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Straipsnyje nagrinėjamos 2-os klasės mokinių ir jų tėvų įsitikinimų apie lietuvių kalbos mokymąsi sąsajos su mokinių pasiekimais. Nustatyta, kad mokinių įsitikinimai apie savo gebėjimus, susidomėjimas lietuvių kalba, tėvų lūkesčiai bei 2-os klasės pasiekimai tarpusavyje siejasi teigiamais ryšiais. Kontroliuojant vaiko lytį, tėvų išsilavinimą bei 1-os klasės pasiekimus, geresnius pasiekimus 2-oje klasėje prognozuoja aukštesni tėvų lūkesčiai ir geresni vaikų savų gebėjimų vertinimai. Esminiai žodžiai: įsitikinimai apie gebėjimus, užduoties vertė, tėvų lūkesčiai, lietuvių kalbos pasiekimai. Previous studies have shown that as early as elementary school, children’s language skills are determined not only by cognitive factors, but also by their learning motivation. According to Expectancy-Value theory (Eccles et al., 1983), children’s motivation is a function of two motivational beliefs, that is, ability self-concept and subjective values, that are shaped by various social influences, such as their parents’ expectations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationships between Lithuanian language achievement in second grade and students’ and their parents’ beliefs in Lithuanian language, that is, students’ ability beliefs, interest, and parents’ expectations. 536 Grade 2 children (285 boys and 251 girls) as well as 536 of their parents participated in the study. Children’s motivational beliefs about Lithuanian language were measured by Self-Concept of Ability scale (Viljaranta et al., 2016) and Task-Value Scale for Children (TVS-C; Aunola et al., 2006); parents’ expectations were measured by Parental Beliefs scale (Aunola et al., 2002); children’s first and second grade end-of-year marks in Lithuanian language were used as a measure of their Lithuanian language achievement. Results showed that children’s ability beliefs, interest, parents’ expectations, and Grade 2 achievement were positively related to each other. Lithuanian language achievement in Grade 2 was predicted by Grade 1 achievement, parents’ expectations, beliefs about one’s ability, child’s gender, and parents’ education level. Keywords: ability beliefs, task value, parents’ expectations, Lithuanian language achievement.

Studies of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that this health emergency has affected especially young people. Supporting the well-being of children is thus particularly urgent. However, the high prevalence of ill-being among children requires novel approaches to providing help. Health care resources are limited, and many children did not receive support even before the pandemic. The current study presents a novel approach to delivering brief interventions for school-aged children. A mobile game based on acceptance and commitment therapy was used to increase psychological flexibility and well-being among 10 to 12-year-old schoolchildren. A sample of 106 students played the game in four weekly sessions as part of normal teaching practice in school. The effectiveness of the brief game intervention was examined as a universal intervention among the whole sample and among subgroups created on the basis of baseline psychological flexibility (i.e., based on the need for an intervention). The results show that higher psychological flexibility was associated with less emotional and behavioral problems, higher health-related quality of life, mood, and school satisfaction, and less loneliness (r = 0.46–0.63). While a significant effect was not detected in the whole sample, the subsample of children with initially high psychological inflexibility benefitted from participating in the intervention (Cohen's d = 0.35). These preliminary findings suggest that the brief game-based intervention can increase psychological flexibility among children when the need for an intervention is considered. Further research is necessary to examine the stability of improvements in psychological flexibility. peerReviewed

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Koronapandemian aikana syntynyttä liikkumisvajetta ei ole vielä kokonaan kuitattu. Huomiota kiinnittää erityisesti tyttöjen liikkumisen nopea väheneminen ikävuosien karttuessa. nonPeerReviewed

Patterns of physical activity in adulthood are often established during adolescence, making this an important period for promoting physical activity. To address this, the Sotkamo Physical Activity as Civil Skill Program 2010–2014 was implemented to increase Grade 5 to 9 students’ physical activity on a daily basis. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of program on students’ physical activity and enjoyment. Furthermore, the relationship between motivational climate and enjoyment, and the percentages of students who engaged in 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on the daily basis were examined.

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Purpose The purpose of this research was to develop, implement, and test the efficacy of a theory-driven, evidence-informed peer leadership program for elementary school students (Grade 6 and 7; age 11–12 years) and the Grade 3/4 students with whom they were partnered. The primary outcome was teacher ratings of their Grade 6/7 students’ transformational leadership behaviors. Secondary outcomes included: Grade 6/7 students’ leadership self-efficacy, as well as Grade 3/4 motivation, perceived competence, general self-concept, fundamental movement skills, school-day physical activity, and program adherence, and program evaluation. Methods We conducted a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial. In 2019, 6 schools comprising 7 teachers, 132 leaders, and 227 grade 3 and 4 students were randomly allocated to the intervention or waitlist control conditions. Intervention teachers took part in a half-day workshop (January 2019), delivered 7 x 40 minute lessons to Grade 6/7 peer leaders (February and March 2019), and these peer leaders subsequently ran a ten-week physical literacy development program for Grade 3/4 students (2x30 minutes sessions per week). Waitlist-control students followed their usual routines. Assessments were conducted at baseline (January 2019) and immediately post-intervention (June 2019). Results The intervention had no significant effect on teacher ratings of their students’ transformational leadership (b = 0.201, p = .272) after controlling for baseline and gender. There was no significant condition effect for Grade 6/7 student rated transformation leadership (b = 0.077, p = .569) or leadership self-efficacy (b = 3.747, p = .186) while controlling for baseline and gender. There were null findings for all outcomes related to Grade 3 and 4 students. Discussion Adaptions to the delivery mechanism were not effective in increasing leadership skills of older students or components of physical literacy in younger Grade 3/4 students. However, teacher self-reported adherence to the intervention delivery was high. Trial registration This trial was registered on December 19th, 2018 with Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03783767), https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03783767.

