Online Psycho-Educational Intervention in Mathematical Learning Difficulties

The present study shows the results of six case studies referring to an intervention applied to mathematical learning difficulties. Participants were 8 to 12 years old. The intervention considered mathematics as a language and it is theoretically based on Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model, Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and Peircean semiotics. The objective was to work on the development of academic skills associating mathematics with interactional social skills. The analysis was based on qualitative data collected during the intervention process and quantitative data from scales and instruments with pre- and post-intervention measures. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic context, some methodological issues were affected, mainly because the evaluations took place before and in the midst of the pandemic. Social impacts of the pandemic have unevenly affected participants, especially adolescents and children. The pandemic had a worse effect on adolescents than on children, especially regarding procedures that involve memory, and those with attentional problems also had worse results.

Playful Learning During the Reopening of Danish Schools After Covid 19 Closures

This article is based on qualitative and quantitative data collected from teachers and pupils in Danish schools in June 2020, as schools reopened following closures in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It investigates the transformations in school life that took place in this period in response to strict official guidelines to prevent the spread of infection, transformations both in school learning environments and in teaching activities. Using factor and cluster analyses and logistic regression, it explores the relation between teaching environment and pupils' emotional, social, and academic wellbeing, identifying correlations between key factors in the environment and the three dimensions of wellbeing. The study contributes both to understanding and dealing with the crisis in which education systems in the Nordic countries have found themselves in and adds relevant knowledge on themes of importance for education in the future.

Digital Reading Check-Ins: Supporting Independent Digital Reading

We know that teacher support during independent reading can greatly impact the growth and development of beginning readers. However, the rapid conversion to online learning in the 2020-2021 school year required teachers to rethink and retool traditional strategies to meet the needs of their online learners. This teaching and learning guide explores the use of a digital reading check-in strategy to support beginning readers as they read independently on digital platforms. We explain how this strategy was implemented successfully in a first-grade classroom and how it can be employed with any digital reading platform used in classrooms today.

"Flexibility, Compassion, and Support" -- A Study on Multilayer Mitigation Effects on Pedagogy and Resilience in Thai Classroom, June-September 2022

This qualitative study analyzed pedagogical effects of multilayer mitigation in a Thai classroom. The triangulated data set were confidential, comprising teachers' voluntary anonymous information, pedagogical views and opinions, respectively. First, pupils' low absence rates enabled pedagogical focus on learning losses, which were mainly skills. The second effect was related to assessment. None of the teachers mentioned test results as learning loss indicators but regarded learning and qualified assessment as dynamic processes. An interesting dilemma was the learning loss measurements by non-pedagogical experts. Mostly those were presented as test scores, working hour counts, or annual formalities. However, optimized learning strategies' research had existed for decades, being responded better by these pupils. The third effect was the improved resilience of pupils and caretakers. Initially worried parents turned relieved. Resilience fostered the intrinsic motivation of all. When compared to some countries, firmer resilience made the difference in learning loss endurance for this group. "All-inclusive" mitigation had given families meaningful support. They shared visions of community roles, mediated by teachers and school management. The latter were backed by epidemiologists and medical experts. Further studies should discuss schools in a longer timeframe. External, quantified test scores without in-depth pedagogical analyses seem outdated by the early fourth pandemic year.

A Pandemic Partnership: Preservice Teachers and Fourth Graders Engage in Virtual Book Clubs

When preservice teachers were no longer able to visit schools due to the pandemic, their university professor partnered with an alum who teaches fourth grade to design and implement virtual book clubs. The preservice teachers created book trailers for the fourth graders to view and choose from for their book club. The groups connected using a variety of digital platforms and modalities to discuss the selected books. Through this virtual experience, the preservice teachers learned how to individualize their responses using the Four-N-Framework as a guide to nurture and nudge each reader through virtual book club conversations.

Perspectives on the use of the Fraction Strips application in teaching fractions

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the digital divide and the limited tech-nopedagogical proficiency of teachers. To improve the teaching of fractions, thirty elementary school teachers were trained in the use of the Fraction Strips virtual manipulative. Phenomenology was used to assess their learning experiences and the dynamics of technological appropriation were recorded. The results showed a significant appropriation of the manipulative, the importance of multiple representations in the conceptual understanding of fractions and the promotion of meaningful and discovery learning. In conclusion, the training improved the teach-ers' digital competencies and pedagogical practices. © GKA Ediciones, authors. Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada.

