This study was conducted to assess the students’ perception of difficult topics in mathematics in some selected senior secondary schools (SS) in Kano state Nigeria. Two hundred (200) SS final year (III) students were randomly selected from ten (10) selected senior secondary schools within Bichi zone of Kano state Nigeria. A twenty items questionnaire was administered to respondents. Mean, standard deviation, and independent sample t-test statistics were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that students perceived 13 topics (65%) difficult to comprehend. The study also showed that students’ gender had a significant influence on their perception of difficult topics in mathematics [t (198) =2.34, P =0.020, α = .05] and the nature of students’ schools had no significant influence on their perception of difficulty in mathematics [t (198) = -.444, p = 0.657, α = .05]. It was recommended that students should be encouraged and motivated to learn mathematics, curriculum developers should develop instructions that would improve students’ knowledge by laying more emphasis on the perceived difficulty areas in mathematics and further studies should be conducted to find out the factors responsible for the perceived difficulty and also if there is a relationship between perception and students’ achievement.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of two different teaching programs, one skill based, one mixed skill and content based with 7-8 year-old international school students (N=36). Group 1 (N=12) received a basic skills training in 2x40 mins sessions, Group 2 (N=12) received 1x40 mins basic skills training and 1x40 mins text comprehension instruction for a duration of twelve weeks. Group 3 (N=12) did not receive any additional training to their mainstream curriculum. The findings suggest that direct instruction of decoding appears to be effective, moreover appears to have indirect effect on sentence comprehension. Spelling results are somewhat ambiguous. Significant progress in text comprehension remained specific to the training. The study concludes that explicit, focused instruction of decoding, and text comprehension in a small group setting has real benefits.

The goals of the study were to examine the predictive power of general cognitive ability, working memory, and self-efficacy in first grade for academic functioning of children at risk for learning disabilities in second grade. The study involved 82 children (age 6-7 years) from five local public elementary schools in middle-class neighborhoods in Jerusalem, including 41 children at risk for specific learning disabilities and 41 typically developing peers. In the first stage of the study, (performed at the end of first grade), general cognitive ability and working memory were assessed using subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (the subtests consisted of:  Vocabulary and Block Design for general cognitive ability; Arithmetic and Digit Span for working memory). Academic self-efficacy was rated using a structural interview. At follow-up, academic functioning was assessed at the end of second grade. A serial-multiple mediation analysis revealed significant mediating roles for levels of performance in the Arithmetic subtest and for academic self-efficacy in predicting the academic functioning in second grade. The significance of the Arithmetic subtest, based on contemporary research on the structure of the intelligence was proposed. Educational implications call for sensitizing teachers to the unique role of academic self-efficacy in shaping trajectories of academic functioning development among children with RLD and in using effective strategies of promoting self-efficacy.

The majority of research on the relationship between phonological awareness and written language focuses on demonstrating the influence of the former on the latter. However, the aim of this study is to analyse the effects of an Early Years written language programme on phonological awareness. The sample comprises 56 Spanish children aged 5-7 who are at risk of developing learning disabilities. A mixed design was used, with four assessments and three intervention stages, two study variables (syllable and phoneme awareness) and two groups (instructed and uninstructed). The results show that instructed groups achieved better scores for phonological awareness in all the assessments. The findings corroborate the short and medium-term efficacy of systemic and structured intervention in reading and writing with regard to the acquisition of phonological awareness among young Spanish children at risk of developing learning disabilities.

This paper presents findings from an extensive study conducted in Brazil. The main subjects of the study were Bulgarian children living and studying in Brazilian schools. The main goal was to indicate what kind of problems and obstacles they experience during the school time in Brazil and how the Brazilian government and people support these Bulgarian children. The data was collected by a Bulgarian research team that travelled to the remote regions of Brazil where many Bulgarian citizens live and work. The researchers took interviews with the Bulgarian children and their parents as well as school staff at the schools in Brazil with a high population of Bulgarian children. The analysis revealed many different problems that Bulgarian children and their parents highlighted, such as problems with the language of instructions, misunderstandings of school rules and general problems related to living in the remote areas of Brazil, such as weather and heat-related issues. Although many Bulgarian families reported some problems, they were still determined to continue their life and career in Brazil, and they want to continue to pursue their dreams.

Executive Functions (EFs) describe a set of cognitive control abilities that help children to develop self-regulated behavior and do well in their schooling. The promotion of EFs in children at social risk is an area of relevance for neurosciences and education. On this basis, the present study set out to analyze a school-based intervention targeted to strengthening EFs in Argentine children at social risk. Participants were 69 children from 8 to 10 years old, from an urban-marginalized federal school in Mendoza. A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test design was used, with a control group. The cognitive intervention was embedded in the school curriculum and was carried out for a month and a half. The schoolchildren were evaluated before and after the intervention with EFs’ neuropsychological tests. The main results showed that the group cognitive intervention was associated with gains in the schoolchildren’s attention processes, although it did not favor other EFs, which could indicate moderate effectiveness. These data provide evidence in favor of ecological interventions as a way to promote attention development trajectories in children at social risk, and in turn, draw up guidelines to reflect on the design and the modalities of school-based interventions.

