The influence of gain-loss framing and its interaction with political ideology on social distancing and mask wearing compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of cases and over half a million deaths in the United States. While health experts urge citizens to adopt preventative measures such as social distancing and wearing a mask, these recommended behaviors are not always followed by the public. To find a way to promote preventative measures, the present study examined the role of gain-loss framing of COVID-19 related messages on social distancing and mask wearing compliance. Moreover, the study also tested potential moderating effects on framing with three individual characteristics: political ideology, subjective numeracy, and risk attitude. A sample of 375 U.S. adult residents were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk. Each participant read either a gain or loss-framed message related to practicing protective behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants also completed scales of preventative behaviors, risk attitude, subjective numeracy, political ideology, and other demographic variables. It was found that those who were more liberal, risk-averse and had greater subjective numeracy were more likely to wear a mask and/or follow social distancing. Furthermore, in the presence of demographic and psychological factors, the study found participants in the loss-framed condition than in the gain-framed condition were more likely to adopt both preventative measures, supporting the notion of loss aversion. Additionally, the framing effect was also moderated by political ideology on mask-wearing, with the effect being stronger in liberals than in conservatives. Collectively, the study implies message framing may be a useful means to promote preventative measures in the current pandemic.

An investigation of Head Start preschool children's executive function, early literacy, and numeracy learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on preschool children's school readiness skills remains understudied. This research investigates Head Start preschool children's early numeracy, literacy, and executive function outcomes during a pandemic-affected school year. Study children (N = 336 assessed at fall baseline; N = 237-250 assessed in spring depending on outcome; fall baseline sample: mean age = 51 months; 46% Hispanic; 36% Black Non-Hispanic; 52% female) in a network of Head Start centers in four states (Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) experienced low in-person preschool exposure compared to national pre-pandemic norms. Children experienced fall to spring score gains during the pandemic-affected year of 0.05 SD in executive function, 0.27 SD in print knowledge, and 0.45-0.71 SD in early numeracy skills. Descriptively, for two of the three early numeracy domains measured, spring test score outcomes were stronger among children who attended more in-person preschool. We discuss implications for future research and policy.

Fear of COVID-19 is associated with trust, subjective numeracy, and differentially with loneliness in older versus younger adults.

Introduction: The emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting public health emergency are only beginning to be understood. Methods: We assessed the contributions of emotional and cognitive factors and age-related comorbidities to greater COVID-19 fear in a community dwelling sample of 142 younger (Mage = 19.63, SDage = 2.59) and 157 older (Mage = 72.01, SDage = 7.06) adults, between July 2020 and July 2021. We hypothesized that individuals with increased loneliness, depression, and/or decreased subjective numeracy (SN) and interpersonal trust would experience more COVID-19 fear. We also predicted that females and older adults would experience more COVID-19 fear given that age-related comorbidities are associated with increased illness severity. Results: Results showed that the extent of loneliness in older adults was more strongly related to fear of COVID-19 than it was in younger adults (ß = 0.197, p = 0.016), and poorer SN was associated with increased COVID-19 fear in both age groups (ß = -0.138, p = 0.016). Further, higher interpersonal mistrust was associated with increased COVID-19 fear (ß = 0.136, p = 0.039), as was identifying as female (ß = 0.137, p = 0.013). Discussion: Given that self-described poor numeracy was a marker for greater COVID-19 fear, investigators and policy makers might consider mitigation opportunities addressing data literacy requirements imposed by the media. Further, outreach to mitigate loneliness, particularly of the elderly, might effectively lessen the negative psychological impact of this ongoing public health crisis.

Are accuracy discernment and sharing of COVID-19 misinformation associated with older age and lower neurocognitive functioning?