As a result of educational reforms in many countries, including Finland, new or renovated comprehensive schools have increasingly begun to incorporate open and flexible designs and principles. Multipurpose and adaptable open learning spaces can provide children with amplified opportunities to be physically active during general education. Classroom-based physical activity has been associated with better academic-related outcomes and students’ on-task behaviour, while overall physical activity has been associated with better health. In the present study, we investigated the effects of classroom type, gender and grade level on classroom-based physical activity, and the associations between systematically-observed teachers’ instructions about students’ movement and classroom-based physical activity. The participants consisted of 182 3rd and 5th grade students in one school with open learning space and two schools with conventional classrooms. Overall, classroom-based physical activity, assessed with accelerometery, was not higher in open learning space than in conventional classrooms. However, 5th grade students had more sedentary time and less moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in open learning spaces than conventional classrooms, but both 3rd and 5th graders had more breaks from sedentary time in open learning spaces than conventional classrooms. Girls were more sedentary than boys, while 5th graders were less physically active than 3rd graders. Teachers’ instructions regarding 5th graders’ movement in open learning spaces were more restrictive and both 3rd and 5th graders had more instructed transitions in open learning spaces. In conventional classrooms, students had more teacher-organised physical activity. Teachers’ restrictive guidance was associated with less light physical activity, while teachers’ organised physical activity was associated with more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

In this longitudinal study, we examined what kind of profiles of reading fluency and spelling skills could be identified among pupils (N = 467) and how stable these profiles were during the first three years of school. We also investigated how monolingual (Swedish) and simultaneously bilingual (Finnish-Swedish) pupils and gender were distributed within the profiles. Three profiles of reading fluency and spelling skills were found among the pupils through latent profile analysis: low, average, and high performing. Latent transition analysis confirmed stable and identical profiles throughout the first school years. The distributions of monolingual and bilingual pupils and gender were equal in all profiles throughout the grades. These findings have implications on a pragmatic level in school, confirming the importance of early identification and support for low performing pupils. peerReviewed

This study investigated Grade 2 teachers' (N = 50) professional vision through eye-tracking methodology and retrospective think-aloud interviews. The study examined the extent to which teachers' knowledge-based reasoning explains their visual focus of attention to whole class and individual students. We found that teachers' descriptions of students' social relations and emotions associated positively with teachers' visual focus of attention to the whole class. Teachers' descriptions of teacher-related information/elaboration and pedagogy linked negatively with teachers' visual focus of attention to individual students. The findings suggest that teachers' visual focus of attention to students may vary depending on the reasons that guide teachers’ attention. peerReviewed

An awareness of school-related antecedents of children’s physiological stress at the beginning of school helps educators to prevent and mitigate children’s stress, the one of the major obstacles to their well-being and academic progress. We aimed to study the effect of reading skills and social competence on first-grade students’ salivary cortisol levels in natural settings. Based on previous results of the effects of everyday situations on children’s stress according to gender, we expected that both academic and social skills would affect girls’ physiological stress more, compared to boys. Our sample consisted of 277 students (7–8 years old, 50.2% girls). We used the highest salivary cortisol level of three morning samples and a cortisol level from the middle of the school day as physiological stress indicators. Reading skills were assessed by group-administered tests and social competence by teacher ratings. We found that lower reading comprehension skills and lower disruptiveness were related to higher cortisol levels for girls but not for boys. Higher empathy and lower disruptiveness moderated the effect of better reading comprehension on higher psychological stress in the middle of the school day only for girls. By recognizing the antecedents of children’s stress and supporting their academic and social skills, children’s, especially girls’, physiological self-regulation and coping skills in the primary grades will benefit.

In autumn 2021, Covid-19 still has effect on our daily living and our possibilities to conduct everyday life practices such as work and studies. Current realities of ‘new normality’, based on remote work and restrictions of social activities, for example, are grounded on the vast changes that occurred when the pandemic began. In this text we take a look back to the period of school closures in Finland, and their effect on families’ daily practices related to children’s well-being and school work. We explore the impacts of remote school to learning opportunities to find ways to utilize the new, good practices of remote school also in the future. At the same time, we emphasize the significance of support from home for children’s school achievement and accordingly, the need to find new ways to study school work more holistically. nonPeerReviewed

Artikkelissa tarkastelemme sukupuolistunutta väkivaltaa aineenopettajaopiskelijoiden koulukokemusten näkökulmasta. Merkittävä määrä nuorista altistuu väkivallan ja häirinnän eri muodoille. Kouluterveyskyselyjen mukaan erityisesti tyttöihin ja sukupuolivähemmistöihin kohdistuva väkivalta ja seksuaalinen häirintä ovat viime vuosien aikana lisääntyneet huolestuttavasti. Koulun ja opettajien rooli ilmiöön puuttumisessa on tärkeä, samoin opettajankoulutuksen, jonka aikana opiskelijoiden olisi tärkeä tulla tietoiseksi väkivallan ilmenemismuodoista ja niihin puuttumisen mahdollisuuksista. Tutkimuksen aineisto kerättiin fokusryhmähaastatteluilla, joihin osallistui yhteensä 18 aineenopettajaopiskelijaa. Analyysissa hyödynnettiin laadullisen sisällönanalyysin menetelmiä. Teemoittelu eteni kaksivaiheisesti niin, että aluksi luotiin alaluokkia, ja niiden pohjalta laajempia yläluokkia, joita syntyi analyysin tuloksena kaikkiaan neljä: 1) nimittely, 2) seksuaalinen ahdistelu ja fyysinen väkivalta, 3) huhut ja juorut sekä 4) toimintakulttuurin rakenteellinen väkivalta. Yleisimmin mainittuja sukupuolistuneen väkivallan muotoja olivat nimittely, seksuaalinen ahdistelu ja fyysinen väkivalta. Opettajaopiskelijat kertoivat kokevansa epävarmuutta pohtiessaan omaa rooliaan opettajana suhteessa sukupuolistuneeseen väkivaltaan puuttumiseen. Niin opettajien peruskoulutuksessa kuin täydennyskoulutuksessa olisi tärkeää pohtia keinoja väkivallan kokemusten jakamiseen, ilmiötä koskevan ymmärryksen lisäämiseen, väkivallan ehkäisemiseen ja siihen puuttumiseen koulun arjessa., In this article, we study subject teacher students’ school experiences of gender-based violence. Young people are exposed to a wide range of gender-based violence and harassment. According to a School Health Promotion study by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, violence and sexual harassment, especially against girls and sexual minorities, have increased in recent years. The role of school, teachers and teacher education is important in first becoming aware of and then intervening in gender-based violence. Our data was gathered by focus group interviews (N=18) and analysed by qualitative research methods. As a result of the analysis, four upper classes were formed: 1) name-calling, 2) sexual harassment and physical violence, 3) rumour and gossip, and 4) structural violence. The most common forms of gender-based violence were name-calling, sexual harassment and physical violence. Students described a great deal of uncertainty when considering their own role as teachers facing gender-based violence. Thus, in teacher training and everyday life at school, it would be important to consider ways of sharing experiences of gender-based violence, to increase the understanding of the phenomenon, and to study ways to prevent gender-based violence.

