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Purpose: Language learning is often conceptualized as a cognitive, psycholinguistic or pedagogical process confined to formal classroom contexts. Scant attention is paid to the autonomy of young learners in out-of-class situations. Methodology: Using an emic approach, this study attempts to fill the research gap by analyzing the visual and verbal narratives of 60 eighth graders in Hong Kong. A comprehensive coding scheme was developed to gauge their degree of autonomy and its intricate relationships with their out-of-class language learning experiences. Findings: Compared to their less autonomous counterparts, the highly autonomous learners are found to engage in more informal and solitary activities, set concrete goals that appeal to them and employ meta-cognitive strategies to facilitate their language learning. Originality: From a methodological standpoint, multi-modal narratives appear to be effective in tapping students' beliefs and experiences, as this allows the unobstructed flow of their own voices.

I föreliggande uppsats har ambitionen varit att utifrån ett UVAS-perspektiv, unga vuxna som varken arbetar eller studerar, undersöka och skapa en större förståelse för riskfaktorer och skyddsfaktorer som kan leda till eller förebygga att hamna i ett utanförskap, om en digital plattform som Discord kan bidra till en positiv utveckling för UVAS framtid eller inte samt om de vuxnas närvaro på Discord haft någon betydelse för UVAS. Vidare har ambitionen varit att undersöka hur UVAS ser på sig själva och sin framtid. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi och bygger på semistrukturerade intervjuer som har genomförts med nio unga vuxna inom ramen för Vi-projektet. Genom intervjuerna framkom det att det finns ett flertal riskfaktorer för att hamna i ett utanförskap, men även ett flertal skyddsfaktorer identifierades, In the present essay, the ambition has been to, from a NEET perspective, investigate young adults who are not in employment, education or training, and create a greater understanding of risk factors and protective factors that can lead to or prevent ending up in exclusion. Moreover, to examine if a digital platform such as Discord can contribute to a positive development for NEET future or not and whether the adults´ presence at Discord had any significance for NEET. Furthermore, the ambition has been to investigate how NEET describes themselves and their future. The study is based on a qualitative research strategy and is based on semi-structured interviews that have been conducted with nine young adults within the framework of the Vi-project. Through the interviews, it emerged that there are a number of risk factors for ending up in exclusion, but also a number of protective factors were identified.

I föreliggande uppsats har ambitionen varit att utifrån ett UVAS-perspektiv, unga vuxna som varken arbetar eller studerar, undersöka och skapa en större förståelse för riskfaktorer och skyddsfaktorer som kan leda till eller förebygga att hamna i ett utanförskap, om en digital plattform som Discord kan bidra till en positiv utveckling för UVAS framtid eller inte samt om de vuxnas närvaro på Discord haft någon betydelse för UVAS. Vidare har ambitionen varit att undersöka hur UVAS ser på sig själva och sin framtid. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi och bygger på semistrukturerade intervjuer som har genomförts med nio unga vuxna inom ramen för Vi-projektet. Genom intervjuerna framkom det att det finns ett flertal riskfaktorer för att hamna i ett utanförskap, men även ett flertal skyddsfaktorer identifierades, In the present essay, the ambition has been to, from a NEET perspective, investigate young adults who are not in employment, education or training, and create a greater understanding of risk factors and protective factors that can lead to or prevent ending up in exclusion. Moreover, to examine if a digital platform such as Discord can contribute to a positive development for NEET future or not and whether the adults´ presence at Discord had any significance for NEET. Furthermore, the ambition has been to investigate how NEET describes themselves and their future. The study is based on a qualitative research strategy and is based on semi-structured interviews that have been conducted with nine young adults within the framework of the Vi-project. Through the interviews, it emerged that there are a number of risk factors for ending up in exclusion, but also a number of protective factors were identified.

Objectives: From age 12 onwards, cycling injuries begin rising in The Netherlands. A known contributing factor is younger children’s underdeveloped competency to deal with complex and hazardous traffic situations, and their exposure to such situations strongly increases after transitioning to secondary school. Little is known about intentional risk-taking as a contributing factor. In this developmental stage, children become increasingly vulnerable because of intentional risk-taking, affecting their safety and health. The incidence, predictors in the child’s social environment, and trends of such risks are systematically monitored; for instance, for alcohol use, smoking, and cyber bullying. Such monitors do not include risky road behavior. This exploratory field study examined the frequency of intentional risky cycling, its relationship with the perceived social environment, and relative to cycling competency measured as the ability to detect emerging hazards quickly. Methods: Three hundred thirty-five students between 11 and 13 years of age (51% male) completed computerized tests of hazard perception skill and surveys on crashes, risk-taking, peer pressure, perceived risk-taking by parents or friends, and exposure to risky driving as passenger. Results: Frequent risk-taking was associated with higher crash frequency. Stepwise regression confirmed that children who more often took risks on the road were also more sensitive to peer pressure, had more often been passengers of risky drivers, had parents and friends who exhibited risky behaviors in traffic more often, and perceived hazards as less dangerous but, in contrast to expectations, did not do worse on the detection of hazards. The predictors explained 28% of the variance in total risk-taking but varied from 6 to 20% depending on the specific risk-taking behavior concerned. Conclusions: At least 20% of children sometimes or more often take risks in traffic. Children who feel peer pres

