Early childhood education plays a critical role in promoting children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development, laying the foundation for lifelong learning and well-being. Among the pedagogical approaches widely advocated in contemporary early childhood education, hands-on learning has gained increasing recognition for its potential to foster active engagement, problem-solving, communication, and collaborative learning. Despite growing international evidence supporting activity-based and experiential learning approaches, limited research has examined how hands-on learning activities support child development within preschool settings in Malawi. Furthermore, the study sort to fill the gap on the role of promoting children’s cognitive, social and emotional development by exploring how hands-on learning activities influence preschoolers’ cognitive and social development and identify factors that affect their effective implementation as specific gaps identified. Drawing from Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, this study explored the role of hands-on learning activities in supporting preschoolers’ cognitive and social development in two early childhood centers in Lilongwe, Malawi. A qualitative-dominant comparative case study design was employed involving classroom observations, semi-structured teacher interviews, and document analysis. Data were collected from two preschool centers serving children aged three to six years and analyzed by using themes. Interview transcripts, observation notes, and documentary evidence were reviewed repeatedly to ensure familiarity with the data. The findings indicate that hands-on learning activities supported children’s cognitive development through enhanced problem-solving, creativity, language development, concentration, and numeracy skills. The activities also promoted social development by encouraging cooperation, communication, sharing, empathy, and collaborative participat ion. However, the developmental benefits of hands-on learning appeared to depend heavily on teacher scaffolding, peer interaction, and institutional support. Centers characterized by stronger teacher guidance, planning practices, and resource availability demonstrated more consistent developmental outcomes. This study contributes to sociocultural and early childhood education literature by demonstrating that the value of hands-on learning extends beyond children’s interaction with materials. Rather, developmental gains emerge through scaffolded social participation, collaborative learning, and supportive educational environments.
Steveria Limbani, Yamikani Chikhwaza, Alfred Shumba Hara et al.
This study investigated the impact of Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Programme on vulnerable population in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. The study became necessary because of the ongoing problem of poverty, unemployment, and socioeconomic deprivation despite the implementation of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), as one of the major strategies in Nigeria's social protection system for poverty reduction. Specifically, the study aimed at assessing how the CCT programme had impact on the human capital development, economic empowerment of the vulnerable groups and the overall well-being of beneficiaries in the study area. The type of research in this study was descriptive survey. Target population were beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer programme of the selected Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State. The respondents were selected using correct sampling procedures in drawing a sample of 380 respondents. The structured questionnaire items that were used to collect primary data were based on four-point Likert scale items. Frequency counts and simple percentages were used in the analyses of the data to answer the research questions and in testing the hypotheses the Chi-square (χ²) statistical technique at 0.05 significance level was used. The results showed that the Conditional Cash Transfer programme failed to significantly increase human capital development of vulnerable populations (χ² = 2.803, p > 0.05) because there was no significant improvement in school enrolment, utilization of healthcare services, child nutrition and awareness of education. The study also indicated that there was a marginal economic empowerment of the beneficiaries with no significant improvement in income of the beneficiaries, food security and financial stability and only marginal improvement in income generating activities (χ² = 2.203, p > 0.05). The study recommended that the Conditional Cash Transfer programme though had achieved some level of improvement in poverty reduction, human capital development, economic empowerment and sustainable livelihood improvement in Akwa Ibom State, it still has limitation as a result of irregularity in cash disbursement, underfunding, low proportion of the poor and vulnerable targeted, limited programme coverage, weak monitoring and evaluation system, poor institutional co-ordination efforts and lack of integration with other complementary livelihood intervention efforts. The study thus suggested that for the effectiveness of the Program as a sustainable social protection and poverty reduction tool, government should ensure regular and timely cash disbursement, improve beneficiary targeting, monitoring and evaluation systems, and link the program to other relevant sectors, including skill and vocational acquisition, entrepreneurship development, agricultural support, financial inclusion, quality education, health care services, and employment generation.
Idaisin Israel Akpan, Chijioke Basil Onuoha, Itoro Bassey Ebong
Objective: The Certainty About Mental States Questionnaire (CAMSQ) is a self-report measure of individuals' perceived certainty about their own and others' mental states. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the CAMSQ in adolescents aged 14-18 years (CAMSQ-Y-TR). Method: A non-clinical sample of 576 adolescents (M = 15.49, SD = 1.31) completed the CAMSQ, the EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-Being (EPOCH), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Construct validity was tested with exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); reliability, criterion validity, and measurement invariance across gender and grade level were also examined. Results: The EFA supported a two-dimensional structure (Self-Certainty and Other-Certainty) explaining 42.01% of the total variance, and the CFA showed acceptable fit (χ²/df = 2.69, CFI = 0.90, GFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.054, SRMR = 0.055). Cronbach's alpha was .85 for the total scale, .80 for Other-Certainty, and .82 for Self-Certainty. Self-Certainty was positively related to well-being and negatively related to internalizing symptoms, whereas the Other-Self discrepancy (hypermentalizing) was negatively related to well-being and positively related to internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Full scalar invariance was supported across gender and grade level. Conclusion: The CAMSQ-Y-TR showed sufficient psychometric properties for use with Turkish-speaking adolescents aged 14-18 years.
