Search Results (417)

Physical activity (PA) and body composition (BC) are important indicators of overall health, especially in children, with the school environment being a key setting for the promotion of PA and prevention of overweight and obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a specific national experimental schooling program (“Primary School as Whole-Day School”) on changes in PA and BC in early-school-aged children in Croatia. The participants were 128 children aged 9–11 years from southern Croatia (53 girls) who participated in whole-day (n = 54, 20 girls) or regular-schooling-programs (n = 74, 33 girls) over a period of one school year (9 months). A pre-to post-measurement design was applied, with directly (via GENEActiv accelerometers) and indirectly (by PAQ-C questionnaire) measured PA, and body composition measurements (via bioimpedance analysis) as independent variables. A multifactorial ANOVA (Group × Gender × Time) was applied to evaluate the effects. The results indicated significant (p < 0.05) ANOVA effects for indirectly measured PA and the accelerometer-derived moderate-to-vigorous PA, with favorable changes in the whole-day schooling group. The changes in directly measured PA were particularly evident in boys involved in whole-day schooling. There were no significant effects of the experimental program on body composition. While the experimental program was effective in increasing PA, the lack of positive changes in body composition could be explained by the relatively short study period and the absence of accompanying dietary strategies. Although promising, the results highlight the complexity of influencing health-related outcomes in early-school-aged children. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is currently a topic of widespread interest in the field of public health, considered as the basic marker for health status assessment. Better CRF is generally accepted to be beneficial in cardiovascular and metabolic disease prevention, both in children and in adults. The aim of this study was to present the direction of change in the cardiorespiratory fitness of Polish children aged 9 to 13 in a longitudinal study. Methods: Three series of cardiorespiratory fitness measurements were performed on school-aged children at one-year intervals. CRF was assessed based on the number of laps run in the 20 m shuttle run test (20mSRT). In order to check the level of cardiorespiratory fitness in consecutive years, the 20mSRT results were compared to the international percentile norms, considering the children’s sex and age. Results: The number of completed laps shows great diversity with reference to age. Together with age, the advantage of boys in terms of the number of completed laps becomes visible. The distribution of percentile classification results in subsequent tests across the whole study population shows that a low percentage of children who were qualified for the study had their CRF below the 20th percentile, and a relatively high percentage was above the 80th percentile. Conclusions: For the whole test group, the results of the percentile classification did not change significantly in subsequent tests. It is worth noting, though, that together with age, CRF changes evolved towards higher values in the tested group, as a vast majority was at the level of the 50th percentile. However, still a significant group of the tested children remained within the low percentile values of CRF. Full article

This study explores the implementation of gamification as an instructional strategy to support the learning of whole numbers in a rural Colombian school with limited technological resources. The intervention involved 23 sixth-grade students who participated in a Genially based digital escape room titled “Agent 00+7.” The activity was structured around five missions designed to foster motivation, collaboration, and active participation. A survey instrument encompassing five dimensions—motivation, role performance, task completion, learning/interaction, and gro integration—was administered across all missions, producing 180 valid responses. The instrument demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.872). Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, revealing significant mission-level variations in students’ perceived motivation, role performance, task completion, and integration, while learning/interaction remained stable. These outcomes suggest that gamified digital environments may shape students’ perceptions of engagement and teamwork, even in resource-constrained settings. Although the results are exploratory and descriptive, given the absence of a control group or pre–post comparison, they provide preliminary evidence of the feasibility and pedagogical promise of gamification in rural educational contexts, contributing to the advancement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 9, and 10. Full article

This rapid review and knowledge synthesis study presents a multicomponent model for adolescent reading instruction aimed at improving Tier 1 classroom practices across content areas. The authors conducted a rapid review of literature (RRL) on recent research on effective reading instruction and identified six evidence-based components necessary in reading instruction for students in middle and high school classrooms. The proposed Reading Circuit model integrates evidence-based strategies that address word recognition, word knowledge, sentence analysis, and verbal reasoning, while also emphasizing the role of self-efficacy and background knowledge in reading development. By combining cognitive and motivational components, the framework supports content area teachers in delivering instruction that fosters reading proficiency among all students, particularly those reading at basic or below-basic levels. This model aims to bridge the gap between elementary and secondary reading instruction, providing a scalable, whole-class solution for improving adolescent reading. Full article

