ABSTRACT

School staff are exposed to high levels of occupational stressors and often work within significant resource constraints, putting them at risk for burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS). Initially developed to support community-based social workers, the Stress-Less Initiative (SLI) is a 12-session, team-based, and internally facilitated intervention intended to build personal, team, and organizational resilience to mitigate STS and burnout. Our pilot of SLI among school staff providing after-school programming in two under-resourced K-8 public schools explored its feasibility and impact in the school setting. To evaluate this pilot, we interviewed five school staff with varying levels of participation in SLI to understand their experiences, perceived outcomes, and opportunities to optimize and sustain SLI and other supportive well-being initiatives for school staff. Interviewees described SLI as timely, relevant, and personally meaningful and pointed to several associated individual, team, and interpersonal outcomes. They also highlighted opportunities for optimizing school-based well-being initiatives to support their sustainability and impact and staff engagement as well as more general staff needs and preferences for professional development. These results further our understanding of how workplace-based strategies can be implemented in school settings to support staff facing myriad stressors that impact their health, well-being, and effectiveness.

ABSTRACT

This literature review explores the experiences of male kindergarten principals through the lens of social role theory, which posits that gender roles shape individuals' behaviors and societal expectations, influencing leadership perceptions and practices. Hence, the review aims to synthesize international research on male principals in early childhood education to examine how societal stereotypes and gender roles affect their professional experiences, leadership efficacy, and career trajectories. The systematic review of 11 studies was conducted between 2001 and 2024, using qualitative, mixed-methods, and case-study approaches. The findings reveal that despite these challenges, male principals employ coping strategies such as role adaptation, boundary negotiation, mentorship, and networking to navigate gendered expectations and assert leadership. The implications of this review underscore the need for systemic interventions to support male leaders in early childhood education, including mentorship programs, professional development opportunities, and policies that challenge traditional gender roles.

ABSTRACT

Despite the extensive research studies on teacher mental health and associated contributing factors, a systematic investigation of the different occupational and personal stressors and mental health challenges that teachers cope with remains notably scarce. Using the socio-ecological framework, this research was an attempt to synthesize two decades of inquiries to explore and classify significant occupational and personal stressors, mental health challenges, and practical and effective intervention programs in schools with limited available resources. This systematic narrative review of 34 research articles informs the development of the Integrated Model of Mental Health (IMH) by classifying the influences of potential occupational and personal risk factors on teacher mental health in diverse socio-ecological systems. The results demonstrated the multifaceted nature of teacher mental health challenges and the necessity of developing systemic interventions that address root causes across multiple levels, from individual to societal norms and policies. While research findings manifested a diverse range of mental health issues corresponding to each ecological level, stress and burnout were the most challenging, persistent, and prevalent psychological concerns in teachers. Effective and feasible interventions that emerged from the research literature included: (a) promoting a culture of support and empathy, (b) establishing regular communication channels, (c) encouraging transformational leadership, and (d) addressing structural inequities, biases, and systemic oppression. Eventually, the findings indicated the significance of adopting a holistic and preventive approach to teacher mental health that takes into account the complicated interaction of factors within and beyond the educational context.

ABSTRACT

This study examined the relationships between social support from parents, friends, and teachers, grit, and academic achievement among junior high school students in South Korea. Data were collected from 9502 students using third-grade junior high school students in the 2020 National Level Assessment of Academic Achievement. Descriptive statistics, regression, and mediator effect analysis were performed by using SPSS 21.0 and Hayes Process Macro 3.5. The results indicated that parental support had a greater impact on learners’ academic achievement than support from teachers or peers. In addition, grit mediated the relationship between social support and learners’ academic achievement, and teachers had a larger effect on learners’ grit than support from parents or peers. These findings suggest that schools and educational institutions should consider incorporating parental involvement in programs to enhance academic achievement. In addition, the positive impact of social support from teachers, parents, and friends on grit highlights the benefits of implementing grit development programs within educational settings.