The present article aims to: Promote the development of social skills and the protection of children and adolescents at psychosocial risk in response to emergency and disaster situations in the promotion of their rights to ensure their personal, family and social development . It was taken from the World Vision Ecuador Foundation. Project executed in the province of Manabí, among the first response actions for assistance and humanitarian aid, after the earthquake of April 16, in Ecuador of 7.8 degrees on the Richter scale. Epicenter located in the coastal zone between the towns of Muisne, Pedernales and Manta of the provinces of Esmeraldas and Manabí, on the Pacific coast of Ecuador. To date, more than 659 people have died and more than 4,605 have been injured and 29,067 have been sheltered. The implementation of friendly spaces for children and adolescents was carried out in seven shelters at the urban and peripheral levels, such as Portoviejo, Flavio Alfaro, Santa Ana, Paján and Pichincha, El presente artículo tiene como objetivo: Promover el desarrollo de habilidades sociales y la protección de los niños, niñas y adolescentes en riesgo psicosocial ante la respuesta a situaciones de emergencia y desastre en la promoción de sus derechos para garantizar su desarrollo personal, familiar y social. fue tomada de la fundación World Visión Ecuador. Proyecto ejecutado en la provincia de Manabí, entre las primeras acciones de respuesta para la asistencia y ayuda humanitaria, luego del terremoto del 16 de abril, en el Ecuador de 7,8 grados en la escala de Richter. Epicentro ubicado en la zona costera entre las localidades de Muisne, Pedernales y Manta de las provincias de Esmeraldas y Manabí, en la costa del Pacífico, del Ecuador. hasta el momento oficialmente se reportan más de 659 personas fallecidas y más de 4.605 heridas y 29.067 albergadas. La implementación de los espacios amigables para la niñez y adolescencia se realizó en siete albergues a nivel urbano y periférico como (Portoviejo, Flavio Alfaro, Santa Ana, Paján y Pichincha.

Introduction In the Netherlands, young cyclists are extremely vulnerable in traffic, which may partly be due to their still under-developed higher order cycling skill. So far, knowledge on their actual level of skill is lacking. Using a computerized test battery mimicking real life risky traffic conditions, this study assessed the level of higher order cycling skill in children 11 and 12 years of age and tested the hypothesis that these skills show caveats. Furthermore, factors potentially influencing the development and impact of these skills were studied, such as cycling experience, risky road behaviour, crash involvement, and self-assessed skill. Method A total of 335 students (49% female) completed computerized tests on hazard perception, gap acceptance, blind spot strategies, and priority decisions in traffic, and completed questionnaires on cycling experience, risky cycling behaviour, crashes, and self-assessment of cycling skill. Results On the hazard perception test, a third of the participants missed at least half of the number of hazards. They made errors in about 50% of the priority decisions, accepted critical gaps when crossing the road, and conversely rejected safe gaps, only 1% of the participants identified all blind spots of a truck correctly, while 69% made unsafe decisions when interacting with trucks in traffic scenarios. Overall, in complex traffic situations performance was worse than in simple ones. The hypothesis of lack of skills was therefore accepted. However, the study failed to demonstrate consistent relationships between subtest performance and cycling experience, risky behaviour, crashes, and self-assessed skill, which weakens the theoretical assumptions concerning the subtests. Conclusions The results suggest that children at the end of primary school are still lacking elementary skills for safe cycling, calling for measures to accelerate skill development. Practical Applications Test batteries are e

The overall aim of the work underlying this thesis was to improve the understanding of students’ test-taking motivation in connection to achievement tests for young adolescents. The thesis includes four studies and a summary. All four studies explore test-taking motivation and are all connected to validity in one way of another. The expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation was used as a theoretical framework in the operationalization and measurement of test-taking motivation and the achievement tests in focus were the Swedish national test in science for grade nine students, a Swedish national test in mathematics for upper secondary students and field trials for both these tests. In the first study psychometric properties of an expectancy-value based questionnaire measuring five aspects of test-taking motivation were evaluated. Findings provided support for construct validity, as internal structure of the data corresponded to the theoretical model, partial scalar invariance was obtained and correlations between test-taking motivation and test performance were found. In the second study the students’ test-taking motivation at the field trial and the national test were analysed in more detail. The analyses showed a significant increase in all test-taking motivation aspects between the field trial and the regular national test. Test-taking motivation at the field trial did also differ between school classes and test anxiety and expectancies differed between females and males. Further, effort, expectancies, importance and interest were significant predictors of test score after preliminary grades had been accounted for. The third study was an interview study aiming to examine students’ test-taking motivation at national test as well as the field trial in more depth. The interviews provided a rich understanding of the different aspects of test-taking motivation as described by the expectancy-value theory, for example why students find the national test important

The overall aim of the work underlying this thesis was to improve the understanding of students’ test-taking motivation in connection to achievement tests for young adolescents. The thesis includes four studies and a summary. All four studies explore test-taking motivation and are all connected to validity in one way of another. The expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation was used as a theoretical framework in the operationalization and measurement of test-taking motivation and the achievement tests in focus were the Swedish national test in science for grade nine students, a Swedish national test in mathematics for upper secondary students and field trials for both these tests. In the first study psychometric properties of an expectancy-value based questionnaire measuring five aspects of test-taking motivation were evaluated. Findings provided support for construct validity, as internal structure of the data corresponded to the theoretical model, partial scalar invariance was obtained and correlations between test-taking motivation and test performance were found. In the second study the students’ test-taking motivation at the field trial and the national test were analysed in more detail. The analyses showed a significant increase in all test-taking motivation aspects between the field trial and the regular national test. Test-taking motivation at the field trial did also differ between school classes and test anxiety and expectancies differed between females and males. Further, effort, expectancies, importance and interest were significant predictors of test score after preliminary grades had been accounted for. The third study was an interview study aiming to examine students’ test-taking motivation at national test as well as the field trial in more depth. The interviews provided a rich understanding of the different aspects of test-taking motivation as described by the expectancy-value theory, for example why students find the national test important

