Search

Abstract Background As intrinsic capacity (IC) declines, older adults are at a significantly increased risk of frailty, care dependency, and death. Currently, the research on IC among older adults in China was still insufficient. We aimed to identify the status quo and influencing factors among community-dwelling older adults in China and explore the relationship between IC, external environment, and social network. Methods A convenience sampling method was used to collect 312 older people from May 2023 to February 2024 in five communities in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Data were collected using the general information questionnaire, Integrated Care of the Elderly (ICOPE) screening tool, World Health Organization Quality of live scale (WHOQOL-100), and Social Network Scale (LSNS-6). Results The IC score among Chinese community-dwelling older adults was 3.39 ± 1.60, and the prevalence of IC decline was 86.9%. Marital status, age, number of chronic diseases, social network, and external environment were influencing factors of IC, which explained 35.7% of the total variance. External environment and social network were positively correlated with IC. Conclusions Chinese community-dwelling older adults had low IC scores and a high prevalence of IC decline. The government should focus on IC for older adults, especially those who are older, not married or widowed, and suffering from multiple chronic diseases. In addition, the richer the external resources available to older adults, the more social support they received, and the better the IC. These findings could provide a theoretical basis for managing and improving IC in older adults.

Xiaojing Wu,1,2 Xiaosong Gai,1,2 Hongyang Kou,3 Lili Xu,1 Fangqing Liu,4 Hong Wang1 1School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Research Center of Mental Health Education in Northeast Normal University, Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Science in Universities in Jilin Province, Changchun, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Northeast Asian Studies College, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China; 4Institute of Mental Health, NanJing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiaosong Gai, School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, No. 5268, Renmin Street, Changchun, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China, Email gaixs669@nenu.edu.cnPurpose: Life satisfaction can predict students’ school engagement and academic performance, and has shown significant regional differences among adolescents. The predictive effect of economic factors as regional characteristics on adolescent life satisfaction has been extensively examined; however, the regional educational factors that could predict adolescent life satisfaction remain unknown. This study aimed to identify provincial-level educational factors that can predict adolescent life satisfaction.Methods: The participants comprised 16,737 students, aged 11– 16 years (Mage = 13.82; SDage = 0.77; 8767 girls, 7970 boys), from 31 provinces in China. Students completed measures on socioeconomic status and life satisfaction. Multilevel modeling was adopted in data analysis.Results: Adolescent life satisfaction was positively correlated with family socioeconomic status, and negatively associated with age and academic ranking. Life satisfaction was lower for girls than boys. Some regional education development indicators could predict adolescent life satisfaction: ratio of students to teachers, ratio of students to teachers with master’s degrees, and multimedia classroom size negatively correlated with adolescent life satisfaction; meanwhile per capita sports field area positively correlated with adolescent life satisfaction. Per capita education expenditure, classroom area, laboratory area, computer room area, language lab area, gymnasium area, green space area, sports field area, computers per student, number of books, and value of equipment and instruments could not significantly predict life satisfaction in this study.Conclusion: The findings suggest that the life satisfaction of female adolescents, those in older age groups, with lower academic rankings and socioeconomic status, and those residing in regions with underdeveloped educational systems was relatively poor. These groups of adolescents should therefore be given special attention. To enhance their life satisfaction, some certain provinces should consider implementing measures such as increasing the number of teachers, reducing class sizes, and providing more opportunities for physical activity among junior middle school students.Keywords: provincial-level, junior middle school students, life satisfaction, education, ecological systems theory

ObjectiveThis study aimed to understand the consciousness of gender equality among school-aged children in China and its influencing factors using structural equation modeling to explore the pathways, intensity and group differences among these factors.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted using stratified random whole-group sampling of primary school students in grades 1–6 and their parents who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. In this study, 1,312 valid questionnaires were collected from a total of 1,500 school-aged children in Hunan Province, China (effective response rate of 87.5%). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0 software. Statistical inference consisted of t-tests, analysis of variance, the LSD test, Pearson correlation analysis, multiple stepwise linear regression analysis and structural equation modeling.ResultsSchool-aged children had the lowest consciousness of gender equality in the area of occupation and relatively higher consciousness in the areas of family and school. Children’s age, gender, gender role, parent–child relationship, teacher-student relationship and parents’ gender equality consciousness had predictive effects on children’s consciousness of gender equality. The structural equation model constructed in this study is applicable to school-aged children of different genders. There was a significant difference in the structural equation modeling for children in different study period groups.ConclusionIn the education process, parents and teachers should attempt to improve their own consciousness of gender equality, integrate the concept of androgynous education, enhance close relationships with children, and adopt appropriate education methods according to the characteristics of different groups of children.

Several psychological factors are discussed in relation to teachers’ emotional labor (EL). Ecological systems theory (EST) is used in relation to the role of emotional intelligence (EI) to provide a perspective on ways to conceptualize how to address secondary traumatic stress (STS) risk among teachers. An international selection of the literature is synthesized in relation to the factors that may affect EL in relation to STS risk among teachers who have students with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The concept of EI is central to this discussion of theoretical relationships between EI and STS risk relevant to teachers’ EL. While there is much literature on Bronfenbrenner’s EST and Gardner’s multiple intelligences (MI) theory separately, there is room in the literature for exploring EST to contextualize the topic of STS risk as it relates to the concept of EI. The purpose of this study is to discuss allostatic load factors that may affect teachers’ EL and to discuss potential ways to acknowledge EL.