ABSTRACT

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers risked their physical and mental health to continue providing educational services to students. This study examined the prevalence of mental health distress and risk factors among a sample of teachers from the mid-Atlantic United States. PreK-12 educators (N = 1295) completed online cross-sectional quantitative surveys between October 2020 and January 2021. After obtaining descriptive statistics on rates of posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, risky alcohol use, and insufficient sleep, logistic regressions were conducted to examine risk factors for screening positive for clinically meaningful distress. The majority of respondents (65%) screened positive for clinically significant mental health distress on at least one condition, with specific prevalence as follows: traumatic stress (51%), depression (36%), anxiety (50%), risky alcohol use (34%), insufficient sleep (56%). Teachers (vs. other school personnel) had a significantly higher chance of screening positive. Greater chances of screening positive for mental health distress was also associated with having an immunocompromising medical condition, teaching remotely, working more hours, and being younger, female, and/or being a racial and ethnic minoritized-identifying educator. K-12 teachers had high risk for mental health distress, increased by risk factors in educational, demographic, and COVID-19 specific dimensions that have implications for policy and intervention.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this review is to summarize the literature on school-based programs that have been developed to address body image among adolescents. A literature review on this topic has not been conducted since 2013, warranting the need for an updated review since the proliferation of social media and other societal changes. Articles were included if they were published from 2011–2022; 2011 to 2022; described programs implemented in secondary schools in the United States or Canada; and included at least one measure of body image improvement, awareness, or knowledge in the program assessment. The article search involved identifying keywords and applying them to searches in specific databases, including Academic Search Complete, ERIC, MEDLINE, ProQuest Dissertations, PsycInfo, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The search parameters yielded eleven articles, which included studies with both co-ed and female-only samples. None included gender-inclusive curriculum or survey demographics. For most studies, researchers used small sample sizes, self-reported data, and single-site samples. Most included a measure on eating disorder risk in addition to one or more body image measures. Researchers should conduct future studies with larger and more diverse samples. Areas of need include implementing comprehensive programs in the school setting, promoting inclusivity to incorporate gender identity/fluidity, and using experimental research designs with longitudinal assessments.

ABSTRACT

Parenting programs may mitigate adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and promote positive childhood experiences (PCEs), yet they can be stigmatizing and difficult to access in under-resourced communities. We explored whether a trauma-informed, evidence-based parenting program (Chicago Parent Program; CPP) offered universally in public schools in high-poverty urban communities can engage and support parents who have experienced multiple ACEs. Parents participating in CPP in their child's school completed measures of their ACEs, PCEs, and perceptions of program satisfaction and impact. CPP uptake based on session attendance and group-leader ratings of parent engagement in CPP sessions were also obtained. Data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics. Parents (N = 230 across 15 schools and 38 CPP groups; 82.6% mothers, 67.4% Black/African American, 52.8% with incomes < $20,000) reported improvements in parenting and child behavior. 53.5% reported four or more ACEs. On average, parents attended 75% of 12 group sessions and were highly engaged. ACEs and PCEs were negatively correlated (r = −0.44, p < 0.001) though neither was associated with program attendance, engagement, or satisfaction. A universal trauma-informed parenting program offered in public schools in high-poverty urban communities can engage parents exposed to high levels of ACEs.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04968314.

ABSTRACT

Despite the growing prevalence of mindfulness in schools, the empirical landscape describing best practices for implementation is incomplete. The purpose of this project was to develop a framework that explicated the steps and considerations for implementing mindfulness at the whole-school level, rather than just considering individual classroom programs or practices. The Whole School Mindfulness (WSM) conceptual framework was developed using a consensus-building approach with 39 expert educators, researchers, program developers, and practitioners with unique perspectives on what is needed to implement and sustain mindfulness successfully in schools. Information was gathered across three initial meetings and a 2.5-day conference using a process inspired by Appreciative Inquiry; notes were used to create a consensus document that was reviewed and augmented by attendees. Expert contributions were aligned and expanded upon using existing organizational change and implementation science frameworks across various disciplines. The WSM framework, with four phases of development, is structurally similar to other frameworks, but accounts for unique needs related to mindfulness including professional development of personal mindfulness for leaders and school staff, the importance of voluntary engagement in practices, and consideration of contextual and cultural issues.

