The Syncretic Effect of Dual-Source Data on Affective Computing in Online Learning Contexts: A Perspective from Convolutional Neural Network with Attention Mechanism

Affective computing (AC) has been regarded as a relevant approach to identifying online learners' mental states and predicting their learning performance. Previous research mainly used one single-source data set, typically learners' facial expression, to compute learners' affection. However, a single facial expression may represent different affections in various head poses. This study proposed a dual-source data approach to solve the problem. Facial expression and head pose are two typical data sources that can be captured from online learning videos. The current study collected a dual-source data set of facial expressions and head poses from an online learning class in a middle school. A deep learning neural network using AlexNet with an attention mechanism was developed to verify the syncretic effect on affective computing of the proposed dual-source fusion strategy. The results show that the dual-source fusion approach significantly outperforms the single-source approach based on the AC recognition accuracy between the two approaches (dual-source approach using Attention-AlexNet model 80.96%;single-source approach, facial expression 76.65% and head pose 64.34%). This study contributes to the theoretical construction of the dual-source data fusion approach, and the empirical validation of the effect of the Attention-AlexNet neural network approach on affective computing in online learning contexts.

Variations in circadian rhythmicity and students' gender-related psychological conditions during the COVID-19 lockdown

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced around the world, new student lifestyles have had an impact on their daily behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine post-traumatic stress associated with the initial COVID-19 crisis in students (N = 280) with a mean age of 13 +/- 1.70 and to determine the relationship between their reported daily behaviors in terms of their gender. The study was conducted primarily in Casablanca and Marrakech, the two cities most affected by the pandemic at the time of the study in Morocco in May 2020. Our sample consists of 133 high school students and 147 middle school students, 83.6% of whom are females. Students were asked to answer questions based on an Activity Biorhythm Questionnaire, the Post-Traumatic Stress Scale (Weathers et al., 1993), the Hamilton Scale (Hamilton, 1960), the Worry Domains Questionnaire (Tallis, Eyzenck, Mathews, 1992), and the Visual Analog Scale of Moods (VASM) (Stern et al., 1997). The results obtained confirm that there is a significant relationship between the circadian rhythm of some variables and gender in some activities such as academic study (p < 0.05) and TV and Internet use (p < 0.05) and was highly significant for physical activity (p = 0.001), while others are not significant in relation to other schedules of the same variables or in relation to others. Likewise, for the psychological conditions, significant relationships with mood states and depressive tendencies were confirmed. In lockdown, the students' daily lives underwent changes in circadian rhythm and lifestyle. Therefore, it is necessary to treat their current psychological problems and avoid future complications. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

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)

The Views of Middle School Students on Distance and Face-to-Face Education on Mathematics Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The spread of the COVID-19 all over the world have negatively affected many areas, leading to a number changes throughout the world. Being one of these areas, education had to undergone some changes and shifted to distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, distance education has also brought some discussions and problems. This study was carried out to investigate the thoughts of middle school students on distance education and face-to-face education. Based on quantitative research design, this study adopted a phenomenological design Data were collected from a participant group consisting of 240 secondary school students (60 5th grade, 60 6th grade, 60 7th grade and 60 8th grade) through a scale prepared by the researchers. The data were analyzed using SPSS package program with descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage. As a result of the study It was found that middle school students' views on distance education and face-to-face education differed significantly with regard to parents' education level, gender, grade level and average monthly family income.

Experiences of Parents and Practitioners Working with Middle School Students with ASD during the COVID-19 School Shutdown

People with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) may be especially vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic due to their unique characteristics. This qualitative case study used interviews with instructional staff and parents to understand the experiences of both families and practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this can inform the use of virtual instruction for students with ASD. Through the lens of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (1979) we examined how the different layers of our world shifted due to the pandemic, and what influence this had on our students with a diagnosis of ASD. Findings revealed several themes of among the interview transcripts, five main themes were observed: COVID-19, conflict of no control versus freedom, setting, technology use and preparation, and perspective.