Background and Aims Neck and shoulder pain (NSP) is common in school age, but preventative factors have not been identified. The purpose was to study whether a fitness test could be used to predict the incidence of NSP and determine whether good physical fitness characters would be associated with lower NSP incidence in school-aged children at 2-year follow-up. Methods After the invitation to nine schools, 970 children (10–15 years old) agreed to participate. Flexibility, fundamental movement skills, musculoskeletal fitness, and cardiorespiratory fitness measurements included in Finnish Schools on the Move! monitoring system for physical functional capacity were measured at baseline in 2013. The NSP incidence was assessed by an online survey during school hours after 1 and 2 years. Logistic regression was used to analyze associations between physical fitness characteristics and NSP incidence. Results The mean prevalence of NSP was 26% at baseline. The NSP incidence was 15% in the first and 18% in the second follow-up year. Good physical fitness was not associated with lower NSP incidence in the 2-year follow-up. Successful lower back extension (odds ratio [OR] = 2.83) and good scores in curl-up (OR = 1.80) adjusted with age, gender, and body mass index, were associated with higher NSP incidence between T0 and T2. Throwing–catching combination (OR = 0.55) was associated with a lower NSP incidence in unadjusted analysis, but the association did not remain after adjustments. Conclusion Good physical fitness characteristics were not consistently associated with a lower NSP incidence in school-aged children in a 2-year follow-up. The role of general field-based physical fitness test as a screening tool for NSP incidence remains unconfirmed. More longitudinal studies are needed to detect the factors underlying NSP incidence in school-aged children. peerReviewed

Kesäloma on vihdoin alkamassa. Nuoret tarvitsevat sitä nyt enemmän kuin koskaan aikaisemmin.

Background Whole-of-school programs have demonstrated success in improving student physical activity levels, but few have progressed beyond efficacy testing to implementation at-scale. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the scale-up of the ‘Internet-based Professional Learning to help teachers promote Activity in Youth’ (iPLAY) intervention in primary schools using the RE-AIM framework. Methods We conducted a type 3 hybrid implementation-effectiveness study and collected data between April 2016 and June 2021, in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. RE-AIM was operationalised as: (i) Reach: Number and representativeness of students exposed to iPLAY; (ii) Effectiveness: Impact of iPLAY in a sub-sample of students (n = 5,959); (iii) Adoption: Number and representativeness of schools that received iPLAY; (iv) Implementation: Extent to which the three curricular and three non-curricular components of iPLAY were delivered as intended; (v) Maintenance: Extent to which iPLAY was sustained in schools. We conducted 43 semi-structured interviews with teachers (n = 14), leaders (n = 19), and principals (n = 10) from 18 schools (11 from urban and 7 from rural locations) to determine program maintenance. Results Reach: iPLAY reached ~ 31,000 students from a variety of socio-economic strata (35% of students were in the bottom quartile, almost half in the middle two quartiles, and 20% in the top quartile). Effectiveness: We observed small positive intervention effects for enjoyment of PE/sport (0.12 units, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.20, d = 0.17), perceptions of need support from teachers (0.26 units, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.53, d = 0.40), physical activity participation (0.28 units, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.47, d = 0.14), and subjective well-being (0.82 units, 95% CI: 0.32 to 1.32, d = 0.12) at 24-months. Adoption: 115 schools received iPLAY. Implementation: Most schools implemented the curricular (59%) and non-curricular (55%) strategies as intended. Maintenance: Based on our qualitative data, changes in teacher practices and school culture resulting from iPLAY were sustained. Conclusions iPLAY had extensive reach and adoption in NSW primary schools. Most of the schools implemented iPLAY as intended and effectiveness data suggest the positive effects observed in our cluster RCT were sustained when the intervention was delivered at-scale. Trial registration ACTRN12621001132831.

This study examined moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) trends in physical education (PE) classes and beyond school hours in children's need satisfaction profiles over 3 years. Participants were 445 (girls 256, boys 189) Finnish schoolchildren ( Mage = 11.26 ± 0.32 years). Need satisfaction self-reports and accelerometer-based MVPA data were collected in 17 comprehensive schools over four assessment phases. Four latent profiles based on the need satisfaction trends over time were found: Profiles with Large Decrease, Small Decrease, Small Increase, and Large Increase. The children with the most prominent need satisfaction decreases showed a significant decline in out-of-school MVPA. All the children, irrespective of their need satisfaction profile, exhibited similar patterns of MVPA in PE over the 3-year follow-up. Developing need satisfactions and out-of-school MVPA of the children with the greatest need satisfaction decreases may require enhancements in need-supportive PE activities.

This study investigates how schoolchildren organise their spatial and epistemic ‘territories’ among peer groups to constitute local social and moral orders in open learning environments. Open learning environments, the result of recent school reforms in Finland, challenge the conventional organisation of traditional classrooms. We use a microanalysis of naturally occurring video-recorded interactions to show the interactional dynamics of how children produce epistemic and spatial territories by creating moment-by-moment unfolding participation frameworks and emotional alliances. We suggest that the lack of institutional structures in open learning environments withholds children from the territorial shelters that exist in more traditional classrooms. Therefore, open learning environments make students and their peer groups more vulnerable in terms of their social face (Goffman, 1955), including their competence and skills, as they are constantly exposed to other people's observations and criticisms of and interventions in their peer groups. Our results shed light on the tendency of human beings to produce spatial and epistemic structures and moral orders where none exist. publishedVersion

Check in–check out (CICO) is a widely used and studied behavioural intervention. Although CICO is an effective way to support pupils’ behaviour in a school context, not all pupils benefit from basic CICO. A single-case experimental study was designed to evaluate the effects of CICO Plus support (CICO Plus) for participants whose behaviour was determined to be non-responsive to basic CICO. CICO Plus was planned and implemented with four pupils identified by school CICO teams as needing additional behavioural support. Individual CICO Plus support was planned by multiprofessional teams working on each pupil’s case. The CICO Plus support was based on teaching social skills and behaviour at least three times a week in collaboration with families, schools and social and health care services. A concurrent multiple baseline design revealed increases in pupils’ appropriate behaviour in their targeted behavioural goals and decreases on pupils’ disruptive behaviour in school situations. Fidelity of the CICO Plus intervention and social validity among school personnel were also assessed. Results indicated that practical multiprofessional co-operation is essential to lay the groundwork for inclusive support for pupils at risk of severe problem behaviour. peerReviewed

This study aimed to examine how parental profiles during homework help (supportive versus controlling) for children in Grades 6 and 9 change over time and relate to children’s motivation and math skills. Participants included 719 mother–child dyads. Children’s perceptions of parental help and math skills were assessed in both grades; children’s math-related self-concept, interest, and mother-rated task persistence were assessed only in Grade 6. Three similar profiles of parental help appeared in both grades. Most mothers and children belonged to the Average support and control profile (around 60% in both grades); 29–33% belonged to the Average support, high control profile; and 8–11% belonged to the Low support, below average control profile. Profiles differed based on children’s self-concept, task persistence, and math skills in Grade 6. Transitions of parental homework help predicted children’s math skills in Grade 9. These findings help to conceptualize parental homework help as a multidimensional construct that may manifest in three different profiles which differentially relate to the child’s skills and motivation. peerReviewed

