This study examined teachers’ attributions and emotions for their subjectively perceived interpersonal relationships with their students as positive or negative, and whether hope (pathways thinking, agency thinking) influences the perceived positive or negative interpersonal relationships, the subsequent attributions and emotions, and the impact of attributions on emotions. Fifty teachers, of both genders, completed the questionnaire for each of their five students who were randomly selected from their teaching classes. The results revealed that the positive interpersonal relationships were predominately attributed to stable, personally controllable and self-student controllable factors, whereas the negative interpersonal relationships were primarily attributed to external, external controllable, unstable, and self-student controllable factors. Also, teachers reported positive emotions of high intensity (sympathy, cheerfulness, exciting, love, not anger, calmness) for the positive relationships, and negative emotions of moderate intensity (no enthusiasm, shame, anxiety, no excitement) for the negative relationships. Yet, the high hope teachers made adaptive attributional and emotional appraisals for the positive and, mainly, negative interpersonal relationships. Agency thinking, as compared to pathway thinking, was a better and worse formulator of the appraisals in negative and positive interpersonal relationships, respectively. Hope, additionally, had direct effect on the emotions, beyond that afforded by attributions, particularly in negative interpersonal relationships.

Studies have documented widespread academic disengagement in middle and high school students. This disengagement has been tied to a myriad of negative outcomes, including failure to graduate from high school and transition into college and meaningful vocations. Supporting adolescents in cultivating a sense of beyond-the-self purpose is one factor that may combat student disengagement. MPower is a program designed to cultivate beyond-the-self purpose in an effort to promote student engagement and completion of high school (Klein et al., 2019). In a recent quantitative study, MPower participants compared to controls demonstrated a higher GPA, BTS purpose, self-efficacy, and decreased performance approach and performance avoidance goal orientations. In the current qualitative descriptive study, 11th and 12th grade (N=25) students in the Northeastern region of the United States, described their experiences in the MPower program. Three themes associated with the transformative aspects of MPower emerged from focus group data: 1) practice in strategic goal planning, 2) engagement in mentoring relationships, and 3) increased social support within a community. Because fostering youth purpose engenders many promotive and protective factors, these findings hold important implications for implementing similar programs more widely.

The present study aims at identifying the relationship between social competence and the level of emotional intelligence among teachers of resource rooms for learning disabilities in Amman. The study population consisted of various educational directorates within the capital Amman governorate. They were 212 teachers – 31 males and 181 females. The sample of the study consisted of randomly chosen 60 teachers – 15 males and 45 females. They were tested first with Bar-On Model of Social and Emotional Intelligence, which is a sixty-paragraph self-assessment scale consisting of six aspects: social competence, personal competence, adaptability, stress management, general mood and positive impression. A researcher-designed social competence scale was also employed for teachers of resource rooms with learning disabilities in regular schools, which consisted of six aspects of social skills: expression of emotions, non-verbal communication, conversation, friendship, listening and participation. It has been found that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between the level of emotional intelligence and social competence in the sample of the study. In addition, there is a statistically significant relationship between the level of emotional intelligence and social competence among members of the sample due to the sex variable in favour of females.

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected people in multiple dimensions. In addition to the social, physical health, financial, and mental health impacts of the pandemic, many United States (U.S.) college students experienced an abrupt transition to online learning in Spring 2020, resulting in a significant disruption to their learning and life. In this study, we examined COVID-19 impacts as reported by college students enrolled in an online class in Spring 2020 via an extra-credit survey. Participants reported predominantly negative impacts, but positive impacts were also reported. A total of 61 aspects of impact were identified reflecting six major themes: academic, housing and travel related, physical health-related, financial and work-related, social life, and mental health related impacts. We found that females reported significantly more overall negative impacts and significantly more academic and housing/travel related impacts than males. Black students reported significantly fewer positive impacts compared to non-Black students in the sample. Asian students reported significantly more academic impacts than White students. In addition, participants in the fully online degree program had significantly fewer overall impacts and significantly fewer academic impacts than those in the residential degree program. Implications of the findings were discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic required teachers to quickly adapt to changes in teaching likely impacting teachers’ emotional exhaustion and feelings of teaching efficacy. Further, teachers’ experience in the classroom may have shaped how they responded to the crisis and changes. Although teachers faced these unprecedented shifts, it is possible that both internal (i.e., hope) and external (i.e., social support) sources of support may act as promotive factors for teacher outcomes. The present study describes how teachers’ emotional exhaustion, teaching self-efficacy, and supports (hope and colleague) were associated with one another one year into the pandemic. Associations were compared across early-/mid-career and veteran teachers. Results showed higher emotional exhaustion and lower hope for early-/mid-career teachers compared to veteran teachers, and a negative relation between emotional exhaustion and hope for early-/mid-career teachers. Pre-pandemic emotional exhaustion predicted hope during the pandemic for all teachers. Implications include supporting teacher well-being and career longevity considering acute stress.

