Community-based, one-on-one mentorship programs are widely used to support children and youth exposed to adversity, including abuse, neglect, poverty, and other household challenges; however, less is known about their effectiveness for this population and the factors that may shape their impact. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework, this review aimed to (1) examine the influence of community-based mentorship programs on the social, emotional, and behavioural outcomes of children and youth aged 7–17 years exposed to adversity, and (2) explore what evidence exists for mentorship as a moderator of the the association between adversity and developmental outcomes.A systematic search across nine databases yielded 4,355 abstracts, which were screened against inclusion criteria. Forty-seven studies focusing on one-on-one, community-based mentorship interventions with adversity-exposed children and youth were retained. Most studies were conducted in North America and involved participants facing multiple forms of adversity. The majority reported positive effects of mentorship on social, emotional, and behavioural outcomes. Only three studies examined moderators (caregiver instability, length of relationship, mentor self-efficacy) of the association between mentorship and child outcomes, and two considered adversity exposure as a moderator. No studies specifically investigated the moderating role of mentorship itself.Overall, the evidence suggests a small to moderate positive impact of mentorship for children exposed to adversity. Findings also indicate that in contexts of high adversity, additional supports addressing social determinants of health may be necessary to enhance program effectiveness. Further research is needed to clarify for whom, when, and under what circumstances one-on-one community-based mentorship is most beneficial.

BACKGROUND:The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling worldwide. While there is evidence of declines in academic performance, the links between early vulnerabilities in school readiness, learning difficulties, and lifestyle changes during the pandemic and their impact on postcrisis academic achievement are not well understood. METHODS:This longitudinal study followed 3871 children across three time points over 6 years (50.3% boys). In 2017, teachers assessed children's school readiness at kindergarten. In 2021, parents assessed the impact of COVID-19 on their child's learning difficulties and lifestyle changes. In 2022, teachers assessed children's academic achievement. RESULTS:Structural equation modeling showed that children with school readiness vulnerabilities experienced greater learning difficulties during the pandemic, but not significantly greater lifestyle disruptions. Learning difficulties partially mediated the association between school readiness vulnerabilities and lower postcrisis academic achievement. Analyses were adjusted for child sex, age, native language, and cumulative socioeconomic risk. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY:Support systems should monitor learning difficulties that emerge during periods of educational disruption and not rely solely on preexisting indicators of vulnerability. CONCLUSION:Learning difficulties during the pandemic emerged as a distinct predictor of later academic achievement, emphasizing the need for timely educational support during periods of disruption.

The COVID-19 pandemic instigated changes in almost all aspects of youth’s life. While numerous studies have been implemented to understand how these changes are related to youth’s development, few concerned large representative samples. This study introduces the methodology and initial results of the Quebec (Canada) Resilience Project (QRP), a representative longitudinal study. The QRP encompassed three phases: (a) 2017 census survey assessing school readiness in kindergarteners before the pandemic (n = 83,335, aged 6 years); (b) 2021 questionnaire study assessing family functioning during COVID-19-related lockdowns (n = 4524, aged 10 years); and (c) 2022 questionnaire survey assessing children’s school performance and mental health post-lockdowns (n = 8217, aged 11 years). In total, 3871 children were assessed either by parents or teachers in the three phases. We explored factors associated with children school performance (maths, reading, and writing) and mental health (emotional, withdrawal, hyperactivity/impulsivity/inattention, and conduct problems symptoms). Population weights were estimated from census data to maintain the representativeness of the population. School readiness vulnerability in kindergarten and parental anxiety and depression during lockdowns were associated with both children’s lower school performances and higher levels of all mental health symptoms post-lockdown. Loss in family income and parental difficulties in maintaining work-life balance during lockdowns were associated with children’s lower school performance and higher levels of some mental health symptoms (emotional and hyperactivity/impulsivity/inattention) post-lockdown. The results underscore that pandemic-related disruptions were negatively associated with children’s school performance, emphasizing the need for interventions in the school environment. Associations between pandemic-related disruptions and children mental health were less consistent yet emphasize the importance of parental mental health.

