been proposed which consisted of the creation of 3D multibase blocks to perform AR arithmetic calculations conducted through active methodologies in the future classroom lab (FCL). The aim of this study was to analyze pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) affective domain (emotion, self-efficacy, and attitude), engagement, motivation, and confidence. The sample consisted of 97 PSTs enrolled on the second year of the Primary Education degree, who were attending the “Mathematics and its Didactics” subject. The findings revealed a significant increase in PSTs’ satisfaction, fun, confidence, and pride, and a decrease in uncertainty, nervousness, and concern. Regarding PSTs’ self-efficacy, a significant improvement was observed in knowing the necessary steps to teach mathematical concepts and work in the FCL. No significant differences were found in attitude, engagement, and motivation; however, the PSTs showed a high disposition in all of them before starting the intervention. Additionally, the PSTs reported to be more confident, and it enhanced their knowledge in the use of 3D design and AR applications to create multibase blocks to support the teaching–learning content of arithmetic operations. Full article

This study assessed the baseline indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of secondary school classrooms in Tanzania by measuring temperature, relative humidity, noise, lighting, and indoor air quality. Objective measurements were conducted using calibrated sensors in 14 classrooms across five schools, with data collected during occupied school hours and additional noise measurements during unoccupied periods. All classrooms are naturally ventilated through operable windows and doors. The findings reveal a pattern of cumulative IEQ deficiencies: classroom temperatures frequently exceeded the recommended 20–24 °C range, reaching means as high as 30.4 °C, while relative humidity varied widely, with levels occasionally surpassing 65%. Noise levels consistently exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO)’s recommended 35 dBA threshold, with significant differences observed between occupied and unoccupied periods (p = 0.02). Light distribution was uneven, with significantly higher lux levels near windows than at classroom centers (p < 0.001), and artificial lighting was generally insufficient due to infrastructure limitations. Although CO₂ concentrations remained below the 1000 ppm threshold, indicating adequate ventilation, particulate matter levels were often elevated, with PM2.5 reaching up to 58.80 µg/m³ and PM10 up to 96.90 µg/m³, exceeding health-based guidelines. Together, these findings suggest that students are exposed to multiple environmental stressors that may impair health, comfort, and academic performance. This study provides a critical baseline for future research and context-specific interventions aimed at improving learning environments in Tanzanian schools and similar settings in East Africa. Full article

(1) Background: Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) engage in significantly less physical activity than their peers. While ample research has shown the beneficial effect of physical activity on ADHD management, we have little to no knowledge of how children with ADHD experience physical activity, which may ultimately undermine the utility of prescribed physical activity programming. This study compared experiences and perspectives of physical activity in school and non-school settings, between children with and without ADHD. (2) Methods: In this study, 23 children with ADHD and 24 children without ADHD participated in semi-structured interviews, sharing their views on physical activity in school and non-school settings. (3) Results: Inductive content analysis revealed that, compared to children without ADHD, children with ADHD reported lower physical activity levels, more often emphasized the benefits of movement for improving mood and focus during learning, viewed classroom-based desk cycling as a helpful tool to focus their attention, and expressed a desire to use desk cycling during classroom learning. (4) Conclusions: This study emphasizes key differences in the physical activity experiences and preferences between children with and without ADHD; it also offers insight into how classroom learning may be enhanced by offering optional physical activity outlets for children who identify as benefiting from movement during learning. Full article

The mental health of prekindergarten (PK)-12th grade students is of extreme importance. Therapy dogs are a unique intervention to address mental health needs in educational frameworks. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the components of a PK-12 district-wide therapy dog program and the implications for the mental health and well-being of students, faculty, and staff. This research used qualitative methods for semi-structured interviews with therapy dog handlers, observations including photographs, and researcher field notes of therapy dogs and handlers in their education environment. Thematic analysis of transcripts from semi-structured interviews was used for qualitative analysis. The results indicated that the strategic implementation of a district-wide therapy program supported a sustainable program that is integrated into the educational ecosystem. The participants perceived that the therapy dogs impacted mental health in the domains of social, emotional, and behavioral support. A district-wide systematic approach to addressing mental health and well-being needs of students, faculty, and staff with therapy dogs’ hinges on a comprehensive training and evaluation process, district-level support, and consistent implementation across educational settings. Therapy dogs can be embedded within educational structures to create a multilevel impact from the classroom to school to district level for a sustainable program. Therapy dogs positively contribute to the mental health and well-being of students, faculty, and staff in PK-12 education settings. Full article