At the beginning of primary school, young children need to adapt academically, socially, and emotionally to their new school environment. Enjoying going to school and becoming socially integrated are important preconditions for successful learning. However, children from disadvantaged families have fewer resources and receive less support, and such deficits can result in lower attainment, negative emotions, and lower well-being. In recent years, interest in emotions and well-being in school has grown in educational research. However, studies analyzing the affective characteristics of disadvantaged students, especially in primary school, are still scarce. In this study, we analyzed reciprocal relationships between school enjoyment, social integration, and achievement using cross-lagged structural equation modeling (Grades 1 and 2), while controlling for family background and sex. We used data from the National Educational Panel Study in Germany (NEPS; N = 4,986). Results showed positive effects of school enjoyment on achievement and social integration on school enjoyment. Additionally, a better home learning environment had positive effects on school enjoyment and social integration in Grade 1. Effects of socioeconomic and migration background on school enjoyment and social integration were not significant. Our results show no evidence that educationally disadvantaged students are additionally disadvantaged in their school enjoyment or social integration at the beginning of primary school.  

One of the life areas under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is university education. As it becomes more prevalent with its various versions, it shapes undergraduates' psychological well-being profoundly. It is necessary to understand how COVID-19-related stress impacts their mental life. The purpose of the study was to examine whether COVID-19 burnout and cognitive emotion regulation had mediating roles in the relationship between COVID-19-related stress and life satisfaction. Three hundred sixty-four Turkish undergraduates participated in the study. Mediational analyses showed that both adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation had interplaying roles in the link between COVID-19-related stress and life satisfaction, unlike COVID-19 burnout. Yet, COVID-19-related stress indirectly affected life satisfaction since COVID-19 burnout increased maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies while decreasing adaptive ones concurrently. The findings are crucial for mental health professionals whose aim is to develop necessary psychological interventions for undergraduates to increase their life satisfaction levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PAX Good Behavior Game (PAX-GBG) is an evidence-based universal preventive intervention program for classroom use. Our aim was to explore teachers’ perceptions of PAX-GBG and their work with it, and whether this changed during the implementation of the intervention. In addition, we explored teachers’ perceptions, and changes in perceptions, regarding how they perceived their workload when learning and using PAX, how it influenced relationships in the classroom and students with special needs. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with six female teachers at three time-points during a school year. Based on thematic analysis, four themes illustrating teachers’ experiences and the perceived effects of PAX-GBG on classroom relationships were identified: (1) Working with PAX-GBG, (2) The Game, (3) Focus on Behaviour, and (4) Relationships. A notable finding was that most teachers, at the outset, had concerns regarding the PAX Game and that these concerns mostly disappeared after they had experienced working with it. Based on improved student behaviours and overall enhanced relationships in the classroom, our results show that PAX-GBG is a suitable intervention for all students. Students with special needs may especially benefit due to a focus on clear expectations, positive reinforcement, and a more inclusive classroom climate. Some remaining concerns regarding the universal suitability of the game need to be explored further in future studies. Based on the results in this study, PAX-GBG seems to have high social validity in a Swedish context.

The issues of poor academic outcomes, dismissal, high attrition, and dropout rates among college students have long concerned for many educators and college communities. Several scholars have posited that these problems can be addressed through the development of emotional intelligence and increased student engagement. Considering these problems, the present study aimed to assess the efficacy of emotional intelligence and student engagement in improving academic performance. The sample of the study consisted of 119 undergraduate students selected using the convenience sampling technique. Self-report Emotional Intelligence Test and Student Engagement Scale were adopted to measure emotional intelligence and student engagement respectively. Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) served as a measurement of academic achievement in the present study. Results from regression analyses revealed that certain components of emotional intelligence and academic engagement demonstrated a significant prediction effect on academic performance. From demographics, students’ programs of study showed a significant relationship with academic achievement. The present findings may provide directions for the college communities in fostering student engagement and emotional intelligence, thereby improving academic achievement of their students. The study also discusses limitations and future research directions.

Education in the modern era expects institutions to help students to thrive. Not only may class engagement improve academic performance, but it may also enhance students' well-being. This study investigated class engagement and its motivation and academic achievements’ effect on university students’ mental well-being. 231 university students, with a mean age of 21.46, participated in this study. About 65% were senior students, and average GPA was 3.46 (SD = 0.32). For measurements, General Class Engagement Scale, Motivations for Class Engagement Scale, and Warwick-Edinburg Mental Well-being Short Form was employed. Academic achievement was measured by GPA. For data analysis, Pearson correlation analysis and regression analyses were conducted. Results show that class engagement, its motivations, academic achievement, and mental well-being were all positively correlated. Moreover, class engagement and its motivations positively predicted mental well-being. However, GPA was non-significant. Hence, in a group of mostly senior university students, class engagement was more significant than academic achievement regarding their mental well-being. Furthermore, about 91% of this study’s participants were honor students (above 3 GPA). Therefore, being academically successful may not always be enough to be happy and well. However, educators may help students by emphasizing class engagement.

