Global estimates of the implications of COVID-19-related preprimary school closures for children’s instructional access,development, learning,and economic wellbeing

Observational data collected prior to the pandemic (between 2004 and 2019) were used to simulate the potential consequences of early childhood care and education (ECCE) service closures on the estimated 167 million preprimary-age children in 196 countries who lost ECCE access between March 2020 and February 2021. COVID-19-related ECCE disruptions were estimated to result in 19.01 billion person-days of ECCE instruction lost, 10.75 million additional children falling “off track” in their early development, 14.18 million grades of learning lost by adolescence, and a present discounted value of USD 308.02 billion of earnings lost in adulthood. Further burdens associated with ongoing closures were also forecasted. Projected developmental and learning losses were concentrated in low- and lower middle-income countries, likely exacerbating long-standing global inequities.     

Development of detection and recognition of orientation of geometric and real figures.

Black and white kindergarten and second-grade children were tested for accuracy of detection and recognition of orientation and location changes in pictures of real-world and geometric figures. No differences were found in accuracy of recognition between the 2 kinds of pictures, but patterns of verbalization differed on specific transformations. Although differences in accuracy were found between kindergarten and second grade on an initial recognition task, practice on a matching-to-sample task eliminated differences on a second recognition task. Few ethnic differences were found on accuracy of recognition, but significant differences were found in amount of verbal output on specific transformations. For both groups, mention of orientation changes was markedly reduced when location changes were present.     

Effects of instructor's facial expressions on students' learning with video lectures

This study investigated whether video lectures instructed by a heightened level of expressiveness instructor were better than those instructed by a conventional level of expressiveness instructor or audio-only in promoting students' online learning, and what kind of effects do instructor's facial expressions have on students' learning. Three different types of video lectures (one with a heightened level of expressiveness instructor, one with a conventional level of expressiveness instructor and one with the instructor' audio only) were used to study the effects of instructor's facial expressions. Sixty-nine participants from Chinese Normal University were selected to learn with these video lectures. Results of this study indicated that video lectures with a heightened level of expressiveness instructor were better than those with a conventional level of expressiveness instructor and audio-only ones with regard to improving students' arousal level and learning satisfaction. Instructor's facial expressions had no significant influence on participants' short-term recall (p = .90), while instructor's facial expressions did influence students' medium-term recall (p = .03). Instructor's facial expressions played a key role in students' online learning.     

Demonstrator influence on observer diet preference: Analyses of critical social interactions and olfactory signals

Previous studies have shown that interaction of an observer rat with a previously fed conspecific demonstrator enhances the observer’s subsequent preference for the diet its demonstrator ate. The present series of experiments were undertaken to explore both the conditions sufficient to permit demonstrator influence on observer diet preference and the behavioral processes underlying such influence. We found (1) that an observer rat can be influenced in its subsequent diet selection by interaction for as little as 2 min with a demonstrator, (2) that during such brief interactions mouth-to-mouth contact between demonstrator and observer is necessary for demonstrator influence on observer diet preference, (3) that both cues emerging from the digestive tract of a rat fed by intragastric intubation and particles of food clinging to the fur of a demonstrator are sufficient to permit observers to identify their respective demonstrators’ diets, (4) that exposure to a diet is effective in enhancing an observer’s subsequent preference for that diet only if the diet is experienced in the presence of another rat, and (5) that diets experienced on the anterior of a live rat are more effective in altering observers’ subsequent diet preferences than the same diets experienced either on the anterior of a dead rat or the posterior of a live one.     

‘You’re 18 now,goodbye’: the experiences of young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder of the transition from child to adult services

The term ‘transition’ is used to refer to the process of moving from child to adult services. Among child and adolescent mental health services attenders, young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are less likely to transition successfully, but there is a gap in understanding their views and why they might disengage from services. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of transition of young people with ADHD in Southwest England using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. Seven young people aged 17–19 years participated. Four key themes were identified: professionals’ roles and relationships with young people; the role of ADHD medication, uncertainties around transition and medication management, and identified needs and increasing independence. Although this study presents the experiences of a small number of people, their stories suggest that best practice around transition is not always being followed. There is consequently a need to better understand the facilitators and barriers to best practice implementation.     

Can you increase teacher engagement with evaluation simply by improving the evaluation system?

We know various factors can influence how teaching staff engage with student evaluation, such as institutional policies or staff beliefs. However, little research has investigated the influence of the technical processes of an evaluation system. In this article, we present a case study of the effects of changing the technical system for administering student evaluations at one New Zealand university. We develop a socio-technical model of the institutional evaluation system, and use this model to examine whether introducing an online system for ordering student feedback questionnaires and reducing processing time influenced academic staff engagement with evaluation. Survey responses, interview comments and data about ordering trends suggest the change did increase staff engagement by: (1) improving staff perceptions of evaluation and (2) increasing engaged behaviour, such as voluntarily ordering more evaluations. The outcomes of this study imply that the ‘practical implementation’ of an evaluation system is an important factor in influencing engagement with evaluation. We conclude that we can increase teacher engagement with evaluation simply by improving the ‘practical implementation’ of the evaluation system.     

A Case Study of a Turnaround High School: An Examination of the Maryland State Department of Education Breakthrough Center Intervention

This study examined the Maryland State Department of Education Breakthrough Center (BTC) engagement in a Baltimore City turnaround high school. Utilizing a case-study design and mixed-methods research, data were collected through interviews, informal observations, and review of administrative and achievement documents. Beginning in the 2011–2012 academic year, the BTC has been working in collaboration with school personnel to improve the educational experiences and academic achievement of students. School personnel recognized that the BTC has been responsive to teachers' requests and has exhibited a flexible approach building collaborative and nonevaluative relations. Administrative and achievement data also indicated improvement in school outcome measures during the past 3 years. Nevertheless, school faculty also identified important challenges of the BTC intervention, such as the relevance of this intervention for veteran teachers, the extent to which the needs of all student populations were met, and the sustainability of the intervention.