Living and learning through lockdown: a fictionalisation of the challenges and opportunities of homeschooling during a global pandemic

This article reports on research which investigated the lived experiences of primary school headteachers, teachers and parents during the first lockdown in England between March and July 2020. The study aimed to understand how homeschooling was approached and the challenges and opportunities it afforded. Individual semi-structured interviews were undertaken with participants and the findings are presented in the article in three episodes using fictionalised scenarios. The episodes created are the initial approach to homeschooling, coping with uncertainty and realignment. The themes emerging from each episode are pragmatic decision-making, change and the impact upon welfare and well-being, and shifting priorities. The article illustrates the struggles of homeschooling in lockdown and some surprising outcomes, and also points to future possibilities for education.

The effect of a global pandemic on students' social emotional competencies

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of COVID-19 on youth's social emotional competencies. Specifically, this study examined whether there was a significant difference in social emotional competency proficiency levels of self-management, social awareness, and emotion regulation as measured by the Panorama SEL Survey from October 2019 to October 2021 in fifth through twelfth grade students who attended a large, diverse suburban school district in Illinois. This study showed statistically significant differences in students' proficiency levels, which increased for self-management and decreased for social awareness and emotion regulation. Based on these results, school district leaders should consider investing funds to increase interventions and strategies for students regarding social awareness and emotion regulation. Future research should consider analyzing mindfulness interventions implemented as well as the different demographic subgroups with pre-pandemic and during-pandemic data. An extension study with additional years from the same cohort may also provide meaningful insights to school district leaders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

COVID-19 and Distance Education: Evaluation in the Context of Twenty-First Century Skills

In this study, we aimed to investigate the prospective primary school teachers' opinions about their experiences in distance education within the scope of twenty-first century skills during COVID-19 pandemic. The phenomenological research method was used for the purpose of enlightening this specific context. The study group involved 16 prospective primary school teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The credibility of the data were provided by obtaining the consent of the participants and by comparing the consistency of codes and themes created by experts in accordance with the twenty-first century skills. The key findings were: (1) no opinion is expressed on information and media literacy;also, participants were not aware of the importance of technology literacy. (2) Emergency remote education cannot provide effective learning and teaching. Participants' awareness of collaboration and communication skills was insufficient. (3) There were positive and negative aspects of emergency distance education towards face-to-face one. The educational environment, which has become digitalized with distance education, shows that there are changes in the views of the participants about the technology competence that they should have in their careers. As a result, remote education does not cause a significant difference in 21st century skills of participants. But the importance and need of twenty-first century skills in the distance education process become more apparent.

Parental Involvement in Digital Learning: Mother's Experiences of Elementary School Students

After the implementation of the school closure policy, parents are acclimating to studying with their children due to the effects of COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study thoroughly discusses the involvement of parents in a child's digital education, especially the experience of the mothers with elementary school students. The survey approach and qualitative methods are used to obtain 277 respondents from the population of parents in Berau, Indonesia. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Partial Least Square (PLS) are the data analysis technique used with the help of SmartPLS software version 3. The results shows that the direction of the relationship between the use of gadgets and maternal involvement is positive, hence the hypothesis decision is accepted. The digital learning of children includes letter and number recognition, reading, learning to count, coloring, drawing, playing educational games, and studying. Some of the mothers' involvement includes explaining websites accessible by children to communicate politely on social media. These results are valuable insights for parents in providing involvement in digital learning for elementary school students. It is important for parents to have a higher level of understanding and familiarity with the application or technology that their children utilize. © 2023,nternational Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies. All Rights Reserved.

