Search Results (34)

Background: Over the last 30 years, stress and anxiety in children have risen exponentially, especially as a result of school expectations. As no studies have examined the effect of increased outdoor recess on children’s chronic stress levels, this preliminary work focused on comparing hair cortisol concentration (HCC) scores of elementary children who received varied amounts of daily recess. Methods: HCC scores were collected from 4th grade elementary children (N = 130) from three intervention schools (45 min daily recess) (N = 64; M = 35; F = 29) and three control schools (30 min daily recess) (N = 66; M = 31; F = 35). Results: A two-way ANOVA, F(1, 123) = 5.47, p = 0.021, ω² = 0.034, showed that the intervention group reflected lower HCC levels (marginal M = 5.69, 95% CI [−1.92, 13.30]) than the control group (marginal M = 18.22, 95% CI [10.83, 25.61]). Post hoc analysis revealed an estimated marginal mean difference of −12.53 (SE = 5.36, p = 0.021). Sample t-tests compared HCC levels against the pre-COVID normative value of 7.5 pg/mg. The intervention group HCC mean (M = 5.85, SD = 6.26) was significantly lower than the normative value, t(61) = −2.08, p = 0.042. The control group’s mean HCC (M = 18.22, SD = 41.39) was significantly higher than the normative value, t(64) = 2.09, p = 0.041. Conclusions: Increasing daily recess may contribute to lower chronic stress levels among 4th grade children. With obesity and mental health disorders on the rise and American students’ academic performance on the decline, these pilot results cannot be overlooked or dismissed. Full article

Background: Educational neuroscience has made important contributions to show how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted schooling. In countries like Brazil, with significant educational inequality, the suspension of in-person classes worsened these disparities, as low-income families faced difficulties accessing remote learning. Methods: This study evaluated executive functions (EF) and academic skills in reading, writing, and maths for 178 public school students from the first to ninth grades in São Paulo, Brazil, comparing them with pre-pandemic norms to assess possible differences. EF were assessed using the Hayling Test, Digit Span Task, and Verbal Fluency, while academic skills were measured by the School Performance Test II. To analyse differences between the sample of this study and the pre-pandemic normative samples, one-sample t-tests were performed. Due to the small sample size, segmented by school grade and age, the bootstrapping resampling method was used, and the effect size was measured with Cohen’s d. Results: A one-sample t-test showed significant differences between times, with lower post-pandemic performance in verbal fluency (9–14 years old), working memory (10–14 years old), and inhibitory control across all age groups. Writing skills were lower from the fifth to eighth grades and reading from the fourth to eight grades. Maths skills were lower in the fourth, eighth, and ninth grades. Better post-pandemic performance was seen in working memory (6 and 7 years old). Conclusions: Students in the upper grades of elementary school during the pandemic were most impacted by the suspension of in-person teaching, highlighting the importance of schooling and the need for recovery efforts at these levels. Full article

Background: Oral health is a key indicator of general health, well-being, and quality of life. Sociodemographic factors can affect children’s oral health status. The aim of this study was to analyze the sociodemographic factors that influence the oral health of schoolchildren in Mallorca. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational epidemiological study in Mallorca, analyzing different indicators of oral health, such as the DMFT/dmft index and the Community Periodontal Index (CPI), and sociodemographic variables among 718 schoolchildren aged 5–6, 12 and 15 years. Results: The DMFT (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Permanent Teeth) caries index was higher in public (Pub) schools than in private/charter (P/C) schools for children in the sixth grade of elementary school (Pub, 0.6918 ± 1.272; P/C, 0.323 ± 0.824; p < 0.05) and in the fourth year of secondary school (Pub, 1.178 ± 1.724; P/C, 0.627 ± 1.195; p < 0.05), as determined using a t-test. First-grade elementary students with more highly educated mothers/guardians had a lower rate of DMFT (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Primary Teeth) caries than those whose mothers obtained only elementary-level education (higher, 0.800 ± 1.616; elementary, 3.333 ± 3.393; p < 0.05). Regarding periodontal health, we observed that sixth-grade elementary schoolchildren with more highly educated mothers/guardians had more healthy sextants (higher, 3.987 ± 1.977; elementary, 1.333 ± 2.461; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The sociodemographic and parental factors analyzed, such as the type of school and parents’ education levels, significantly affected the oral health of the schoolchildren in this study. Full article