The online proliferation of COVID-19 misinformation led to adverse health and societal consequences. This study investigated possible differences in COVID-19 headline accuracy discernment and online sharing of COVID-19 misinformation between older and younger adults, as well as the role of individual differences in global cognition, health literacy and verbal IQ. Fifty-two younger (18-35 years old) and fifty older adults (age 50 and older) completed a neurocognitive battery, health literacy and numeracy measures, and self-report questionnaires via telephone. Participants also completed a social media headline-sharing experiment (Pennycook et al., Psychological science, 31(7), 770-780, 2020) in which they were presented with true and false COVID-19 headlines about which they indicated: 1) the likelihood that they would share the story on social media; and 2) the factual accuracy of the story. A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance controlling for gender and race/ethnicity showed no effects of age (p = .099) but a significant interaction between actual COVID-19 headline accuracy and the likelihood of sharing (p < .001), such that accuracy was more strongly related to sharing false headlines (r = -.64) versus true headlines (r = -.43). Moreover, a higher likelihood of sharing false COVID-19 headlines was associated with lower verbal IQ and numeracy skills in older adults (rs = -.51--.40) and with lower verbal IQ, numeracy, and global cognition in younger adults (rs = -.66--.60). Findings indicate that headline accuracy judgements, numeracy, and verbal IQ are important contributors to sharing COVID-19 misinformation in both older and younger adults. Future work might examine the benefits of psychoeducation for improving health and science literacy for COVID-19. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04464-w.

Analysing mathematical modelling tasks in light of citizenship education using the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study.

In this paper, we discuss the theoretical background of mathematical modelling and its connection to citizenship education. Citizenship education in this context means that young people are equipped with competencies to respond as responsible citizens in situations relevant for society. To outline the connection between mathematical modelling and citizenship education in theory, we discuss the aims of mathematical modelling, modelling competences and the connection between numeracy and modelling. Based on these reflections we present an extended modelling cycle that specifically highlights modelling steps relevant to citizenship education. To show how the theoretical connection between mathematical modelling and citizenship education can be used in teaching practice, we describe three different examples of modelling tasks and analyse them with the help of the extended modelling cycle. We argue that the three tasks support different learning aims in relation to citizenship education and require modellers to carry out different steps of the extended modelling cycle. As an example of context, we used the pandemic caused by COVID-19, as it affected the quality of human life greatly, as all students in the Western world experienced.

High Impact for Youth by Youth: Health and Education Programs in Southern Africa

Young people in East and Southern Africa need greater access to reliable information about health and education in order to make informed decisions on health matters--focusing on HIV and teenage pregnancy--and to increase basic education outcomes. Young 1ove organization, established in March 2014 in Gaborone, Botswana, is a grassroots, youth-led, evidence-based movement in East and Southern Africa. Its mission is to connect youth to proven life-saving information. Its core competencies are delivering sensitive information to young people in a credible and relatable fashion, busting myths, changing beliefs and norms, generating demand, and building connection and trust. As a portfolio organization, Young 1ove commits to a few, highly curated programs. It invests in these programs for the long term--testing, iterating, and following the evidence at each step of the program life cycle. This article discusses lessons learned along the way of implementing Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL). TaRL is an education program that supports students who are falling behind in basic literacy and numeracy by grouping them according to ability level, rather than teaching to a syllabus that is often far too advanced for most students. In addition, the program has a menu of fun and level-appropriate activities that are custom-tailored to each group of students.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children's Socio-Emotional Wellbeing and Attainment during the Reception Year. Research Report

This study aimed to understand the relationship between reception children's experiences of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and their academic achievement and socio-emotional development during their first year at school in September 2020 to July 2021. This was an exploratory study combining parent and school surveys with children's assessments. All children in the study were in reception (YR) and therefore four to five years old. This cohort of children were three to four years old during the first lockdown (March to June 2020) with the second and third lockdowns (November 2020 and January to March 2021) taking place during their reception year. The study involved a total of 94 schools, 1,105 families, and Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) data for a total of 3,253 children. Recruitment took place in two phases, participation in surveys took place at three timepoints, and schools could opt to take part in all aspects of the project or provide only EYFSP data. Therefore, not all parents and schools contributed data at all points. Parent and school surveys were distributed in the autumn, spring, and summer terms 2020/2021. This included bespoke questions as well as items from the Home Learning Environment (HLE) index and Personal Wellbeing Scale. Data was coded in Excel and analysed using thematic analysis to draw out the main themes in the data. School and parent/carer surveys were used to contextualise and explain child assessment data collected at the end of YR. To measure children's language, numeracy, and socio-emotional development, the appropriate subscales from tablet-based assessment Early Years Toolbox (EYT) were used. Teacher-reported attainment data in the form of the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) was also collected in the summer term 2021. For the EYFSP data, comparisons were made between the scores of pupils in the study sample and the EYFSP scores of the 2018/2019 national cohort of reception pupils to explore any differences in outcomes.