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Rochester. Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development, 2015., This study explores the literacy identities young adolescent students with learning disabilities construct as well as the classroom contexts that shape these identities. While many studies have been conducted on how literacy identities are constructed (see Alvermann & Heron, 2001; Broughton & Fairbanks, 2003; Hall, 2005; 2006; 2009; 2012b; Hall, Johnson, Juzwik, Wortham & Mosley, 2010; Mahiri & Godley, 1998; McCarthey, 1998; 2001; 2002), few studies have looked beyond general education students to study students with disabilities and their construction of literacy identities. Previous findings have shown that a positive literacy identity may actually result in better performance on academic tasks, such as discussion, than what test scores would predict (Hall, 2012). The literacy identities created while in school continue to impact the identities students carry with them long after graduation (Coombs, 2005). This study uses an ethnographic-style approach to explore the literacy identities students created and contextual factors particular to the classrooms in which they formed. Poststructuralism, Disabilities Studies in Education, New Literacy Studies, and Gee’s identity theory provide a new basis for viewing the contextual nature of literacy identity, as observations, interviews, and documents, were analyzed using grounded theory. Findings indicate that students maintained positive literacy identities and valued academic literacy practices. The same contextual factors that influenced their general education peers, such as the teacher’s definition of literacy, and curriculum and instruction, impacted the literacy identities of these students as well. However, the contextual factors that impacted disability identity, such as segregation, and labels, were not as important in shaping students’ literacy identities. New concepts however, such as the accommodations students received and the co-teaching relationship of their teachers, came to light during the exploration a

ObjectiveAdolescent suicidal behavior is a public health concern in South Africa. The purpose of this article is to report on the development of a screening tool for teachers to identify South African students who are most at risk for suicidal behavior. This need is addressed within the context of the limited number of mental health professionals available to provide screening and care services in South Africa.MethodGrade 8 students participated by completing sociodemographic questionnaires and self-report psychometric instruments. A screening tool for suicidal behavior was developed using a 4-phase approach.ResultsTwelve factors for high-risk suicidal behavior were identified and included in the screening tool. While further research is needed to validate the screening tool, the findings provide a useful preliminary starting point for teachers to refer students at high risk for suicidal behavior to mental health services for treatment.ConclusionThis screening tool is based on factors that were identified as being associated with suicidal behavior from local research on South African adolescents. The tool contributes to research on adolescent mental health, particularly suicidal behavior, in developing low and middle income countries like South Africa, with the aim of creating African prevention and intervention programs. (PsycINFO Database Record

The overall aim of the work underlying this thesis was to improve the understanding of students’ test-taking motivation in connection to achievement tests for young adolescents. The thesis includes four studies and a summary. All four studies explore test-taking motivation and are all connected to validity in one way of another. The expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation was used as a theoretical framework in the operationalization and measurement of test-taking motivation and the achievement tests in focus were the Swedish national test in science for grade nine students, a Swedish national test in mathematics for upper secondary students and field trials for both these tests. In the first study psychometric properties of an expectancy-value based questionnaire measuring five aspects of test-taking motivation were evaluated. Findings provided support for construct validity, as internal structure of the data corresponded to the theoretical model, partial scalar invariance was obtained and correlations between test-taking motivation and test performance were found. In the second study the students’ test-taking motivation at the field trial and the national test were analysed in more detail. The analyses showed a significant increase in all test-taking motivation aspects between the field trial and the regular national test. Test-taking motivation at the field trial did also differ between school classes and test anxiety and expectancies differed between females and males. Further, effort, expectancies, importance and interest were significant predictors of test score after preliminary grades had been accounted for. The third study was an interview study aiming to examine students’ test-taking motivation at national test as well as the field trial in more depth. The interviews provided a rich understanding of the different aspects of test-taking motivation as described by the expectancy-value theory, for example why students find the national test important

The overall aim of the work underlying this thesis was to improve the understanding of students’ test-taking motivation in connection to achievement tests for young adolescents. The thesis includes four studies and a summary. All four studies explore test-taking motivation and are all connected to validity in one way of another. The expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation was used as a theoretical framework in the operationalization and measurement of test-taking motivation and the achievement tests in focus were the Swedish national test in science for grade nine students, a Swedish national test in mathematics for upper secondary students and field trials for both these tests. In the first study psychometric properties of an expectancy-value based questionnaire measuring five aspects of test-taking motivation were evaluated. Findings provided support for construct validity, as internal structure of the data corresponded to the theoretical model, partial scalar invariance was obtained and correlations between test-taking motivation and test performance were found. In the second study the students’ test-taking motivation at the field trial and the national test were analysed in more detail. The analyses showed a significant increase in all test-taking motivation aspects between the field trial and the regular national test. Test-taking motivation at the field trial did also differ between school classes and test anxiety and expectancies differed between females and males. Further, effort, expectancies, importance and interest were significant predictors of test score after preliminary grades had been accounted for. The third study was an interview study aiming to examine students’ test-taking motivation at national test as well as the field trial in more depth. The interviews provided a rich understanding of the different aspects of test-taking motivation as described by the expectancy-value theory, for example why students find the national test important

The overall aim of the work underlying this thesis was to improve the understanding of students’ test-taking motivation in connection to achievement tests for young adolescents. The thesis includes four studies and a summary. All four studies explore test-taking motivation and are all connected to validity in one way of another. The expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation was used as a theoretical framework in the operationalization and measurement of test-taking motivation and the achievement tests in focus were the Swedish national test in science for grade nine students, a Swedish national test in mathematics for upper secondary students and field trials for both these tests. In the first study psychometric properties of an expectancy-value based questionnaire measuring five aspects of test-taking motivation were evaluated. Findings provided support for construct validity, as internal structure of the data corresponded to the theoretical model, partial scalar invariance was obtained and correlations between test-taking motivation and test performance were found. In the second study the students’ test-taking motivation at the field trial and the national test were analysed in more detail. The analyses showed a significant increase in all test-taking motivation aspects between the field trial and the regular national test. Test-taking motivation at the field trial did also differ between school classes and test anxiety and expectancies differed between females and males. Further, effort, expectancies, importance and interest were significant predictors of test score after preliminary grades had been accounted for. The third study was an interview study aiming to examine students’ test-taking motivation at national test as well as the field trial in more depth. The interviews provided a rich understanding of the different aspects of test-taking motivation as described by the expectancy-value theory, for example why students find the national test important