The purpose of this study was to explore the development and relationship between mindfulness and executive function (EF) in students in grades 4–5 and investigate mindfulness training’s impact on mindfulness and EF in grade 4 students in rural China. Study 1 measured mindfulness and EF in Chinese students in grades 4–5. Differences in the level of mindfulness among children in grade 4 (n = 159) and grade 5 (n = 187) in rural China were analyzed by multi-factor analysis of variance. Correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between mindfulness and EF in grade 4 (n = 103) and grade 5 (n = 124). Study 2 included 45 4th graders with a general mindfulness level, with 21 children in the experimental group receiving 12 mindfulness training lessons. The mindfulness and EF scores of individuals in the mindfulness and control groups were tested before and after the intervention. Study 1 showed that 4th graders had significantly lower mindfulness scores than 5th graders. EFs in grades 4–5 were significantly correlated with mindfulness. Study 2 revealed that mindfulness training significantly improved the experimental group’s mindfulness and working memory. A non-significant improvement in inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility was observed. There was a significant difference in mindfulness in grades 4 and 5 of Chinese rural upper-grade elementary school. Children who perform well in mindfulness also perform well in EFs. Mindfulness training improved the mindfulness and working memory of 4th graders in rural China with a general mindfulness level. Full article

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health challenges among children and adolescents in South Korea have intensified with rising rates of depression and suicide. Proactive interventions focusing on mental well-being are needed to address this critical issue. This study examines the effectiveness of the Mindfulness-based Social–Emotional Growth (MSEG) program for enhancing the mental health of elementary school students in Korea. This quasi-experimental study evaluated the impact of the MSEG program on students at an elementary school in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A total of 70 students (35 from lower grades [grades 1–3] and 35 from upper grades [grades 4–6]) participated in the 12-week intervention group, while 72 students were in the control group. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured social–emotional, mindfulness, and clinical domains. The findings revealed significant improvements in emotional regulation across all grades. Lower-grade students showed substantially reduced anxiety and depression, while upper-grade students demonstrated enhanced resilience compared to the control group. These results indicate the potential of the MSEG program to promote early mental health when integrated into elementary school curricula. Further research is needed to adapt the program to diverse educational settings and optimize its effectiveness and impact. Full article

Although it has been shown that color can influence mental health and behavior, few studies have discussed the effects of cool and warm colors in classrooms on the perceived emotions of elementary school students. In this study, we investigated the emotional changes of elementary school students in Yinchuan City, Northwest China in classrooms with cool and warm color tones. By using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children (PANAS-C), the emotions of 123 third- to sixth-grade students in classrooms with cool and warm color tones were measured. We found the following conclusions: (1) Overall, the emotional responses of the subjects in both the cool- and warm-colored classrooms showed a tendency for positive emotions to be higher than negative emotions. (2) There was no significant difference between the effects of cool and warm colors on the overall emotion of elementary school students, but there were significant differences in specific emotions; Compared to warm colors, cool colors had a more significant effect on increasing feelings of calm (β = −0.365, p = 0.041). Compared to cool colors, warm colors were more likely to cause participants to feel mad (β = 0.186, p = 0.099). (3) The effects of cool and warm colors on students’ emotions differed significantly by gender and grade level. Cool and warm color tones had a significantly greater positive impact on females. In contrast, cool and warm colors had a more pronounced effect on males’ negative emotions. In addition, we found that grade level was significantly negatively correlated with overall emotion (β = −0.696, p < 0.001), with lower grades perceiving emotion more positively than higher grades. These findings provide important insights into the spatial design of elementary school classrooms and provide valuable comparative data for studies in different regional and cultural contexts, further enriching the empirical support of color psychology theory. Full article

Social–emotional learning (SEL) is recognized as an important component of the educational system, significantly impacting student success. This study aims to examine how Arabic language textbooks used in Arab elementary schools in Israel serve as tools for developing social–emotional skills, beyond their role in language instruction. Using a content analysis and semiological analysis on nine ‘Arabic Our Language’ textbooks for Grades 1 to 6, the findings revealed that all categories of social–emotional skills defined by CASEL were represented, but with an imbalance in their prevalence. Interpersonal relationship skills were the most frequent, while social awareness was the least represented, despite its importance in the Israeli context, which is the context in which this study takes place. Additionally, lower grades (1–3) showed a lack of SEL content compared to higher grades (4–6), even though an early integration of these skills is more effective. Furthermore, the SEL content did not always align with the fundamental principles for optimal implementation. This study emphasizes the need for curricula and textbooks in Arabic language education that are adapted to each developmental stage and tailored to the Israeli socio-cultural context. The findings underscore the critical role of Arabic language textbooks in fostering a holistic educational experience, preparing students for both academic and social success, and serve as a call to action for curriculum designers and textbook authors to integrate social–emotional learning in linguistic educational materials. Full article