Objectives This study examined the developmental associations of accelerometer-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) with cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in schoolchildren. Design A three-year follow-up study. Methods Participants were 446 (girls 57 %) Finnish children (M = 11.26 ± 0.32 years) from 17 randomly selected public schools in Finland. Accelerometer-based MVPA and ST were assessed using waist-worn activity monitors and CRF using the 20 m shuttle run test at four measurement points from 2017 to 2020. The developmental associations were tested using the Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) reflecting MVPA, CRF, and ST overall levels and repeated measures over time. Results The key findings were 1) MVPA was positively associated with CRF, whereas ST was negatively associated with CRF; 2) associations between repeated measures of MVPA and ST with CRF were found only at the final time point; 3) CRF was lower in girls than boys, CRF and MVPA were lower in children with higher BMI, and vice versa; and 4) CRF was higher in children who were still experiencing or had already passed their peak growth spurt than children whose growth spurts had not yet begun. Conclusions The results contribute to the growing evidence of a positive developmental association between MVPA engagement and CRF. Furthermore, the inverse association between ST and CRF calls for the avoidance of excessive sedentary behaviour. More effort should be made to promote physically active lifestyles in children and youth. peerReviewed

Tämän pro gradu –tutkielman päätavoitteena on tutkia koulukiusaamisesta johtuneita vaikutuksia. Tutkin koulukiusaamisesta johtuvia välittömiä, pidempiaikaisia sekä kauaskantoisia vaikutuksia. Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan, millä tavoin koulukiusaaminen vaikuttaa välittömästi kiusaamisen tapahduttua sekä millaisia seurauksia sillä on myöhemmin heidän elämässään. Tavoitteena on tutkia myös, miten ammattilaiset voivat puuttua kiusaamiseen tai ennaltaehkäistä sitä, ja siten vähentää kiusaamisesta johtuvia seurauksia. Tutkimus on laadullinen tutkimus. Tässä tutkimuksessa pyrin saamaan kokonaiskuvan tutkimuksen kohderyhmän avulla koulukiusaamisen aiheuttamista vaikutuksista. Aineisto on kerätty sähköisesti 1/2022–2/2022 välisenä aikana. Aineisto on kerätty kolmelta eri moniammatilliselta tiimiltä ja ne toimivat kaikki eri kunnissa. Tutkimukseen osallistui 17 vastaajaa. Aineiston olen analysoinut sisällönanalyysimenetelmän avulla. Moniammatillisten tiimien jäsenten mukaan koulukiusaaminen vaikuttaa negatiivisesti uhreihin välittömästi tai myöhemmin heidän elämässään. Koulukiusaaminen on vakava ongelma, joka aiheuttaa useita lyhyen ja pitkän aikavälin kielteisiä seurauksia. Kiusaamisen seuraukset ilmenivät fyysisinä, psyykkisinä ja sosiaalisina oireina. Kiusaamisen seurauksena yleistä oli itsetunnon lasku ja eristäytyminen sosiaalisista suhteista. Kouluarvosanat laskivat kiusaamisen seurauksena, ja pahimmillaan se aiheutti kokonaan koulun keskeytymisen. Kiusaaminen aiheutti aggressiivista ja ennalta arvaamatonta käyttäytymistä sekä päihteiden käyttöä. Kiusattujen oli vaikea aloittaa harrastus uudestaan ja solmia kaverisuhteita. Kiusaaminen vaikuttaa myös parisuhteeseen ja perhe-elämään. Koulukiusaamiseen tulee puuttua välittömästi. Tärkeää on nuorten tasavertainen kuuleminen ja kiusaamista ei tule vähätellä. Aikuisilla tulee olla rohkeus puuttua kiusaamiseen ja asia tulee viedä tarvittaessa eteenpäin. Kouluissa tulee olla selkeä toimintamalli kiusaamiseen puuttumisessa, ja sen tulee olla kaikkien koulussa työskentelevien tiedossa. Koulukiusaamista voidaan ennaltaehkäistä oppilashuoltotyön ja kiusaamisen vastaisen toiminnan suunnittelulla. Ajan antaminen nuorille todettiin tärkeäksi ennaltaehkäiseväksi toiminnaksi. Koulukiusaamista voidaan ennaltaehkäistä jo varhaiskasvatuksessa kiinnittämällä huomiota pienten lasten tunnetaitoihin. Tärkeää on opettaa tietoisuutta erilaisuudesta ja kertoa, mitä koulukiusaaminen aiheuttaa. Koulukuraattoreita ja koulupsykologeja tulee palkata lisää. Koulukiusaamisen aiheuttamia seurauksia voidaan vähentää tasavertaisella ja aidolla kohtaamisella. Aikuisten tulee osoittaa nuorille käytöksellään se, että he välittävät ja haluavat auttaa. Kiusattu ja kiusaaja tarvitsevat molemmat apua, ja heitä tulee tukea niin kauan, kuin siihen tarvetta on. Tarvittaessa huoltajat ja muu koulun ulkopuolinen tuki tulee ottaa toimintaan mukaan. Tutkimuksen tuottamaa tietoa voidaan hyödyntää kouluissa ja nuorten parissa työskentelevien ammattilaisten keskuudessa. Tutkimustieto lisää ymmärrystä koulukiusaamisen aiheuttamista välittömistä, pidempiaikaisista ja kauaskantoista vaikutuksista.

Svårigheter med exekutiva färdigheter är relativt vanliga i skolan och påverkar elevers arbetssätt och inlärning negativt. Kunskap om individuella uttryck av exekutiva svårigheter och beteende i skolan ger en bättre utgångspunkt för att planera och genomföra riktade och effektiva stödåtgärder. I den här studien fokuserar vi på hurdana olika profiler det finns gällande de exekutiva svårigheterna bland elever som erbjuds specialpedagogiskt stöd för koncentrationssvårigheter, samt hur dessa är relaterade till beteendeproblem, positivt socialt beteende och akademiska grundfärdigheter. I den här studien deltog 183 elever från två kohorter (medelålder = 9,57 år; modersmål svenska = 62,8 %, finska = 37,2 %). Eleverna valdes först av skolornas personal för att få stöd för sina exekutiva svårigheter och därefter samlades information om de svårigheterna in med hjälp av frågeformulär. Informationen analyserades med ett personcentrerat tillvägagångssätt, latent profilanalys. Vi hittade fyra olika profiler, Milda allmänna svårigheter, Svårigheter med uppmärksamhet och verkställande, Inhibitionssvårigheter och Stora allmänna svårigheter. En jämförelse visade på skillnader mellan grupperna i matematiska grundfärdigheter och beteendeproblem. Resultaten stödjer tanken att elever och personal kunde ha nytta av en stödplan baserad på en omfattande individuell bedömning av både beteende och akademiska färdigheter. peerReviewed

