Search Results (2,515)

This study explores how concepts related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are represented in upper-primary school textbooks, with a focus on identifying patterns of inclusion, emphasis, and conceptual balance. Using a qualitative content evaluation approach, this study examines textbooks across Grades 4–6 to assess how sustainability is framed through environmental, social, and economic lenses. The analysis reveals that sustainability is predominantly presented through environmental themes such as natural resource conservation and ecological awareness, while social dimensions—particularly those related to inclusion, equity, and participation—are only partially addressed. Economic aspects, including financial literacy, responsible consumption, and entrepreneurship, appear marginal or implicit. The findings suggest that although sustainability is present in the curriculum, it is not consistently articulated as an integrated, multidimensional framework. Instead, it is conveyed as a set of fragmented themes, with stronger emphasis on environmental knowledge than on social responsibility or economic preparedness. This imbalance may shape students’ early understanding of sustainability in a limited way, emphasizing care for nature while underrepresenting its broader societal and economic implications. This study highlights the need for a more coherent and balanced integration of SDG concepts in primary education to support holistic sustainability literacy from an early stage. Full article

Learning analytics (LA) is an emerging field that has undergone extensive development in K-12 education, focusing on students’ learning processes and tracking their learning trajectories. However, numerous developments remain in the pilot phase without holistic adoption. Despite the growing use of teacher-facing analytics in K-12 education, little is known about the processes through which instructors interpret and negotiate analytics within everyday school practice. This paper presents an interpretive ethnographic study of teacher sensemaking and resistance regarding LA adoption in K-12 schools. Informed by the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), we implemented a small-N ethnographic study with school teachers to explore their perceptions and experiences regarding LA adoption. The research question was “How do teachers interpret, negotiate, and make sense of learning analytics adoption in K-12 school settings?” The findings indicate that teachers’ responses to LA adoption were shaped through complex sensemaking processes involving perceived usefulness, institutional culture, emotional ambivalence, ethical issues, and human-centered understandings of data-driven educational practices. Full article

As aspiring school leaders or interns complete their graduate program and year-long school-based internship in an urban school setting, they receive support from an on-site school leader mentor and an external coach. This trio, coined the cooperative triad, fosters leadership development through a collaborative approach. When alumni begin their career as a school leader, they continue receiving support from the leadership program as well as an external coach. Because of their important role, this study sought to understand how coaches conceptualized their role, what influenced their ability to carry out the role, and their influence on the internship and alumni experience. Utilizing a qualitative case study design, researchers engaged in data collection and analysis across interviews with seven coaches, seven interns/alumni, and five mentors. Findings highlight the importance of creating a coaching structure while remaining flexible, building trust and community with participants, and continually developing coaches in their practice. Further, the cooperative triad model demonstrates the potential for positive school-wide impact, as the coach supports both aspiring and practicing leaders. Full article

This study examined a moderated mediation model linking parental rejection and overprotection to smartphone addiction, with sense of security as a mediator and forgiveness as a moderator. A total of 730 students (mean age = 12.15 ± 1.13 years; 50.7% female) were recruited from two primary and two secondary schools in Hunan, China, using cluster sampling by class, and all participants completed a set of self-report questionnaires. Results showed that, after controlling for gender and age, both parental rejection and overprotection were positively associated with smartphone addiction and negatively associated with sense of security and forgiveness. Sense of security partially mediated the links between negative parenting and smartphone addiction. Interpersonal forgiveness moderates the direct associations between parental rejection, overprotection and adolescent smartphone addiction, and self-forgiveness moderates the relationships between sense of security and smartphone addiction. The present study clarifies the associations between negative parenting behaviors (i.e., parental rejection and overprotection) and problematic smartphone use in early and middle adolescence, highlights the vital protective roles of security and forgiveness, and provides empirical evidence to inform the prevention and intervention strategies for adolescent smartphone addiction. Full article

Inclusive education is a cornerstone of the South African educational policy; however, effectively supporting learners with specific learning disorders remains a significant challenge, particularly within specialized school settings. This study explored the strategies and experiences of teacher-carers in promoting social support for learners with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD/Dyspraxia) in Johannesburg. Guided by an interpretivist paradigm, the researcher employed a qualitative study design, conducting semi-structured interviews with twelve teachers. Thematic analysis revealed that educators fostered inclusivity and social competence through individualized, learner-centred approaches, peer-mediated activities, and the creation of structured social learning opportunities. However, the findings also identified significant barriers, including a profound lack of teacher knowledge about Dyspraxia, insufficient training, and an absence of systemic support and awareness campaigns. These issues often led to misdiagnosis, feelings of teacher inadequacy, and ad hoc support strategies. The findings highlight that adequate support for learners with Dyspraxia depends not only on individual teacher dedication but also on structured professional development and institutional backing. The study recommends implementing continuous teacher training, adapting the curriculum, and launching nationwide awareness initiatives to better equip educators and foster inclusive learning environments. This study offers context-specific insights that can inform inclusive education practices in similar resource-constrained environments. Full article