As mental health disorders in the U.S. increase at an alarming rate, schools are looking for prevention and mitigation interventions for their students. This study reports teachers’ perspectives on the effectiveness of a school program situated at the intersection of self-care and nature-based interventions at a vocational technical high school. Eight classes received between one and four “Intro to Well-Being” sessions, designed to take students outside and develop self-awareness, sense of connection, and reduce stress. Upon the conclusion of the program, classroom teachers were interviewed to identify the perceptions of the sessions and their impact on student and classroom outcomes. Teachers described the sessions as beneficial to students’ expression of emotions, mindfulness skills, personal/social connections, and classroom atmosphere. Teachers also reflected on challenges and provided recommendations for future implementation. Outdoor-based self-care programs, administered at schools, may be a promising program model to support the social and emotional health of students. Full article

The growing prevalence of AI chatbots in everyday life has prompted educators to explore their potential applications in promoting student success, including support for classroom engagement and communication. This exploratory study emerged from semester-long observations of class participation apprehensions in an introductory educational psychology course, examining how chatbots might scaffold students toward active and independent classroom contribution. Four students experiencing situational participation anxiety voluntarily participated in a pilot intervention using AI chatbots as virtual peer partners. Following comprehensive training in AI use and prompt design given to the entire class, participants employed systematic consultation frameworks for managing classroom discourse trepidations. Data collection involved regular instructor meetings documenting student experiences, challenges, and developmental trajectories through qualitative analysis emphasizing contextual interpretation. While students reported general satisfaction with chatbot integration, implementation revealed three critical complexities: temporal misalignment between AI consultation and real-time discussion dynamics; feedback inflation creating disconnects between AI reassurance and classroom reception; and unintended progression from supportive scaffolding toward technological dependency. Individual outcomes varied, with some students developing independence while others increased reliance on external validation. AI-assisted participation interventions demonstrate both promise and limitations, requiring careful consideration of classroom dynamics. Effective implementation necessitates rehearsal-based rather than validation-focused applications, emphasizing human mentorship and community-centered approaches that preserve educational autonomy while leveraging technological scaffolding strategically. Full article

There is a growing body of literature that focuses on the applicability of artificial intelligence (AI) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English Language (EL) classrooms; however, educational application of AI in the EFL and EL classroom for gifted students presents a new paradigm. This paper explores the existing research to highlight current practices and future possibilities of AI for teaching EFL and EL to address gifted students’ special needs. In general, the uses of AI are being established for class instruction and intervention; nevertheless, there is still uncertainty about practitioner use of AI with gifted students in EFL and EL classrooms. This review identifies 42 examples of GenAI Models that can be used in gifted EFL and EL classrooms. In addition, the research conducted thus far has highlighted the positive contribution of the use of AI in EFL and EL environments, albeit some disadvantages and challenges have also been identified. The results also endorse the use of AI with gifted students as an asset and highlight the need for AI literacy for both teachers and gifted students in order to adapt to this new educational paradigm. In conclusion, more studies are needed, as many aspects regarding both teachers’ and gifted students’ use of AI remain to be elucidated to improve future applications of AI to teach EFL and EL to gifted students. Full article

In this paper we describe the processes and challenges involved in the design, implementation, and assessment of a small-scale intervention in four primary schools in Ghana’s Central Region that aimed to enhance learners’ mother tongue and bilingual literacy practices whilst at the same time strengthening their sense of cultural identity. Within the framework of Educational Design Research (EDR), this paper describes the steps that were involved in the development process, from context analysis to the design of a locally developed Fante–English bilingual storybook, as well as the formative evaluation of this prototype. This paper shows how to translate contextual findings into a final product, while sharing with the reader important findings for each phase in the process. Formative evaluation in the form of a teacher workshop, surveys, and classroom observations was used. Results showed that, in the opinion of teachers, Fante–English bilingual books can promote learners’ cultural identity, self-awareness, and a sense of prestige when they speak the language. Not only do the books preserve the Fante language and culture, but they show learners that Fante is just as important as English. A second round of formative evaluation showed that additional teacher manual and training could benefit the outcome of the bilingual method. Full article