Background: Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Early identification and management are crucial, especially in economically challenged regions with limited healthcare access. Aims: To develop nomograms for individualized risk estimation for metabolic syndrome in young people from low-income regions. Methods: We assessed 496 college students from two Brazilian cities with Gini indices ≤0.56. Of these, 69.9% were female, 65.1% were younger than 20 years, 71.8% were non-white, and 64.3% were enrolled in health-related courses. For external validity, we assessed metabolic syndrome in a subset of 375 students. Results: We found 10 variables associated with abdominal obesity by logistic regression: age, biological sex, physical education facilities, enrollment in sports competitions during elementary school, grade retention, physical education as the preferred subject, physical education classes per week, and enrollment in sports training in secondary school (score A); adherence to 24 h movement behaviors (B score); and body weight (score C). We designed three nomograms (for scores A, B, and C), all of which showed acceptable performance according to the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (≥0.70) and calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow test, p > 0.05). In the external validation, we observed higher predictive capability for the A and B scores, while the C score had lower but still acceptable predictive ability. Conclusions: User-friendly self-reported data accurately predict metabolic syndrome among youths from economically challenging areas. Full article

Biophilia is the theory that humans are innately connected to nature. As a basis for forming built space, biophilic design has been proven to reduce stress, improve cognition and enhance mood—it makes us happier. In the last 20 years, research in learning spaces has shown an association between biophilic design and student mood, calmness and improved standardized test scores. In 2019, a group of architects, scientists and educators led an experiment involving 6th-grade Math students at the Green Street Academy, which found that student stress was significantly reduced and learning significantly improved in a classroom enriched with biophilic strategies. The architects applied these strategies to the design of Bethel Hanberry Elementary School, and after a year of occupancy, an independent assessment found positive perceptions of the biophilic design, fewer behavior referrals, better teacher retention, lower absenteeism and improved test scores. In both a controlled research experiment and real-world application, the design of learning space, using biophilic strategies, has a significant impact. Full article

Background/Objectives: The primary objective of this research was to assess age differences in the associations between cyberbullying victimization and bystanding and depression among 234 elementary school students (4th and 5th graders; 51% female), 363 middle school students (6th to 8th grades; 53% female), and 341 high school students (9th to 12th grades; 51% female) as well as the moderating effect of parental mediation in these relationships. Methods: Participants completed self-report questionnaires on their cyberbullying victimization and bystanding, as well as depressive symptoms. Results: The findings revealed that high levels of instructive mediation buffered against depression associated with cyberbullying victimization and bystanding across all age groups, with the strongest effects found for middle school students. Lower levels of instructive mediation and higher levels of restrictive mediation increased the positive relationships between cyberbullying victimization and bystanding and depression. Co-viewing mediation did not moderate any of the associations. Conclusions: Parental mediation of technology use has the potential to alleviate the negative consequences associated with cyberbullying victimization and bystanding. The findings highlight the importance of tailoring prevention and intervention strategies to specific age groups and to parents. Full article

As artificial intelligence (AI) and data science education gain importance in K-12 curricula, there is a growing need for well-designed sustainable educational datasets tailored to different school levels. Sustainable datasets should be reusable, adaptable, and accessible to support long-term AI and data science education goals. However, research on the systematic categorization of difficulty levels in educational datasets is limited. This study aims to address this gap by developing a framework for sustainable educational dataset standards based on learners’ developmental stages and data preprocessing requirements. The proposed framework consists of five levels: Level 1 (grades 1–4), where data preprocessing is unnecessary; Level 2 (grades 5–6), involving basic data cleaning; Level 3 (grades 7–9), requiring attribute manipulation; Level 4 (grades 10–12), involving feature merging and advanced preprocessing; and Level 5 (teachers/adults), requiring the entire data science process. An expert validity survey was conducted with 22 elementary and secondary school teachers holding advanced degrees in AI education. The results showed high validity for Levels 1–4 but relatively lower validity for Level 5, suggesting the need for separate training and resources for teachers. Based on the CVR results and expert feedback, the standards for Educational Datasets were revised, particularly for Stage 5, which targets teachers and adult learners. The findings highlight the importance of expert validation, step-by-step experiences, and an interdisciplinary approach in developing educational datasets. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of educational datasets and provides practical implications for teachers, students, educational institutions, and policymakers in implementing effective and sustainable AI and data science education in K-12 settings, ultimately fostering a more sustainable future. Full article