Special educators' use of culturally responsive family-professional partnership practices with refugee families

Refugee families who have children with disabilities encounter numerous systemic barriers that impact their opportunities to partner with schools and special educators. This study explored early childhood special education and elementary special education teachers use of culturally responsive family-professional partnership practices with refugee families and the impact of current events (e.g. political and immigration rhetoric and COVID-19) on special educators' partnerships with refugee families. Fourteen special educators who taught students in early childhood (n = 8) or elementary (n = 6) levels and worked with at least one student whose family was from a refugee background in the past five years completed an online questionnaire. Nine special educators also engaged in semi-structured interviews to obtain input on their experiences supporting refugee families before and during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. First, the data highlighted contextual factors, such as teachers' understanding of families' backgrounds, teachers' perceptions of families' experiences in special education, and access to interpreters, that highlighted the need for family-professional partnerships. Second, teachers reported high rates of using family-professional partnership practices with refugee families but reported lower rates of helping refugee families gain skills and information to assist their child in their special education programming. Third, teachers shared strategies that they used before and during IEP meetings to engage and partner with refugee families. Fourth, teachers discussed how changes to immigration laws and rhetoric had minimal impact on their partnerships with refugee families, but there was significant impact on partnerships due to COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics Associated with the COVID-19 Incidence in Elementary School Children: An Ecological Study in Osaka City, Japan.

We aimed to determine whether neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics are associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) incidence in elementary school children and, if so, the associated characteristics. We obtained data on the number of infected children from 282 public elementary schools and the socioeconomic characteristics of each school district in Osaka City, Japan. We examined associations between these variables through negative binomial regression analyses. The proportion of employment in the wholesale and retail trade industry and the college graduation rate were significantly positively and negatively associated, respectively, with the total number of COVID-19-infected children. It was discovered that percentages of employment in the accommodation and food service industries in Wave 2, wholesale and retail trade industries after Wave 3, and healthcare and social assistance industries in Wave 5 were significantly positively associated with the number of infected children; likewise, the college graduation rate in Wave 5 was significantly negatively associated with the number of infected children. Our findings provide insight into the relevant and important areas of focus for public health policymakers and practitioners to ensure reduced disparities in COVID-19 infection rates.

Limited face-to-face learning on students in inclusive classrooms during the Covid-19 pandemic: Perceptions of elementary school teachers in Indonesia

Implementing limited face-to-face learning (LF2FL) during the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students in inclusive classrooms. Some of the adjustments teachers and students faced were obstacles and challenges that took time to make. The teacher must comply online learning experience conducted with all its shortcomings during the implementation of LF2FL and its impacts on students, including students with disability. We conducted a study to explore teachers' perceptions of the impact of implementing LF2FL on students in inclusive classrooms in elementary schools. This research used a case study to obtain and examine data in a context that the phenomena will accept in depth. We involved 16 elementary school teachers, conducted semi-structured interviews, and analysed the data using thematic analysis. The results showed two main themes, namely learning outcomes and instructional processes, which emerged for students without disabilities and students with disability. For the learning outcomes, teachers highlighted sub-themes of the cognitive and affective aspects most. The instructional process sub-theme of the interaction was one of the essential aspects of minimising learning loss during online learning from home. Our finding detail in more depth the two types of students, both in terms of similarities and differences of LF2FL on students in inclusive classrooms that contributes to the reconfirmation of knowledge for all students, reduces students' mental stress, and increases student motivation through direct interaction between teachers and students. It is necessary to increase transformational competence in the education system for teachers, especially in the inclusive education system. The government needs to modify the curriculum to be more flexible and adaptive for all students in inclusive elementary schools who can keep up with the changes in education in Indonesia.

Training on autonomy promotion and pedagogical support during COVID-19 lockdowns

This paper analyzes the implementation of a professional development program on autonomy promotion and instructional support in the classroom, and the relationship between this program and students' engagement. The program was designed during the delivery of online classes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used a convergent parallel design. Participants were five elementary teachers and their students (N=110) at a public school in Cali, Colombia. The program consisted of two workshops and three online individual feedback sessions. Classes were recorded before and during the program and classroom interactions were coded. The results show high variability in teachers' autonomy promotion and instructional support during the classes. Students' engagement was higher when teachers promote greater autonomy and instructional support. Variables that could affect teachers' use of learning from the program are discussed. © 2023 Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales. All rights reserved.