ABSTRACT

The benefits of parental educational involvement (PEI) are well documented in the literature, specifically on children's learning outcomes and social-emotional development. Thus, it is important to explore the factors that influence PEI. This paper is a qualitative study on the motivators, facilitators, and barriers to PEI among low-income parents in the Philippines. Through purposive sampling, 31 parents were engaged in semi-structured interviews or pakikipagkwentuhan, a data collection method informed by indigenous Filipino Psychology. Participant responses were coded and summarized using thematic analysis. Findings represent a broad range of factors that influence PEI that were categorized into three themes. Theme 1 encompasses parent-related factors, which includes parental aspirations, access to learning and financial resources, efficacy in helping the child, finding time to be involved, and perception of what other people would think. Theme 2 represents social support from spouse, other family members, and fellow parents and friends as facilitators of PEI. Theme 3 involves school-and teacher-related factors, specifically invitation to be involved from teachers and the school and unpleasant past school experiences as a barrier. Findings from this study contribute to our understanding of the factors driving PEI, particularly among vulnerable populations that remain underrepresented in the literature. Moreover, findings also have implications for acknowledging the challenges experienced by low-income parents in supporting their children's education, while also highlighting their resilience and resourcefulness in employing PEI strategies. The crucial role of teachers and school in effectively promoting PEI and supporting educational equity is also discussed.

ABSTRACT

Executive functions are one of the most prominent research topics investigated in explaining reading skills, which involve complex cognitive processes. In this study, a bibliometric analysis of articles on executive functions and reading in the field of education was conducted. In the study, 42 articles published between 2012 and 2024 were accessed using the Web of Science database, and the analyses were carried out using the VOSviewer program. As a result of the study, an increase was observed in the number of articles on executive functions and reading in recent years, with three peaks (2018, 2020, and 2023). The examined articles were mostly published in well-established scientific journals with the highest impact factor in the field of reading. Keyword analysis revealed that reading comprehension was one of the most popular concepts. Moreover, it was determined that the role of working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility in the decoding process was discussed less than their role in reading comprehension. Finally, in the abstracts of the articles, the terms “student” and “child” were included as strong links and were among the most frequently repeated terms. This finding is important in that it particularly emphasizes the importance of executive functions in childhood.

ABSTRACT

The present study examined the posited structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition (WISC-V) ancillary index scores with normative sample participants aged 6-16 years (N = 2200) using a series of confirmatory factor analyzes (CFA) with maximum likelihood estimation. CFA results supported the retention of auditory working memory (AWM) but not quantitative reasoning (QR) as narrow dimensions in an extended WISC-V measurement model. Additional results from models explicating the structures for each of the posited ancillary composite-level indexes (nonverbal [NVI], general ability [GAI], cognitive processing [CPI]) provided support, in part, that these indexes represent global dimensions with differing degrees of generality. Though some of these scores may be used in the manner intended by the test publisher (e.g., comparing and contrasting performance on different composites, specific learning disability identification), provisional limitations for using the ancillary indexes as a focal point of clinical decision-making are discussed.