Abstract Background Issues relating to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) significantly impact on medical student achievement and wellbeing. Interventions have been introduced at curricular and organisational levels, yet progress in addressing these issues remains limited. Timely evaluation is needed to assess effectiveness of interventions, and to explore issues and interactions in learning environments impacting on student experience. We introduced an anonymous question concerning students’ experiences of EDI into routine online student feedback questionnaires, to scope the nature of ongoing issues and develop greater understanding of students’ experiences in our programme environment. Ecological systems theory, which conceptualizes learning as a function of complex social interactions, determined by characteristics of individual learners and their environment, provides a framework for understanding. Methods Free-text responses regarding experiences of EDI gathered over 20 months from all programme years (n = 760) were pooled for analysis, providing a holistic overview of experiences in the learning environment. A counting exercise identified broad categories reported by students. Content analysis of the qualitative dataset was undertaken. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was applied as a framework to demonstrate interdependencies between respondents’ experiences and environments, and associated impacts. Results Three hundred and seventy-six responses were received relating to wide-ranging EDI issues, most frequently gender or ethnicity. Responses mapped onto all areas of the ecological systems model, with frequent links between subsystems, indicating considerable complexity and interdependencies. Interpersonal interactions and associated impacts like exclusion were frequently discussed. Differential experiences of EDI-related issues in medical school compared to clinical settings were reported. Impacts of institutional leadership and wider societal norms were considered by respondents. Respondents discussed their need for awareness of EDI with reference to future professional practice. Conclusions Implementation of a regular free-text evaluation question allowed data-gathering across cohorts and throughout several stages of the curriculum, illuminating student experience. Connections established demonstrated intersectionality, and how environment and other factors interact, impacting on student experiences. Students experience EDI-related issues on multiple levels within the educational environment, with consequent impacts on learning. Any successful approach towards tackling issues and promoting equity of opportunity for all requires multi-level actions and widespread culture change. Students can offer fresh and distinct perspectives regarding change needed, to complement and diversify perspectives provided by staff and organisational leadership. Student voice should be enabled to shape change.

This study aims to explore the factors that influence the well-being situation of doctoral students in education from a qualitative perspective and draws on the ecological systems theory as an overarching framework. A total of 18 doctoral students in education from 3 universities in Hong Kong were interviewed. In line with the ecological systems theory, individual influential factors may embed and interact with all layers of systems (i.e., the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem, and the chronosystem) surrounding the doctoral students that hinder or boost their well-being, respectively. These six main areas of concern were identified from a thematic analysis of participants’ responses. The study highlighted several salient influential factors of doctoral students’ well-being, such as coping strategies, social relations, and their living and cultural environment. An interactive effect among specific factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and social movements, was also identified. Findings provide theoretical insights and offer recommendations for improving doctoral students’ well-being.

This paper aims to explore the structure of agricultural industry school partnerships (ISPs) by applying Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to partnerships delivered in Gippsland, Australia. Agricultural ISPs are one potential setting for industry-relevant learning and career education to occur. This may assist in alleviating agricultural workforce shortages and addressing educational issues related to student career outcomes. A mixed methods case study methodology was employed, with data analyzed through frequency counts and Braun and Clarke’s method of thematic analysis. Surveys (n = 111) and semi-structured interviews (n = 57 pre-participation, n = 68 post-participation) were used with educators (n = 56) and industry participants (n = 62) from ISPs delivered through CQUniversity Australia’s Raising Aspirations in Careers and Education—Gippsland project from 2021–2023. This research finds that the agricultural ISPs studied function as interdependent ecological systems. The facilitator played a crucial role in delivering the ISPs, including connecting educators and industry partners. The study is limited by the number of agricultural ISPs explored and by only collecting data from two stakeholders within the system. However, these findings contribute to a greater understanding of the complex structure of agricultural ISPs, which can help those creating ISPs to consider and understand all stakeholders’ needs. Exploring ISPs as ecological systems also provides a lens to approach research improving similar educational practices. Further research could deepen our understanding of these systems.

