ABSTRACT The comparative effect of teaching in isolation or collaboration with others has been extensively explored. Still, more often than not, these studies are theory‐driven and, as such, give teachers' perspectives very little voice. While recent scholarship has begun to explore teacher isolation more comprehensively (Flores 2020), this data‐driven study aims to fill remaining gaps by exploring the roots and consequences of teacher isolation from the bottom up. To this end, 15 language teachers working in private language schools in Shahrood, a major city in Semnan Province, Iran, were purposively sampled, and their concerns and perspectives were collected and conceptualized in line with grounded theory (Corbin and Strauss 2008). Iterative data collection and analysis yielded language teacher isolation as the core category, related to factors such as tight schedules, a lack of shared concerns with other teachers, a judgmental workplace atmosphere, overwork, and egotism. The consequences of teaching in isolation were the routinization of practice and the atrophy of language‐teaching skills. These findings have clear implications for school principals, practitioners, and teachers.
ABSTRACT The critical need to address mental health problems among children, combined with the increasing emphasis on universal mental health screening in school settings, underscores the importance of understanding influences on the use of these measures. There is a mental health crisis in the nation, yet the use of universal mental health screening varies across the country. This study examined how school psychologists use universal screening tools in their work to understand variability in their use across schools. Using a survey design, the researchers developed and administered a survey to school psychologists to gather perceptions and insights regarding the implementation and use of universal screening measures. Questions focused on school psychologists' use of universal screening tools for behavioral and mental health, including both contextual and personal factors that may influence the use of universal social‐emotional screeners. The findings identified significant predictors of screening and revealed national trends in the use of these tools. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are discussed.
ABSTRACT This study examined psychosocial profiles of Tanzanian primary school children and their associations with school refusal, absenteeism, and academic performance using a person‐centered approach. Guided primarily by Bronfenbrenner's bioecological PPCT model, and secondarily by Kearney's functional model of school refusal, school functioning was conceptualised as shaped by child vulnerabilities and proximal relational contexts. Participants were 496 pupils (58.6% female, 41.4% male; ages 9–15 years, M = 11.97, SD = 1.28) from Grades 4–7 in 10 government primary schools. Gaussian finite mixture modeling supported a six‐profile solution based on separation anxiety, externalising and attention symptoms, and perceived parent and peer support. Multilevel analyses accounting for school‐level clustering showed no statistically significant overall profile differences in absenteeism or academic performance. However, pairwise comparisons indicated that pupils in the Anxious and Socially Unsupported profile reported significantly higher school refusal than those in the Low Psychosocial Risk profile (estimate = 0.43, p < 0.001). Descriptively, the higher‐risk profile also showed more unexcused absenteeism ( M = 8.42 vs. 2.14 days over 3 months) and lower academic performance ( M = 52.34% vs. 68.92%). Findings highlight school refusal as a salient behavioral indicator of psychosocial risk in Tanzanian primary schools and support targeted identification and response strategies.
Tootling interventions can enhance students' social skill performance outside the social skill training environment. With Tootling interventions, group-oriented rewards are delivered contingent upon the number of reports students provide of their peers' engagement in prosocial behavior(s). An A-B-A-B withdrawal design was used to evaluate the effects of Tootling on complimenting peers and peer prompting as a group of five second-grade students played a math game. Visual and effect-size analyses of our data showed higher rates of complimenting and peer-prompting when the Tootling intervention was applied. Across intervention sessions, complimenting and peer prompting were positively correlated, and this correlation was statistically significant. These results extend previous research and suggest that positive peer mediation (e.g., prompting) may partially explain why Tootling interventions increase students' performance of recently trained social skills. The discussion focuses on future research designed to enhance the impact of Tootling interventions, positive peer mediation, and students' social skill development.