The spectrum of the journey: Narrating identities during professional learning in pivotal response treatment for novice elementary teachers of students with autism spectrum disorder

In Ontario, Policy/Program Memoranda No. 140 (PPM 140) authorizes educators to utilize Applied Behavioural Analysis methods to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the classroom. Although typically favoured, inclusive policies are difficult to translate into practice without training (Lindsay et al., 2013). Novice educators (i.e., first five years of their career) are at the cusp of developing a teacher identity as they are shifting roles from that of a teacher candidate to what it means to be a professional teacher.Symbolic interactionism (SI) is one theory deemed useful for narrating and investigating identity. According to Blumer (1986), SI is a theory which investigates how individuals develop subjective meanings and how those meanings are reformed during an interpretive process producing different behavioural responses. Within the teaching profession, physical objects refer to space or material. Social objects refer to the interactions with individuals. objects are beliefs about professional development (PD) and identity (Blumer, 1986).Current studies do not address how teachers with larger classes may implement evidence-based practices, such as Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT). Even when general education teachers do receive training in PRT, an investigation into identity is missing. This doctoral dissertation investigates how a professional learning in PRT in Ontario may influence novice (i.e., first five years of their career) elementary educators' (i.e., JK-Grade three) identity as a teacher from a qualitative (i.e., narrative inquiry) design. Results from interviews, journals, and focus groups revealed themes. Physical objects included (1) accessibility to tangible resources and in-class trainings, (2) motivation/accountability, (3) barrier of time, (4) barrier of COVID-19, (5) barrier of staffing, and (6) barrier of size/needs of a classroom. Analyzing social objects revealed (7) student relationship building, (8) classroom staff communication, (9) low parental communication, and (10) distance support from administrators. Conversations around identity detailed how (11) early educational experiences and (12) previous characteristics associated with a teacher impacted a present (13) definition of teacher identity as the philosophy of teaching. This exposed themes such as (14) advocating for accommodations, (15) life-long learner, (16) self-reflective, (17) connection between personal/social self, and (18) a generalist role. (19) Micro-level solutions such as obtaining more strategies for themselves, and (20) macro-level solutions such as dedicating more time within teacher education programs and in-person training were also discoursed.Physical and social objects had a direct impact on objects. The first premise of symbolic interactionism, meaning, delved deep into how novice educators acted towards objects based on the meanings assigned to them throughout the study. Through social interactions (i.e., premise two - language) with myself as the researcher, the research study, the other participants, and stakeholders in their school climate, an investigation into the interpretation process (i.e., premise three - thought) revealed the above themes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Novice kindergarten and elementary teachers' lived experience with math content and instruction

Math proficiency in the elementary grades is one component to ensuring a highly qualified science, math, engineering, and technology workforce. The literature indicates that teachers of those early years greatly impact their students' future attitudes and abilities in the STEM fields. Therefore, it is critical that administrators, teacher education programs, and policymakers implement procedures to prepare and empower preservice teachers. This hermeneutic phenomenology focused on novice teachers' impressions of their preparedness regarding kindergarten and elementary math content and pedagogy. Ten teachers answered questions about their past educational experiences, their current teaching position, and strategies for addressing challenges. Unfamiliar curriculum and gaps in basic student knowledge were two of the difficulties that the teachers mentioned. They faced these issues through differentiation, collaboration, and self-reflection. Collaborating with a mentor or colleagues allowed these novice teachers to glean resources and strategies that helped them navigate elementary math content and pedagogy. In addition, this study revealed the influence that the teachers' resilience had on their ability to maneuver the difficulties inherent in the first two years as a classroom teacher. The impact of attending a faith-based university, the influence of middle-school math teachers, resilience in kindergarten through elementary teachers, and managing the consequences of Covid-19 restrictions in schools warrant further study as they relate to math content and instruction in kindergarten through fifth-grade mathematics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Exploring motivating factors of traditionally trained first-year teachers: A qualitative study