This study examined stability and transitions of school-aged children's self-determination theory-based need satisfaction profiles in physical education (PE) over three years. Participants were 1121 (girls 573, boys 548) Finnish school children. The self-report data were assessed using identical procedures from 2017 to 2020. Three latent need satisfaction profiles were identified: Low, Mid, and High need satisfactions. Transitions mainly occurred between grade 5 and 6 in elementary school, after which the profile memberships remained relatively stable. The profile memberships were not school- or PE group dependent over time. These results indicate that school-based actions to achieve a positive impact on need satisfaction development could already be commenced in the early school years, as it may be more challenging to induce positive changes in student behaviours after children have transitioned to middle school. peerReviewed

This study investigated the associations of accelerometer-measured physical activity, sedentary time and screen time with the incidence of neck and shoulder pain in school-aged children over a two-year follow-up. Children (aged 10–15) were measured at baseline 2013 (T0) (n = 970) and at follow-ups 2014 (T1) and 2015 (T2). Neck and shoulder pain frequency and screen time were determined with a web-based questionnaire. Daytime moderate to vigorous physical activity and sedentary time were measured with an accelerometer. Logistic regression was applied, and the results were adjusted for age, gender, body mass index and bedtime. Accelerometer-measured physical activity or sedentary time at baseline were not associated with the incidence of neck and shoulder pain at the two-year follow-up. Associations of neck and shoulder pain incidence with overall screen time (p = 0.020), and especially with passive gaming time (p = 0.036) and social media time (p = 0.023) were found at the first but not the second follow-up. The neck and shoulder pain incidence associated with overall screen time, passive gaming time and social media time at the first follow-up. The importance of limiting screen time, should be explored in order to find new approaches in preventing neck and shoulder pain in school-aged children. peerReviewed

Noin 40 prosentilla viides- ja kahdeksasluokkalaisista fyysinen toimintakyky on heikko. Kahdeksasluokkalaisilla kestävyyskunto on edelleen heikentynyt, mutta viidesluokkalaisilla lasku näytti tasaantuneen. Positiivisia merkkejä näkyy erityisesti poikien liikkuuvuudessa. nonPeerReviewed

Educational reforms worldwide have resulted in schools increasingly incorporating open and flexible classroom designs that may provide possibilities to reduce sedentary behavior among students during lessons. Cross-sectional associations of classroom type on accelerometry assessed sedentary bout durations and sit-to-stand transitions were investigated in 191 third and fifth grade students recruited from one school with open learning spaces and two schools with conventional classrooms. A three-way ANOVA for classroom type, gender and grade level indicated that students in open learning spaces had more 1-to-4-min sedentary bouts (mean difference 1.8 bouts/h, p < 0.001), fewer >10-min sedentary bouts (median 0.20 vs. 0.48 bouts/h, p = 0.004) and more sit-to-stand transitions (mean difference 0.9 STS/h, p = 0.009) than students in conventional learning spaces. Comparisons between schools by grade, which were conducted with a one-way ANCOVA adjusted for gender, indicated that most of the significant differences occurred between schools with different classroom types. There were only small and mostly statistically nonsignificant differences between the two schools with conventional classrooms. In conclusion, open learning spaces may improve children’s sedentary profiles towards shorter sedentary bout durations and facilitate also postural transitions during lessons, which may translate into beneficial health impacts over a longer period. peerReviewed

Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on tarkastella kolmas- ja kuudesluokkalaisten oppilaiden käsityksiä ilmastonmuutoksesta. Ilmastonmuutos on ajankohtainen ilmiö ja esiintyy päivittäin uutisissa ja sosiaalisessa mediassa. Myös lapset törmäävät ilmiöön ympäristössään ja ilmastonmuutosta käsitellään myös koulussa. Aiemmissa tutkimuksissa on lapsilla huomattu olevan ilmastonmuutokseen liittyviä virhekäsityksiä ja ristiriitaisuuksia. Usein myös ratkaisukeinot liittyvät omaan ympäristöön. Ilmastokasvatuksella on todettu olevan tärkeä tehtävä lasten ja nuorten kasvatuksessa. Tutkimus on fenomenografinen, sillä tutkimuskohteena ovat käsitykset. Tutkimuksen aineisto kerättiin yhdeltä kolmasluokalta (n=13) ja yhdeltä kuudesluokalta (n=13) ryhmähaastatteluilla talvella 2021. Aineisto analysoitiin teoriaohjaavan sisällönanalyysin mukaisesti ja aineistosta nousi molemmilla luokkatasoilla neljä teemaa: ilmastonmuutoksen syyt, seuraukset, hillintä ja ilmastonmuutokseen liittyvät tunteet. Kolmasluokkalaisten vastaukset ilmastonmuutoksen syihin, seurauksiin ja hillintään olivat hyvin konkreettisia ja liittyivät vahvasti omaan elämään ja ympäristöön. Käsitteitä tiedettiin jonkun verran, mutta niitä ei osattu juurikaan perustella. Virhekäsityksiä esiintyi niin roskaamiseen kuin ruokaankin liittyen. Tunteissa esiin nousi huoli, suru, pelko, toivo ja ilo. Ilmastonmuutos koettiin negatiivisena asiana, vaikka muutama positiivinen tulevaisuudenkuva käsityksistä löytyikin. Kuudesluokkalaisten ajattelu oli kehittyneempää ilmastonmuutoksen käsityksiin liittyen kuin kolmasluokkalaisilla. He osasivat ajatella oman ympäristön ulkopuolelta ja miettiä globaalisia seurauksia suuremmalta kaavalta. Kuudesluokkalaiset osasivat myös miettiä tulevaisuutta ei näkökulmista ja muodostaa eri skenaarioita tulevaisuuden varalle. Samoja virhekäsityksiä roskaamisesta ja ruuasta esiintyi myös kuudesluokkalaisilla, mutta huomattavasti vähemmän. Kuudesluokkalaisia oli vaikea saada sanoittamaan tunteitaan. Eroja kolmas- ja kuudesluokkalaisten vastauksissa ei ollut niin paljon kuin oletettiin. Tutkimus osoitti ilmastokasvatuksen tärkeäksi, jotta virhekäsityksiä voitaisiin oikaista. Myös tunteiden parempi huomioon ottaminen kouluissa on tärkeää, sillä monella oppilaalla esiintyi huolta tulevaisuudesta.