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in Rural Afghanistan: Findings from a Baseline Learning Assessment of Accelerated Learning Centres

In Afghanistan, 93% of children cannot read a simple text by the age of 10. Education is not available to everyone, especially for girls and children in remote areas. A form of community-based education, called Accelerated Learning Centers (ALCs), can help close the distance barrier and meet the needs of out-of-school children and girls. In May 2021, an assessment of foundational literacy and numeracy skills of ALC students and nearby government school students was conducted. Results show that children at ALCs are learning at similar levels or better compared with children who attend government schools. This report provides insight into practices to improve education in rural areas in Afghanistan.

Factors associated with parental COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and intentions among a national sample of United States adults ages 18-45.

PURPOSE: This study explored factors associated with parents' attitudes and intentions to seek information about the COVID-19 vaccine for their children (ages 0-18) and intentions to vaccinate their age-eligible children. DESIGN AND METHODS: As part of an anonymous online cross-sectional survey, parents' vaccine attitudes, COVID-19 vaccine intentions for their children, health literacy, health numeracy, and sociodemographic variables were assessed. Multivariable ordered logistic regression models identified factors associated with parents' COVID-19 vaccine intentions for their children. RESULTS: Parents/guardians (n = 963) were mostly White (82.3%), insured (88.0%), and college graduates (57.3%). Men reported higher intentions than women to seek information about the COVID-19 vaccine for their children (p = 0.003) and higher intentions to vaccinate their children (p = 0.049). Parental characteristics associated with increased intentions to have their children vaccinated included higher educational attainment (p < 0.001), more positive general vaccine attitudes (p < 0.001), preference for health information in a language other than English (p = 0.006), higher income (p = 0.048), having health insurance (p = 0.05), health literacy (p = 0.024), and health numeracy (p = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple sociodemographic characteristics including male gender, higher health literacy and numeracy, and language preference are noteworthy factors associated with parental COVID-19 vaccine intentions that could inform the planning and implementation of educational interventions. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Nurses are important sources of trusted information and play an important role in parent/family health education and in understanding myriad factors that may improve attitudes and enhance readiness toward vaccine uptake. Our findings emphasize the potential value of examining tailored/targeted COVID-19 vaccine education according to key influencing factors.

The effect of incentives on motivated numeracy amidst COVID-19

How does political ideology affect the processing of information incongruent with one's worldview? The disagreement in prior research about this question lies in how one's ideology interacts with cognitive ability to shape motivated numeracy or the tendency to misinterpret data to confirm one's prior beliefs. Our study conceptually replicates and extends previous research on motivated numeracy by testing whether monetary incentives for accuracy lessen motivated reasoning when high- and low-numeracy partisans interpret data about mask mandates and COVID-19 cases. This research leverages the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, as Americans are polarized along party lines regarding an appropriate government response to the pandemic.

Flagship initiatives to prevent and treat diabetes as a burden of western societies

One of the biggest challenges facing Western society is the human and economic costs associated with the rise in diabetes cases, particularly over the last two decades. The astronomical increase in diabetes has been called a tsunami. The twin drivers of obesity and an aging demographic in most Western countries have underpinned the changes seen. The underlying reasons for the massive rise in obesity cases are multifactorial, however, it is clear this demographic shift has driven the enormous recent rise in diabetes incidence. This increase in incidence requires access to providers who possess the appropriate expertise both in primary and specialist care. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Moving to remote learning in adult education: Challenges and solutions of limited technological resources and capabilities

COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions in educational systems;hence, educators have developed innovative ways to address this new reality. Around the world, many adult education programs try to reach women who could not complete their education because of poverty and sociocultural issues, such as patriarchal barriers. COVID-19 was especially challenging for such lifelong learning programs because they operate with limited technological resources and work with learners with weaker digital proficiencies. In this paper, we describe how we rapidly adapted our face-to-face empowerment program for women to remote learning despite technological limitations. We also discuss the outcomes as evaluated by pre- and post-tests, participant observations and interviews. We finish by summarizing the successes and challenges of addressing this new reality in education. Copyright © 2022 Durgunoğlu, Cantürk, Kaya, Yazıcı and Şahin.

Construction and standardization of toolkit of numeracy skills

India is facing learning crisis as close to 5 crore children in elementary school, lacks numeracy and literacy skills mentioned in draft NEP, 2019.ASER (2021) reported that COVID 2019 has worsen the situation, as only 10 per cent of the kids studying grade III to V in government schools can solve a subtraction problem. National Curriculum Frameworks, time to time has expressed the need to bring changes in the areas of teaching, learning and assessment for qualitative improvement in the school education system in India.If we want to bridge the learning gap, we need to provide the suitable interventions. For that purpose, we need to know where students are on the skill continuum and specifically the learning areas which need attention. Traditional pen paper test or examination is designed to test their knowledge on the bases of content, not on competence. This paper endeavors to construct standardized a simple, cost effective and easy to administer screening assessment toolkit to check the competence based numeracy skills for grade three. Final draft of the toolkit is comprised of 9 items. Reliability of the toolkit was found by test re-test method and it was .89. Content validity and construct validity of the toolkit was also established.

The effect of natural disasters on household economic hardship during a pandemic

The year 2020 provided a rare opportunity to examine how US households experience economic hardship when natural disasters occur during a large-scale public health crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a nationally representative sample of adults, this study examines the effect of natural disasters on household economic hardships during a pandemic, measured by food insecurity, mortgage or rent delinquency, and unemployment. The study estimated individual fixed-effect models after controlling for time trends and time-variant covariates. We find that while a disaster incident in the community during a pandemic is not associated with household economic hardships in aggregate, its effects are experienced differently by people according to the community-level severity of COVID-19 and the individual-level factors characterized as vulnerability and resilience. Our findings have implications for targeted disaster relief and for building resilience among residents to adverse events.

Using a multidisciplinary, multi-method and collaborative research design to investigate the health communication power of the early childhood sector

This paper details the research design of a multidisciplinary, multi-method, collaborative research project investigating health communication from the experiences of the early childhood education (ECE) sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the rapidly evolving pandemic, the ECE sector was instantly tasked with expanding their required health practices to prevent the spread of infection. It was evident that the sector needed a system to communicate health advice in a timely, consistent and effective manner. Founded on a partnership model based on 'knowledge brokering' theory, this project demonstrates the value of a multidisciplinary research team collaborating with stakeholder organisations to investigate how COVID-19 health information traversed through complexities of organisational layers and diverse communities of families and staff. Detailing our data collection and analysis protocols, we conclude by outlining how our innovative research design is generating actionable and impactful recommendations for both the ECE and health sectors.

Opening multimodal virtual participation spaces for young students during the COVID-19 pandemic / Abriendo espacios de participación virtual multimodal a jóvenes durante la pandemia covid-19 / Abrindo espaços virtuais multimodais de participação para estudantes durante a pandemia Covid-19

Resumen (analítico) Las y los estudiantes carecen de espacios para valorar sus experiencias de inclusión/exclusión escolar. La crisis sanitaria obligó a vincularnos virtualmente, sin conocer las posibilidades para el intercambio de significados digitales, representación de experiencias y movilización de relaciones interpersonales. Desde una perspectiva pedagógica, semiótica y social, este estudio analiza una sesión de un taller virtual con nueve estudiantes secundarios de tres escuelas chilenas, preguntándose sobre cómo se materializó la participación de las y los jóvenes. Con herramientas de la multimodalidad se analiza un corpus audiovisual de una cartografía virtual de espacios educativos. Se visibilizan los recursos disponibles para la participación virtual y las maneras en que fueron usados para compartir significados individuales y generar solidaridad co-construyendo relatos de inclusión/exclusión escolar.