Archaeological excavations today generate extensive datasets across survey, excavation, and analysis activities, especially when they are conducted in collaborative structures such as field schools. Working across such activities, data archivists contribute to the goals and research outcomes of the dig by establishing data practices that are participatory and educational (two pillars of data literacy) as they permanently record information about the archaeological results. At the Venus Pompeiana Project (VPP), a collaborative archaeological investigation of the Sanctuary of Venus in Pompeii, both provenance and provenience data are recorded into a database at the trenches’ edge, which optimises the accuracy of the data by allowing direct input and review by the data creators and archaeological site experts. When legacy data about work conducted decades or even centuries earlier are brought into the data picture, scholars stand to gain a deeper understanding of the geographic locations of key interest over time. Yet, the integration of analogue legacy and digital archival datasets is collaborative and longitudinal work. In this paper, we bring together experiential reflections on data archiving conducted at both the excavation site and in the physical archives of the Pompeii Archaeological Park. We then provide an integrative analysis of the outcomes of such data curation, highlighting what each data archiving contributor “discovered” about the site as a whole or a specific artefact, feature, or data category. Our findings contribute deeper insights into what data archiving and format-specific curation activities are most effective for learning experiences, archaeological scholarship, and professional practices. Full article

This study investigates the applicability of the Japanese forest education model, exemplified by the Whole Earth Nature School (WENS), to environmental education programs within urban parks and botanical gardens. Focusing on WENS’s approach—characterized by immersive natural experiences, innovative facilitation techniques, and support from interdisciplinary educator teams to foster independent thinking through experiential learning—the research identifies three transferable insights: (1) Reorienting educational philosophy to prioritize nature-based learning for holistic development, particularly within urban green spaces; (2) Developing localized curricula that leverage the unique ecological resources of specific park and garden environments; (3) Establishing dedicated professional development systems for educators focused on site-based pedagogy. The findings demonstrate that adapting the forest education model can significantly enhance environmental education initiatives in urban parks and botanical gardens, which offers actionable strategies for integrating experiential nature learning into their educational planning. Full article

Background/Objectives: Living with a disabled family member has extensive implications for the whole family involved in their care, and there is dependency on healthcare support for maintaining quality of life. This qualitative study, conducted in Northern Ireland, investigated the support needs of different family members living with a severely impaired individual across the lifespan. A key objective was to identify support needs for intervention. Methods: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain data from eight mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of a profoundly disabled child or sibling. Data was analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, allowing for the application of double hermeneutic in which the researchers derived meaning from the lived experiences of participants. Results: The analysis yielded five themes in total. Three themes were related to gaps in healthcare systems: Support Needs in Childhood, Support in Transition into Adult Services, and Worry for the Future; and two themes were linked with support needs: Associative Disability in Family Members; and Stigma. All family members had caregiving roles, and these had similarities and differences according to the relationship with the care-receiver. Participants recognized their families were survivors, however maintained a family tragedy rather than positive change outlook. Conclusions: Recommendations derived from the findings to alleviate the stressors of the situation for family members include increasing community support and age-related respite facilities. Additionally, improving and enhancing education of disabilities in schools, and immersing and further integrating individuals with disability into society, will alleviate the alienation, isolation and loneliness experienced by family members. Full article