Yi Guo,1 Qiujin Zhu,2 Silu Shrestha2 1Institute of Educational Sciences, Hubei University of Education, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Philosophy, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Silu Shrestha, Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Wuhan University, Bayi Road, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430072, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 18627015179, Email silushrestha@whu.edu.cnBackground: China is comprehensively promoting the construction of social psychological service system. Social organizations provide psychosocial care services to migrant children in China and hold important information and perspectives different from educators and parents on children’s mental health. This study aims to analyze mental health service delivery to migrant adolescents for their psychological well-being, to explore how society responds effectively to their psychological needs and to support in better program implementation of mental health services for migrant children.Methods: Following qualitative approach semi-structured interviews were conducted with community mental health service providers experienced in working with migrant children. The 15 individual interviews were conducted in Hubei province and Guangdong province, including professionals working with different social organization and social psychological service program in communities. The data were analysed through coding, comparing fragments, constant comparison and recognizing patterns.Results: The analysis yielded 3 categories (Stimulate the internal strength, Reconstruct the support systems, Understanding and participate in social activities) and 6 sub-categories (Improve the understanding of “me” and explore excellent qualities, Clearly envision “my” future and clear career planning, Improve the parent-child relationship and understand the family environment, Improve subjective support and actively develop support system, Acquire reasonable cognition and behavior and interact with surrounding ecology, Take greater responsibility and cultivate a sense of ownership). The results found that individual traits, family, communities and multiple factors affect the mental health of migrant children and identified the urgent needs, and ways to improve mental health service in efficiently and economically. Social psychological service providers contribute in strengthening the psychological well-being of the migrant children.Conclusion: Social psychological service sectors need to be strengthened to enhance the psychological well-being of the migrant children. The inherent gaps between the service required and service provided needs to be addressed through further studies on mental health needs of the migrant children.Keywords: urban setting, adaptation, mental health, content analysis, ecological systems theory

Background: Student career decision-making has attracted research attention in the last two decades especially when it comes to choosing tertiary education. Exploring current experiences that influence undergraduate students in career decision making is seen as critical to informing career counselling practice and/or intervention. Such initiatives are seen to benefit academic institutions and academic advisors. Objectives: This study explored both individual and systemic influences through gauging the experiences of a sample of undergraduate students. Method: Utilising a qualitative design and a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, the research aimed to contribute to explore trends influencing career decision making of students in higher education, through semi-structured interviews and thematically analysing interview transcripts. The interview questions were explored in relation to the ecological systems framework. Results: The study identified both internal and external factors (themes) influencing the decision-making process of students in higher education. The application of an ecological systems approach was found to be best aligned to understanding this phenomenon in practice. Conclusion: Making a career decision can be a challenging task and individuals often face many difficulties prior to or during this process. Factors identified were located at both the individual level and systemic level of influences and highlighted the significance of ecological models to design intervention. Contribution: The role of different factors that influence young people’s career decision making in developing contexts such as South Africa, contributed to knowledge on informed approaches in career decision making to support career counsellors and academics in designing appropriate career counselling intervention to address contemporary realities.

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the factors influencing Chinese parents’ attitudes toward death education. Given the current lack of such education in China, this research is particularly significant. Death education is vital for shaping the values of young people and alleviating mental health issues, such as depression and suicidal tendencies. By identifying these influencing factors, this study seeks to provide guidance for policymakers and educators in promoting the development and widespread adoption of death education.MethodsTo do so, a national cross-sectional quota sample of 12,435 Chinese parents was used. Borrowing from social-ecological theory, the researchers carried out multiple stepwise regression analyses to examine the individual, family, and social-level factors that shape the supportive attitudes of Chinese parents toward death education.ResultsThe findings revealed that at the individual level, parent (β = 0.04, p

Teacher professional identity, understood as the ways in which teachers perceive themselves as teachers, their professional roles and practices, has received enough scholarly attention in education. However, translator trainer identity is a relatively understudied area in translation studies. Acknowledging this research gap, the paper explores the factors involved in constructing Iranian early career translator trainers’ professional identity using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. Data on the experiences of five Iranian translator trainers in their first five years of teaching were gathered through narratives and semi-structured interviews. Using MAXQDA, a qualitative software program, the data were subjected to thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes. Findings revealed that various factors, such as students’ and department expectations, multiple professional identities, socioeconomic issues, educational policies, and the socio-cultural context, negatively or positively (re)shape translator trainers’ identity, affecting their professional development and performance. The paper concludes by arguing that training programs should provide prospective trainers with practical experiences and individual and group reflection to prepare them for the complexities of university teaching and help them develop a positive and effective professional identity.

The Russian-born American psychologist Bronfenbrenner's bioecological perspective on human development is an ideal framework for understanding how individuals negotiate the dynamic environment and their own identities in international and intercultural education settings. However, a review of the current literature shows that most studies either adopted the earlier version of the theory (i.e., the ecological systems theory) or inadequately presented the most recent developments of the bioecological model (i.e., the process-person-context-time model). The construct of proximal processes—the primary mechanisms producing human development according to Bronfenbrenner—has seldom been explored in depth, which means the true value of bioecological theory is largely underrepresented in international and intercultural education research. This article first presents a review of studies that adopt Bronfenbrenner's theory and then offers future directions for the scope and design of international and intercultural education research.