Abstract (analytical) Students lack spaces that evaluate their experiences of inclusion/exclusion in school. The health cri-sis forced us to interact online and at first we were not aware of the resources available for the ex-change of digital meanings, representation of experiences and formation of interpersonal relation-ships. Using a pedagogical, semiotic and social approach, this study analyzes the results of an online workshop attended by nine secondary students from three Chilean schools. The aim was to identify the means and resources that facilitated student participation in online environments. Using multi-modal tools, an audiovisual corpus consisting of an Online Cartography of Educational Spaces is explored by the authors. The resources available for online participation were shared by participants. In addition, the article describes semiotic mechanisms for sharing individual meanings and developing solidarity by co-constructing stories about inclusion/exclusion in the classroom.

Resumo (analítico) Os alunos e alunas não têm espaços para avaliar suas experiências de inclusão/exclusão escolar. A crise de saúde pela Covid-19 obrigou as pessoas a termos uma interação virtual, sem conhecer os recursos disponíveis para a troca de significados digitais, a representação de experiências e o desenvolvimento das relações interpessoais. Do ponto de vista pedagógico, semiótico e social, este estudo analisa uma sessão de oficina virtual com nove alunos e alunas do ensino médio de três es-colas chilenas. A pesquisa foca em identificar os significados y recursos que auxiliam a participação dos e das estudantes. Utilizando ferramentas multimodais, foi analisado um corpus audiovisual de uma Cartografia Virtual de Espaços Educacionais. Assim, este estudo mostra os recursos disponíveis para a participação virtual e as formas como foram utilizados para compartilhar significados desde a experiência pessoal, além de promover a solidariedade através da co-construção de relatos de inclusão/exclusão escolar.

Levels and Correlates of Numeracy Skills in Lebanese Adults with Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Diabetes numeracy skills are required in the interpretation of food labels, insulin pump dosage, the interpretation of blood glucose meter data, and the determination of carbohydrate intake. This study assessed the levels and correlates of numeracy skills in Lebanese adults with diabetes to identify those most at risk of uncontrolled diabetes. In total, 299 adults with diabetes, mean age 47.4 ± 19.8 years, took the questionnaire. It consisted of self-developed items on sociodemographic and health-related factors, in addition to the Diabetes Numeracy Test-15 (DNT-15) and the Single Item Literacy Screener. Many participants (62%) scored < 10 on the DNT-15 indicating insufficient numeracy skills. DNT-15 scores were positively associated with literacy, exercise, healthy diet, perceived diabetes control, frequency of glycaemia measurement, ability to afford treatment, and ease of understanding information related to diabetes. Age, BMI, and complications were negatively correlated with DNT-15 score. Numeracy skills were higher in males, single individuals, and in people with type 1 diabetes, fewer complications, controlled HbA1c, higher income, higher education, a prior visit to a dietician, and ability to maintain personal care despite COVID-19. Interventions to strengthen numeracy skills would empower individuals with diabetes, lead to appropriate self-management behaviors, and prevent health complications in at-risk individuals.

The relative effect of pupil absenteeism on literacy and numeracy in the primary school

A literature search identified only 12 articles which had examined the relative effect of either attendance or absence on primary/elementary school children’s literacy and numeracy. However, with respect to the relative effect of both attendance and absence, no consistent picture emerged from the articles. Furthermore, for each of the articles, the conclusion about the relative effect was based on visual inspection of the relevant statistic. The second problem was overcome in the study presented in this article by using the British Ability Scales Word Reading and Basic Arithmetic scales to assess the literacy and numeracy of eleven-year-old Poor and Better Attenders. Significantly more of the former than the latter were found to have an arithmetic score significantly below their reading score. The article ends with a consideration of the implications of the study for the primary school teacher and of COVID-19 for the study’s findings.

