Search Results (118)

Background: Parental practices that support autonomy, provide structure, and foster warm relationships are associated with greater satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In minority educational contexts, however, students’ psychological need satisfaction is also shaped by broader sociocultural conditions that may create additional pressures and sources of chronic stress. Within such environments, parental support may function as a protective factor that helps students cope with educational and cultural demands. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore how parental support contributes to the satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs within a minority educational context where students from the Greek minority attend a bilingual school operating within a Turkish educational framework. Methods: A qualitative design was employed using three focus groups conducted in a minority school located in Gökçeada, Türkiye: one with parents (N = 5), one with lower secondary school students (N = 6), and one with upper secondary school students (N = 6). Interview questions were developed on the basis of Basic Psychological Needs Theory. Data were analyzed thematically by five members of the research team. Results: Findings indicated that parental support influenced students’ need satisfaction through practices related to autonomy (e.g., trust, space for mistakes), competence (e.g., encouragement, comparison), and relatedness (e.g., emotional presence, empathy). However, these practices were not experienced in a uniform way. Rather, their meaning and impact were shaped by contextual conditions associated with minority status, including bilingual educational demands, limited resources, and close-knit community dynamics. Conclusions: The study suggests that in minority school settings, parental support operates not simply as a general interpersonal resource but as a contextually mediated protective process. By showing how sociocultural and institutional conditions shape the enactment and experience of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, the findings extend existing BPNT research beyond majority settings and offer a more context-sensitive understanding of students’ psychological need satisfaction. Full article

This study examined the perceived quality of life of Portuguese gifted students compared with their non-gifted peers using the KIDSCREEN-27, a widely used instrument for assessing health-related quality of life in children and adolescents. Quality of life is the subjective perception of overall well-being resulting from the interaction of physical, psychological, social, and environmental factors. Previous research suggests that high intellectual ability does not necessarily ensure greater well-being and may coexist with social–emotional challenges, including perfectionism, anxiety, and difficulties in social integration. The sample consisted of 102 Portuguese students aged between 10 and 15 years old. They were in two groups (gifted and non-gifted), matched by gender. Gifted participants had previously been identified through psychoeducational assessment and were enrolled in the PEDAIS enrichment program promoted by the National Association for the Study and Intervention in Giftedness (ANEIS). Five quality-of-life dimensions were analyzed: physical well-being, psychological well-being, autonomy and parent relationships, peer social support, and school environment. MANOVA results indicated statistically significant differences between the groups, with gifted students reporting lower scores in physical well-being, autonomy and parent relationships, peer social support, and school environment. There were no significant differences in psychological well-being, indicating similar levels of perceived emotional well-being in both groups. These findings highlight the importance of considering the social and contextual dimensions of well-being in gifted education and reinforce the need for educational strategies that combine cognitive development with social–emotional support. However, the results should be interpreted with caution, as the gifted participants were recruited from a structured enrichment program, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to the broader population of gifted students. Full article

In Australia and around the world, young students are increasingly experiencing declines in wellbeing, engagement, and sense of belonging. These trends are accompanied by rising anxiety and social disconnection that affect learning and development. In response to these concerns, this study investigated whether a 10-week nature play intervention could support wellbeing, engagement, and learning in Year One students. A quasiexperimental mixed-methods design was used with students (N = 50; mean age = 6.87 years) from a metropolitan public primary school in Sydney, Australia. Participants were allocated to an intervention (n = 25) or a waitlist control group (n = 25). Data was collected at three time points: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and four-month follow-up. Quantitative measures included reading and mathematics results, and a student self-report questionnaire assessing play, nature connection, engagement, and wellbeing. Qualitative data comprised teacher and student journals, teacher interviews, parent surveys, and researcher observations. The results indicated significant improvement in mathematics, alongside children’s reported expressions of joy, autonomy, and emerging awareness of human–nature reciprocity. Despite limitations in sample size and context, these outcomes suggest that nature play supports holistic development while promoting a broader view of education that values wellbeing, engagement, and belonging alongside academic learning. Full article

Science fairs have long been promoted as valuable platforms for fostering authentic science learning. With current standards emphasizing active engagement in Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), there is a growing need to examine how science fairs support students’ development in these areas. This pilot study investigated the learning outcomes of 166 students (grades 6–12) who participated in a statewide science and engineering fair. Using a retrospective pretest–posttest correlational design, the study assessed students’ growth in their perceived understanding of SEPs and their perceived engagement in STEM-related behaviors outside the classroom. Results from paired-samples t-tests indicated that both middle and high school students demonstrated significant gains in these two domains based on their self-reports. Multiple regression analyses further revealed that high school students’ gains in both perceived outcomes were positively associated with self-challenge and community-based motivations and negatively associated with teacher- or parent-initiated participation. In contrast, different yet comparable patterns emerged for middle school students. Together, these findings suggest that Self-Determination Theory should more intentionally incorporate developmental nuance when applied to K–12 STEM contexts, particularly with respect to how autonomy support functions across grade levels. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed. Full article