Designing and Implementation of Web-enhanced Inquiry Learning for Literacy in Science Platform for Post COVID-19 Education

Teaching and learning for school science became more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic as regular science classes were offered online in real-time remote, synchronized, asynchronized, and hybrid learning modes. In science education, students often cannot collect the real-time data necessary for inquiry in science classrooms. During the COVID-19 outbreak, web-based or e-learning platforms play a significant role in science education during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. To overcome the outbreak limitation, teachers and students were required to transform their teaching and learning to be online with and without the available online platforms, enabling both teachers and learners to easily different learning sources and make teaching and learning work efficient and effective. Therefore, this study proposed a prototype of a Web-enhanced Inquiry Learning for Literacy in Science (WILL-S) platform aiming to provide innovative and flexible teaching to enhance the science competencies of middle school students. This web platform allows teachers and students to maximize their teaching practices and learning processes in science. A preliminary evaluation of the proposed platform was carried out with eight in-service science teachers and 221 middle school students from eight different secondary schools located in northeastern Thailand to estimate their acceptance of the proposed platform from teachers' and students' perspectives. The preliminary result was the positive acceptability of the teachers and students. © 2023 IEEE.

Reader identity in the shadow of COVID

Reader identity has long been associated with reading success and is based on social interactions happening in conjunction with reading tasks. Social feedback, observational comparison, and progress are three of the sources of self-perceptions that inform reader identity. During the COVID pandemic, schools employed various safety protocols, including learning online or in a hybrid format, and social distancing and wearing masks when in school. These safety measures inhibited social interaction and communication (both verbal and non-verbal). Since reader identity is informed by social interactions, this descriptive research explored the state of reader identity among middle school students in the wake of safety protocols that limited social interactions. Eighty-nine students completed a modified version of the Reader Self-Perception Scale-2 (Henk, Marinak, & Melnick, 2012) to identify how students view their own reader identities. Contrary to what was expected, reader identity has not altered much throughout the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

National Capital Section Presents Future City 2023 SpeciaI Award

Future City organizations and teams have returned to normal activities this year after Covid;and have reorganized and conducted a very successful Future City 2023 Competition. On 19 February, regional Future City winners from 41 middle schools and after-school organizations (eg, scouts, 4H, boys/girls clubs) from nationwide and China participated in the Future City National Finals. The Special Awards judging was done in person in Washington DC. In its 31st year Future City has engaged middle school in STEM and diversity. This year's Future City theme was "Climate Change Challenge." Middle school students were asked to create cities of the future, first on a computer and then as large tabletop models. Working in teams with a teacher and volunteer engineer mentor, students create their cities using the SimCity 3000 TM video game donated to all participating schools by Electronic Arts, Inc., of Redwood City CA.

Editorial Introduction

Teacher preparation programs must begin addressing the challenges these laws present to P-12 schools. [...]in this article, the author discusses a qualitative research study that examined southern gay male teachers' beliefs about the intersectionality of sexuality, gender identity, and pedagogy in secondary classrooms. The project's embrace and criticism are expressive of the juxtaposition When Diversity Isn't the Point: Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors in the Classroom Kaitlin Jackson : This article looks past the gifted classics of children's literature to explore the incredible opportunity that is missed all too often: an opportunity to intentionally choose books in which diversity is not the point but showcase much-needed representation. Drawing on in-depth interviews, participant observations, pláticas, document analyses, and literature on race and space and racism in higher education, I argue that the racially hostile campus environment experienced by MMAX students at their respective university manifests itself as a form of educational-environmental racism. Under the Next Gen- eration Science Standards, middle school students are expected to model EarthMoon-Sun motions to explain Moon phases, eclipses, and seasons (NGSS Lead States, 2013).

Middle school teacher methods for cultivating student autonomy: A PLC case study during COVID-19

The purpose of this PLC-informed qualitative interview case study was to explore middle school teacher methods for cultivating student autonomy and the rationale behind their instructional choices. Here, student autonomy was defined as learners taking ownership of their academic performance and scholastic responsibilities (Holec, 1981). The unforeseen emergence of COVID-19 impacted the format of this study and provided a rare opportunity for a six-week, nine-member professional learning community (PLC) focusing on the topic of student autonomy. A survey questionnaire, PLC transcripts, and 30-minute semi-structured qualitative exit interviews underwent thematic coding analysis to place teacher responses in the context of predominant voices found in academia today. Themes are examined from a leadership perspective, through the social justice lens of critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970;Giroux, 2011;McLaren, 2015). This study evolved to capture the teachers' lived experiences during the pandemic in order to gain their perspectives on how autonomy shifted along with the traditional means of instruction during this time of seismic change. Discussed are themes of performativity, teacher authenticity, social and emotional learning (SEL), PLCs as professional development (PD), motivation, constructivism, adaptive expertise, and metacognition, along with several others, nesting teachers' practical experience in the rich context of pedagogical theory, specifically when navigating new roles in remote and hybrid instruction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Comparing middle school student learning outcomes among in-person, online, and hybrid modes of instruction: A consideration of student engagement in distance learning during a pandemic