Liikunnanopetukseen integroitu Move!-fyysisen toimintakyvyn seurantajärjestelmä on kehitetty lasten ja nuorten fyysisen toimintakyvyn tukemiseen. Heikkojen Move!-tulosten taustalla on nuoren kokonaisvaltainen elämäntilanne, mutta erityisesti liiallisen rasvamassan kertyminen murrosiän aikana. Hyvät tulokset saaneet nuoret kokivat myös terveytensä hyväksi. nonPeerReviewed

Background Previous research has shown that school can be an influential context to promote students' physical activity engagement, physical fitness, and motor competence. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a 5-month-long intervention program that aimed to increase students' motor competence and physical fitness during school days. Methods A quasi-experimental intervention design with pre- and post-tests was implemented. Altogether 325 Finnish Grade 5 (Mage = 11.26, SD = .33) students from five schools participated in the study. At the beginning of the study, students were divided into experimental and control groups on purpose. The intervention consisted of three components: a) weekly 20 minutes sessions of guided training during a regular PE lesson, b) weekly 20 minutes sessions of guided training during recess and c) daily 5 minutes long activity breaks during academic lessons. Intervention activities aimed to increase different elements of physical fitness and motor competence. One week before and one week after the intervention period students' physical fitness levels were measured by 20-meter shuttle run (cardiorespiratory fitness), curl-up and push-up (muscular fitness) tests, and motor competence by 5-leaps (locomotor skills) and throwing-catching-combination (object control skills) tests. Results Repeated measures MANOVA indicated that there was a multivariate interaction effect between experimental and control groups over time (F [5, 222] = 7.52, p=.000, partial η2=.145). Moreover, univariate analysis revealed that students in the experimental group performed significantly better in 20-meter shuttle run test (F [1, 226] = 21,9, p=.000, partial η2=.088), curl-up (F [1, 226] = 4,9, p=.028, partial η2=.021), push-up (F [1, 226] = 15,5, p=.000, partial η2=.064) and throwing-catching-combination (F [1, 226] = 4,0, p=.046, partial η2=.017). There were no differences between experimental and control groups in 5-leaps test (F [1, 226] = 0.003 p=.958, partial η2=.000). Conclusions The intervention program appeared to be effective in increasing students' cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, and object control skills. This indicates that guided school-based physical activity programs can be influential in promoting physical fitness and motor competence among school children. nonPeerReviewed

Sanojen sinfoniaa Lounais-Suomessa oli Opetushallituksen rahoittama ja Lukuliikkeen Lukeva kunta -verkostoon kuuluva hanke. Tavoitteena oli konseptoida ja markkinoida alueen kunnissa lukemista edistäviä palveluita, toteuttaa Lukeva kunta -kokeiluja, kehittää kirjastohenkilökunnan osaamista sekä vahvistaa lasten ja nuorten osallisuutta. Mukaan ilmoittautui 20 kuntaa Lounais-Suomen alueelta. Sanojen sinfoniaa Lounais-Suomessa -hankkeeseen liitetyssä tutkimushankkeessa, joka sai Opetushallitukselta erillisen lisärahoituksen, haluttiin keskittyä vinkkaustoiminnan tarkasteluun erilaisista näkökulmista sekä saada välineitä kirjavinkkaustoiminnan kehittämiseen. Tutkimuksen toteuttivat tutkijat Juli-Anna Aerila Turun yliopistosta, Merja Kauppinen Jyväskylän yliopistosta sekä Anu Ojaranta vapaana tutkijana. Tutkimusaineiston keruussa avusti Sanojen sinfoniaa Lounais-Suomessa –hankkeen koordinaattori Suvi Sario. Tutkimusaineiston keruuseen ja analyysiin osallistui myös projektitutkija Mari Siipola Turun yliopistosta. nonPeerReviewed

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The aim of our systematic review and meta-analysis was to quantitatively synthesise the effects of school-based peer-led interventions on leaders’ academic, psychosocial, behavioural, and physical outcomes. Eligible studies were those that: (i) evaluated a school-based peer-led intervention using an experimental or quasi-experimental study design, (ii) included an age-matched control or comparison group, and (iii) evaluated the impact of the intervention on one or more leader outcomes. Medline, Sportdiscus, Psychinfo, Embase, and Scopus online databases were searched on the 24th of October, 2022 which yielded 13,572 results, with 31 included in the narrative synthesis and 12 in the meta-analysis. We found large positive effects for leaders’ attitudes toward bullying (d = 1.02), small-to-medium positive effects for leaders’ literacy (d = 0.39), and small positive effects for leaders’ self-esteem (d = 0.18). There were mixed findings for behavioural outcomes and null effects for physical outcomes. Notable limitations of this research are the inclusion of a relatively small number of studies, and high heterogeneity in those included. Our findings have the potential to inform educational practice, but also highlight the need for further research examining the mechanisms that might account for the observed effects. Our systematic review was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021273129). peerReviewed

Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on tutkia liikuntaa opettavien opettajien ja kouluterveydenhoitajien käsityksiä moniammatillisesta yhteistyöstä toimintakyvyn edistämiseen ja Move!-mittauksiin liittyen. Kummatkin toimijat ovat keskeisiä oppilaiden toimintakyvyn edistämisessä sekä perusopetuksen opetussuunnitelmaan sisältyvän Move!-järjestelmän hyödyntämisessä. Tutkimus toteutettiin kyselytutkimuksena erikseen kouluterveydenhoitajille (N=192) ja liikuntaa opettaville opettajille (N=359). Määrällisten kysymysten analysoinnissa hyödynnettiin t-testiä sekä yksisuuntaista varianssianalyysiä ja laadullisen aineiston analyysissä teoriaohjaavaa sisällönanalyysiä. Tulosten mukaan korkeintaan noin puolet opettajista ja kouluterveydenhoitajista oli tehnyt toimintakykymittausten suunnitteluun, palautteen antamiseen ja tulosten hyödyntämiseen liittyvää yhteistyötä. Lisäksi opettajien ja kouluterveydenhoitajien käsitykset yhteistyön toteutumisesta vaihtelivat. Keskeisimmäksi yhteistyön toteutumiseen vaikuttavaksi tekijäksi nousi yhteinen aika ja kohtaamiset. Opettajien ja kouluterveydenhoitajien perus- ja täydennyskoulutuksissa tulisi jatkossa kiinnittää entistä enemmän huomiota moniammatillisen yhteistyön edistämiseen ja molempien ammattitaidon hyödyntämiseen oppilaiden toimintakyvyn tukemisessa. Physical education teachers and school nurses are key actors in promoting students’ physical functioning capacity and in utilizing the curriculum-based Move! fitness monitoring system. The purpose of this study is to investigate physical education teachers’ and school nurses’ experiences of multiprofessional co-operation while utilizing the Move! system to promote students’ functioning capacity. The study was conducted with a questionnaire separately for school nurses (N=192) and for physical education teachers (N=359). The comparison of the quantitative questions of the questionnaire utilized the t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The qualitative data was analyzed using a theory-based content analysis method. The results indicate that approximately half of the teachers and nurses who participated in the study had experiences of multiprofessional co-operation in planning the measurements, giving feedback and utilizing the results. In addition, there were multiple differences in how the co-operation had occurred between teachers and nurses. Mutual time and interaction were the key factors influencing the co-operation process. In the future, multi-professional co-operation should be given a greater role in teachers’ and nurses’ basic and continuing education programs in order to utilize the expertise of these professionals in promoting pupils’ physical functioning capacity in basic education. peerReviewed