Background/Objectives: Research on children’s eating has primarily focused on parental feeding practices and dietary outcomes, with less attention to how young children themselves understand parental food-related messages and relate them to their own food choices. Recognizing children as active participants in food socialization, this study aimed to examine preschool children’s representations of parental feeding strategies alongside their expressed food-choice considerations. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, multi-method design was employed within a constructivist framework. Forty kindergarten children aged 4 years 10 months to 5 years 8 months participated in individual, play-based sessions conducted in familiar educational settings. Data were generated using two complementary tools: a doll role-play task eliciting children’s representations of parental feeding strategies and a simulated grocery shopping task eliciting food-choice considerations. All sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: During role-play, children frequently portrayed parents as emphasizing health-related arguments, control, and negotiation when guiding food intake. Less frequently, they represented strategies such as encouragement to try, deception, or references to body weight. In contrast, during the food-choice task, children’s selections were primarily guided by personal preference, with health considerations mentioned less often. For most participants, the feeding strategies attributed to parents did not closely align with the considerations guiding their own food choices. Conclusions: The findings highlight young children’s active and selective engagement with parental feeding discourse and underscore the contextual nature of food-related meaning-making in early childhood. Rather than reflecting a straightforward transmission of parental messages, children’s food choices appear shaped by situational affordances and perceived autonomy, supporting child-centered approaches to nutrition education and health promotion. Full article

Autistic people experience lower rates of employment, education, and participation, and the identification of autistic people is growing rapidly with improved early identification, increased community awareness, and improved identification in previously under-diagnosed populations. Although inclusive education policies and practices present an opportunity to bolster the transition into adulthood for autistic young people, there is little mandate around these processes and supports. This qualitative study gathered the perspectives of people with direct experience of mainstream school transition supports through 46 interviews with autistic young people, educators, and parents/carers. The participants’ narratives were interpreted through the lens of self-determination theory to understand how inclusive schools can best fulfil autistic young peoples’ needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. The findings enable recommendations for inclusive school practice and supports, informed by the stories of those who have experience with the phenomenon. Full article

PACS1 Syndrome is an ultra-rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability, behavioral disturbances, and multisystem involvement. While clinical knowledge is growing, its impact on quality of life (QoL) has not been systematically evaluated, and it is critical to understand the lived experience and psychosocial well-being of these individuals beyond strictly medical outcomes. This study aimed to assess QoL in individuals aged 4–21 years with PACS1 Syndrome using the validated KidsLife scale, proxy-reported by primary caregivers, given the intellectual disabilities and communicative limitations of this population. Twenty-one participants from Spain and other countries were recruited through the Spanish PACS1 Association, and 39 questionnaires from mothers and fathers were analyzed. The KidsLife scale provides standardized scores across eight QoL domains and a global QoL index (QoLI). The mean QoLI was 48.1 ± 28.3, slightly below the median for individuals with intellectual disability, but higher than other neurodevelopmental disorders such as Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. The findings revealed a pattern: while domains related to social inclusion, rights, and physical and material well-being were relatively preserved, reflecting adequate care and access to resources, the most significant compromises were observed in autonomy-related domains, specifically self-determination, interpersonal relationships, and personal development. Most individuals showed a high degree of dependency, and those with greater dependency exhibited lower QoL scores. This situation led more than half of families to reduce their working hours, with caregiving responsibilities disproportionately falling on mothers. Although no statistically significant differences were found between parental ratings, mothers tended to report higher QoL. These findings reflect the substantial functional impact of PACS1 Syndrome and emphasize the need for multidisciplinary support to improve autonomy, social participation, and overall well-being. Full article

This study explores parents’ perspectives on self-determination for individuals with intellectual disabilities in the Saudi Arabian context. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six parents of individuals aged 15 to 34 years, and data were analyzed thematically. Findings reveal a clear tension between parents’ endorsement of self-determination as a valued goal and their emphasis on protection, safety, and family responsibility. Parents supported autonomy through structured choices, gradual skill-building, and daily routines, while restricting higher-stakes decisions due to concerns related to vulnerability and limited institutional and community support. These practices reflect culturally grounded caregiving responsibilities rather than resistance to self-determination. This study highlights the central role of families in shaping self-determination opportunities and underscores the influence of sociocultural values and systemic constraints. Implications emphasize the need for culturally responsive parent training, stronger school–family collaboration, and expanded community-based opportunities that support autonomy within safe environments. Full article

Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with executive function deficits—such as planning, organization, and prospective memory—that impair autonomy and daily functioning, increase family stress, and create challenges in educational contexts. These consequences underscore the need for accessible and ecologically valid interventions addressing the cognitive, familial, and educational dimensions. Traditional approaches often lack ecological validity, and pharmacological treatment shows a limited impact on functional cognition. Objectives: This protocol outlines a feasibility study of DiverAcción, a web-based telerehabilitation system designed to enhance functional cognition through interactive and gamified tasks integrated into a comprehensive healthcare programme. Methods: A quasi-experimental feasibility study before and after the study will recruit 30 participants aged 9 to 17 years with ADHD. The study comprises an initial face-to-face session for instructions and baseline assessment (T0), followed by twelve supervised online sessions over six weeks. Therapeutic support is provided via integrated chat, email, and two scheduled videoconference check-ins. Feasibility Outcomes: include recruitment, adherence, retention, usability (SUS), acceptability (TAM), satisfaction, user-friendly design, therapeutic alliance (WAI-I), and professionals’ attitudes toward technology (e-TAP-T). Exploratory Measures: include parental self-efficacy (BPSES), parenting stress (PSI-4-SF), ADHD symptomatology (SNAP-IV), executive functioning (BRIEF-2), time management (Time-S), emotional regulation (ERQ-CA), prospective memory (PRMQ-C), and health-related quality of life (KIDSCREEN-52). Analyses emphasize descriptive statistics for feasibility metrics (recruitment, adherence, retention, dropout and fidelity). Assessments are conducted post-intervention (T1) and at three-month follow-up (T2) and analyzed relative to baseline using repeated-measures ANOVA or Friedman tests, depending on data distribution. Conclusions: This feasibility protocol will provide preliminary evidence on the usability, acceptability, and implementation of DiverAcción. Findings will guide refinements and inform the design of a subsequent randomized controlled trial. Full article

Grounded in self-determination and mindset theories, the current investigation examined whether students’ homework mindsets and effort mediated the association between autonomy support—from both teachers and parents—and mathematics grades. The study sample included 988 Chinese students in Grade 7 to 9. Structural equation modeling indicated that both teacher autonomy support and parent autonomy support had indirect positive effects on mathematics grades, with homework mindsets (fixed and growth) and homework effort serving as mediators. Additionally, teacher and parent autonomy support directly associated with homework effort, while also exerting indirect associations with homework effort via homework mindsets. Collectively, the current investigation underscores the critical roles of autonomy support, homework mindsets, and homework effort in the homework process, offering important theoretical and practical insights. Full article

According to the Australasian Society for Developmental Paediatrics, experiential learning and outdoor play contain elements of risk, bravery, uncertainty, exploration, personal challenge, and adventure. These attributes are fundamental to a child’s growth, development, and wellbeing, and yet, in contemporary society, outdoor experiences have significantly declined. This scoping review explores the benefits and affordances of nature-based risky play and adventure education across early childhood and adolescence, asking what developmental opportunities emerge when children and adolescents engage in meaningful outdoor challenges. Adopting a benefit–risk approach where safety is “as safe as necessary” rather than “as safe as possible,” the review identifies common elements across developmental stages. A scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines synthesised empirical studies (2015–2025). Our review included 40 empirical studies from a total of 5218 references, using diverse methodologies conducted predominantly in Western nations. All 40 studies reported positive associations across multiple developmental domains. Eight key themes developed: resilience and confidence, wellbeing, physical skills, autonomy and agency, nature connectedness, quality play provision, and educator influence. Authentic child agency and autonomy functioned as critical mechanisms through which benefits are realised across early childhood and school-aged populations. Key benefits included enhanced mental health, social competence, and anxiety prevention. Implementation barriers persist, including parental anxiety, institutional liability concerns, and cultural risk aversion. Evidence overwhelmingly supports nature-based risky play and outdoor adventure education as beneficial for child and adolescent development. Translation into practice remains limited by stakeholder attitudes and systemic barriers. Future research should prioritise longitudinal studies, cross-cultural investigation, and equity-focused approaches addressing disparities in access to positive risk-taking. Full article

Childhood emotional neglect and parental overprotection are two subtle yet influential caregiving patterns that shape emotional, relational, and self-regulatory development. Though they are often examined separately, emerging research suggests that they may act independently and together to increase vulnerability to disordered eating. This narrative review synthesizes contemporary theoretical and empirical contributions to clarify how emotional neglect and overprotection affect pathways related to emotion regulation, attachment processes, and self-concept development. The review introduces the concept of complementarity, explaining how these patterns may co-occur within the same family system or fluctuate among individual caregivers. This creates developmental contexts marked by emotional deprivation and restricted autonomy. Based on this synthesis, the manuscript presents an integrative framework that considers distinct and shared mechanisms connecting caregiving experiences to maladaptive eating patterns. Developmental and clinical implications are discussed, emphasizing the importance of assessing relational histories, supporting emotional clarity, and promoting autonomy in intervention planning. The limitations of the narrative approach and directions for future research are outlined, including the need for longitudinal designs, more precise measurement of caregiving dimensions, and a more systematic investigation of the interactive effects of emotional neglect and overprotection. Full article