In this study, a comparative analysis was conducted to explore how students' learning outcomes were potentially influenced by student engagement during different modes of instruction. The study compared the final mean grade point averages (GPAs) of a sample (N = 600) of middle school students during in-person, online, and hybrid modes of instruction. The sample group was divided into two subgroups (Group 1: n = 300 and Group 2: n = 300). The designated timeframes for the evaluation were before the COVID-19 pandemic (sixth grade, 2018-2019), at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (seventh grade, 2019-2020), and during the COVID-19 pandemic (eighth grade, 2020-2021) to determine if student engagement affected academic achievement. The three data analyses used to compare the students' final mean GPAs included: (a) Paired t-test (between in-person and online instruction when compared among the entire sample);(b) One-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA (among in-person, online, and hybrid instruction when compared for Group 2);and (c) Independent Samples t-test (between online and hybrid instruction for the entire sample). The results from the analyses indicated there was no statistically significant difference when students transitioned from in-person before the pandemic to online instruction at the onset of the pandemic. However, a statistically significant difference was shown when students transitioned from online to online or online to hybrid instruction throughout the pandemic. Recommendations for practice and future research focusing on students' needs were presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

School climate and culture impact on middle school students and their attendance

Numerous studies have been conducted on the impact school climate and culture has on student achievement, but little has been studied on how climate and culture impacts student attendance. This study focuses specifically on the teacher-student relationship, parent engagement, and school safety and how these three areas of emphasis affect student attendance. When students feel disconnected, parents are unengaged, and safety concerns are present within the school setting, attendance barriers are created for students. This mixed-methods explanatory approach provided researchers the opportunity to survey all middle school students and interview 10 individual students per grade level for further investigation into what barriers are present at Rural #0535 Middle School. Although the results from the student body were generally favorable, there were pockets of concern in each of the three areas that indicate the reasons why students are absent from school. With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as chronic absenteeism, school leaders must identify ways to address the concerns identified within the investigations. Once identified, school administrators can begin to eliminate the obstacles that are hindering students from attending school. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The COVID-19 pandemic: Psychological wellbeing, resilience and post-traumatic growth in adolescent Jewish day school students

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an unprecedented global challenge in the disruption, uncertainty, and psychological distress it has unleashed on society, with mounting concern regarding mental health and wellbeing. Children and adolescents represent a particularly vulnerable group, as they were forced to navigate the sudden disruption of school and transition to virtual learning, facing months of quarantine, and increases in financial hardships. Given the strong associations between stress and the onset of adolescent emotional difficulties, research examining adolescents' perceptions of the psychological effects of the pandemic is of critical importance and is a focus of the current study. The present study utilized data from a sample of 277 middle-school adolescents in a Modern Orthodox Jewish day school who had resumed in-person schooling after having been schooled remotely during the first surge of the pandemic. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and adolescent psychological wellbeing and life satisfaction. Additionally, the study examined the roles of hope and spirituality as potential protective factors for psychological wellbeing, life satisfaction, resilience, and post-traumatic growth. Bivariate correlations revealed that those who were more impacted by COVID-19 showed significantly higher levels of post-traumatic growth, but lower life satisfaction and psychological wellbeing. Higher levels of hope and spirituality were associated with enhanced life satisfaction, psychological wellbeing, resilience, and post-traumatic growth. The interaction of psychological impact with both hope and spirituality on resilience was also significant, but post-hoc analyses did not follow predicted patterns. Psychological impact tended to be more negatively related to resilience when students had higher levels of hope and spirituality. The current study presented a unique research opportunity to gain insight into the perceived impact of the pandemic on adolescents in Jewish day schools and examine the role of hope and spirituality in relation to adolescent adjustment. The study's findings suggest a need to monitor adolescent mental health closely in the wake of the pandemic and introduce and integrate appropriate interventions within education to support and strengthen adolescent wellbeing and promote thriving. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Development and validation of scores on a measure to appraise student-teacher relationships in a remote learning environment: Validation of the virtual learning assessment