This article describes a nexus analysis of the lengthy, complex process of negotiating access to schools for a research project surveying 1,002 children (aged 9–12 years) about their digital and language practices. The analysis distinguished layers of adult-centered gatekeeping, each of which needed to be tackled in sequence. Bottlenecks particularly arose at the gatekeeping stage, in which superintendents of schools decided whether to grant research access to schools. Factors facilitating the research process included the hybrid data collection design, the procedures for obtaining parental consent, and the active collaboration with the children themselves. A significant discourse emerged among school stakeholders about research fatigue, a discourse that researchers need to take seriously. The implications for future school-based survey data collection involving children are discussed, particularly how collaboration between researchers and school stakeholders can be improved. peerReviewed

This longitudinal study of 1,066 Finnish students examined bidirectional reciprocal relationships between changes in perceived supportive school climate and changes in self-reported truancy from the last year of primary school (Grade 6) to the last year of lower secondary school (Grade 9). The results of the random intercept cross-lagged panel model showed, first, that a decrease in positive perceptions of school climate at the previous time point predicted more self-reported truancy at the following time point. Second, an increase in self-reported truancy predicted less positive perceptions of supportive school climate. The study indicates that students’ perceptions of supportive school climate and truancy negatively predict each other over time. Thus, school climate can serve as a target for prevention and intervention efforts to tackle truancy. Moreover, effectively addressing truancy may lead to a more favorable student view of school climate. peerReviewed

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Background Leadership is a valuable skill that can be taught in school, and which may have benefits within and beyond the classroom. Learning to Lead (L2L) is a student-led, primary school-based leadership program whereby older ‘peer leaders’ deliver a fundamental movement skills (FMS) program to younger ‘peers’ within their own school. Aim The aims of the study are to determine the efficacy of a peer-led FMS intervention on: (i) peer leaders’ (aged 10 to 12 years) leadership effectiveness (primary outcome), leadership self-efficacy, well-being, and time on-task in the classroom; (ii) peers’ (aged 8 to 10 years) physical activity levels, actual and perceived FMS competency, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular power, and executive functioning; and (iii) teachers’ (referred to as ‘school champions’) work-related stress and well-being. Method L2L will be evaluated using a two-arm parallel group cluster randomised controlled trial. Twenty schools located within a two-hour drive of the University of Newcastle, Australia will be recruited. We will recruit 80 students (40 peer leaders and 40 peers) from each school (N = 1,600). L2L will be implemented in three phases: Phase 1 –school champions’ training via a professional learning workshop; Phase 2 –school champions’ delivery of leadership lessons to the peer leaders; and Phase 3 –peer leaders’ delivery of the FMS program to their younger peers. The FMS program, consisting of 12 x 30-minute lessons, will be delivered over the course of one school term (10 weeks). Study outcomes will be assessed at baseline (between mid-March to June, Terms 1 and 2), intervention end (mid-August to September, Term 3), and follow-up (November to mid-December, Term 4. This trial was prospectively registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR); registration number: ACTRN12621000376842.

Background:The trans-contextual model (TCM) has been applied to identify the determinants of leisure-time physical activity participation in secondary school students. In the current study, the TCM was extended to include additional constructs that represent non-conscious, implicit processes that lead to leisure-time physical activity participation alongside the motivational and social cognition constructs from the TCM. The current study used baseline and follow-up data from an intervention study to test the extended TCM.Methods:The current study adopted a two-wave prospective design. Secondary-school students (N = 502) completed measures of perceived autonomy support from physical education (PE) teachers, autonomous motivation in PE and leisure-time contexts, social cognition constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control), intentions, trait self-control, habits, and past behavior all in a leisure-time physical activity context. Five weeks later, students (N = 298) completed a follow-up self-report measure of their leisure-time physical activity.Results:Bayesian path analyses supported two key premises of the model: perceived autonomous support predicted autonomous motivation in PE, and autonomous motivation in PE predicted autonomous motivation in leisure time. However, while both forms of autonomous motivation predicted social cognition constructs and intentions, they did not predict leisure-time physical activity participation. Trait self-control, attitudes, and past behavior were direct predictors of intentions and leisure-time physical activity participation. Specifying informative priors for key model relations using Bayesian analysis yielded greater precision for some of the estimates.Conclusions:Findings raise some questions on the efficacy of the original TCM, but highlight the value of extending the TCM to incorporate additional constructs representing non-conscious processes.

Environmental settings influence children’s and adolescents’ physical activity (PA) in neighborhoods and schoolyards. This study aimed to explore the main characteristics of schoolyards in six Nordic–Baltic countries, to document how those facilities provide affordances for PA in 7–18 year–old schoolchildren, and how the schoolyard meets children’s preferences. One schoolyard was studied in each included country: Iceland, Norway, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The affordances, facilities, and equipment for PA in schoolyards were identified through orthophoto maps and standard registration forms. Children’s preferences were collected through group interviews at each participating school. A common design of schoolyards across countries indicated mostly flat topography with sparse vegetation and green areas dominated by large traditional sport arenas such as a football field, areas suitable for ball games, and track and field activities. Green spaces and varied topography were more prominent in Nordic countries. Across nationalities, the responses from pupils regarding the schoolyard were similar: they liked it though they wished for more variety of activities to do during recess. National regulations/recommendations for schoolyard design differed across the countries, being more restricted to sport fields and sport-related activities in Latvia and Lithuania, while in Nordic countries, the recommendations focused more on versatile schoolyard design.