The Australian Government has prioritized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in recent years to ensure that the country has an adequate future workforce. The agriculture industry is a major employer with a diverse range of occupations heavily focused on STEM. Many students do not realize the career opportunities in the sector, which is currently facing severe workforce shortages. Industry school partnerships (ISPs) have been identified as one creative model to improve students’ knowledge of an industry and aspirations for associated careers. Whilst ISPs have been implemented in the STEM context, limited research understands how industry organizations are involved in, influence, and interconnect with ISPs. Australia’s Rural Research and Development Corporations (RRDCs) are legislated agricultural industry bodies and were selected to investigate due to the value ISPs could provide to this STEM-focused industry with workforce shortages. This qualitative case study analyzed data from the most current RRDC strategic and annual operating plans as of 27 July 2023 and semi-structured interviews with an employee(s) in a position relevant to student education of all 15 RRDCs in 2022. The key findings were that ISPs were considered part of the solution to address industry sustainability, though RRDCs were commonly only informally involved. Collaboration between industry partners, facilitators, and teachers at strategic and management levels and across commodities was essential. RRDCs were found to be strongly connected to ISP ecosystems through their role in research and development. We argue that RRDCs are positioned as essential stakeholders with the scope to improve agricultural ISP ecosystems as part of their role in driving agricultural innovation. These findings support the application of ecological systems theory to agricultural ISPs and help us to understand these structures. This paper aims to help those creating ISPs to consider and understand all stakeholders, including industry bodies, to deliver quality future partnerships that benefit both STEM sectors and primary and secondary student education.

First-generation college students often experience greater social alienation and marginalization due to a mismatch of their cultural values compared to those of their university and often report lower academic satisfaction and sense of belonging. The effects on sense of belonging and satisfaction are intensified when first-generation college students have identities that intersect with other stigmatized social and cultural identities, like low socioeconomic status, Black or Latinx racial identities or religious identities, specifically for STEM majors. Students’ holistic health and well-being, including their sense of belonging, is highly correlated to their academic achievement, persistence, and overall student success, especially for underrepresented minority groups. However, there has been limited consideration for the nuanced experiences of first-generation college students with multiple stigmatized identities, and for how the academic STEM environment shapes student’s perceptions of inclusivity considering their social identities. To address these concerns, we used the Bioecological Systems theory to contextualize drivers of sense of belonging for students with stigmatized social and cultural identities by allowing space to explicitly consider institutional, departmental, classroom and societal-level phenomena that may operate to erode or fortify belonging for some individuals over others. Findings were organized contextually first, revealing how broader societal and familial values shaped their perceptions of their first-generation identity. Next, we reported how various forms of engagement and interactions with institutional agents impacted their perceptions of support at the institutional level. We then documented behavioral patterns within STEM departments that culminated to reveal how first-generation college students’ sense of belonging was impacted by perceived departmental culture. Last, we revealed interactions within STEM classrooms that signaled inclusivity through humanizing and intentional pedagogical practices. Infused throughout all findings are instances where student experiences were mediated through their multiple identities and were shaped by dual global pandemics of 2020, that being COVID-19 and the racial unrest resurfaced by the murder of George Floyd. Implications for this work have the potential to restructure how institutions provide support for first-generation college students given the salience of their intersecting stigmatized identities in shaping their institutional, disciplinary, and classroom belonging.

Intervention research and development for youth in the juvenile legal system (JLS) has often focused on recidivism as the primary outcome of interest. Although recidivism is an important outcome, it is ultimately a downstream marker of success and is affected by changes in other domains of youths’ lives (e.g., family and peer relations, neighborhood safety, local and state-level policies). Thus, the present manuscript proposes the application of ecological systems theory to selecting outcomes to assess intervention effects in JLS intervention research to better capture proximal and distal influences on youth behavior. To that end, we first provide an overview of the strengths and limitations of using recidivism as an outcome measure. Next, the current application of social ecology theory to existing research on both risk and protective factors of JLS involvement is discussed, as well as existing work on assessing social-ecological domains within intervention studies. Then, a measurement framework is introduced for selecting pertinent domains of youths’ social ecologies to assess as intervention outcomes, moderators, and mediators. To facilitate this, we provide examples of concrete constructs and measures that researchers may select. We conclude with potential new avenues of research to which our proposed framework could lead, as well as potential limitations of implementing our framework.

According to existing research, family intimacy affects the formation of peer relationships among adolescents; Parent–child relationships may influence children’s relationships with peers, but the mechanism of its influence is still unclear due to the uncertainty of its effect. According to the ecological systems theory, this study examines how family intimacy affects adolescent peer relationships through psychological capital and how self-identity moderates this effect. These hypotheses were tested based on a survey of 414 adolescents, which showed that family intimacy positively affects adolescent peer relationships; The relationship between family intimacy and adolescent peer relationships is mediated by psychological capital; Self-identity positively moderates the direct effects of family intimacy and adolescent peer relationships; Self-identity not only positively moderates the direct effect of psychological capital and adolescent peer relationship, but also positively moderates the indirect effect of family intimacy on adolescent peer relationship through psychological capital. This study provides new perspectives on the relevant mechanism of family intimacy and adolescent peer relationships.

The “Buck” or “Rapper” stereotype serves as a trope that depicts Black/African American fathers as a fearful, criminal, no good, drug slanging pimps---not as loving and engaged fathers. These historical images, narratives are further supported through policies and de facto practices that continue to create racist barriers for Black fathers to fully be involved in child rearing practices. Thus, this article will explore through a critical lens the historical policies and racist practices that continue to impact Black fathers utilizing an ecological systems theoretical framework. In addition, this article will propose a policy action plan whereby creating new policies that are just, equitable and antiracist.