ABSTRACT

In Cambodia, students with disabilities remain marginalized and excluded from regular education settings, leading to low attendance and primary education completion rates. These challenges highlight critical concerns about teachers' inclusive practices. This study utilized the Theory of Planned Behavior to explore how teachers' attitudes (attitudes toward inclusion), subjective norms (concerns about inclusion), perceived behavioral control (self-efficacy for inclusive practices), and behavioral intentions shaped their actual behavior to include students with disabilities. A survey was conducted with 1008 in-service teachers from 236 primary schools across Cambodia using the teachers' attitudes toward inclusion scale, concern about inclusive education scale, and teacher efficacy for inclusive practices. Data analysis employed a mediation analysis using structural equation modeling with the lavaan package in RStudio. The study revealed that subjective norms and perceived behavioral control significantly and directly predicted teachers' intentions to support students with disabilities. Behavioral intentions, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control also directly predicted their actual behavior. Indirect effects showed that subjective norms and perceived behavioral control significantly predicted actual behavior through behavioral intentions. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening policy and training programs to alleviate teachers' concerns and enhance their self-efficacy to promote inclusive practices.

ABSTRACT

With the affective turn in education, particularly with the control-value theory (CVT) proposal, a wide range of antecedents of achievement emotions, including psychological capital (PsyCap), have been investigated and verified. It is worth noting, however, that few studies have examined whether cognitive appraisals mediate the association between PsyCap and achievement emotions. Using latent structural equation model analysis (SEM), this study examined whether mathematical PsyCap predicted mathematics achievement emotions directly and indirectly mediated by mathematics-related control and value appraisals. Data were gathered from 1106 Chinese secondary school students, all of whom were between the ages of 11 and 16 years old. Corroborating the CVT, results indicated that mathematics PsyCap was positively correlated with mathematics enjoyment and achievement and negatively associated with mathematics boredom. The mediating effects of control and value appraisals were also confirmed in the relationships between mathematics PsyCap and achievement emotions (i.e., enjoyment, boredom, and anxiety), as well as between mathematics PsyCap and mathematical achievement. These findings enhance the current knowledge supporting the CVT and provide further insights into the linkage between PsyCap and achievement emotions in Chinese adolescents’ mathematics education.

ABSTRACT

Forgiveness is a coping strategy that facilitates psychological well-being and reduces stress, leading to growing interest in identifying its key predictors. This study examined how situational characteristics, as defined by the DIAMONDS model, influenced emotional forgiveness among socially maladjusted youths in Poland. Utilizing a two-wave longitudinal design with 354 participants aged 11–18 years, with assessments conducted at 3-month intervals, this research explored the effects of the situational dimensions Duty, Intellect, Adversity, Mating, pOsitivity, Negativity, Deception, and Sociality (DIAMONDS) on emotional forgiveness outcomes. The findings indicated that Adversity impeded the reduction of negative emotions, while Duty supported constructive emotional processing; pOsitivity exhibited a nuanced impact, influencing both positive and negative emotional responses in different ways. These results underscore the importance of both situational context and individual perceptions in shaping forgiveness. We call for integrated approaches that consider both personality traits and situational factors to provide a more comprehensive understanding of forgiveness. Further longitudinal research is recommended to explore these dynamics among socially maladjusted youths.

ABSTRACT

School is the primary setting for social activities among adolescents, and the quality of school adjustment has a significant impact on their physical and mental well-being. Research has shown that perceived social support, school belongingness, and physical activity can influence adolescents' school adjustment, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. From March to December 2023, 1167 adolescent students (595 males and 572 females) with an average age of 13.68 ± 0.88 years old in Shandong Province of China were surveyed with a psychological questionnaire by cluster stratified sampling method and through the construction of PLS-SEM to explore the relationship between perceived social support, school belongingness, and physical activity on school adjustment. The results indicated that perceived social support directly predicts middle school students' school adjustment and indirectly predicts it through the mediating variable of school belongingness. Additionally, it was found that individual levels of physical activity moderate the first half of the mediating path from school belongingness to school adjustment. This finding emphasizes the important roles of perceived social support, school belongingness, and physical activity in facilitating successful school adjustment among adolescent students. Based on this finding, it provides new suggestions for policy-makers in the face of adolescents who can not adjust to school life and have the tendency to drop out.