The effects of an evidence-based literacy intervention with and without added supports to address the unique needs of multilingual learners (MLs) were assessed through an ABAB single-case withdrawal design. The dual dependent variables were reading fluency/accuracy and performance on the workbook that included spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension tasks. Three students (one each in second, third, and fourth grades) who qualified for English language development services and exhibited low reading performance (second and third graders) or were identified with a reading disability (fourth grader) participated. From the initial baseline phase (A1) to the final intervention phase (B2), adding supports specific to the unique language needs of these MLs was associated with increases in reading fluency, decoding accuracy, and workbook performance (measure of reading comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, and decoding/spelling). From phase A1 to B2 an average increase in reading fluency of approximately 50 correct words per minute (CWPM; range = 40-57 CWPM) with an average increase in decoding accuracy of three percentage points (range = 2-4 percentage points) and an average increase in workbook performance of approximately 10 percentage points (range = 1-25) was observed. Conceptual implications and suggestions for improving school psychologists' practice in the special education evaluation and academic support planning processes for MLs are discussed.
Internalizing symptoms in adolescents (e.g., anxiety, loneliness, depression) increased following the COVID-19 pandemic, and can have detrimental impacts on engagement, learning, and overall school success. Cooperative Learning (CL), a small-group instructional approach that creates intergroup collaboration among students, has an extensive track record of improving peer relations and school belonging, which may reduce social stress and protect against internalizing symptoms. However, adhering to the key design principles that make CL successful can be difficult for teachers to do in their everyday practice, underscoring the need for technology-assisted CL. This study evaluated the first-year outcomes of a universal, technology-assisted CL intervention (i.e., PeerLearning. net) on peer relations and, in turn, internalizing symptoms. We also examined whether intervention effects varied by students' baseline symptom levels, sex, and race. Participants were 9th-grade students (N = 691; 55% female; 45% non-White) from 13 high schools in Oregon and Arizona, and student surveys were administered in the fall (pre-test) and spring (post-test). Multilevel models were used to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention at the posttest, accounting for school-level clustering and contextual school characteristics. We found that students in intervention schools showed significantly more positive peer relations and reduced stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness as compared to control schools. Moderation analyses indicated that students with higher initial peer stress, victimization and loneliness benefited the most, showing greater reductions in symptoms. These findings support universal, scalable, and integrated approaches to youth mental health in the post-COVID era.
Necessary arrangements should be made to enable university students with autism (the term "autism" is used to refer to the entire autism spectrum in this study) to improve their transition to university. The need for support may be higher in countries like T & uuml;rkiye, where the number of university students with autism is relatively low, as universities have limited experience with these students. Thus, this study focuses on the transition process of an individual with autism to higher education in T & uuml;rkiye. It aims to contribute to the transition processes of the student and, accordingly, of future students with autism. In this qualitative case study, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with an individual with autism and members of his close circle during his transition to higher education. The study involved 29 participants: the university student with autism, two family members, eight high school teachers, eight university lecturers, and ten university classmates. These interviews were conducted during the first semester of the individual's first academic year, a critical period in the transition to university. During the research process, it was discovered that there was no transition plan for students with autism at the university where the research was conducted. Therefore, it is concluded that the experience gained by the participants during the university education process with a student with autism is not sufficient alone for his transition to university, which started with uncertainty. Over time, the process led to prejudices and misconceptions, while unrealistically high expectations resulted in disappointment. At the end of the semester, uncertainty remained. In addition, it was found that the absence of a transition plan caused cultural factors to become more dominant. In line with the research results, based on the transition process of the university student with autism in this study, suggestions that may be useful for future university students with autism are presented.
ABSTRACT Bullying involvement (e.g., perpetration, victimization, relational, physical) is pervasive both within school and in out‐of‐school environments (Musu‐Gillette et al., 2018). Few studies have examined the relationship between gender, bullying, and participation in extracurricular activities; however, extracurricular involvement is a predictor of multiple positive student outcomes (Berger et al., 2020; Camp, 1990; Peguero, 2008). This study aims to examine bullying and extracurricular involvement by gender, as well as assess whether there is a relationship between extracurricular activities and bullying involvement. From a survey of 14,508 secondary students within the United States, results indicated that males reported higher rates of bullying perpetration, relational perpetration, physical aggression, and victimization, whereas females reported higher rates of relational victimization. Findings relating to gender, extracurricular involvement, limitations, and implications for practice are discussed.