The “Buck” or “Rapper” stereotype serves as a trope that depicts Black/African American fathers as a fearful, criminal, no good, drug slanging pimps---not as loving and engaged fathers. These historical images, narratives are further supported through policies and de facto practices that continue to create racist barriers for Black fathers to fully be involved in child rearing practices. Thus, this article will explore through a critical lens the historical policies and racist practices that continue to impact Black fathers utilizing an ecological systems theoretical framework. In addition, this article will propose a policy action plan whereby creating new policies that are just, equitable and antiracist.

Free-text data with long duration and continuity have great potential for studying environmental concerns and emotional expressions in child development. Based on ecosystem theory, using topic modeling and sentiment analysis in text mining to mine 4556 free-text writing data from first to sixth grade in elementary school, this study aims to reveal concerned topics’ evolutionary trends and sentiment expression differences in topics during elementary school children’s development. The results show the following: (1) Children prefer to focus on the topics of school and family in elementary school; (2) With the growth of grades, the proportion of family topics continues to decline, while that of social culture topics keeps rising; (3) When describing school, family, social culture, and interest, children mostly express negative emotions, and when describing peers and ability they mostly express positive emotions; (4) As the grade increases, the emotional expression on social culture topics become negative, while that on ability and interest topics become positive, and there are more differences in emotion expression between topics in junior and senior elementary grades. Discussion and conclusion are discussed at the end.

Social-emotional problems occurring early in life can place children at future risk of adverse health, social and economic outcomes. Determinants of social-emotional problems are multi-layered and originate from different contexts surrounding children, though few studies consider them simultaneously. We adopted a holistic approach by using Bronfenbrenner's process-person-context-time model as a structuring device. We aimed to assess what characteristics of families and children from pregnancy, over birth, and up to 3 years of age are associated with social-emotional problems in boys and girls. This study used regional data from the Salut Programme, a universal health promotion programme implemented in Antenatal and Child Health Care, and data from national Swedish registers. The study population included 6033 3-year-olds and their parents during the period 2010–2018. Distinct logistic regression models for boys and girls were used to assess associations between the family social context, parents' lifestyle, parent's mental health, children's birth characteristics, and indicators of proximal processes (the independent variables); and children's social-emotional problems as measured by the parent-completed Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional between 33 and 41 months of age (the outcome). Overall, a less favourable family social context, detrimental lifestyle of the parents during pregnancy, and parents' mental illness from pregnancy onwards were associated with higher odds of social-emotional problems in 3-year-olds. Higher screentime and infrequent shared book-reading were associated with higher odds of social-emotional problems. The multifaceted determinants of children's social-emotional problems imply that many diverse targets for intervention exist. Additionally, this study suggests that Bronfenbrenner's process-person-context-time theoretical framework could be relevant for public health research and policy.

The underrepresentation of women in sport coaching continues to be recognised by researchers and some international organisations. Golf too suffers from a dramatic underrepresentation of women coaches. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of women golf coaches and how they navigate this male-dominated coaching domain with a particular focus on experiences of advocacy. The research was designed to qualitatively capture women PGA Professionals’ lived experiences. Women PGA Professionals (N = 11) with 10–34 years of experience (M = 19.8) participated in semi-structured interviews that were structured on the four Ecological Systems Theory (EST) layers. Data were thematically analysed using the EST layers for initial categorization. From this, four themes were developed: recruitment and opportunity; on the course and in the pro shop; perceptions of women PGA Professionals; and advocacy and allies. The themes were part of two related processes: legitimisation and delegitimisation. These dual processes work to either validate women coaches—both as individuals and as a collective—or to undermine them within the profession, respectively, and operate over the four EST layers. Further, these processes are not always discreet and the two may overlap in unanticipated ways.

Abstract Background Better diet quality of preschool children is associated with many important health outcomes, but there is significant room for improvement in many children’s dietary intakes. The determinants of children’s dietary intakes are complex and whole systems approaches may be effective tools for changing dietary intake. Collation of all the evidence available on determinants of preschool children’s dietary intake is necessary to ‘map’ the whole system of influence. Therefore, this systematic scoping review of available literature on determinants of dietary intakes in preschool children was undertaken. Methods The Joanna Briggs Institute methods for conducting a systematic scoping review were followed. Articles published since 2000 which assessed influences on the dietary intakes of preschool children were identified, yielding a total of 246 papers. Studies of children with clinical conditions (excluding obesity), or those conducted in middle and low-income countries were excluded, due to the different systems of influence in these populations. Data were extracted and information synthesised based on ecological level (child, parent, household, childcare, or wider determinants). Results Most articles focused on influences at the parental level (n = 118, 48%), followed by those at the child level (n = 73, 30%). Most of the studies were of cross-sectional design (n = 109, 44%). Whilst many studies considered influences at multiple ecological levels (n = 63, 26%) few analyses determined interactions between factors in their relationship with children’s dietary intakes, which is needed going forward using systems methods. Conclusion A wealth of evidence exists examining influences on the dietary intakes of preschool children and this information would benefit from analysis using a systems thinking approach in order to assess effective levers for intervention and what works, for whom, under what circumstances.