A common practice among forensic interviewers in New Zealand involves asking children to draw a sketchplan of the location of the incident to help them recall and report more information about their experiences (Wolfman, Brown & Jose, 2016). There is no evidence to suggest, however, that this technique is useful when used alongside an exhaustive verbal interview. So, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether sketchplans, when used in conjunction with a forensically relevant interview protocol, help young adolescents recall more information about an event. Sixty-eight 11-13 year-old children viewed a staged magic show and, one month later, were interviewed using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Investigative Interview Protocol. Following the interview, children were asked to either: draw a sketchplan, draw generally, or have a break and think about the event, and were then asked to report anything else they could remember. The visual aids (i.e. sketchplans and drawings) did not increase the amount of new information reported relative to the talk-only condition, but did help children maintain accuracy. Sketchplans did, however, help young adolescents recall location-based information about the event. The findings do not support the use of sketchplans as a tool for helping young adolescents recall more information about their experiences when best practice guidelines are followed. Sketchplans may be useful, however, when location details about the incident are required for the investigation.

BACKGROUND: With technological developments and modernised sedentary lifestyles has come an increase in diseases associated with inactivity such as obesity and other non-communicable diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that time spent sedentary may also interact with mental health. This systematic review examined the associations between sedentary behaviour and mental health problems among adolescents. METHODS: This systematic review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, and applied a quality assessment tool for quantitative studies to identity best available evidence. Following stringent search strategy of the databases; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Global Health, Health Source: Nursing and Academic Edition, MEDLINE, PsychARTICLES and PsycINFO, we identified 32 articles eligible for review. RESULTS: All studies reported leisure screen time among adolescents, and two thirds of identified studies examined depressive symptomatology. Other mental health measures were; anxiety symptoms, self-esteem, suicide ideation, loneliness, stress, and psychological distress. Strong consistent evidence was found for the relationship between both depressive symptomatology and psychological distress, and time spent using screens for leisure. Moderate evidence supported the relationship between low self-esteem and screen use. Poorer mental health status was found among adolescents using screen time more than 2-3 h per day, and gender differences exist. Essential information was missing for quality of evidence including heterogeneity in mental health and screen time-based measures, and self-report data collection methods. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are of particular significance given the global public health concern of lifestyle-attributed diseases and the possibility for novel approaches to mental health. Future research should examine the psychological impact of reducing time

A common practice among forensic interviewers in New Zealand involves asking children to draw a sketchplan of the location of the incident to help them recall and report more information about their experiences (Wolfman, Brown & Jose, 2016). There is no evidence to suggest, however, that this technique is useful when used alongside an exhaustive verbal interview. So, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether sketchplans, when used in conjunction with a forensically relevant interview protocol, help young adolescents recall more information about an event. Sixty-eight 11-13 year-old children viewed a staged magic show and, one month later, were interviewed using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Investigative Interview Protocol. Following the interview, children were asked to either: draw a sketchplan, draw generally, or have a break and think about the event, and were then asked to report anything else they could remember. The visual aids (i.e. sketchplans and drawings) did not increase the amount of new information reported relative to the talk-only condition, but did help children maintain accuracy. Sketchplans did, however, help young adolescents recall location-based information about the event. The findings do not support the use of sketchplans as a tool for helping young adolescents recall more information about their experiences when best practice guidelines are followed. Sketchplans may be useful, however, when location details about the incident are required for the investigation.

A common practice among forensic interviewers in New Zealand involves asking children to draw a sketchplan of the location of the incident to help them recall and report more information about their experiences (Wolfman, Brown & Jose, 2016). There is no evidence to suggest, however, that this technique is useful when used alongside an exhaustive verbal interview. So, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether sketchplans, when used in conjunction with a forensically relevant interview protocol, help young adolescents recall more information about an event. Sixty-eight 11-13 year-old children viewed a staged magic show and, one month later, were interviewed using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Investigative Interview Protocol. Following the interview, children were asked to either: draw a sketchplan, draw generally, or have a break and think about the event, and were then asked to report anything else they could remember. The visual aids (i.e. sketchplans and drawings) did not increase the amount of new information reported relative to the talk-only condition, but did help children maintain accuracy. Sketchplans did, however, help young adolescents recall location-based information about the event. The findings do not support the use of sketchplans as a tool for helping young adolescents recall more information about their experiences when best practice guidelines are followed. Sketchplans may be useful, however, when location details about the incident are required for the investigation.

A common practice among forensic interviewers in New Zealand involves asking children to draw a sketchplan of the location of the incident to help them recall and report more information about their experiences (Wolfman, Brown & Jose, 2016). There is no evidence to suggest, however, that this technique is useful when used alongside an exhaustive verbal interview. So, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether sketchplans, when used in conjunction with a forensically relevant interview protocol, help young adolescents recall more information about an event. Sixty-eight 11-13 year-old children viewed a staged magic show and, one month later, were interviewed using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Investigative Interview Protocol. Following the interview, children were asked to either: draw a sketchplan, draw generally, or have a break and think about the event, and were then asked to report anything else they could remember. The visual aids (i.e. sketchplans and drawings) did not increase the amount of new information reported relative to the talk-only condition, but did help children maintain accuracy. Sketchplans did, however, help young adolescents recall location-based information about the event. The findings do not support the use of sketchplans as a tool for helping young adolescents recall more information about their experiences when best practice guidelines are followed. Sketchplans may be useful, however, when location details about the incident are required for the investigation.