This study used the COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) Study to examine home learning and parent attitudes to education during Covid-19 in relation to demographic and household financial circumstances and parent educational aspirations. The findings showed that White, female, and degree-educated parents were more likely than their counterparts to report positive attitudes to home learning, support their 16-year-olds’ learning, and contact schools during the lockdowns. Parents who experienced food poverty and reported being financially worse off after the pandemic were less likely to support home learning or contact schools but reported largely positive attitudes to learning. Also, parents who reported lower educational aspirations were more likely to support their children’s learning, reflecting their educational needs. This study contributes to our understanding of home learning during the pandemic and has implications for public policy and action regarding supporting children’s learning during health crises and reducing education inequalities.

The use of grades as an extrinsic motivator in formal schooling has been demonstrated in previous research to have negative implications for students’ learning and mental health. This subject matter has been particularly absent from the research literature in Vietnam, where the obsession with grades is self-evident. The present study aims to explore Vietnamese university students’ orientations toward learning and grades, learning strategy use, mental well-being, and how these variables correlate. In addition, the study examines the potential interplay between learning orientation and grade orientation to influence the latter two variables. A quantitative research design was employed to achieve these goals. Survey responses were collected from 38 second- and third-year students majoring in English Language at a large, public university during a summer semester. Specifically for learning strategy use, participants were directed to pull from their experiences in a Public Speaking course that they had completed in the previous semester. Results revealed that a learning orientation was moderately related to both adaptive learning strategy use and mental wellness, whereas a grade orientation was only negatively related to learning strategy use and unrelated to mental well-being. Moreover, a strong learning orientation alone resulted in the most positive outcomes for both learning and mental health, and higher levels of grade orientation weakened those outcomes. Limitations of the study, directions for future research in this area, and implications for students and educators are then discussed.  

In recent years, children and adolescents have spent more time sitting and engaging in less physical activity than recommended by health authorities. Despite widespread efforts to promote physical activity through school-based programs, the impact of specific intervention programs often remains untested. Therefore, in this pilot study, the effects of a national school-based physical activity program were assessed. A sample of 80 first- and second-grade primary school students aged between 7 and 9 years (M = 7.95, SD = 0.44) of eight classes was cluster randomly assigned to either the experimental group (EG; classroom-based physical activity breaks) or the control group (CG; conventional school lessons). Primary outcomes included objective measurements of sedentary behaviour, step counts, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the intervention. Secondary outcomes encompassed assessments of aerobic fitness performance, executive functions, academic achievement, and scholastic well-being before and after the 20-week intervention. The results indicate that students of the EG spent less time sedentary and took more steps during school mornings than their counterparts of the CG. The physical activity program resulted in a 630-step increase and a 10-minute reduction in sitting time daily. However, there were no effects on MVPA level, aerobic fitness performance, or cognitive functions (including executive functions and academic achievement). The implications of these findings are discussed in light of comprehensive school physical activity approaches.

Addressing and managing the disruptive behavior of students is a major classroom management concern for teachers. These concerns become even more important when, in addition to normal classroom disruptions, teachers must also address the behaviors of students’ at risk for emotional and behavioral difficulties. Although ample bodies of evidence-based instructional and behavior management practices exist, teachers have expressed difficulties implementing these practices into their daily classroom praxis. One method for supporting teachers’ practice implementation is through ongoing classroom observations that measure classroom practices and yield data to support direct implementation feedback to teachers. The current study investigated relations between observational assessment of instructional and behavior management practices and students’ emotional and behavior risk as part of a brief observation and feedback process. We also examined how brief teacher performance feedback may change the relationships between teacher practices and student emotional and behavioral risk. Participants included 31 Greek elementary school teachers who were observed with the Classroom Strategies Assessment System (CSAS) by their school administrators for three-30 minutes observations and received brief performance feedback following each observation period. Following the third observation period, teachers also completed the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS) Teacher Form for 115 students. Multilevel analyses revealed that assessment of instructional and behavior management strategies were significantly associated with student risk for emotional and behavior difficulties prior to feedback, but nonsignificant findings were found following brief performance feedback. Results illustrate a shift in the relationships between observer ratings of teachers’ instructional and behavior management practices and teacher ratings of student emotional and behavioral risk following brief performance feedback. Implications for practice and research are discussed.