ObjectiveThe quality of life of people with disabilities is of great significance to social stability and development. Increasing the quality of life among the disabled has become a worldwide topic. This study aims to examine the relationship between the big five personality and quality of life and the mediating effects of social support indicators in people with disabilities.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study with 358 people with disabilities (193 women and 165 men). A questionnaire was utilized to measure big five personality, social support, and quality of life variables. Pearson’s correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were used to examine the relation among big five personality, social support, and quality of life.ResultsQOL was positively correlated with social support (r = 0.402, p < 0.001), extraversion (r = 0.324, p < 0.001), agreeableness (r = 0.474, p < 0.001), conscientiousness (r = 0.482, p < 0.001), and openness (r = 0.498, p < 0.001). QOL was negatively correlated with neuroticism (r = −0.186, p < 0.001). The mediating effect of social support on the relationship between neuroticism and the quality of life of people with disabilities was not significant. Social support significantly mediated the relationship between extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and quality of life. Overall, positive personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness) in the Big Five Personality of people with disabilities could increase their quality of life by Perceiving social support. But social support could not significantly mediate the relationship between neuroticism and the quality of life of people with disabilities.ConclusionThese new findings suggest that combining individual factors (personality) and environmental factors (social support) can better improve the quality of life of people with disabilities.

Background Modern slavery is a complex global health problem that includes forced labor exploitation. An ecological systems perspective is needed to understand how contextual upstream and midstream factors contribute to labor exploitation, and how disruptive societal challenges, such as infectious disease pandemics, may exacerbate established pathways leading to exploitation. Accumulation of familial and societal risk factors likely heightens vulnerability; for instance, economic precarity for an individual interacts with poor livelihood options and lack of social welfare supports increasing their likelihood of accepting exploitative labor. However, few frameworks exist that account for the accumulation of and interdependence between risk factors at different levels and across contexts. Objective Using an ecological systems framework, we review literature on the pathways leading to labor exploitation, with the aim of developing a conceptual model grounded in existing research. Next, we discuss how pathways in this conceptual model are likely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This conceptual model can guide future research to detect modifiable factors and strategic points of intervention. Methods A critical review of research articles and gray literature was performed with a primary focus on sub-Saharan Africa. The review utilized various scholarly databases to identify perspectives from multiple disciplines and to more fully account for complex processes linked to labor exploitation. Results A conceptual model of these pathways was developed that emphasizes established determinants and risk factors for labor exploitation in sub-Saharan Africa. The model highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated these pathways. Conclusions Future studies should carefully examine the direct and indirect pathways, accumulation of and interactions between factors, and specific external and personal stressors. Interdisciplinary research on multilevel interventions is needed to guide solutions to prevent the persistent problem of labor exploitation.

In 2020, schools around the United States and globally closed to in-person instruction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study, embedded in ongoing research supported by a United States Department of Education Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Education Award, investigated changes in roles, relationships, and educational activities resulting from the pandemic as perceived by educators in one rural and low SES Appalachian primary school. Using Bronfenbrenner’s (1977; 1979; 2001) Bioecological Theory of Human Development, this study examined instructional modifications (proximal processes) resulting from the pandemic (chronosystem) in the school and home (microsystem context) and the development of teachers, parents, and students (persons) in response to those changes. Survey data were collected pre- and post-pandemic onset. Results of this mixed-methods study indicated teachers perceived the pandemic as influencing what they taught, how they taught, and the roles of and relationships between teachers, parents, and students. Teachers adapted to the changing educational environment developing proficiency in online tools and skills to enhance communication. Parents assumed a more prominent role in their K-2 student’s schooling to ensure students logged in and were active online, paid attention while in class, and completed their assignments at home. These remote learning environments, which naturally distanced teachers from their students, coupled with uncertain parental involvement, challenged teachers in their formative assessments of student knowledge. While some students thrived with increased support from attentive parents—many students, particularly those already at-risk or in homes where internet or parental support were lacking—were adversely affected, thus widening the achievement gap.

The individualization of Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) status has contributed to a culture of blame that frames adolescent boys’ transition into employment and economic independence. Drawing on Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, we explored how adolescent boys categorized as “at risk” of becoming NEET engage with a school-based work-readiness intervention. We interviewed five adolescent boys aged 13–14 years about their experiences of the intervention. Using reflexive thematic analysis, three main themes were constructed: (1) challenge mediated by choice; (2) access to supportive relationships; and (3) recognizing personal development. The findings illustrate the interrelatedness of adolescent boys’ engagement with, and within, their environment; findings support a push to consider engagement as an ecological concept. We end with considerations for more ecologically sensitive approaches to work-related intervention and the assessment of adolescent boys’ “at risk” status.