Students with vulnerabilities prior to the pandemic, namely those with disabilities, could have experienced increased stress and maladaptive coping skills and lower academic achievement during the pandemic. However, there is little research conducted among students with disabilities using robust longitudinal designs with time points spanning from before to during the pandemic. In the present study, 1,826 college students (M-age = 18.2 years, 78.6% female) completed self-report questionnaires before (Fall 2019) and during (Spring 2020 and 2021) the pandemic that assessed disability status, exposure to COVID-19, perceived stress, coping strategies, and academic achievement. The disability types most often endorsed were attention deficit disorder (20%), followed by mental health (20%) and learning disorders (9%) with all other disability types being endorsed by < 2% of the sample. Our results show that students' perceived stress and maladaptive coping strategies increased from before to during the pandemic, and these increases were larger in students without disabilities. Secondarily, our results show that students perceived stress and maladaptive coping strategies were predictive of lower academic achievement during the pandemic with no differences across disability status. We conclude from these findings that all college students were at increased risk that augmented over time. Monitoring and preventative interventions should be mandated to ensure mental health of this population moving forward.

Psychological needs satisfaction and autonomous motivation are crucial for children’s academic success, especially in the context of a school transition. While parents can support these motivational resources by providing an autonomy-supportive environment, the ability to establish such an environment is not innate and can be acquired through learning. Targeting mothers, the goal of the present experimental study was to evaluate the effects of an online education program for parents whose child was transitioning to secondary school. The sample included 148 mother-child dyads who completed questionnaires prior (in Grade 5) and after the transition (in Secondary 2). Results indicated that compared to mothers assigned to the control condition, those in the intervention group reported providing more autonomy support at 18 months post-test. Moreover, children of mothers in the intervention group reported experiencing less maternal control, stronger competence satisfaction, and lower levels of amotivation compared to children of mothers in the control group. These findings are discussed in the context of self-determination theory and parent training programs. The study examined the effects of an online parenting program on mothers whose child was transitioning to secondary school. The sample included 148 mother-child dyads randomly assigned to experimental or waitlist control groups. The program moderately increased the quality of maternal behaviors (higher autonomy support, lower control). The program yielded a moderate increase of children’s competence satisfaction and a decreased of their amotivation at school.

En raison des mesures de prévention pour contrer la propagation de la COVID-19, les écoles du Québec ont été fermées en 2020 et 2021, réduisant ainsi le temps d’enseignement par rapport aux années précédentes. Cette étude visait à comparer les performances à l’épreuve ministérielle de lecture des élèves de 4e année avant (mai 2019, n = 13 669) et après (mai 2021, n = 10 880) ces fermetures scolaires, tout en quantifiant les variations de performance en fonction des caractéristiques individuelles et socioéconomiques des élèves. Les résultats révèlent une diminution significative de 8,4 points de pourcentage entre 2019 (M = 77,7 %) et 2021 (M = 69,27 %), ainsi qu’une augmentation de 10,8 points de pourcentage du taux d’échec (17,1 % en 2019 vs 27,9 % en 2021). Les résultats des élèves dans les 10 % inférieurs de la distribution de performance ont subi des baisses marquées (18 points de pourcentage), tandis que les résultats des élèves des 10 % supérieurs n’ont pas diminué. Cette étude contribue à la compréhension des répercussions de la pandémie sur les compétences en lecture des élèves et souligne l’importance de l’enseignement en personne, en particulier pour les élèves en difficulté d’apprentissage.