A common practice among forensic interviewers in New Zealand involves asking children to draw a sketchplan of the location of the incident to help them recall and report more information about their experiences (Wolfman, Brown & Jose, 2016). There is no evidence to suggest, however, that this technique is useful when used alongside an exhaustive verbal interview. So, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether sketchplans, when used in conjunction with a forensically relevant interview protocol, help young adolescents recall more information about an event. Sixty-eight 11-13 year-old children viewed a staged magic show and, one month later, were interviewed using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Investigative Interview Protocol. Following the interview, children were asked to either: draw a sketchplan, draw generally, or have a break and think about the event, and were then asked to report anything else they could remember. The visual aids (i.e. sketchplans and drawings) did not increase the amount of new information reported relative to the talk-only condition, but did help children maintain accuracy. Sketchplans did, however, help young adolescents recall location-based information about the event. The findings do not support the use of sketchplans as a tool for helping young adolescents recall more information about their experiences when best practice guidelines are followed. Sketchplans may be useful, however, when location details about the incident are required for the investigation.

The middle years of schooling (Years 5-9) has emerged as a significant field of educational research in the last two decades but investigation of specialised approaches to middle level teacher education has received little attention. The rationale for specialised programs or units is that middle level teachers require specific preparation to be able to meet the educational needs of young adolescents (10-15 years old). This article draws from a doctoral study in which three outstanding teacher educators, with responsibility for middle level teacher education in their Australian universities, were interviewed about their programs (Shanks, 2010). The article identifies and discusses a number of factors that threaten the viability of quality middle level teacher preparation.

The middle years of schooling (Years 5-9) has emerged as a significant field of educational research in the last two decades but investigation of specialised approaches to middle level teacher education has received little attention. The rationale for specialised programs or units is that middle level teachers require specific preparation to be able to meet the educational needs of young adolescents (10-15 years old). This article draws from a doctoral study in which three outstanding teacher educators, with responsibility for middle level teacher education in their Australian universities, were interviewed about their programs (Shanks, 2010). The article identifies and discusses a number of factors that threaten the viability of quality middle level teacher preparation.

This paper describes a review of the possibilities of improving HIV/AIDS prevention and reproductive health of teenagers and adolescents in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This approach was based on compilation of institutional, political, legislative and national strategy data. The document review was completed by information collected from 15 key informants and by direct observation of the work of peer educators and community workers, allowing evaluation of the possibilities of development of the priority domains of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in young adolescents. Health promotion interventions for adolescents are globally ensured institutionally by three specialized programmes of the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with numerous national and international partners. Organized operationally outside of the primary health care circuit, strategic actions are more specifically directed towards acquisition of knowledge than individual skills by means of IEC (information, education and communication) and (BCC) (behaviour change communication) approaches, but with disappointing results. Although traces of these five priority domains of the Ottawa Charter are perceptible in the national response to the health problems of adolescents, the work of the various actors is not coordinated and organized in compliance with health promotion guidelines. The training of health workers appears to be a major determinant to structure this response around a dynamic federating the actions of all stakeholders to orient them towards the options of the health promotion approach., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Background: Parental influence on child food intake is typically conceptualized at three levels-parenting practices, feeding style, and parenting style. General parenting style is modeled at the most distal level of influence and food parenting practices are conceptualized as the most proximal level of influence. The goal of this article is to provide insights into contents and explanatory value of instruments that have been applied to assess food parenting practices, feeding style, and parenting style. Methods: Measures of food parenting practices, feeding style, and parenting style were reviewed, compared, and contrasted with regard to contents, explanatory value, and interrelationships. Results: Measures that are used in the field often fail to cover the full scope and complexity of food parenting. Healthy parenting dimensions have generally been found to be positively associated with child food intake (i.e., healthier dietary intake and less intake of energy-dense food products and sugar-sweetened beverages), but effect sizes are low. Evidence for the operation of higher-order moderation has been found, in which the impact of proximal parental influences is moderated by more distal levels of parenting. Conclusions: Operationalizing parenting at different levels, while applying a contextual higher-order moderation approach, is advocated to have surplus value in understanding the complex process of parent-child interactions in the area of food intake. A research paradigm is presented that may guide future work regarding the conceptualization and modeling of parental influences on child dietary behavior.

Background: Road injuries are a prime cause of death in early adolescence. Often road safety education (RSE) is used to target risky road behaviour in this age group. These RSE programmes are frequently based on the assumption that deliberate risk taking rather than lack of competency underlies risk behaviour. This study tested the competency of 10-13 year olds, by examining their decisions as pedestrians and cyclists in dealing with blind spot areas around lorries. Also, the effects of an awareness programme and a competency programme on these decisions were evaluated. Method: Table-top models were used, representing seven scenarios that differed in complexity: one basic scenario to test the identification of blind spot areas, and 6 traffic scenarios to test behaviour in traffic situations of low or high task complexity. Using a quasi-experimental design (pre-test and post-test reference group design without randomization), the programme effects were assessed by requiring participants (n = 62) to show, for each table-top traffic scenario, how they would act if they were in that traffic situation. Results: On the basic scenario, at pre-test 42% of the youngsters identified all blind spots correctly, but only 27% showed safe behaviour in simple scenarios and 5% in complex scenarios. The competency programme yielded improved performance on the basic scenario but not on the traffic scenarios, whereas the awareness programme did not result in any improvements. The correlation between improvements on the basic scenarios and the traffic scenarios was not significant. Conclusions: Young adolescents have not yet mastered the necessary skills for safe performance in simple and complex traffic situations, thus underlining the need for effective prevention programmes. RSE may improve the understanding of blind spot areas but this does not 'automatically' transfer to performance in traffic situations. Implications for the design of RSE are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier L