Youth Development Programs (YDPs) can serve as effective mechanisms to alleviate social and psychological adversities while enhancing and developing resilience among youth. Recently, more YDPs have incorporated sport within Sport for Development (SFD) models to achieve these goals. Due to the growing Latino population in the US and the wide achievement gap between Latinos and other demographic populations, there is a need to explore programs that may support individual development as well as long-term change with regard to social inequality. There is also a need to better understand the ecological contexts within SFD programs and how these contexts may support underserved youth. Specifically, using an ecological systems perspective, this study seeks to explore the implementation of a sport program by a YDP in order to examine the ecological processes that may support or inhibit the efficacy of sport programs working with underserved youth. Juntos is a YDP that primarily serves Latinx youth and families by assisting youth with graduating high school and pursuing higher education opportunities. Juntos incorporates two annual soccer tournaments (i.e., Kicking it with Juntos and Copa Unidos). A qualitative case study approach was implemented in two counties in North Carolina. Interviews were conducted with tournament participants, county coordinators and planning committee members. Findings found three key themes related to three ecological levels 1. At the Microsystem level, sport was implemented to engage youth and connect to non-sport program outcomes, but divergent perceptions of goals among stakeholders potentially inhibited intentional implementation. At the Mesosystem level, sport provided a mechanism to engage in collaborative relationships and encouraged parental participation. At the Macrosystem level, sport celebrated Latino culture and attempted to address social barriers facing Latinx youth, but some aspects of culture may have created barriers to access for girls. Findings suggested that while the programs emphasized mesosystem engagement, more integration across exosystem and macrosystem levels may be needed for sustainable outcomes.

Retention of health care professionals is a global concern, but the literature on this topic is dominated by empirical work. This article explores retention among midwives practising in Canada by utilizing Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Drawing on the interviews with 29 registered midwives across Canada, the article examines the applicability of the ecological systems theory to the analysis of workplace retention. It asserts that the interplay between psychosocial and macro-level factors shape midwives' work experiences and their decision to stay in the profession. This article contributes to the theoretical literature by demonstrating how ecological systems theory can be utilised to understand workplace transitions, especially the decision to stay in the profession.

Parent-child relationships are often described as unique and enduring bonds that take place between a caregiver/parent and their child. Several South African legislative policy documents have been implemented to guide service delivery to families and to strengthen the parent-child relationship in families. This paper aims to critically examine the current frameworks and explore what is required in South Africa in order to improve the parent-child relationship and overall child developmental outcomes. Utilising an ecological perspective, aspects identified as beneficial towards improving the parent-child relationship in South Africa are discussed on a micro-, meso- and macro-level. Cultural influences are considered, and recommendations are provided in order to improve the parent-child relationship in a South African context.

The deinstitutionalization of social care in Lithuania started in 2012 after the adoption of the strategic guidelines by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. The goal of this reform was to improve the care conditions and introduce new community-based services for persons with disabilities. Almost ten years of the reform resulted in only five percent of persons with disabilities who moved to community settings, mainly group-living homes. The slow-motion of the reform, as well as the tensions in the communities, suggests the need for a thorough analysis of the process of deinstitutionalization and its improvement. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory is applied as a conceptual and methodological tool for understanding the roles of deinstitutionalization agents at different levels, including the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, social care institutions, and local communities. All of these agents are involved and diversely interact among themselves during the transformation process of the social care system. The ecological theory provides the necessary integrated approach to the analysis of the process of deinstitutionalization of the social care system at the micro-, meso-, exo-, and macro levels. Deinstitutionalization and the trajectories of its participants reveal resilient connections with different fields of the ecological system and show that different system components not only represent different systems but become microsystems themselves that affect all elements in the ecological system. The complexity of environmental systems constitutes the basis of ecological systems theory. It serves as a lens to guide the analysis of the transformation of a particular person’s life in the context of deinstitutionalization. Herewith, it is an appropriate tool for understanding the impact of deinstitutionalization on specific local communities.

School social climate from a multidimensional perspective is a focus of great interest in international research and educational and well-being public policies due to the high prevalence of interpersonal violence in adolescents, currently considered a global public health problem. The object of the present study was to assess the psychometric measurement capacity of a set of items to evaluate school social climate in the Student Context Questionnaire of the Chilean Education Quality Measurement System. The sample analyzed consisted of second-year high school students who replied to a Student Context Questionnaire in 2015 (n~158,572). Exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses were carried out in a measurement model to identify the presence of constructs and items of high homogeneity. The results showed an acceptable to a good fit in the final model, which consisted of 15 latent constructs, and also showed invariance for school administrative dependencies and invariance for sex. All the above implies a contribution to the public organisms that create standardized tests along with the investigation in compulsory secondary education measurement to prevent future violent behaviors, contribute to reducing interpersonal violence, and improve the well-being of the educational community.

Orientation: The Global Competitiveness Index Report 2017 – 2018, which ranks the quality of 124 countries’ education system, positioned South Africa 114th. Challenges with the quality of basic education offered in many public schools across South Africa are attributed to the lack of employee engagement amongst teachers. Research purpose: The aim of this study was, firstly, to identify the most salient antecedents of variance in employee engagement amongst teachers and, secondly, to explore the relational dynamics that exist amongst these antecedents. Motivation for the study: The study was motivated by the intention to inform human resource practices and interventions that can be adopted to facilitate optimal teacher engagement and subsequently performance. Research approach/design and method: A modified version of the interactive qualitative analysis (IQA) methodology was adopted to generate and collect primary qualitative data, but the data analysis was performed in accordance with the prescribed methodology. Initial (n = 37) and follow-up (n = 28) individual interviews were conducted amongst teachers from 12 mainstream public schools in the Cape Winelands education district. Main findings: Teacher-level, school-level, community-level and societal-level determinants were identified that explain variance in employee engagement amongst teachers. Practical/managerial implications: Human resource practices and interventions that may nurture employee engagement amongst teachers are recommended. Contribution/value-add: This study identified the most salient antecedents of variance in employee engagement amongst teachers in the Cape Winelands District and the findings allow for a number of recommendations regarding interventions to facilitate teacher engagement and ultimately performance.