La Covid-19 et les mesures mises en place ont affecté les enseignements. Les épreuves standardisées ayant été annulées au Canada, nous avons peu d’informations sur l’ampleur des pertes d’apprentissage. Les apprentissages en lecture ont été évalué auprès de 10 880 élèves de 9-10 ans lors d’une épreuve ministérielle de 2019, réutilisée en juin 2021. On observe une baisse de 8,3 points de pourcentage en lecture entre juin 2019 et juin 2021. La taille de l’écart varie en fonction de la performance à l’épreuve: la différence est maximale pour le décile inférieur, modérée pour les déciles intermédiaires et nulle pour les déciles supérieurs. Les garçons ont subi une baisse plus importante relativement aux filles. Les perturbations pandémiques ont entrainé une baisse des performances en lecture pour les enfants, en particulier pour les plus vulnérables. Un suivi de l’évolution de la performance permettra de réduire les écarts causés par les perturbations.

Whether COVID-19-related experienced stress influenced lifestyle habits remains to be thoroughly evaluated among university students. This study examined the relationship between COVID-19-related experienced stress and subsequent lifestyle habits among undergraduate students. This cross-sectional study included 708 undergraduate students from Université Laval (Québec, Canada) participating in the Expériences Pandémiques (ExPan) cohort. Data on COVID-19-related experienced stress and lifestyle were self-reported using a questionnaire completed between February and April of 2022. A stress index (SI) was computed by summing scores associated with 31 situational statements related to the pandemic (e.g., not being able to see friends, dealing with job loss). A healthy lifestyle score (HLS) ranging from zero to seven was calculated based on seven lifestyle habits: moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, sleep quality, fruit and vegetable intake, tobacco and electronic cigarette use, alcohol consumption, cannabis use, and hard or sedative-hypnotic drugs use. In multivariable-adjusted models, a negative association between the SI and the HLS was found (β 10% increment SI = −0.23, 95% CI = −0.30, −0.16 HLS point; P < 0.0001). The SI was also negatively associated with sleep quality, and fruit and vegetable consumption, while being positively associated with at-risk alcohol consumption, cannabis use, and hard or sedative-hypnotic drug use. Subgroup analyses suggested a negative relationship between the SI and HLS among participants who did not receive academic accommodations (e.g., additional time for evaluations, personal notetaker), but not those who received such accommodations. This study suggests that COVID-19-related experienced stress was negatively associated with healthy lifestyle habits in this cohort of undergraduate students.

This study explores the association between child’s participation in a community-based mentoring program and parents' emotional well-being and perceived family functioning. 553 parents and their children were recruited through 20 Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada agencies. Assessments were completed at the time of program referral and 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, and 30-month post-baseline. Controlling for parent and child demographic characteristics, child’s behavioral difficulties and physical health problems, and baseline scores of parents’ mental health, family functioning, and social support, growth curve modelling was conducted to compare parents with mentored (n = 352) and non-mentored children (n = 201) in their reports of depression, social anxiety, hostility, and family functioning across the six time points. Findings indicated a greater rate of improvement over time in family functioning of parents with mentored children as compared to parents with non-mentored children. Parents with mentored children reported lower levels of depression, social anxiety, and hostility/aggression than parents with non-mentored children, but the group differences were marginally non-significant at p <.10. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were small in magnitude. Sensitivity analyses with growth curve models suggested that the findings were robust for family functioning and parental social anxiety. Findings provide preliminary evidence for the potential of one-on-one mentoring relationships between children and community volunteers that are established through formal programs to benefit the parents and families of participating children.

The COVID-19 pandemic has overturned daily routines across the entire planet. And newly arrived college students in the fall of 2019 were no exception. In addition to adjusting to the college transition, they had to cope with the multiple consequences of the pandemic’s first wave (e.g., confinement, quarantine, physical distancing, remote learning, job loss). To date, it is unknown how this experience has affected students, and particularly the most vulnerable. The main objective of this study was to examine, from a stress and coping perspective, how college students with and without disability experienced the first COVID-19 wave. A longitudinal study using online surveys was conducted in a sample of 1,465 students (mean age = 18.2) attending college in the province of Québec (Canada), of whom 42