Background/Objectives: Oral health promotion in early childhood depends strongly on caregivers’ preventive care at home and educational centers. The aim of this study was to investigate socioeconomic, educational, cultural, and oral health factors associated with caregivers’ decisions to decline their children’s participation in school-based oral health promotion programs. Methods: Caregivers who did not authorize their children’s participation in the project were identified through school records and contacted using available information (name, telephone number, and email address). Participants were selected through simple random sampling. Results: Among the 58 caregivers included in the study, the main reasons reported were failure to return the consent form or missing the deadline (36.2%), considering the child too young (19.0%), already receiving private dental care (13.8%), not understanding the consent form (13.8%), not having received the document (10.3%), lack of trust in the professional (3.4%), and other reasons (3.4%). Higher income was significantly associated with higher educational level (p = 0.002), increased toothbrushing frequency (p = 0.007), shorter time since the last dental visit (p < 0.001), and lower levels of embarrassment related to oral health (p < 0.001). Additionally, lower-income caregivers were more likely to seek dental care only in the presence of problems (p = 0.046), while higher-income families were more likely to report private dental care as a reason for non-authorization (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings associate socioeconomic and educational inequalities with adverse effects on family oral health among parents, by reducing the frequency of preventive dental examinations and daily oral hygiene practices; and among children, by limiting authorization to participate in school-based oral health promotion programs. This evidence underscores that successful promotion of children’s oral health in educational settings requires addressing social disparities while strengthening caregivers’ knowledge and motivation to support participation. Full article

This study examines the impact of biophilic design in school common areas—specifically corridors, stairwells, and central halls—on users’ perceptual and physiological responses. Biophilic design attributes were categorized into direct experiences (Plants & water) and indirect experiences (Materials & Images), and simulation stimuli for each common area type were generated using generative AI. Thirty university students participated in the experiment, where their hemodynamic responses (fNIRS) and galvanic skin responses (GSRs) were measured during exposure to various biophilic environmental stimuli to quantitatively analyze emotional arousal and cognitive recovery levels. The results indicated that biophilic environments elicited significant physiological stabilization responses in specific spatial and application conditions compared to non-biophilic settings. Distinct physiological responses were observed based on spatial characteristics and application methods; vertical elements facilitated cognitive rest, whereas horizontal elements promoted attention restoration through moderate arousal. Furthermore, significant associations between nature connectedness and selected physiological responses highlighted the importance of considering individual predispositions in spatial design. As an exploratory pilot study, this research contributes preliminary evidence by integrating generative AI-based simulations with fNIRS and GSR measurements to examine vertical and horizontal biophilic applications in school common areas. Full article

Aim: Asthma is a chronic condition with high prevalence in pediatric populations and may negatively influence oral health. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the association between asthma and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in Portuguese children aged 6 to 8 years. Secondary aims included comparing caries experience, salivary parameters, and other clinical oral health indicators between asthmatic and non-asthmatic peers. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 89 child–parent pairs using a convenience sampling approach. Children with asthma were recruited from a hospital immunoallergology service, and healthy controls were recruited from a primary school. Data collection included parent-administered questionnaires on sociodemographic and behavioral factors, the Portuguese version of the SOHO-5 (child self-report and parent proxy forms), and standardized intraoral examinations assessing caries (WHO criteria, 5th edition), malocclusion, gingival bleeding, dental erosion, mucosal lesions, and molar–incisor hypomineralization. Stimulated salivary flow was measured. Bivariate statistical analyses and multivariable regression models were performed using SPSS (v.29), with a significance level set at p < 0.05. Results: Asthmatic children had significantly higher caries prevalence in both primary (52.6% vs. 27.5%, p = 0.027) and permanent dentition (32.4% vs. 0%, p < 0.001), as well as higher mean dmft scores (2.68 vs. 1.14, p = 0.026), reduced stimulated salivary flow (78.9% vs. 41.2% with low flow, p < 0.001), and worse child-reported SOHO-5 scores (mean 2.42 vs. 1.25, p = 0.004). After multivariable adjustment, asthma remained a significant independent predictor of low salivary flow (OR = 4.017, 95% CI: 1.443–11.178, p = 0.008), while the association with caries was attenuated and no longer significant (OR = 1.345, p = 0.590). Pain experience in the past year was the strongest predictor of OHRQoL across all multivariable models (SOHO-5 child: B = 1.583, p = 0.006; SOHO-5 total: B = 4.970, p < 0.001), indicating that children with pain history reported substantially worse OHRQoL. After adjustment, asthma did not reach statistical significance for either child-reported (B = 0.732, p = 0.090) or total OHRQoL scores (B = 0.693, p = 0.293). These findings should be interpreted cautiously given the limited number of covariates included in the models, constrained by the available sample size. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this cross-sectional study, including a small and non-probabilistic sample, asthmatic children presented a higher caries burden and a markedly higher prevalence of low stimulated salivary flow compared with non-asthmatic peers. Asthma remained a significant independent predictor of low salivary flow after multivariable adjustment, while the association with caries was attenuated, suggesting partial confounding by dietary habits. These findings highlight the importance of integrating oral health surveillance into the routine care of asthmatic children, with particular attention paid to salivary function and caries prevention. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adolescent mental health problems emerge early, remain undertreated, and are shaped by diverse contextual stressors. In response to calls for more youth-centered prevention, school-based health promotion, and participatory intervention design, this study explored which mental health-related problems internationally mobile adolescents prioritize and which solution ideas they generate in a structured co-creation setting, including where movement- and sport-related elements are embedded. Methods: A qualitative, participatory study was conducted during a 24 h social hackathon embedded in the Youth Empowerment Seminar for exchange students. Hackathon materials from 43 projects were analyzed using content-structuring qualitative content analysis following Kuckartz. Results: Adolescents most frequently framed problems in terms of self-image, stress and anxiety, belonging, and harassment. Solutions clustered around low-threshold group formats, while implementation segments focused strongly on staffing, funding, barriers, and feasibility. Cross-domain analyses suggested recurring problem-solution matches, such as loneliness with hobby or interest groups. Conclusions: Social hackathons can surface adolescent-prioritized mental health concerns and translate them into context-sensitive prevention ideas. The findings mainly point to social and psychosocial solution pathways, while some proposals additionally positioned shared activity or movement contexts as potentially supportive for well-being. These results provide a starting point for subsequent school-based prototyping and feasibility work. Full article