The purpose of this study was to inform the continued development and refinement of the Resilience Education Program (REP), a Tier 2 targeted intervention for students in grades 4-8 exhibiting early signs of internalizing problems. Parents (n = 7), teachers (n = 7), school mental health professionals (n = 11), and researchers (n = 6) participated in focus groups to provide feedback on the REP intervention. During focus groups, we used a modified nominal group technique to elicit participant feedback regarding REP feasibility, usability, and potential effectiveness. We used qualitative analysis to identify major and minor thematic categories in participant responses. We identified 7 major and 17 minor categories for parent perceptions of REP. For the teacher, school mental health professional, and researcher perceptions about REP, we identified 8 major and 20 minor categories. Categories addressed REP's strengths and limitations, implementation considerations, and strategies to increase engagement. Categories spoke to the potential for REP to promote student outcomes but also underscored the need for enhancements to ensure REP's effectiveness and sustained implementation in schools. We have subsequently used comments from parents, teachers, school mental health professionals, and researchers to identify ways to revise and expand REP.
Passive bystanding and active defending are distinct responses to school bullying, yet the role of student recognition in driving these behaviors remains unclear. This study employed a three-wave longitudinal research design with a sample of 314 students to disentangle stable between-person effects from dynamic within-person effects through a Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM). The results revealed a significant divergence in how recognition is associated with the two bystander behaviors. At the within-person level, recognition significantly and positively predicted subsequent active defending; however, recognition did not significantly reduce passive bystanding at this level. At the between-person level, students who generally experienced higher levels of recognition across the year reported significantly lower levels of passive bystanding, whereas the link to defending was not significant.
This qualitative descriptive study examined perspectives from 85 participants at the National Convening on Disability and Catholic Education, a 3-day gathering of Catholic school leaders, educators, and advocates. Using reflexive thematic analysis of structured roundtable dialogues, the study identified psychological and organizational factors influencing inclusive practice in faith-based school contexts. Five interrelated themes emerged: (a) the need for a coherent, nationally aligned inclusion framework; (b) educator beliefs and fear as determinants of implementation; (c) fragmentation across school and diocesan systems; (d) procedural barriers related to IDEA proportionate share; and (e) belonging as a central student outcome. Findings suggest that sustainable inclusion depends on the interaction of educator mindset, organizational coherence, and coordinated leadership structures. Implications include the importance of psychological safety, role clarity, and systems alignment when implementing inclusive practices in private school settings. The study contributes to the limited empirical literature on disability inclusion in faith-based education and identifies directions for future research on educator attitudes, organizational readiness, and student experiences of belonging.
Despite the growing interest in basic psychological needs within educational settings, existing measures fail to distinguish between students' relationships with teachers and classmates, limiting the understanding of how different social dynamics uniquely impact need satisfaction and frustration during adolescence. This study provided psychometric evidence for a refined school-specific version of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS), while also assessing differences in the satisfaction and frustration of psychological needs between early adolescents and adolescents, in Italy and the United Kingdom. A total of 1523 students (49.6% female; mean age = 12.84) completed the refined BPNSFS, specifically designed to separately measure dimensions of relatedness with classmates and teachers. Measurement invariance of the scale was established across age, sex, socio-economic status, and country, and its scores were found to predict students' emotional experiences at school. A Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model revealed that adolescents reported greater autonomy satisfaction and frustration, higher competence frustration, lower satisfaction with classmates, and higher frustration with teachers compared to early adolescents. These findings highlight the importance of assessing relatedness needs separately for teachers and classmates, and they suggest the need for age-specific strategies to support students' well-being.
