This study investigates the efficacy of a phonics-based intervention in improving connected speech perception among Chinese elementary school children learning English as a foreign language (EFL). While prior research has largely focused on adult learners and emphasized rule extraction through abstractionist models, this study employs a hybrid model that integrates both abstractionist and exemplar-based methodologies. Over a five-week period, 68 fifth-grade students participated in classroom interventions designed to enhance their connected speech perception skills through structured training and comprehensive linguistic input. Results demonstrate significant improvements in connected speech perception across most types of connected speech processes, with the exception of elision, which exhibited the lowest accuracy rates and no significant improvement post intervention. These findings suggest that phonics-based multi-modal instruction effectively supports the development of connected speech perception in young learners and highlight the need for future instruction to focus on enhancing children’s ability to flexibly process various phonological cues, particularly in challenging areas such as elision.
As online learning becomes increasingly prevalent, understanding how students regulate their learning in digital contexts is crucial. This study validated the Spanish version of the Self-Regulation for Learning Online (SRL-O) questionnaire, originally developed in English to assess motivational beliefs and learning strategies in online and blended learning. A total of 1,880 university students from a fully online Spanish institution completed the 44-item SRL-O, which measures 10 factors: online self-efficacy, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, negative achievement emotion, planning and time management, metacognition, study environment, effort regulation, social support, and task strategies. Two higher-order factors (i.e., motivational beliefs and learning strategies) were also identified. Confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory SEM on two random subsamples (n = 940 each) provided adequate support for the original structure, requiring only a small number of residual covariances to achieve acceptable fit (CFI >= .90, RMSEA <= .05). Reliability was good to excellent for nearly all subscales (McDonald's omega). The SRL-O shows conceptual and psychometric robustness in Spanish and offers a practical tool for identifying students at risk of poor academic outcomes and promoting self-regulated learning in online education.
Vocabulary development is crucial not only for the acquisition of language skills but also for a wide range of cognitive and communicative abilities. In this study, we examine the processes underlying the addition of new lexical labels into young children's vocabularies. This perspective enables us to move beyond the mere quantification of words understood or produced, which carries important practical implications. To this end, we administered and standardised a fast-mapping task through a freely available Android tablet app to 252 European Spanish-speaking children. Data on construct validity are also included. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research and children's broader language skills. Finally, normative data are presented for the 18-to-24- and 25-to-32-month age groups, with potential applications in both educational and clinical contexts.
The association between narrative skills and executive functions has been reported in previous studies. However, longitudinal evidence as well as analyses of the directionality of this relationship remain scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the mutual predictive relationships between narrative skills, executive functions and vocabulary over a one-year period. A longitudinal study was conducted in which 120 Uruguayan children were assessed with a broad battery of executive function and narrative skills tasks. Results from the cross-lagged panel model showed that executive functions did not predict narrative performance, nor did narrative skills predict executive functioning; rather, both were influenced in their development by receptive vocabulary. The role of vocabulary as a predictor of narrative skills and executive functioning highlights the relevance of early interactive processes in which narrative abilities and executive functions develop through the words of adults and peers in the heteroregulated activities that shape children's everyday environments.
Shadow education has become a global phenomenon fueled by escalating demands for academic success and competition. However, most existing research has focused on its relationship with academic achievement, leaving its impact on students' mental well-being underexplored. South Korea offers a compelling case for examining shadow education due to its deeply ingrained cultural emphasis on educational achievement and its extensive shadow education system. In 2024, about 80% of South Korean students participated in shadow education, reflecting the widespread belief that educational achievement is closely tied to future social mobility and economic security. This study investigates the effects of shadow education on students' mental well-being in South Korea, using data from the Korea Education Longitudinal Study of 2013 (KELS 2013). Results show that while participants initially reported better mental well-being, this association became nonsignificant after controlling for socioeconomic and psychosocial factors. Instead, peer relationships, teacher-student relationships, and parental emotional support were consistent predictors of positive mental health. These findings suggest that student mental well-being is shaped not by shadow education itself but by broader social contexts.