The purpose of this dissertation was to validate scores for a new survey tool, The Virtual Learning Assessment. This 53-item measure was designed with the intent that if scores are validated it could provide a means in which student-teacher relationships and the attributes that enhance those relationships in a remote setting could be assessed. To test the validity of the this newly designed measure 532 Middle School students were asked to rate the level of impact specific teacher actions had on middle school student's relationship with a teacher while in a remote learning environment. This survey was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the survey was distributed electronically during students first semester back in face-to-face learning. Results revealed a 2-factor solution, these two factors were named, teachers' support for students' social-emotional well-being (factor 1) and personalized learning for students (factor 2). Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed an acceptable-to questionable fit, with the data based on the guidelines provided by Dimitrov (2012) and Schreiber et al. (2006), CMIN, chi2 (323) = 770.01, p < .001, chi2/df = 2.38;CFI = .88;RMSEA = .07, 90% CI (.06, .07);and SRMR = .05. In addition, the 2-factor solution indicated a Normative Fit Index (NFI = .81), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI = .87). Values for this statistic range between 0 and 1 with Bentler and Bonnet (1980) recommending values greater than .90 indicating a good fit (Hooper & Mullen, 2008). The preliminary attempt to validate scores on the Virtual Learning Assessment suggests that while a true latent structure does exist amongst the data set with a 2-factor solution, further refinement of the survey items is necessary before further use of the measure in conducting research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Don't stand so close to me: How middle school educators describe lessons learned regarding student engagement during COVID-19

The COVID-19, an acronym derived from coronavirus disease 2019, pandemic represents an opportunity to rethink education, to reimagine how to engage students in the learning process both in person and distance learning (Zhao & Watterston, 2021). Suspension of face-to-face instruction in schools during the pandemic has led to concerns about consequences for students' learning (Engzell et al., 2021). One of the pressing challenges during COVID-19 has been engaging students in distance/hybrid learning, fundamentally different systems from the traditional brick-and-mortar school landscape (Dorn et al., 2020).The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how educators in a northeast state described lessons learned regarding student engagement in three public school districts at the middle school level during the COVID-19 pandemic. The overarching research question guiding this inquiry was: How do educators describe lessons learned regarding student engagement during COVID-19?This three-phase qualitative study explored educator challenges and successes. Phase I three middle school educator focus groups (N=17);Phase II educator reflective questionnaires sent to the participants after the focus groups (N=13);Phase III consisted of a semi-structured interview with an expert (N=1). The findings from each phase informed subsequent phases.Four themes emerged from the data analysis: 1) Student Engagement, 2) Educator and Student Connections, 3) Social-Emotional Learning, and 4) Empathy and Equity. This study provides insights from educators and one expert informant into how student engagement was altered due to the sudden changes in instructional dynamics while COVID-19 unfolded. The findings from this study may provide a better understanding of the lessons learned regarding student engagement during COVID-19. Results identify best practices that may be emulated by other educators as well as develop strategies to manage distance and in person learning as they lead their students through a crisis. Findings further provide insight into what educators experienced during this crisis. Based on these findings, further research, policy, and practice recommendations are made. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Investigating the impacts of participating in a virtual literacy clinic: A case study exploring self-efficacy in pre-service teachers

This study describes how participation in a university literacy clinic impacts self-efficacy in pre-service teacher candidates. This study was conducted one and a half years into the global COVID-19 pandemic, creating the need for the clinic's program, Literacy Camp, to be completed through fully virtual means. Thus, ways in which the pre-service teachers' experience was impacted by the method of instructional delivery was also detailed. Despite the body of growing research related to virtual learning and efficacy outcomes, there was a gap in the literature related to pre-service teachers' participation in a fully virtual university literacy clinic and its impacts on their self-efficacy. This study was designed with a need to fill this hole in mind. The unique and personal experiences of 23 elementary pre-service teacher candidates completing a yearlong internship and participating in a university literacy clinic were explored in this qualitative case study, framed through a social constructivist lens (Creswell, 2013;Vygotsky, 1978) so that the voice of the individual was elevated and carefully considered. A convenience sampling scheme was utilized to collect and analyze data compiled from three main data sources provided by pre-service teacher candidate participants: an efficacy pre-survey, an efficacy post-survey, and ten daily debrief forms. Four original themes emerged from the data: Building a Learning Culture, Tutor as the Learner, Student First Approach to Intervention, and The Virtual Environment. Findings from this study indicate that participation in the virtual literacy clinic allowed pre-service teachers to successfully plan and implement a full, individualized intervention related to literacy learning for one elementary or middle school student. Participants were able to reflect on their experience to grow as a learner and recognize the impacts they made on their Literacy Camp students. Despite the challenges faced through a fully virtual learning setting, pre-service teachers were able to overcome obstacles and complete their practicum experience, gaining self-efficacy throughout the process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Exploring middle school students' attitudes and satisfaction about home-based online education during the COVID-19 epidemic and the influential variables