Mutations in the pyridine nucleotide-disulfide oxide reductase domain-containing protein 1 (PYROXD1) gene are characteristically linked to early-onset congenital myofibrillar myopathy, typically presenting with generalized weakness, hypotonia, and respiratory insufficiency in infancy or early childhood.However, emerging evidence suggests phenotypic heterogeneity.We report the case of a 45-year-old Tunisian woman, born to non-consanguineous parents, who presented with a slowly progressive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) phenotype; her older brother, subsequently confirmed to carry the same homozygous variant, had a similar but more severe clinical history of proximal weakness.The patient's symptoms began at age 17 with running difficulties, progressing by age 35 to difficulty rising from a seated position and climbing stairs, and by age 45 to exertional dyspnea, dysphagia, and sleep-disordered breathing.Physical examination revealed a high-arched palate, scoliosis, joint hypermobility, limited ankle dorsiflexion, palatal weakness, and mild neck flexion weakness alongside a proximal-dominant limb-girdle pattern of weakness.Her brother showed a matching but more severe phenotype starting at age 12. Electrodiagnostic studies demonstrated normal nerve conduction and a nonirritable myopathy; serum creatine kinase was entirely normal, and pulmonary function testing revealed a restrictive ventilatory defect with mild obstructive sleep apnea on polysomnography.Clinical exome sequencing confirmed a pathogenic homozygous c.464A>G (p.Asn155Ser) mutation in the PYROXD1 gene in both affected siblings, with both parents confirmed as unaffected heterozygous carriers.This represents the first molecularly confirmed family with PYROXD1-related myopathy in Tunisia and North Africa, and only the second family identified across the African continent; a single unrelated Tunisian case harboring the same variant has also recently been reported.This case expands the known clinical spectrum of PYROXD1 variants to include adult-onset LGMD-like presentations with respiratory and bulbar involvement, emphasizes the diagnostic utility of recognizing associated dysmorphic features (scoliosis, high-arched palate, nasal speech, and joint hypermobility), and highlights the pivotal role of comprehensive genomic testing in atypical adult myopathies.
Abraham Alhatou, Omar Mohammed Alhatou, Mohammed Alhatou
This scoping review aims to map existing research on couple relationships, psychological well-being, and child-rearing experiences from pregnancy to one year postpartum. Studies will be identified through searches of Ichushi Web, CiNii Research, PubMed, CINAHL, and APA PsycINFO. Findings will be synthesized descriptively to clarify research trends, measurement indicators, and knowledge gaps, providing evidence for future perinatal family support and research.
Emotion regulation is widely assumed to support adolescents’ prosocial behavior, yet evidence from Indonesian senior high schools remains inconsistent, particularly in rural settings. This study described emotion regulation and prosocial behavior among eleventh-grade students at SMA Negeri 1 Talamau, West Pasaman, Indonesia, and examined the relationship between these variables. A quantitative correlational design involved 65 students selected from a population of 187 through proportionate random sampling. Data were collected using Likert-type emotion regulation and prosocial behavior scales comprising 37 items (α = .918) and 38 items (α = .937), respectively. Descriptive percentage analysis and Pearson product-moment correlation were conducted following normality and linearity testing. Most students exhibited high emotion regulation (61.54%), while nearly half demonstrated very high prosocial behavior (49.23%). No students were classified in the low or very low categories. The correlation was positive but very weak and statistically nonsignificant (r = .185, p = .141). These findings provide no evidence of a statistically significant linear association within this sample and caution against assuming that higher emotion regulation necessarily corresponds to greater prosocial behavior in this school context. The study contributes contextual evidence to research on adolescent socioemotional development and recommends combining emotion regulation training with peer-based prosocial programs in school counseling. Future research should involve larger samples and examine empathy and school climate alongside emotion regulation.
The protection of children as victims of sexual violence is a state constitutional obligation requiring comprehensive legal protection. The Witness and Victim Protection Institution (LPSK), established under Law Number 31 of 2014, is mandated to restore victims' rights, yet its assistance is not always available from the outset, as shown by a 2024 child rape case in the Jambi Regional Police jurisdiction handled without LPSK assistance, the problem this study addresses. This study analyzes LPSK's role in protecting children as victims of sexual violence, examines the forms of protection provided, and compares its regulation under positive law and Islamic law. This study uses a normative juridical method with a conceptual approach, statute approach, and case approach, analyzed qualitatively-descriptively. Results show LPSK carries out preventive and repressive protection through eight programs; Jambi Regional Police data recorded 144 protection applications from 2022 to 2025, a declining trend not necessarily reflecting fewer actual cases, while effectiveness remains constrained by limited access to reproductive health services and weak restitution execution. Positive law regulates protection in stages through Law Number 12 of 2022 and Law Number 35 of 2014, while Islamic law situates child protection within maqasid al-sharia, especially hifz al-nafs and hifz al-nasl. Both legal systems, despite differing normative approaches, place children as subjects who must be fully protected.