Objectives: This study’s main objective was to examine the association between dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) and diet quality among U.S. primary and secondary schoolchildren. Our secondary objectives were to identify demographic characteristics associated with higher-GHGE diets and to assess the relationship between school meal consumption and dietary GHGE. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of dietary intake data from 2165 primary and secondary students participating in the nationally representative 2014–2015 US School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study (SNMCS). Dietary GHGEs (kg CO₂-equivalents per 1000 kcal) were estimated by linking reported foods to an environmental impact database. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI). Students were categorized into GHGE groups, and differences in total HEI and component scores were examined using appropriate statistical tests. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The average dietary GHGE of the sample was 3.64 kg CO₂-equivalent per person per day. Overall, HEI scores did not differ between the GHGE groups (p = 0.22). However, compared to the high-GHGE group, the low-GHGE group scored significantly higher on some HEI-2010 components, such as fatty acid ratios (p < 0.0001) and sodium (p < 0.0001), and significantly lower on others, such as dairy (p < 0.0001), total protein foods (p < 0.0001), and refined grains (p < 0.0001). Male students and students who ate school meals on the day of recall had higher odds of being in the high-GHGE group compared with their respective reference groups. Conclusions: Lower dietary carbon footprints are achievable without sacrificing overall diet quality, but tradeoffs in specific dietary components indicate the need for additional research and care in recommending diet changes or setting school policies. Full article

The scientific pursuit of understanding human “emotion” has historically been plagued by a fundamental lack of conceptual consensus. Researchers, clinicians, and the lay public frequently utilize terms such as “emotion,” “feeling,” “affect,” and “mood” as interchangeable synonyms, creating a linguistic ambiguity that hampers both experimental precision and diagnostic validity. In response to this “umbrella term” crisis, the Walla Emotion Model (WEM), also referred to as the ESCAPE Model (Emotions Convey Affective Processing Effects), introduces a redefined and distinct terminology designed to disentangle the neurophysiological, experiential, and behavioral components of affective phenomena. The essence of this new model is the removal of the umbrella aspect from the term emotion and defining “emotion” strictly as behavioral output, and “feeling” as the conscious perception of released neurochemicals, both resulting from non-conscious affective processing. By doing so, the WEM provides a logical, clear, and easy-to-apply terminological lens for diagnosing, communicating, and treating clinical conditions that include what has previously been termed “emotion” dysregulation. When “emotion” is used as an umbrella term, it depends on the school one follows how one would explain such clinical conditions. The most critical argument for introducing the WEM is that each prior school has had its focus on another set of phenomena that generate an “emotion”. The WEM terminology provides a clear separation of brain activity, subjective experience, and expression regarding affective phenomena. Various clinical conditions that include “emotion” dysregulation exist; however, to highlight the potential benefits of the WEM, the current essay has its focus on two of the most frequent conditions, namely Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The goal is to provide an analysis of the WEM architecture, evaluating its utility in clinical neuropsychology, and delineating its theoretical advantages when combined with traditional categorical and dimensional models. However, it is important to emphasize that this essay is only theoretical. It does not include any direct empirical support, but it suggests the replacing of existing terminology with WEM terminology. Full article