This research is motivated by the high level of imitation of adolescents on the negative behavior of adults, in addition to the high concern of educators on the failure of character education in schools. As many as 40% of adolescents have been bullied at school and 32% reported being victims of physical violence indicating high levels of juvenile violence, bullying, and lack of empathy. So schools need to strengthen their conscience and compassion to deal with this. The study aims to investigate the effect of character education management with a reflective pedagogical paradigm on conscience and compassion. This study was conducted with a quantitative experimental method with a quasi-experimental type. Data collection instruments both questionaries and documentation are used as instruments to collect the data. Hypothesis testing is done through multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) because the dependent variable is more than one. The results of this study prove that based the MANOVA test, the study revealed that there was a significant and positive influence between character education and the reflective pedagogical paradigm on the conscience of students 71.5%, and compassion of students 69.1%. It turns out that aspects of students' conscience and affection can be influenced by character education with a reflective pedagogical paradigm. This shows that schools need to manage their character education system with a reflective pedagogic paradigm so that students feel changes in attitudes and behavior due to the involvement of all school members in strengthening and sharpening character education.

Despite the desirability of working in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), Black and Latinx people are underrepresented in these fields. Sustaining engagement in STEM is central to addressing the representation gap. This qualitative study examined whether and how a STEM-based after-school program (Changemakers) impacted students’ sense of engagement in STEM. Changemakers incorporates the basic tenets of STEM engagement and a purpose curriculum to increase students' sense of engagement. Purpose is an aspiration towards future-oriented goals, active engagement with one’s goals, and intention to contribute to the world. The sample was composed of students, ages 15-17 years old (N=10, 5=M; 5=F), from a public, low-income high school. Findings suggested that three elements helped engage participants with STEM material: challenging and novel curriculum, experiential learning, and supportive relationships. These findings underscore additional STEM programs can enhance their student’s learning and connection to the field by ensuring that their program encapsulates these identified components.

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.

The responsibilities of emerging adulthood and academic pressure are some stressful situations encountered among graduating students. Those graduating students used different coping that deals with stressful situations that may affect their quality of life. This study, a predictive correlational design, was conducted on 202 Filipino graduating university/college students to determine if stress and avoidant coping can predict their quality of life. Results showed a significant relationship existed between stress, avoidant coping, and quality of life. Stepwise forward regression analysis tested two regression models, where model 1 revealed that stress negatively predicted the quality of life. Whereas model 2 suggested that stress and avoidant coping (i.e., behavioral disengagement) was significantly higher in predicting the quality of life among graduating students.

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.

The current study investigates the academic adaptation levels of international students and their motivations for pursuing higher education in Turkey. The study also aimed to compare the adaptation of international students in higher education in terms of various variables such as gender, age, duration in Turkey, education level, and university. A mixed-methods design was employed, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The study involved 222 international students from four universities in Konya who completed an online questionnaire. Data collection used the "international students’ adaptation to higher education" scale. The quantitative data in this study were subjected to statistical analyses, using non-parametric tests such as the Mann– Whitney U test and the Kruskal– Wallis H test, while the qualitative data were analyzed using the content analysis technique. Because of the analysis, it was noted that international students demonstrated heightened levels of adaptation in the realms of academic processes, academic principles, and socio-cultural dimensions of university life. However, a moderate level of adaptation was identified in the domain of academic experiences, shedding light on some challenges encountered by students in this aspect. Additionally, the results showed no significant differences in academic adaptation levels among international students based on study variables. Concerning the motivations of international students to pursue higher education in Turkey, prominent factors encompass the quality and diversity of higher education opportunities, historical and cultural heritage, ease of living, affordability, and religious and ethnic ties. This underscores the importance of universities and policymakers in Turkey to recognize challenges and promote the strengths of the country as an international study destination.

This study investigates school-age children’s arithmetic operations performance while solving larger-size problems which produces interferences in memory. Complex problems can trigger competing responses in working memory, which are irrelevant to a task goal and increase the likelihood of interference from previously learned problems (De Visscher et al., 2018). Interference control in working memory is required to be able to manage and suppress irrelevant information while performing cognitive tasks such as arithmetic problem-solving (Unsworth, 2010). The present study explores potential cognitive processes while performing arithmetic tasks and emphasizes the important role of interference control for better performance in such tasks. This study applied a mixed-effect model experimental design. Forty-four primary school children were involved in the study. The results showed that children’s performance in terms of correct responses was similar for both small-size and large-size problems. However, their response speed was significantly lower in larger-size problems, which created more interference in working memory.

According to the systems perspective, the influence of various systems (e.g., family, school, community) on children's behavior at school is highly acknowledged. It is therefore accepted that problem behavior in the classroom originates from social interactions, providing a conceptual framework where problems are seen as indicative of dysfunction within the school system, thus removing blame from the individual child, the teacher, or the parents. Addressing the importance of interactions among students, teachers, and parents in this system, the present study aimed to identify and compare the types of behaviors that Greek primary and secondary teachers and parents view as problematic in the classroom. A sample of 378 teachers and 69 parents were asked to identify which behaviors were considered troublesome. Exploratory factor analysis revealed five categories of behaviors perceived as problematic by parents and teachers: Externalizing behaviors, School Difficulties, Internalizing behaviors, Attention seeking behaviors, and Hyperactivity/attention difficulties. Both teachers and parents considered externalizing behaviors to be more troublesome than other types of behavior. Teachers tend to worry less than parents about all types of children’s behaviors, except for school difficulties. The findings highlight the importance of considering diverse perspectives within the school system when designing interventions to address the specific needs of school communities while also promoting collaboration among all members of the school system.