In this paper, we present selected findings from a 2024/2025 study on the reading habits of students from two major Slovenian universities enrolled in teacher education programs and compare them with data from a similar study conducted in 2017/2018. Understanding the reading practices of future educators is essential for improving reading engagement in schools and society as a whole. The data obtained from a selected student sample corroborate previous research indicating that early reading socialization—particularly childhood reading within the family, maternal education, and attendance in preschool—are factors positively associated with the number of books read in adulthood. The findings also highlight the important compensatory role of preschools and schools in fostering adult readers, especially in cases where family support for reading is lacking. In certain respects, the reading habits of students have deteriorated compared to the initial study: the time devoted to reading has decreased, and students more frequently choose less demanding texts. Female students read a greater number of books than male students, though their chosen texts tend to be less demanding, while male students more often select more challenging texts. Reading for pleasure and intrinsic motivation to read significantly influence the number of books read. Full article

Despite increased interest in embodied learning, the role of sensorimotor activity in shaping students’ probabilistic reasoning remains underexplored. This design-based study examines how high school students develop key probabilistic concepts, including sample space, certainty, and event probability, through whole-body movement activities situated in an authentic classroom setting. Grounded in embodied cognition theory, we introduce a two-axis interpretive framework. One axis spans sensorimotor exploration and formal reasoning, drawing from established continuums in the literature. The second axis, derived inductively from our analysis, contrasts engagement with distraction, foregrounding the affective and attentional dimensions of embodied participation. Students engaged in structured yet open-ended movement sequences that elicited intuitive insights. This approach, epitomized by one student’s spontaneous question, “Can I use my leg too?”, captures the agentive and improvisational character of the embodied learning environment. Through five analyzed classroom episodes, we trace how students shifted between bodily exploration and formalization, often through nonlinear trajectories shaped by play, uncertainty, and emotionally driven reflection. While moments of insight emerged organically, they were also fragile, as they were affected by ambiguity and the difficulty in translating physical actions into mathematical language. Our findings underscore the pedagogical potential of embodied design for probabilistic learning while also highlighting the need for responsive teaching that balances structure with improvisation and supports affective integration throughout the learning process. Full article

Numerous studies of leadership preparation programs cite coaching as a critical and underutilized support that can accelerate leadership development and contribute to leader retention. While many leadership coaching models focus on reflection and problem solving, this study investigates coaching centered on leaders’ identities as necessary components to address complex equity issues. Additionally, we explore how leader preparation programs train and support coaches themselves to reflect on their identities. Employing a metasynthesis of three larger studies of leader preparation, this study reports on themes present across multiple data sources including: interviews with leadership candidates, coaches and instructors; observational field notes; and document analysis. Findings reveal how coaches and coachees interrogated their identities to do equity and justice-oriented work. Specifically, coaching models across leader preparation programs required both coaches and coachees to bring their whole selves to the work, make themselves vulnerable, utilize tools of inquiry and apply those tools to specific leadership competencies. Further, the impact of leadership coaching is both personal and professional, while also having systemic implications for schools. Implications for state policy include dedicating funds to prioritize coaching for equity in leadership preparation. For practice, this means embedding coursework that centers identity, race, and Anti-Blackness, and redesigning coaching to intentionally address both historical and present-day realities. Programs can leverage existing resources to train equity-focused coaches while intentionally investing time and training to support sustained, transformative leadership development, ensuring that both aspiring and practicing leaders benefit from meaningful leadership coaching. Full article

We examined the effects of a digital reflection and feedback intervention for pre-service teachers during a five-month school placement (Praxissemester) in Germany. Three reflection formats were compared: text-based memory protocols (control), unguided viewing of self-recorded lessons, and a structured digital video annotation (DVA) format. Fifty-five secondary teacher candidates were randomized into the three conditions and completed a validated, video-based Analysis-Competence Test before and after the semester. Repeated-measures ANOVA and mixed models showed robust overall improvement in global analysis competence across all groups. For process-oriented reasoning (whole-lesson reflection), both video-based formats showed significant within-group gains that were descriptively larger than those of the text-based control, although between-condition differences were not statistically significant; for synthetic competence (focused on specific lesson situations), the annotation group and the text-only control improved significantly, whereas the video-only condition did not, with the structured annotation group achieving the largest within-group gains and a trend-level advantage in higher-order reflection. Between-group effects did not reach conventional significance in either rmANOVA or the mixed models, though trends favored the annotation scaffold. These findings suggest that time-stamped, theory-aligned scaffolds can help pre-service teachers move beyond surface-level description toward deeper, theory-informed reflection in practicum settings. Full article