Despite spending a substantial proportion of their time indoors, the mental health effects of indoor air pollution on children and adolescents remain inadequately explored. This study aimed to elucidate the spatiotemporal variations and sociodemographic inequalities in exposure to multiple indoor pollutants and to assess their potential associations with depressive symptoms among school-aged children in Beijing. Using real-time portable monitors, concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), coarse particulate matter (PM₁₀), carbon dioxide (CO₂), formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), temperature, and humidity in classrooms and bedrooms were measured during both weekdays and weekends. Moreover, substantial spatiotemporal heterogeneity was observed. It was found that concentrations of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and TVOC peaked in classrooms during weekday daytime, while CO₂ levels were highest in bedrooms on weekend nights. Exposure levels were notably higher among children whose mothers had lower educational attainment and those living in recently renovated homes, indicating marked socio-demographic disparities. In multivariable logistic regression models, indoor exposure to CO₂ and TVOC was significantly associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the critical need to improve indoor air quality through enhanced ventilation and the mitigation of emissions from indoor sources, particularly within school and residential settings. The results offer valuable empirical evidence to guide the development of targeted environmental interventions and public health policies designed to support and enhance the psychological well-being of children. Full article

This study explores the development of reflective thinking among Physical Education Teachers (PETs) through a professional development program grounded in Paralympic values and inclusive education. Employing a qualitative action research design, the study involved seven PETs teaching in Greek primary schools. The intervention lasted ten weeks and comprised 20 Physical Education lessons, during which data were collected via semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, and non-participatory observation. The findings indicate a progressive shift in the teachers’ reflective thinking—from Technical Reflection to Practical and Critical Reflection—as defined in van Manen’s theoretical model. Most participants initially demonstrated a practical orientation but gradually developed a critical stance, incorporating values such as fairness, inclusion, and respect for diversity into their pedagogical thinking. Furthermore, the results revealed increased student sensitivity toward inclusive practices and a more democratic classroom climate. These findings suggest that targeted professional development programs can foster deeper reflective engagement and promote inclusive practices within Physical Education. This study highlights the potential of Paralympic values as meaningful educational content and reinforces the role of Physical Education as a catalyst for social inclusion and teacher professional growth. Full article

Background: The development of motor competencies in childhood can enhance the trajectory of physical activity throughout life. However, few studies have examined the effects of physical activity programs on motor competencies in schoolchildren with special educational needs. Aim: Our aim was to analyze the effects of a video-guided active break program on motor competencies in schoolchildren aged 6 to 10 years with special educational needs. Methods: A prespecified subanalysis of a multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted with a sample of 161 schoolchildren (7.8 ± 1.1 years, 32% girls) with special educational needs from five public schools in Chile. Participants were assigned to a control group (CG, n = 85) with no active breaks or an experimental group (EG, n = 76) with active breaks. A 12-week video-guided active break program was implemented in the classroom twice daily, five days per week. The intervention was delivered via a web-based platform. Basic motor competencies were assessed using the MOBAK 1–2 and MOBAK 3–4 tests. Results: A significant time × group interaction was found for object control, F(1154) = 11.365, p < 0.001, η²_p = 0.011; jumping, F(1154) = 11.047, p = 0.001, η²_p = 0.067; and running, F(1154) = 4.881, p = 0.029, η²_p = 0.031. These results indicate that the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in object control, jumping, and running abilities compared to the control group. Conclusions: The active break program significantly improved motor skills in schoolchildren with special educational needs. The program proved to be both feasible and effective in enhancing students’ motor competencies. School-based guided active break programs may play a role in promoting motor competencies among schoolchildren with special educational needs. Clinical Trial ID NCT06423404 Full article