Background: Road injuries are a prime cause of death in early adolescence. Often road safety education (RSE) is used to target risky road behaviour in this age group. These RSE programmes are frequently based on the assumption that deliberate risk taking rather than lack of competency underlies risk behaviour. This study tested the competency of 10-13 year olds, by examining their decisions as pedestrians and cyclists in dealing with blind spot areas around lorries. Also, the effects of an awareness programme and a competency programme on these decisions were evaluated. Method: Table-top models were used, representing seven scenarios that differed in complexity: one basic scenario to test the identification of blind spot areas, and 6 traffic scenarios to test behaviour in traffic situations of low or high task complexity. Using a quasi-experimental design (pre-test and post-test reference group design without randomization), the programme effects were assessed by requiring participants (n = 62) to show, for each table-top traffic scenario, how they would act if they were in that traffic situation. Results: On the basic scenario, at pre-test 42% of the youngsters identified all blind spots correctly, but only 27% showed safe behaviour in simple scenarios and 5% in complex scenarios. The competency programme yielded improved performance on the basic scenario but not on the traffic scenarios, whereas the awareness programme did not result in any improvements. The correlation between improvements on the basic scenarios and the traffic scenarios was not significant. Conclusions: Young adolescents have not yet mastered the necessary skills for safe performance in simple and complex traffic situations, thus underlining the need for effective prevention programmes. RSE may improve the understanding of blind spot areas but this does not 'automatically' transfer to performance in traffic situations. Implications for the design of RSE are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier L

Background: Parental influence on child food intake is typically conceptualized at three levels-parenting practices, feeding style, and parenting style. General parenting style is modeled at the most distal level of influence and food parenting practices are conceptualized as the most proximal level of influence. The goal of this article is to provide insights into contents and explanatory value of instruments that have been applied to assess food parenting practices, feeding style, and parenting style. Methods: Measures of food parenting practices, feeding style, and parenting style were reviewed, compared, and contrasted with regard to contents, explanatory value, and interrelationships. Results: Measures that are used in the field often fail to cover the full scope and complexity of food parenting. Healthy parenting dimensions have generally been found to be positively associated with child food intake (i.e., healthier dietary intake and less intake of energy-dense food products and sugar-sweetened beverages), but effect sizes are low. Evidence for the operation of higher-order moderation has been found, in which the impact of proximal parental influences is moderated by more distal levels of parenting. Conclusions: Operationalizing parenting at different levels, while applying a contextual higher-order moderation approach, is advocated to have surplus value in understanding the complex process of parent-child interactions in the area of food intake. A research paradigm is presented that may guide future work regarding the conceptualization and modeling of parental influences on child dietary behavior.

The literature related to the development of education in the middle grades and to the features associated with the implementation of the middle school concept provides a theoretical grounding for the development and testing of an Innovation Configuration map for the middle school concept. The description provided of the historical development of middle-grades education presents the context for recent research studies and ongoing policy debate. In addition, features of the middle school concept as described within the literature are identified and an overview of salient research findings related to these features is given. A synthesis and critical review of previous research methodologies and findings reveal the need for further research. The purpose of the instrument development and testing process was to identify critical features of the middle school concept implemented in the context of standards and accountability. The instrument development and testing process investigated the nature of the implementation of middle school concept features, recognizing that actual practices in schools may vary somewhat without the schools losing their identity as middle level schools. The principle product of the process was the development of a diagnostic tool that may be used in future research to identify acceptable forms of implementation of the middle level philosophy of education. The instrument development and testing process employed research methodology based on the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) of Hall and Hord (2006). Specifically, an Innovation Configuration map was developed identifying components of the middle level philosophy of education and describing variations in implementation of the components.

The art of listening for voices within narrative research is a positive endeavour that has specific value within research design and subsequent approaches to analysis. This paper details an investigation into the dialogic nature of voices among gifted young adolescents who engaged in the co-construction of email-generated self-narratives. Data are drawn from a study involving ten adolescents, aged between ten and fourteen years, diagnosed as gifted according to Australian guidelines. Individual participants were asked to produce self-managed journal entries written and sent as asynchronous emails to the researcher who was the sole recipient and respondent. Within this approach, specific techniques of listening were used to examine a series of multi-vocal narratives generated over a period of six months. This paper proposes that an adaptation of the everyday convenience of email with the traditional journal format as a self-report mechanism creates a synergy that fosters self-disclosure. Individual excerpts are presented to show that the harnessing of personal narratives within an email context has potential to yield valuable insights into the emotions, personal realities and experiences of gifted young adolescents. Furthermore, the co-construction of self-expressive and explanatory narratives supported by a facilitative adult listener appeared to promote healthy self-awareness amongst participants. This paper contributes to narrative exploration in two distinct ways: first, in using online methods for gaining access to the everyday, emotional realities of participants; and, second, in demonstrating the value of listening as a narrative technique for uncovering layers of voices across a body of texts produced over time. These methods represent an innovative attempt to move beyond face-to-face approaches and away from a focus on content and coding techniques that might oversimplify complex emotions.