Background: Into the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic and the second year of in-person learning for many K-12 schools in the United States, the benefits of mitigation strategies in this setting are still unclear. We compare COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and adolescents between a school district with a mandatory mask-wearing policy to one with an optional mask-wearing policy, during and after the peak period of the Delta variant wave of infection. Methods: COVID-19 cases during the Delta variant wave (August 2021) and post the wave (October 2021) were obtained from public health records. Cases of K-12 students, stratified by grade level (elementary, middle, and high school) and school districts across two counties, were included in the statistical and spatial analyses. COVID-19 case rates were determined and spatially mapped. Regression was performed adjusting for specific covariates. Results: Mask-wearing was associated with lower COVID-19 cases during the peak Delta variant period; overall, regardless of the Delta variant period, higher COVID-19 rates were seen in older aged students. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for more layered prevention strategies and policies that take into consideration local community transmission levels, age of students, and vaccination coverage to ensure that students remain safe at school while optimizing their learning environment. Full article

This study examines the relationship between parenting patterns and children’s school achievements in Greek society. Parenting practices and parenting style are two child-rearing dynamics which were selected to assess children’s school achievements in this study. A total of 101 participants who have at least one child attaining elementary school and who reside in Greece answered an online questionnaire. In line with previous findings, the aim of this study is to examine associations between parenting and primary school students’ achievements in Greece. The initial assumption was that both parenting practices and parenting style are associated with academic achievement. Thus, the primary hypotheses under examination in this study are (A) that authoritarian parenting pattern is negatively associated with school achievement; (B) that authoritative parenting style is positively associated with school achievement; and (C) that parental involvement affects children and their school performance. The results show a positive relation between authoritative parenting styles and children’s school achievement, although the authoritarian style was associated with lower levels of school achievement. Additionally, the results indicate that the authoritarian style combined with involvement practices is a significant predictor of grades. The more authoritative means that parents use to socialize with their children, the more likely they are to achieve their parenting goals. Nevertheless, it is of critical importance for parents to focus on the learning process and not on the outcome. Full article

This study examined 10–11-year-old students’ perceptions regarding three different types of physical activity games based on different principles of mental engagement (contextual interference, mental control, or discovery). A total of 156 students (84 girls) from five fourth-grade (75 students) and five fifth-grade (81 students) classes of five elementary schools located in a middle-sized city in central Greece participated in the study. These students participated in a larger project consisting of a series of acute experiments aiming to examine the effectiveness of cognitively challenging physical activity games in elementary physical education. Students responded to open-ended questions regarding their perceptions of the physical activity games. Their responses were analyzed through a thematic analysis. A total number of 706 quotes were identified and categorized into the lower-order themes which were organized into four higher-order themes: (a) characteristics of the games, (b) effects of the games, (c) areas for improvement, and (d) preferences for specific games. Students’ views provided supporting evidence regarding the employment of cognitively challenging physical activity games in physical education. Useful insights regarding the characteristics of the games, their effects, and their areas for improvement were also gained. Full article

Understanding the perception that students have about their own cognitive processes is a key aspect that allows for a deeper assimilation of the different factors that affect school performance. However, there is limited evidence explaining the link between students’ perception of their own cognitive functions and their academic performance. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between perception of cognitive functions, such as memory, processing speed, attention, execution of complex tasks and nervousness, and academic performance in Chilean schoolchildren from the province of Biobio. A cross-sectional analytic design was conducted. The sample consisted of 590 elementary school students (12 ± 1.3 years old; 48.3% female) from Chilean public schools. The academic performance was measured by means of the accumulated final grades in the language, mathematics, physical education and health subjects, and the grade point average (GPA) of each student. Moreover, a survey to measure the cognitive functions of the participants was applied. The results show that 20.3% of the students perceived themselves as very nervous and 16.8% felt distracted. Differences in marks were observed in all the measured subjects, as well as in GPAs, depending on the perception of cognitive functions. Thus, the students with low to moderate perceptions of their cognitive functions received lower marks than those who reported a high perception. These results were consistent after a multivariate analysis adjusted for a socio-educational variables model. In conclusion, one in five public school students in the Biobío Region of Chile expressed a low perception of their cognitive functions, which is consistent with their weaker school performance. Therefore, it is believed that integrating curricular activity and cognitive work could potentially boost the perception of said functions, and thus reduce the risk of poor academic performance. Full article