Background: Students' attitudes and satisfaction are important predictors of educational quality, especially under such special situation as large scale home-based online education during the COVID-19 epidemic. Objectives: This study investigated middle school students' attitudes and satisfaction about home-based online education during COVID-19 epidemic and potential influential variables. Methods: Survey data were collected from 788 middle school students in two typical Chinese public schools. Multinomial logistic regression analysis and ordinal logistic regression analysis were used to identify influential variables. Findings: We found that more than half of surveyed students felt that home-based online learning was either the same as (35.9%) or better than (18%) traditional face-to-face learning, while 46.1% felt that it was worse than traditional face-to-face learning. More than six tenth of surveyed students felt satisfied or very satisfied with their home-based online education, while less than one third kept neutral attitudes and very few felt unsatisfied or very unsatisfied. Importantly, the study found some influential variables impacting students' attitudes and satisfaction about home-based online education and they included individual variables (gender, time spent in doing homework, level of learning engagement), organizational variables (school type), and relational variables (time spent on communication and relationship with family members). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Navigating parental involvement: Restoring bridges and inspiring change

It appears that the predominantly European centered educational system has failed Black students. There is a disparity in academic success for Black students in comparison to White students. In 2013, it was reported that 34% of Black students and 9% of White students scored below basic on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (National Education Policy and Practice and Priority Schools Department, 2015). In a study conducted by Stanford professor Reardon, average test scores of Black students were two grade levels lower than White students (Rabinovitz, 2016). Black students at the national level scored 30 points lower than their White peers in 2011, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics (Bohrnstedt et al., 2015). Nonacademic factors such as student motivational levels, work ethic, and family/parent support have emerged as possible causes (Ratcliff et al., 2016). Research by LaRocque et al. (2011) supports the need for collaboration of parents and teachers to increase student learning. The need to build relationships with Black families is especially crucial to improving the academic experiences of Black students. Epstein's Framework for Parental Involvement should also be held under the careful lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT) when used in school districts that serve predominately Black students. In this qualitative case study, I describe the process and challenges of initiating and maintaining parent/ teacher relationships in urban, middle schools to improve Black students' academic performance. Data was obtained from interviews with 6 Black and 5 White middle school educators. The data gathered was coded and analyzed to draw out the perceptions teachers have about parental involvement and student achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The impact of virtual instruction in comparison to traditional instruction of middle school students based on performance of Math Map Assessment

The global pandemic was a turning point in education nationally. School closures forced school districts to find the best and most efficient way to continue instruction for their students. As a result, traditional face-to-face instruction was quickly transformed to virtual(online) instruction. This shift in instructional setting has many questioning the effect of virtual instruction in comparison to traditional face to face instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of virtual instruction in comparison to traditional instruction of middle school students based on their performance of Math MAP assessment.The research questions were answered by analyzing the Math MAP scores of students for the winter 2021 MAP administration. The scores were organized by gender, race, socio-economic status, and family structure of students. Each subgroup was further categorized based on the instructional setting of the student. An overall comparison was conducted for each subgroup based on the instructional setting and their overall mean MAP score.The findings of the study indicated that face-to-face instruction was more beneficial academically than virtual instruction when comparing the overall mean MAP scores of the participants Based on the subgroups of the study, students who lived in a two parent home had higher student achievement than the other participants and also white students. In addition to this, students who identified as free lunch status had lower mean scores than those who identified as reduced status.The study proved that student achievement has many factors that may have an impact overtime. The results and findings of this study will provide insight to school leaders to determine if virtual instruction is a viable option in comparison to traditional face-to-face instruction when analyzing Math MAP data to measure student achievement. In addition to this, the findings will offer data to support the most effective instructional option for families.iv. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Effect of positive psychological group guidance on the hope and mental health of junior high school students

We explored the effect of positive psychological group guidance on the hope and mental health of junior high school students. The experimental group received positive psychological group guidance, while the control group lived and learned as normal. We used the Middle School Students' Hope Trait Scale and the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale to evaluate participants (N = 96). Results showed that the experimental group's hope levels were higher and depression, anxiety, and stress levels were lower before (vs. after) the intervention. Further, after the intervention, hope levels were higher and depression, anxiety, and stress levels were lower in the experimental group compared to the control group. Two months after the intervention, the experimental group's levels of hope, depression, anxiety, and stress were maintained. The results show that positive psychological group guidance can improve the mental health of students.