Many Catholic schools face resource challenges that result in limitations surrounding the implementation of multi-tiered systems and support (MTSS). Artificial intelligence (AI) offers a potential tool for Catholic schools to strengthen systems of support. This article provides a conceptual analysis regarding opportunities for AI to strengthen core components of MTSS, such as identifying evidence-based interventions, developing progress monitoring tools, analyzing student data, and facilitating personalized instruction. The article also discusses the challenges and limitations of leveraging AI within Catholic schools, specifically when supporting staff and students. Although the article is focused on US contexts, there are conceptual implications that may extend to Catholic schools' systems internationally, specifically related to strengthening the mission of Catholic education. Future researchers should consider evaluating and analyzing the implementation of AI tools within MTSS, specifically how AI tools may support Catholic schools with resource limitations, time constraints, and expertise barriers.
Teachers with high levels of burnout and reduced levels of wellbeing are twice as likely to leave the teaching profession. For those that stay, it can result in strained relationships with their pupils and a difficulty to effectively manage classroom behavior. This study focused on the emotional strain felt by teachers during periods of educational disruption and how his varied according to school size, school-level disadvantage and levels of pupil-reported bullying and victimization. Data were collected from 11,111 primary school pupils and their 748 teachers in 2020 before the pandemic lockdowns, and in the summer of 2021 when schools had re-opened. Teacher wellbeing and burnout levels (exhaustion, cynicism and professional efficacy) were collected. Teachers reported higher levels of burnout and reduced levels of wellbeing after the school disruption, and teachers of classrooms with the highest proportion of pupil bullying perpetration were found to have the lowest levels of teaching professional efficacy. This study identifies that suitable support needs to be in place for teachers during or following an educational disruption, especially for teachers struggling with challenging classroom dynamics, such as bullying. We suggest that a whole-school support network and program that equips schools to attend to the wellbeing needs for teaching staff could be developed.
The goal of this study is to analyze the impact of an Emotion Regulation Support Program applied to 60-72-month-old children on their emotion regulation skills and secure-base relations with teachers in terms of their attachment styles. The study, carried out using a semi- intervention design with a pre-test/post-test and 1-month follow-up test design and a comparison group, included a study group of 100 children with secure, avoidant, and negative attachment styles (50 intervention group children, 50 children in the comparison group). Data collection tools used included a "General Data Form" developed by the author to collect data from the children and their families, Teachers Ratings of Child Secure Base Behaviour and Emotion Regulation" to assess children's emotion regulation skills and secure-base relations with teachers and "Incomplete Stories with Doll Family Story Scale" to identify their attachment styles. Children's emotion regulation skills were supported by the "60-72-Month-old Children Emotion Regulation Support Program." The study results showed a significant positive difference in favor of securely attached children's emotion regulation skills and secure-base relations with teachers (p > 0.05). While the emotion regulation skills of children with avoidant attachment were significantly and positively different (p > 0.05). no difference was observed in terms of their secure-base relations with teachers (p > 0.05). Similarly, no difference was observed in negatively attached children's emotion regulation skills and secure-base relations with teachers (p > 0.05). The study results were presented to researchers, professionals and teachers working with children at the end of the study. This study addresses a significant gap in the literature by providing empirical evidence on how an emotion regulation support program impacts both the emotion regulation skills and secure base relationships of 60-72-month-old children in the context of their attachment styles. The findings contribute to a deeper theoretical understanding of the dynamic interplay between emotion regulation and attachment in early childhood.