The art of listening for voices within narrative research is a positive endeavour that has specific value within research design and subsequent approaches to analysis. This paper details an investigation into the dialogic nature of voices among gifted young adolescents who engaged in the co-construction of email-generated self-narratives. Data are drawn from a study involving ten adolescents, aged between ten and fourteen years, diagnosed as gifted according to Australian guidelines. Individual participants were asked to produce self-managed journal entries written and sent as asynchronous emails to the researcher who was the sole recipient and respondent. Within this approach, specific techniques of listening were used to examine a series of multi-vocal narratives generated over a period of six months. This paper proposes that an adaptation of the everyday convenience of email with the traditional journal format as a self-report mechanism creates a synergy that fosters self-disclosure. Individual excerpts are presented to show that the harnessing of personal narratives within an email context has potential to yield valuable insights into the emotions, personal realities and experiences of gifted young adolescents. Furthermore, the co-construction of self-expressive and explanatory narratives supported by a facilitative adult listener appeared to promote healthy self-awareness amongst participants. This paper contributes to narrative exploration in two distinct ways: first, in using online methods for gaining access to the everyday, emotional realities of participants; and, second, in demonstrating the value of listening as a narrative technique for uncovering layers of voices across a body of texts produced over time. These methods represent an innovative attempt to move beyond face-to-face approaches and away from a focus on content and coding techniques that might oversimplify complex emotions.

While much narrative inquiry is concerned with issues of self and identity, doing study on the processes (the how) of self-making offers ongoing challenges to methodology. This article explores the creation of a dialogic space that assisted young adolescents to write about themselves and their daily lives using email journals as an alternative to face-to-face interviews. With the researcher acting as a listener-responder, and in the absence of researcher-designed questions, a dynamic field was opened up for participant-led self-making to emerge over a six month period of self-reflective written expression. The article describes a shared email relationship based on a dialogic pattern of thinking, writing, listening and response intended to foster participants’ voices as ontological narratives of self. Findings show the use of email journals created a synergy for self-disclosure and a safe space for self-expression where the willingness of participants to be themselves was encouraged. The self-representations of a specific group of gifted young adolescents thus emerged as written versions of “who” they are —offering data that differs from interview approaches and contributing to discussion of the value of ontology narratives.

Despite the complication giftedness can add to the task of developing a personal sense of self during early adolescence little qualitative study is done with this group. This paper reports on a study that invited gifted young adolescents to author about their perceptions of themselves and their lives. The study used digital writing in the form of journal entries delivered by email to generate personal narratives from 12 participants over a 6 month period. With the researcher acting as an empathic listener/responder participants were supported in the expression of their thoughts and observations as authors about themselves and their lives. Findings suggest that the opportunity to self-reflect and to self express in the form of digital writing can offer a positive pathway to growth in self-understanding among gifted young adolescents. Furthermore, the involvement of an adult as an interested and responsive listener in an email relationship appears to facilitate a synergy for healthy self-disclosure.

Introduction. Knowledge and practice of self-care in young adolescents from 15 to 18 years is a significant and essential matter in order to encourage the promotion of healthy life styles and the prevention of diseases in the adult stage. Furthermore, young people are crucial for a country's social and economic growth. Material and methods. A transverse and descriptive study was performed, 251 surveys were applied to youngsters aged 15 to 18 years of age. The questionnaire included items related to topics such as sexuality, hygiene, food, addictions, prevention of accidents, among others. Results. The average age of the surveyed population was 16 years old; 77% knew the concept of self-care, 96% regarded self-care as important, 81% performs actions directed to self-care, between 93% and 99% have knowledge on reproductive health, between 90% and 96% on adequate food intake, and 77% have interest to gain further understanding of self-care. Discussion. In young people, self-care is considered important for maintaining a healthy life, however, lack of knowledge and lack of time to perform necessary self care actions were mentioned as adverse factors., Introducción. El conocimiento y la práctica del autocuidado de la salud en los jóvenes adolescentes de 15 a 18 años, es un tema significativo y primordial para fomentar la promoción de la salud y prevención de enfermedades de la etapa adulta. El grupo de jóvenes es medular dentro de un país para su crecimiento social y económico. Material y métodos. Se realizó un estudio transversal y descriptivo mediante encuesta a una población de 251 jóvenes, a quienes se aplicó un cuestionario con temas de: sexualidad, higiene, alimentación, adicciones y prevención de accidentes, entre otros. Resultados. El promedio de edad de los jóvenes encuestados fue de 16 años y se obtuvieron los siguientes resultados: el 77% conoce el concepto de autocuidado y 96% considera la importancia del autocuidado de la salud. Aunado a lo anterior, el 81% tiende a la realización de acciones para el autocuidado, entre el 93% y 99% tiene conocimientos de salud reproductiva, entre el 90% y 96% sobre alimentación adecuada y el 77%, tiene interés de adquirir mayor conocimiento sobre autocuidado. Discusión. En los jóvenes el tema del autocuidado es de suma importancia para la conservación de una vida sana; sin embargo, se mencionan como factores adversos; el déficit de conocimiento sobre el tema y la falta de tiempo para realizar las acciones necesarias

Introduction. Knowledge and practice of self-care in young adolescents from 15 to 18 years is a significant and essential matter in order to encourage the promotion of healthy life styles and the prevention of diseases in the adult stage. Furthermore, young people are crucial for a country's social and economic growth. Material and methods. A transverse and descriptive study was performed, 251 surveys were applied to youngsters aged 15 to 18 years of age. The questionnaire included items related to topics such as sexuality, hygiene, food, addictions, prevention of accidents, among others. Results. The average age of the surveyed population was 16 years old; 77% knew the concept of self-care, 96% regarded self-care as important, 81% performs actions directed to self-care, between 93% and 99% have knowledge on reproductive health, between 90% and 96% on adequate food intake, and 77% have interest to gain further understanding of self-care. Discussion. In young people, self-care is considered important for maintaining a healthy life, however, lack of knowledge and lack of time to perform necessary self care actions were mentioned as adverse factors., Introducción. El conocimiento y la práctica del autocuidado de la salud en los jóvenes adolescentes de 15 a 18 años, es un tema significativo y primordial para fomentar la promoción de la salud y prevención de enfermedades de la etapa adulta. El grupo de jóvenes es medular dentro de un país para su crecimiento social y económico. Material y métodos. Se realizó un estudio transversal y descriptivo mediante encuesta a una población de 251 jóvenes, a quienes se aplicó un cuestionario con temas de: sexualidad, higiene, alimentación, adicciones y prevención de accidentes, entre otros. Resultados. El promedio de edad de los jóvenes encuestados fue de 16 años y se obtuvieron los siguientes resultados: el 77% conoce el concepto de autocuidado y 96% considera la importancia del autocuidado de la salud. Aunado a lo anterior, el 81% tiende a la realización de acciones para el autocuidado, entre el 93% y 99% tiene conocimientos de salud reproductiva, entre el 90% y 96% sobre alimentación adecuada y el 77%, tiene interés de adquirir mayor conocimiento sobre autocuidado. Discusión. En los jóvenes el tema del autocuidado es de suma importancia para la conservación de una vida sana; sin embargo, se mencionan como factores adversos; el déficit de conocimiento sobre el tema y la falta de tiempo para realizar las acciones necesarias