Homework is a key learning activity that promotes students’ self-regulation, motivation, and academic achievement. Previous studies highlight the importance of parental and teacher autonomy support in fostering these outcomes, but the mechanisms underlying these relationships require further investigation. This study investigates the effects of parental and teacher autonomy support on students’ self-regulation skills, mathematics homework completion, and academic achievement. Additionally, it examines whether gender moderates these relationships. The research was conducted with 530 middle school students from five public schools in Istanbul, covering 5th, 6th, and 7th grades. Data were collected on teachers’ and parents’ autonomy support in homework, students’ self-regulation strategies, homework behaviors, and academic performance. Analyses were performed using SPSS 25 and AMOS 25 software, employing structural equation modeling (SEM) with mediation paths, multi-group path analysis, and correlation tests. The results indicate that both parental and teacher autonomy support positively influence students’ use of self-regulation strategies, which in turn enhances homework completion and academic success. Self-regulation was found to mediate these relationships, confirming its crucial role in academic outcomes. However, gender did not significantly moderate these associations. This study advances the understanding of how parental and teacher autonomy support influence self-regulation, homework behavior, and academic achievement, contributing to the existing literature. By examining the mediating role of self-regulation and the moderating effect of gender, it provides in-depth insights into variations in homework engagement and academic outcomes. Findings highlight the importance of autonomy-supportive practices by parents and teachers to foster students’ independent study skills. Future studies could extend these findings by examining subject-specific differences and longitudinal effect. Full article

Background: Complementary feeding has traditionally relied on traditional spoon feeding (TSF), in which parents gradually introduce semi-solid foods under close supervision. More recently, Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) has become popular, promoting infant autonomy in handling solid foods. To address concerns regarding choking and nutritional adequacy, the Baby-Led Introduction to SolidS (BLISS) method was developed. Some families instead adopt autonomous responsive feeding, which combines structured guidance with respect for the infant’s self-regulation. Although concerns about foreign body aspiration (FBA) persist among caregivers and pediatricians, current evidence shows that, when conducted safely, BLW may not increase this risk compared with TSF. This study investigated the prevalence of complementary feeding practices and their perceived relationship to FBA, exploring perspectives of caregivers and primary care pediatricians in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy. Methods: Between March 2022 and May 2024, 149 parents and 126 pediatricians completed anonymous questionnaires. Results: Among parents, 67% initiated complementary feeding at ≥6 months; 43.6% reported autonomous responsive, 32.8% BLW, and 23.5% strict TSF. Pediatricians more frequently endorsed flexible approaches: 61.1% supported autonomous responsive feeding, 37.1% BLW, and 12.7% TSF. Notably, strict TSF was applied by 23.3% of parents, almost twice the proportion recommended by pediatricians. Suspected choking episodes were reported by 41.6% of parents but showed no significant association with feeding method or demographic factors. Conclusions: BLW and related flexible practices are increasingly adopted and, when implemented safely, may not increase FBA risk. Pediatricians appear to recommend BLW, or hybrid approaches, more often than parents apply them, suggesting possible gaps in communication and shared decision-making. Full article

Introduction: Creative Dance, as an educational approach to physical activity emphasizing autonomous exploration and creative expression, has demonstrated significant benefits for children’s cognitive development and independent learning. This study aimed to examine the effects of Creative Dance on the development of autonomy among Chinese children aged 4 to 6 years, and to investigate the mediating role of autonomy need satisfaction in this process. Methods: A randomized, single-blind, two-arm experimental design was utilized, with classrooms serving as the unit of assignment. A total of 102 children aged 4–6 years were randomly allocated to either an experimental group (Creative Dance) or a control group (DanceSport). The children’s autonomy was measured pre- and post-intervention using parent-proxy reports. In addition, qualitative interviews and video observations were conducted to assess the degree of autonomy need satisfaction experienced by the children during the Creative Dance intervention. Results: Analysis of the pre-intervention data revealed no statistically significant differences in autonomy scores between the experimental and control groups. Post-intervention, the children in the experimental group scored significantly higher across all dimensions of autonomy compared to those in the control group. Mediation analysis indicated that autonomy need satisfaction significantly mediated the effect of Creative Dance on self-assertion, but not on self-reliance or self-control. Discussion: Creative Dance constitutes an effective intervention for supporting autonomy need satisfaction and promoting overall autonomy development in young children. Satisfaction of autonomy needs serves as a key mechanism through which Creative Dance enhances self-assertion. These findings provide empirical evidence supporting the incorporation of Creative Dance into early childhood education as a means of promoting physical and mental development. Full article