ABSTRACT

Cyberbullying is an expected behavior among adolescents and threatens their psychosocial health. The current cross-sectional study aims to determine the mediating role of the need to belong in the relationship between vulnerable narcissism and cyberbullying in adolescents. Study data were collected from 501 adolescents. The data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and mediation analysis using the PROCESS Macro Model 4. The study suggests that vulnerable narcissism in adolescents predicts cyberbullying directly and indirectly through the need to belong. Interventions are recommended to ensure that the belonging needs of adolescents at risk are met in appropriate ways.

ABSTRACT

Runco Ideational Behavior Scale (RIBS) is a key point in creativity research that focuses on assessing an individual's capacity for creative ideas. However, some literature shows that RIBS measurements in a gender context still do not show a clear picture. This research aims to understand how creativity based on students' gender influences counseling professionals in schools. The method utilizes the Rasch model across a sample of 627 students from various provinces in Indonesia, achieving a power measurement of 0.98. Data Collection used WhatsApp and Google Forms from May to June 2023. This study's findings revealed that (1) the inventory of students' creative ideation aligned well with the theoretical framework, and (2) there was a notable higher propensity for students' creative ideation among male students compared to female students. These results highlight the critical need to cultivate creative thought and innovation among students. Moreover, this study provides foundational data for the development of targeted interventions, such as counseling programs tailored to student needs, aimed at enhancing the creative thinking capabilities of students and guiding them toward positive outcomes.

ABSTRACT

Self-efficacy, effectiveness, and work engagement are crucial factors influencing the quality of education and learning outcomes for English language learners. Despite their importance, research on the interplay among these factors in the context of English language teaching remains limited. This study aimed to explore the relationship between Iranian EFL teachers' self-efficacy and effectiveness, with work engagement serving as a mediating variable. A sample of 354 Iranian EFL teachers participated in the study through convenience sampling, with data analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0 for descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling. The results revealed that (a) EFL teachers' self-efficacy positively predicted their effectiveness; (b) EFL teachers' self-efficacy was associated with higher work engagement; (c) EFL teachers' work engagement positively predicted their effectiveness; and (d) EFL teachers' self-efficacy, through the mediating role of work engagement, was a strong predictor of their effectiveness. For policymakers and education stakeholders, this study highlights the importance of enhancing EFL teachers' self-efficacy and work engagement to improve their effectiveness in the classroom.

ABSTRACT

We interviewed Texas rural school counselors in schools with students who are first generation and low-income. Two research questions were addressed: (a) How do rural high school counselors understand students' college and career choice process? (b) How do school counselors expand or limit the college choice of rural students? Key findings include that rural school counselors focus on open admissions rather than competitive admissions. School counselors in rural, low-income schools do not want to be directive yet give advice that prioritizes starting at local colleges. Counselors need to adapt their approach due to the rural culture of respect for hard work and the burden of trust placed on them by rural families. Finally, rural counselor services were variable and documenting all students progress in preparing for college improves college readiness in low-income, first-generation rural students.

ABSTRACT

Migrant children are more likely to experience challenging circumstances and exhibit greater emotional and behavioral difficulties than native children. Nowadays, mindfulness training (MT) has been employed as a means of enhancing health-related outcomes in children and adolescents, with promising results. The present study employed a randomized controlled trial to investigate the impact of 6 weeks of MT on mindfulness, inner peace, mind wandering, and emotion in migrant children. Ninety-two migrant children with a mean age of 9.74 ± 0.96 years, ranging from 8 to 11 years, participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the MT or control (CON) group, with their final exam scores being balanced. In the end, 46 children participated in the MT group, and 46 children participated in the CON group. Participants in the MT group received MT for 6 weeks with 2 sessions per week (20 min/session). Students in the CON group completed academic self-study during the same time period. Participants completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale—children, the Peace of Mind Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, and the Mind Wandering Questionnaire before and after the 6 weeks. MT significantly improved the migrant children's mindfulness and peace of mind and reduced negative affect and mind wandering. This study made a significant contribution to the feasibility and efficacy of MT in migrant children.