Abstract Background Optimal nutrition in the first 24 months of life is vital for child development. While socioeconomic factors associated with feeding practices are well-documented, evidence regarding the psychosocial correlates of minimum meal frequency (MMF) in Eastern Ethiopia remains scarce. Objective To assess the magnitude of minimum meal frequency and identify Health Belief Model (HBM) constructs and sociodemographic factors associated with minimum meal frequency among children aged 6–23 months in Harar City, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods A facility-based analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2023 to January 2024 among 514 mothers/caregivers of children aged 6–23 months attending three randomly selected public health centers in Harar City. Participants were selected using systematic random sampling. Minimum meal frequency was defined according to WHO guidelines: ≥2 meals (breastfed, 6–8 months); ≥3 meals (breastfed, 9–23 months); ≥4 feeds (non-breastfed, 6–23 months). The Health Belief Model (HBM) was applied to assess psychosocial factors, including perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered via KoboToolbox. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed, and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to identify factors associated with MMF. Results The prevalence of MMF was 61.5% (95% CI: 57.3–65.7). Achieving MMF was significantly associated with being breastfed (AOR = 3.20; 95% CI: 1.80–5.68), child age 6–8 months (AOR = 1.85; 95% CI: 1.10–3.12), and maternal primary education (AOR = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.05–5.45). Other significant correlates included high maternal knowledge (AOR = 3.40; 95% CI: 1.40–8.10), household food security (AOR = 3.10; 95% CI: 1.40–6.70), and postnatal care (PNC) attendance (AOR = 3.10; 95% CI: 1.70–5.50), and higher household wealth. HBM constructs were also independently associated with MMF: high maternal self-efficacy (AOR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.30–3.25) and high perceived susceptibility (AOR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.05–2.20) were associated with higher odds of meeting MMF requirements. Conclusions A substantial proportion of children did not meet recommended feeding frequency. Maternal psychosocial factors, particularly self-efficacy and perceived susceptibility, were significantly associated with feeding practices, alongside key sociodemographic and health service-related factors. Interventions should move beyond food security toward building caregiver confidence and utilizing PNC as a key touchpoint for behavioural change.
In mafia families, children are educated in violence, revenge, and gender stereotypes. The research question is: What can be done to guarantee these children the right to education, the right to become citizens, to learn democratic values, the right to be men without killing and women without obeying? The studies carried out have discovered a possible answer in the recent judgment of the Juvenile Court of Reggio Calabria, which has mandated the revocation of parental responsibility in cases in which injury to children is proven. These limitations to parental rights have the purpose of allowing institutions to stop a system of behavior that is harmful to the proper development of the personality of the child and that transmits negative cultural values from father to son. This way can play an important role for democracy in creating the context for progressive social change. Man acquires morality from the environment in which he grows, so it is really dangerous for children growing up in families in which boys are predestined to follow in their father's footsteps and girls are sometimes compelled to marry the sons of other bosses, binding separate clans together through blood relations. So, by removal, it is possible for mafia children to discover new realities and new way of life, by new structure that connects them to the society. Socrates in the Platonic Apology says that laws educate and make better youth generations.
In Germany, the childhood vaccination schedule in 2015-2020 included 13 vaccines, for which primary immunization series was recommended to be completed by 24 months of age. Childhood vaccination coverage is monitored through health insurance claims data and pre-school entry examinations. These cross-sectional systems provide limited information on individual vaccination trajectories, catch-up vaccination, and completion of the recommended vaccination schedule. We used cross-sectional (n = 2044) and longitudinal (n = 583) data from the KUNO-Kids health study (KKHS) from Regensburg, Germany (birth cohorts 2015-2020). We assessed vaccination coverage, catch-up vaccination, and completion of the entire primary immunization series according to the schedule recommended by the German Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) at three follow-up time-points: 6 months, 2 years, and 4 years. Analyses included only children eligible for each assessment. At the 2-year follow-up, our cohort's vaccination coverage for all individual recommended vaccines remained below the 90-95% targets set by STIKO and the World Health Organization for 24 months of age. Vaccination coverage for all vaccines increased between the 2- and 4-year follow-up assessments for all vaccines. Coverage was lower for vaccines requiring multiple doses during the first year of life, such as the hexavalent vaccine (71-76%), than for vaccines initiated around 12 months of age and requiring fewer doses, such as MMR (86-87%). Among children with incomplete vaccination at 2 years, catch-up by 4 years was higher for MMR than for the hexavalent vaccine. Completion of the entire recommended vaccination schedule was achieved by only 50-55% of children at the 6-month and 2-year follow-ups but increased to 59-76% by the 4-year follow-up. Despite considerable catch-up before school entry, schedule adherence remained suboptimal, suggesting that vaccination schedule complexity in the first year of life may influence adherence. Interventions targeting this age group, including vaccination reminder systems and health education initiatives, should be implemented.
Margarida Arede, Susanne Brandstetter, Andreas Beyerlein et al.