I den här studien utforskades ifall det förekommer sociodemografiska skillnader i upplevelse av psykiska besvär, socialt stöd och känsla av ensamhet bland finlandssvenska ungdomar. Det undersöktes även ifall ungdomarnas upplevelse av psykiska besvär kan förklaras med familje-, kamrat- och klasskamratstöd samt känsla av ensamhet. Utöver det utforskades ifall samband mellan socialt stöd och psykiska besvär kan förklaras med känsla av ensamhet. Som datamaterial användes WHO:s skolelevstudie (WHO-Koululaistutkimus) från 2018 med ett deltagarantal på 599 svenskspråkiga elever från årskurs 5, 7 och 9 (Målder = 11,9/14,0/15,9; svarsprocent 38 %). Som statistiska analysmetoder användes Pearsons chi2-test, envägs variansanalys, oberoende t-test, Spearmans rangkorrelationsanalys, multipel linjär regressionsanalys och medierande analys. Resultaten visade att flickor upplevde psykiska besvär och känsla av ensamhet i högre grad än pojkar. Elever i årskurs 7 och 9 upplevde nervositet i signifikant högre grad än eleverna i årskurs 5. De med högre upplevd socioekonomiska status upplevde i lägre grad psykiska besvär. Det förekom inte signifikanta skillnader i fråga om psykiska besvär, socialt stöd eller känsla av ensamhet mellan finlandssvenska ungdomar bosatta i stadsort och på landsbygden. Familjestöd och klasskamratstöd förklarade psykiska besvär signifikant och negativt, vilket innebar att lägre grad av familje- och klasskamratstöd associerades med högre grad av psykiska besvär. Känsla av ensamhet förklarade psykiska besvär signifikant och positivt, det vill säga högre grad av ensamhetskänslor associerades med högre grad av psykiska besvär. Kamratstöd förutsade inte psykiska besvär signifikant. Enligt resultaten kunde även samband mellan socialt stöd i form av familje-, kamrat- och klasskamratstöd och psykiska besvär delvis förklaras med känsla av ensamhet. Studien bidrar med ny kunskap om finlandssvenska ungdomars välmående och kan uppmuntra till hälsofrämjande verksamhet. För att få en djupare förståelse om lägre nivåer av socialt stöd och upplevelse av ensamhet i grundskoleålder kan vara riskfaktorer för utveckling av mental ohälsa behövs mer forskning, speciellt i form av longitudinella studier.

The present study compares two methods for assessing peer influence: the longitudinal actor–partner interdependence model (L-APIM) and the longitudinal social network analysis (L-SNA) Model. The data were drawn from 1,995 (49% girls and 51% boys) third grade students ( Mage= 9.68 years). From this sample, L-APIM ( n = 206 indistinguishable dyads and n = 187 distinguishable dyads) and L-SNA ( n = 1,024 total network members) subsamples were created. Students completed peer nominations and objective assessments of mathematical reasoning in the spring of the third and fourth grades. Patterns of statistical significance differed across analyses. Stable distinguishable and indistinguishable L-APIM dyadic analyses identified reciprocated friend influence such that friends with similar levels of mathematical reasoning influenced one another and friends with higher math reasoning influenced friends with lower math reasoning. L-SNA models with an influence parameter (i.e., average reciprocated alter) comparable to that assessed in L-APIM analyses failed to detect influence effects. Influence effects did emerge, however, with the addition of another, different social network influence parameter (i.e., average alter influence effect). The diverging results may be attributed to differences in the sensitivity of the analyses, their ability to account for structural confounds with selection and influence, the samples included in the analyses, and the relative strength of influence in reciprocated best as opposed to other friendships.

The current study examined several indicators of students' academic and emotional adjustment during the transition from primary (i.e., grade 6) to secondary school (i.e., grades 7 and 9). Specifically, the study investigated how students' engagement, achievement, and burnout, as well as student-teacher conflict, evolve together over time. A total of 356 adolescents (57.3% boys) filled out questionnaires about their burnout and their behavioral and cognitive engagement. Students' achievement was measured using standardized test scores. Conflict in the teacher-student relationship was assessed using teacher ratings. Cross-lagged models revealed bi-directional associations between behavioral and cognitive engagement. More teacher conflict related to less behavioral engagement, whereas higher achievement predicted more cognitive engagement one and two school years later. The results underscore that, despite the interrelatedness of behavioral and cognitive engagement during the transition from primary to secondary school, both show unique contextual and personal correlates. ispartof: Journal of School Psychology vol:76 pages:140-158 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Aggressive behavior in school is an ongoing concern. The current focus is on specific manifestations such as bullying, but the behavior is broad and heterogenous. Children spend a substantial amount of time in school, but their behaviors in the school setting tend to be less well characterized than at home. Because aggression may index multiple behavioral problems, we used three validated instruments to assess means, correlations and gender differences of teacher-rated aggressive behavior with co-occurring externalizing/internalizing problems and social behavior in 39,936 schoolchildren aged 7-14 from 4 population-based cohorts from Finland, the Netherlands, and the UK. Correlations of aggressive behavior were high with all other externalizing problems (r: 0.47-0.80) and lower with internalizing problems (r: 0.02-0.39). A negative association was observed with prosocial behavior (r: -0.33 to -0.54). Mean levels of aggressive behavior differed significantly by gender. Despite the higher mean levels of aggressive behavior in boys, the correlations were notably similar for boys and girls (e.g., aggressive-hyperactivity correlations: 0.51-0.75 boys, 0.47-0.70 girls) and did not vary greatly with respect to age, instrument or cohort. Thus, teacher-rated aggressive behavior rarely occurs in isolation; boys and girls with problems of aggressive behavior likely require help with other behavioral and emotional problems. Important to note, higher aggressive behavior is not only associated with higher amounts of other externalizing and internalizing problems but also with lower levels of prosocial behavior.

BackgroundIdentifying psychological correlates of children's physical activity intentions may signpost potentially modifiable targets for interventions aimed at promoting physical activity participation. School recess and leisure-time outside of school are appropriate contexts in which such interventions may be delivered. However, few studies have identified correlates of physical activity intentions in these environments. Examining correlates in these contexts may provide formative evidence on which to base interventions to promote physical activity.PurposeThe current study adopted an integrated theoretical model to test relations between motivational constructs from self-determination theory, social cognition constructs from the theory of planned behavior, and physical activity intentions in leisure-time and school recess contexts.MethodsFinnish school children (N = 845, M age = 13.93, SD = 0.99) from three lower-secondary schools completed self-report measures of perceived autonomy support by peers, autonomous and controlled motivation, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and physical activity intentions for both contexts.ResultsWell-fitting structural equation models controlling for past behavior indicated that autonomous motivation in the school recess context and attitude in both contexts were the most pervasive predictors of physical activity intentions, and mediated the relationship between perceived autonomy support and intentions. Multi-group analyses supported invariance of the models in both contexts across gender, grades, and school, with few variations.ConclusionsThe current study supports relations between motivational and social cognition correlates of children's physical activity intentions in school recess and leisure-time contexts. Future research should extend these findings to the prediction of follow-up participation in physical activity.