Healthcare education is complex and multifaceted, requiring study from different angles and with different lenses. We propose that the use of a meta-framework can help those teaching and researching postgraduate health professions education make holistic sense of their practice and findings from different projects. We discuss how we have employed Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (EST) as an overarching theoretical framework for the scholarship of learning and teaching in the context of postgraduate health professions education. Taking a structured approach to pedagogical thinking and research through the use of a meta-framework opens up useful ways of framing findings and further questions, locating research projects within a bigger picture, and communicating to others the focus of a research programme. We address the problem of the under-theorizing of educational research in postgraduate health professions education, advocating both theoretical frameworks for individual research projects, and an overarching theoretical "meta-framework" to interrogate and draw together multiple studies. In doing so we build on, critique and further develop Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory.

Öz: Göç kişinin çevresinde oluşturduğu değişimler nedeniyle insan gelişimi için önem taşıyan bir olgudur. Bu derleme çalışmasında göç olgusu Bronfenbrenner’ın Ekolojik Sistemler Kuramı’na göre değerlendirilmektedir. Göç sonucu mikrosistem, mezosistem, ekzosistem ve makrosistemde değişimler ortaya çıkar ve bu değişimlerle birlikte sistemler arası etkileşimler göçmen çocuğun gelişimini bazen olumlu bazen de olumsuz etkilemektedir. Çocuk gelişimini incelemek için önemli alanlardan biri de çocuk oyunlarıdır. Göç deneyiminin çocuklar üzerindeki etkilerini ve çocukların göç deneyiminin oluşturduğu değişimin yarattığı stres ile baş etme biçimlerini değerlendirmek için çocuk oyunlarının incelenmesi önemlidir. Oyunlar, çocukların göç olgusuna açıklama getirmelerini ve olay üzerinde kontrol sahibi hissederek kaygılarını azaltmalarını sağlar. Literatürde göç deneyiminin çocuk gelişimi üzerindeki etkisini inceleyen çalışmalar sınırlı olmakla birlikte göç sonrası çocuk gelişimini değerlendirmek amacıyla çocuk oyunlarını inceleyen çalışmalar yok denecek kadar azdır. Bu derleme çalışmasında göç eden çocukların oyunlarını inceleyen çalışmalar gözden geçirilerek ilerideki araştırmalar için öneriler sunulmaktadır. Abstract: Migration is a very important phenomenon changing the whole life of an individual. Especially children are influenced most from this change. In this review article, migration is evaluated according to Bronfenbrenner’s theory. After migration, changes are occurred in Microsystem mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem. Changes in ecological systems of children and their interactions may effect development of immigrant children through positively and negatively. This big change in the child’s life besides influencing their whole development affects their play behavior too. Evaluating children’ play is important for investigate to effects of migration on child development and children’ coping with this changes. These behaviors help children bring explanations to migration, feel in control and as a result decrease their anxiety. Besides there are a little research about effect of migration on child development, there are a few research evaluate children’s play after migration. In this review, studies that examine the play of immigrant children are reviewed and suggestions are offered for future studies.

Background: South Africa needs citizens who are morally sound, adaptive to change, technologically innovative and literate in socio-scientific issues. The young child is apparently being prepared for active citizenry through basic “Social Science, Natural Sciences and Technology” education as encapsulated in the South African curriculum. Aim: We foreground a theoretical and analytical framework to map the cultural–historical trajectory of South Africa’s Beginning Knowledge curriculum. Setting: Cultivating citizenship requires that these science subject domains be incorporated in a coherent, well-conceptualised and relevant early childhood curriculum as suggested by international literature. Educators need to be specialists in socio-scientific issues in both the content and pedagogy of these sciences in order to expound the curriculum. Methods: Our newly coined hybridised theoretical framework - the ‘Hybrid CHAT’ - together with an aligned analytical framework enabled us to illuminate the historical subject-didactical genetic development of Beginning Knowledge. An extensive sample of typographical textbooks, artefacts and cultural tools were analysed and interpreted. Results: Beginning Knowledge is afforded limited teaching time. The knowledge, skills and values associated with these science subjects serve to support and strengthen the acquisition of language and mathematics competencies. Currently, Beginning Knowledge does not sufficiently prepare child citizens for the global demands of the 21st century. Conclusion: Hybrid CHAT could invite further studies to place Beginning Knowledge on par with international curricula. This would also align the curriculum with the aspirations for an ideal South African citizenry as well as prepare child citizens to pursue Science and Technology for social development.