The problem among teacher retention is an issue as the annual teacher turnover rate in several countries is between 13-15%. With the increase in teachers selecting alternative paths or emergency permits, this study aimed to explore the motivational factors of traditionally trained, first-year, full-time, K-12 public teachers. The education motivational research specifically focused on preservice experience, early teacher experience, teacher motivation approaches, and recruitment and retention motivation. Although there is a lot of research on motivation, the research gap did not provide motivational factors specifically aimed at the traditionally trained, first-year, full-time, K-12 public teachers. The study contributed to the field of education by providing the motivational factors from the teachers' own experiences through a basic qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the motivational factors traditionally trained, first-year, full-time, K-12 public school teachers. The theoretical framework for the study was Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory. The population for this study consisted of 10 traditionally trained, full-time K-12 public school teachers. Using thematic analysis, four motivational factor themes emerged: affirmation, support, job selection, and pandemic impact. The teachers were motivated by affirmation, acknowledgement of their conscientious application to the profession and knowing they were making a difference among their students. The teachers were motivated by support through having balance and opportunities for professional growth. The teachers were motivated by the ability to select the position and school district. On the opposite spectrum, the pandemic impact motivated teachers in making the decision to return to the classroom the following year. The study includes the COVID-19 restrictions, specifically the interviews being conducted virtually. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Parental perception of the relationship between stress responses and the changes in lifestyle habits of elementary school students during a temporary leave of absence for COVID-19

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between stress responses and the lifestyle habit changes of elementary school students during a temporary leave of absence from school during measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections. We surveyed 637 parents of elementary school students about their lifestyle habit changes and stress responses during their temporary leave and finally analyzed 510 subjects. Variance analysis, showed that there were significant differences in "irregular sleep," "disordered eating habits," and "increased use of games and smartphones," but the effect size was small. When the correlation was calculated, "disordered eating habits" was associated with all stress responses, and six lifestyle-related changes were associated with lethargy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Examining teachers 'attitudes and practices of special education in Kansas during COVID-19

Prior to COVID-19, elementary and secondary education teachers worked with an ever-changing education program developed to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities. COVID-19 has created an environment of uncertainty in teaching students with masks with special needs in either face to face, or remote learners or a hybrid of the two methodologies. The study measured the attitudes and practices of the elementary and secondary special education teachers toward teaching students with disabilities during COVID-19 in Kansas. The elementary or secondary special education teacher has a complex and tumultuous set of unknown undertakings toward adequate preparation to provide the legally stated goals in an Individual Education Program and inclusion required for the Least Restrictive Environment. The COVID-19 pandemic also presented special conditions that varied from the national leadership, state to state, and to the specific local district superintendents and local building principals. Ultimately, this study researched what attitudes and practices towards special education have special education teachers in Kansas been experiencing during COVID-19. Also, the study addressed what modalities were used to meet IEP goals during COVID-19. . This document examines the attitudes and practices that the special education teachers experienced during COVID. It quantifies the use of the three main methods of instruction for students with special needs during COVID: face-to-face, remote or a hybrid of the two methods. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Exclusionary discipline: Urban elementary school teachers' perceptions of African American students' behaviors

School suspension and expulsion are not limited to middle and high school students;these exclusionary approaches to discipline begin in early childhood settings such as elementary schools. Most studies regarding exclusionary discipline have been conducted on the middle and high school level, but there are very limited studies regarding exclusionary discipline in early childhood or elementary school level. African American elementary school students are disproportionately represented in multiple school suspensions. Although the majority of school suspensions were not due to violent school crimes, but for discretionary offenses, zero tolerance policies have substantially contributed to students being suspended or expelled for trivial infractions. The purpose of this study was to use qualitative research to investigate New York City's public elementary school teachers' perceptions of African American students' behaviors, and how teachers would describe effective behavior intervention approaches for African American students. Data were collected through the use of interviews and journal prompts completed by teachers during the fall of 2021. Results from this study showed that African American students were perceived by the teacher participants as having similar behaviors to other children of various racial and ethnic groups, and needed effective behavior intervention approaches that addressed mental health counseling, extra-curricular and movement activities, preventative measures to discipline, and culturally responsive education. The results obtained from this study may inform educators and policymakers of social justice alternatives to exclusionary discipline. Further studies are needed to examine the "sit still culture" and the role of movement activities and kinesthetic learning modalities as behavioral intervention approaches to lessen disruptive behaviors and curb punitive exclusionary practices, as well as the effects of social justice alternatives to exclusionary discipline as a support system for black students post COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)