In-service training for school staff, generally referred to as professional development (PD), may bolster a school's capacity for implementing school mental health (SMH) services. However, not all PD results in knowledge or behavior change. In one model of PD, Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO), participants collaborate with each other and a panel of SMH experts on case consultation and didactics. Although ECHO has shown to have positive effects on school staff's knowledge and self-efficacy to implement SMH, the effects of ECHO may differ depending on participants' professional background or prior experiences. To test this hypothesis, the current study explored whether role, years of experience, and pre-test levels of school mental health professional (SMHP) skills predicted key SMH competencies (i.e., clinical self-efficacy, supervisory self-efficacy, multicultural skills and knowledge, knowledge of evidence-based practices, and interprofessional collaboration) at post-test among SMHPs (N = 47) who participated in ECHO-based PD. The results indicated that school counselors reported greater clinical self-efficacy and multicultural skills post-ECHO compared to other SMHPs, controlling for baseline scores. Knowledge of evidence-based practices was greater for school psychologists post-ECHO compared to school counselors, controlling for baseline scores. Years of experience did not significantly predict any outcome measures. The findings suggest that SMHPs may benefit differently from ECHO training based on role. Researchers and educational leaders may wish to consider further developing ECHO to be accessible and relevant to various school-based professions.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is among the most common chronic illnesses affecting children and adolescents, meaning that all schools regularly include students with T1D. Supporting their well-being requires understanding how they experience middle school to address their specific needs. This qualitative, child-centered study, grounded in principles of grounded theory, explored the school experiences of 25 middle school students aged 11-15 living with T1D in France, using semi-structured interviews. Analysis revealed several key dimensions shaping their experience. A prominent theme was their desire to go through school "like everyone else" despite the constraints of the illness. This aspiration led to two central needs: a well-informed social environment and discreet attentiveness from teachers. Several levers for creating a supportive school environment emerged from the findings: rethinking technological devices to better fit school constraints; providing targeted information and training to school staff; raising awareness among all students to democratize knowledge about the condition; and fostering a professional attitude that combines understanding with discretion.
Rural schools often face limited access to evidence-based autism services, making sustainable models of support essential. This study evaluated a peer-coaching adaptation of the Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success (COMPASS) to improve intervention implementation for students with autism in rural special education settings. Using a single-case design, two teacher dyads, three students, and their caregivers participated in consultation and peer-led coaching sessions focused on individualized social communication, engagement, and classroom participation goals. Goal attainment scaling (GAS) was used to monitor student progress. All students demonstrated improvement from baseline to intervention, with effect sizes indicating meaningful gains. Teachers and caregivers generally rated the peer-coaching model as acceptable, though some teachers reported challenges related to limited time and competing responsibilities. Findings suggest that peer coaching may serve as a feasible, cost-effective complement to consultation. These findings highlight how peer coaching may serve as a model that school psychologists can help support within their consultation and capacity-building roles in rural schools.
Low-income, first-generation students can benefit from programs designed to reduce the college access opportunity gap. This paper describes the PATH program, operating in two Catholic grade schools in the Southwest in partnership with the University of Notre Dame. The PATH program includes a 5-week summer experience and a course during the school year for each of the years in grades 6-8 focused on developing noncognitive skills. Surveys administered at the end of the summer experience and at the end of each school year showed that students perceive improved perseverance, school valuation, study skills, and sense of efficacy. Findings are consistent with the conceptual model of the program based on expectancy-value theory of motivation.
Many barriers to effective evidence-based intervention implementation exist in K-12 settings, especially the lack of time and resources, highlighting the need for effective and feasible interventions. Despite its promising effectiveness and feasibility advantages, video peer modeling to date has not been systematically reviewed to provide evidence-based guidance for school practitioners and researchers. The present study fills this gap by reviewing extant empirical studies that examined video peer modeling applied in K-12 settings. Thirty studies that met the inclusion criteria were summarized by their (a) intervention dosage, (b) intervention components, (c) target skill areas, (d) skill-specific effectiveness, and (e) methodological quality. Results suggest that video peer modeling typically involves several components in addition to video-viewing, including verbal reinforcement, tangible reinforcement, prompting, explicit instruction, feedback, self-monitoring, and visual aids. Results also suggest that, across academic, social-emotional-behavioral, and adaptive domains, video peer modeling shows promising effectiveness in improving a wide range of skills in schools.