The development of social-emotional competencies in children is increasingly important for helping them respond to the demands of contemporary society, and recent research has also highlighted its association with academic performance. In this context, mindfulness has emerged as a valuable approach to fostering these competencies. Given its well-documented benefits, mindfulness has also attracted growing interest in educational settings. This article presents findings from a doctoral study conducted in Portugal, in which the Sentir@Ser program, designed to promote social-emotional competencies through mindfulness practices, was developed, implemented, and evaluated. The study addressed the following research question: What are the effects of a program designed to promote social-emotional competencies through mindfulness practices on primary school students’ levels of affect, self-compassion, and mindfulness-related competencies, and how do these effects vary according to gender, grade level, and family structure? A total of 72 students, from first to fourth grade, participated in the study. Pre- and post-intervention assessments examined affect, self-compassion, and mindfulness-related competencies. The results showed overall improvements across the assessed domains following the intervention, with no significant differences according to gender, grade level, or family structure. These findings suggest that the Sentir@Ser program may be a useful approach to promoting students’ social-emotional competencies. However, further research is needed to optimize its effectiveness and impact. Full article

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and Generative AI (GenAI) based on large language models (LLMs) is reshaping teaching practices, assessment criteria, and ethical questions regarding authenticity, source reliability, and educational responsibility. Understanding teachers’ attitudes toward AI is crucial for identifying acceptance, resistance, and professional development needs. This study aimed to adapt and validate, for the Italian context, the questionnaire developed by Alsudairy and Eltantawy for assessing teachers’ attitudes toward AI in education, and to explore attitudinal differences according to selected socio-professional variables. A convenience sample of 682 in-service teachers from different school levels and Italian regions completed the 36-item questionnaire on a 3-point Likert scale. Exploratory factor analysis suggested an interpretable two-factor structure, although some items showed weak, non-salient, or cross-loadings. A confirmatory factor analysis conducted on a refined 32-item ordinal model supported a correlated two-factor solution with good global fit indices. However, the strong correlation between the two latent factors and the presence of selected weak indicators suggest that further refinement and cross-validation are needed. Educational attainment was the only socio-professional variable significantly associated with attitudes toward AI, although the effect size was small. Post hoc analyses showed a significant difference between teachers holding a postgraduate Master’s degree and those holding only a high school diploma, whereas other differences should be interpreted as descriptive trends. Taken together, these findings provide preliminary support for the Italian adaptation of the instrument and offer initial insight into the role of professional characteristics in shaping teachers’ attitudes toward AI in educational settings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) affects approximately two children in every classroom and significantly impacts literacy development and academic achievement. Given the central role of language in learning, teachers are well-positioned to identify, support, and advocate for children with DLD through referrals, interventions, and inclusive curriculum delivery. However, evidence consistently indicates that teachers lack fundamental knowledge of DLD, highlighting an urgent need for targeted professional training. This study, conducted in Cyprus, aimed to (1) explore pre-school and primary school teachers’ knowledge and views regarding DLD and (2) synthesize an evidence-based checklist of essential topics for DLD teacher training. Methods: A total of 133 teachers completed an online questionnaire addressing three research questions: teachers’ knowledge of DLD and its characteristics; their attitudes toward DLD; and their perceptions of their role in supporting children with DLD. Results: Findings aligned with international trends, showing limited confidence in supporting students with DLD despite reasonable familiarity with the label and its core features. Teachers demonstrated a broad understanding of their supportive role but acknowledged knowledge limitations and requested structured professional development. Based on these findings and existing literature, the Basic-DLD Guide was created for researchers, practitioners, and continuing education providers, to inform the development of basic trainings. Conclusions: The study’s findings and the guide can have direct clinical significance, providing an evidence-informed foundation for designing structured professional training to improve identification and support for children with DLD in educational settings. Full article

This study examines behavioral predictors of academic success among seventh graders enrolled in the Russian School of Mathematics, a rigorous extracurricular mathematics program. Using a comprehensive set of engagement and homework indicators available for the online portion of our classes, multiple regression models were applied to explore how persistence, time management, and participation predicted performance across three curriculum levels, namely Accelerated, Advanced, and Honors. Accelerated and Honors students exhibited similarly strong work habits but required different types of instructional support. Advanced-level students were further distinguished into “progressing” and “plateaued” groups, each with unique behavioral profiles. Across levels, several habits such as starting homework promptly, revisiting unsolved problems, and providing detailed work were consistently associated with higher achievement. These findings highlight the value of differentiated instruction and targeted feedback, particularly in mixed-ability classrooms. By identifying the behaviors most closely linked to success, this work offers actionable insights for fostering self-regulated learning in middle school mathematics. Full article