The art of listening for voices within narrative research is a positive endeavour that has specific value within research design and subsequent approaches to analysis. This paper details an investigation into the dialogic nature of voices among gifted young adolescents who engaged in the co-construction of email-generated self-narratives. Data are drawn from a study involving ten adolescents, aged between ten and fourteen years, diagnosed as gifted according to Australian guidelines. Individual participants were asked to produce self-managed journal entries written and sent as asynchronous emails to the researcher who was the sole recipient and respondent. Within this approach, specific techniques of listening were used to examine a series of multi-vocal narratives generated over a period of six months. This paper proposes that an adaptation of the everyday convenience of email with the traditional journal format as a self-report mechanism creates a synergy that fosters self-disclosure. Individual excerpts are presented to show that the harnessing of personal narratives within an email context has potential to yield valuable insights into the emotions, personal realities and experiences of gifted young adolescents. Furthermore, the co-construction of self-expressive and explanatory narratives supported by a facilitative adult listener appeared to promote healthy self-awareness amongst participants. This paper contributes to narrative exploration in two distinct ways: first, in using online methods for gaining access to the everyday, emotional realities of participants; and, second, in demonstrating the value of listening as a narrative technique for uncovering layers of voices across a body of texts produced over time. These methods represent an innovative attempt to move beyond face-to-face approaches and away from a focus on content and coding techniques that might oversimplify complex emotions.

The lives of gifted young adolescents are often subject to adult-generated and expert narratives that can impact a developing sense of self. However, opportunities for gifted young adolescents to represent themselves as informants can emerge through digital forms of qualitative research. This paper reports on the value of digital writing of journal entries, delivered by email to a researcher over several months, as an alternative to face-to-face interviews. Journaling methods combined with techniques of 'listening for voices' can support young adolescents in generating their own multi-vocal narratives of self. This method capturing self-narratives in email form has the potential to produce rich understandings of individual young adolescents' self-constructions.

Self-determination and attachment theorists and researchers have recently hypothesized about the role of parent-child relationship quality as a mediator or moderator in the relation between parental psychological control and child and adolescent internalized maladjustment. Thus, the overall purpose of the present study was to empirically investigate the interrelations among maternal psychological control, mother-child relationship quality, and young adolescent internalized maladjustment. Ninety 5th and 6th grade young adolescents and their mothers participated in videotaped shared activities and completed questionnaires in a laboratory visit. The study sample consisted of mostly middle class, well-educated, two-parent families. The following variables were assessed and were of primary importance to the present study: maternal-reported psychological control; observed positivity and negativity in the mother-child relationship; youth-perceived positivity and negativity in the mother-child relationship; youth-perceived attachment security to mother; youth-reported self-esteem; and maternal-reported youth internalizing problems. Both a mediation and moderation model were examined. Simple mediation analysis was conducted in order to examine mother-child relationship quality as a mediator of the relation between maternal psychological control and young adolescent internalized maladjustment. However, no evidence of mediating processes was found. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted examining mother-child relationship quality as a moderator of the relation between maternal psychological control and young adolescent internalized maladjustment. Results revealed significant maternal psychological control  youth-perceived mother-child relationship quality interaction effects on young adolescent self-esteem and internalizing problems. More specifically, young adolescents who perceived the lowest levels of negativity their relationships also reported hig

Knee complaints are a frequent reason for consultation in general practice and constitute a specific set of patients compared to secondary care patient populations. However, information to base treatment decisions on is generally derived from specialistic settings. Our cohort study is aimed at collecting knowledge about disease burden and prognosis of knee complaints presenting in general practice Chapter 2 describes the design and methods of the HONEUR knee cohort and addresses the possibility of selective patient recruitment. From October 2001 to October 2003 40 GPs recruited consecutive patients consulting for incident knee complaints. Patients were followed-up for one year with three monthly questionnaires. At baseline and after one year follow-up the patients underwent a physical examination. Primary outcome measure was the patient's reported recovery after one year. Pain and functional disability were assessed every 3 months to determine the course of the knee complaints during the year follow-up. The cohort is divided into traumatic and non-traumatic knee complaints. The non- traumatic knee complaints are then divided in patients aged 12 through 35 and 36 years and over. This subdivision is based on the predominance of patellofemoral complaints in the younger age group, and the shift to osteoarthritis as the major complaint starting at age 35.

This paper describes an action research project that investigated issues concerning the teaching and learning of numeracy in the middle years. Building on research concerning the middle years of schooling, and their own experience of teaching mathematics in years 5 - 8, a group of teachers, drawn from four schools, trialed strategies intended to improve the engagement, attitudes and outcomes of their students in mathematics. The group recommended at the end of the study that mathematics needs to be meaningful for young adolescents. The concept of meaningful mathematics is explored through a description of the actions and findings of the teachers participating in this project.