This study examines whether and how community schools’ integrated student support services (academic, socioemotional, health, and family support) contributed to improving whole-child/youth development and reducing systemic inequalities of students’ learning/wellness outcomes across New York State under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Applying a quasi-experimental method with propensity score matching to the state’s 2018–2023 school survey and report card databases, it provides new evidence on the efficacy of community school programs on average and by subgroups (race/ethnicity, poverty, disability, English language learner, and housing status). The results of matched comparisons between community schools and non-community schools are mixed, after considering their differences in terms of student demographics and baseline conditions. Overall, community schools showed policy implementation fidelity with more state funding, policy-aligned practices, and school-based health centers/clinics. However, community schools had no discernable impacts on academic achievement and chronic absenteeism overall, except that the operation of school-based health centers was associated with a reduction in absenteeism. In contrast, community schools had more positive impacts on high school graduation rates, particularly among disadvantaged minority students; the impacts are attributable to policy-aligned practices, set-aside funding, and school-based health center dental programs. Educational policy and research implications are discussed. 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

Uniquely rooted in regenerative leadership and complemented by Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT), this conceptual essay offers a theoretical exploration of how educational institutions can act as dynamic systems that catalyze adaptive, community-led responses to anthropocentric socio-environmental crises. Rather than sustaining existing structures, educational leadership for regeneration seeks to restore ecological balance and nurture emergent capacities for long-term resilience. Positioned as key sites of influence, educational institutions are explored as engines of innovation capable of mobilizing students, educators, and communities toward collective environmental action. CLT offers a valuable lens for understanding how leadership emerges from nonlinear, adaptive processes within schools, enabling the development of innovative, collaborative, and responsive strategies required for navigating complexity and leading planetary-positive change. Drawing on a synthesis of the recent global literature, this paper begins by outlining the need to go beyond sustainability in envisioning regenerative futures, followed by an introduction to regenerative principles. It then examines the current and evolving role of educational leadership, the relevance in enabling whole-institution transformation, and how this relates to regenerative practices. The theoretical frameworks of systems thinking and CLT are introduced before noting their application within regenerative educational leadership. The final sections identify implementation challenges and offer practical recommendations, including curriculum innovation, professional development, and youth-led advocacy, before concluding with a call for education as a vehicle for cultivating planetary-conscious citizens and systemic change. This work contributes a timely and theoretically grounded model for reimagining educational leadership in an era of global turbulence. Full article

The latest Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education (RSHE) Draft Guidance seeks to reduce the inclusion of LGBT themes in English schools. Additionally, the Gender Questioning Draft Guidance for Schools and Colleges and the Cass Review overlook the rights of trans and non-binary young people, further intensifying the heated debates surrounding their lives. In response, the author draws upon research conducted in a primary school in Greater London in 2021, when statutory RSHE, including LGBT content, was first introduced. The research aimed to understand how teachers felt about teaching RSHE and to collaborate with them to enhance pupil learning within and beyond the RSHE curriculum. This paper critiques lesson observations and teachers’ reflections on their lessons using a Framework for Sexuality Education and Queer Theory. The researcher’s call to rethink how RSHE is taught should not be taken to mean it should not be taught. To the contrary, the findings suggest a need for the school to broaden its curriculum, teaching methods, and strategies to become a truly ‘LGBT-inclusive’ environment. However, the paper also illuminates the apprehensions these primary school teachers experienced, which in turn influenced pedagogical decisions. The article concludes by recommending specific whole-school approaches and effective pedagogical practices for RSHE in the school, which could be beneficial to other primary school settings. Effective teaching of LGBT themes requires clear support for educators, especially within the complexity of a primary school setting and given the changing political and social climate. Full article