In postsecondary education, the implementation of inclusive teaching strategies has so far relied on individual faculty initiatives. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced faculty to transition to online courses, causing teachers to rethink their teaching practices. The purpose of this study is to analyze the evolution of inclusive teaching strategies in postsecondary education, specifically in college education, following the transition from face-to-face to blended and online courses during the pandemic. Using a mixed-methods research design, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from students at 10 institutions across Quebec through questionnaires before and during the pandemic (n = 1242) supplemented by interviews with students with disabilities (n = 25). The results show an increase in the accessibility of course materials, a progression in the use of technological tools for content presentation and to facilitate communication and participation, as well as some diversification of assessment activities and greater flexibility in the deadlines. However, there was a regression in teaching practices with respect to the variety of pedagogical methods and opportunities for student engagement in blended and online courses. Lectures were also perceived as less inclusive and less structured by students, except in courses where instructors had planned specific times for students’ questions and to summarize important points. The results are discussed considering principles and practices to support learning and engagement for all students, recognizing the variability of their needs and preferences.

Primary teachers use informal science workshops to supplement science teaching. These activities are meant to foster student’s motivation in science, but few studies with control groups and randomization have attempted to determine their effects. Our experimental study aims to (1) measure the impact of one of these programs (Les Débrouillards) on students’ motivational processes, and (2) explore the moderating role of certain characteristics of the students (age, gender, socio-familial adversity, and scientific capital) on these effects. We randomly assigned twenty-eight 5th and 6th grade classes (n = 526) with one of four conditions: 0, 1, 2 or 3 in-class science workshops of one hour. Students completed a pre-test and post-test questionnaire to assess their self-efficacy as well as their values towards science. The results of the hierarchical regressions indicate that exposure to the program did not have an effect on the motivation of all students. However, participating in the workshops (vs. no workshops) produced a number of interaction effects. The moderators’ examination revealed that the program was more beneficial for boys, for older students (potentially countering the decline in interest as students age), and for students with little science capital, especially. These results suggest that students’ characteristics are important to consider when evaluating the effects of informal science presentations, and that such programs can be an advantage in environments where activities promoting scientific literacy are not easily accessed.

This study examines the dispositions and experiences of support of college students associated with unexpected pathways toward college graduation. The final sample was drawn from a national sample of 3,998 youths who participated in a longitudinal project. Using the k-nearest neighbors’ algorithm, we created four groups based on the Québec High School Average and the College Graduation status four years after admission (Unexpected Graduates; Expected Dropouts; Unexpected Dropouts; Expected Graduates). Compared to ED, UG showed lower aggressive behaviors and attentional problems and higher participation in institutional or targeted support measures in college. They were also more likely to have attended a private high school. Compared to EG, UD showed lower academic behaviors and motivation, lower perceptions of teaching quality and support, and lower economic capital and support from family. They were also more likely to enrol in a technical college program and less likely to have attended a private high school.

La mise en œuvre de pratiques d'enseignement inclusives dans l'enseignement postsecondaire dépendait, jusqu'à présent, d'initiatives individuelles du corps professoral. Cependant, la pandémie de COVID-19 a poussé les enseignants à repenser leurs pratiques et à déplacer leurs cours en ligne. L'objectif de cette étude exploratoire est d'analyser l'évolution des pratiques pédagogiques inclusives en enseignement collégial, suite au passage des cours en présentiel aux cours mixtes et en ligne durant la pandémie. Des données qualitatives ont été recueillies à partir de 25 entrevues avec des étudiants handicapés. Les résultats montrent une progression dans l'accessibilité des supports de cours et dans l'utilisation des outils technologiques pour diversifier les formats de présentation des contenus. Les évaluations ont également montré une certaine diversification. Cependant, les résultats suggèrent que les possibilités d'engagement et de participation des étudiants aux cours en ligne et mixtes étaient assez limitées. L'enseignement est également perçu comme moins inclusif et moins structuré par les étudiants, sauf dans les cours où les enseignants réservent un temps spécifique pour les questions et pour résumer les points importants. Les résultats sont discutés en tenant compte des principes et des pratiques pour soutenir l'apprentissage et l'engagement de tous les élèves, en reconnaissant la variabilité de leurs besoins et de leurs préférences.