Prospective teachers’ design of numeracy tasks using a physical distancing context

Physical distancing, which is widely practiced limiting the spread of COVID-19, is recognized to contain mathematical thoughts that can be harnessed as a context for prospective teachers’ practices of mathematical problem posing. The goal of this study is to investigate the profile of mathematical tasks posed by prospective mathematics teachers using the context of physical distancing that meets the criteria of numeracy tasks. Data were collected from 66 mathematical tasks posed by thirty-three prospective teachers at a public university in Surabaya, Indonesia, attending an assessment course of numeracy based on a problem-posing task. To analyze, the posed tasks were first identified as solvable or unsolvable tasks and then further categorized into the domains of the level of context use and the level of cognitive processes. Results show that the level of context use embedded in the posed tasks varies from zero to first order, with only a few of the posed tasks being coded as having second-order context. Regarding the levels of cognitive processes, most of the posed tasks reach the level of understanding, with only a small number of reasoning tasks identified. Interestingly, all the tasks coded to contain second-order context are classified as reasoning tasks. Some implications regarding designing numeracy tasks using physical distancing and interventions in teacher education related to numeracy task design are discussed. © The Author(s) 2022.

Opening multimodal virtual participation spaces for young students during the COVID-19 pandemic / Abriendo espacios de participación virtual multimodal a jóvenes durante la pandemia covid-19 / Abrindo espaços virtuais multimodais de participação para estudantes durante a pandemia Covid-19

Resumen (analítico) Las y los estudiantes carecen de espacios para valorar sus experiencias de inclusión/exclusión escolar. La crisis sanitaria obligó a vincularnos virtualmente, sin conocer las posibilidades para el intercambio de significados digitales, representación de experiencias y movilización de relaciones interpersonales. Desde una perspectiva pedagógica, semiótica y social, este estudio analiza una sesión de un taller virtual con nueve estudiantes secundarios de tres escuelas chilenas, preguntándose sobre cómo se materializó la participación de las y los jóvenes. Con herramientas de la multimodalidad se analiza un corpus audiovisual de una cartografía virtual de espacios educativos. Se visibilizan los recursos disponibles para la participación virtual y las maneras en que fueron usados para compartir significados individuales y generar solidaridad co-construyendo relatos de inclusión/exclusión escolar.

Abstract (analytical) Students lack spaces that evaluate their experiences of inclusion/exclusion in school. The health cri-sis forced us to interact online and at first we were not aware of the resources available for the ex-change of digital meanings, representation of experiences and formation of interpersonal relation-ships. Using a pedagogical, semiotic and social approach, this study analyzes the results of an online workshop attended by nine secondary students from three Chilean schools. The aim was to identify the means and resources that facilitated student participation in online environments. Using multi-modal tools, an audiovisual corpus consisting of an Online Cartography of Educational Spaces is explored by the authors. The resources available for online participation were shared by participants. In addition, the article describes semiotic mechanisms for sharing individual meanings and developing solidarity by co-constructing stories about inclusion/exclusion in the classroom.

Resumo (analítico) Os alunos e alunas não têm espaços para avaliar suas experiências de inclusão/exclusão escolar. A crise de saúde pela Covid-19 obrigou as pessoas a termos uma interação virtual, sem conhecer os recursos disponíveis para a troca de significados digitais, a representação de experiências e o desenvolvimento das relações interpessoais. Do ponto de vista pedagógico, semiótico e social, este estudo analisa uma sessão de oficina virtual com nove alunos e alunas do ensino médio de três es-colas chilenas. A pesquisa foca em identificar os significados y recursos que auxiliam a participação dos e das estudantes. Utilizando ferramentas multimodais, foi analisado um corpus audiovisual de uma Cartografia Virtual de Espaços Educacionais. Assim, este estudo mostra os recursos disponíveis para a participação virtual e as formas como foram utilizados para compartilhar significados desde a experiência pessoal, além de promover a solidariedade através da co-construção de relatos de inclusão/exclusão escolar.