Learning through play has emerged as an important strategy to promote student engagement, inclusion, and holistic skills development beyond the preschool years. Policy makers, researchers and educators have promoted the notion that learning though play is developmentally appropriate—as it leverages school-age children’s innate curiosity while easing the often difficult transition from preschool to school. However, there is a dearth of evidence and practical guidance on how learning through play can be employed effectively in the formal school context, and the conditions that support success. This paper addresses the disconnect between policy, research and practice by presenting a range of empirical studies across a number of well-known pedagogies. These studies describe how children can foster cognitive, social, emotional, creative and physical skills through active engagement in learning that is experienced as joyful, meaningful, socially interactive, actively engaging and iterative. The authors propose an expanded definition for learning through play at school based on the science of learning, and summarize key findings from international studies on the impact of children’s learning through play. They identify four key challenges that underpin the considerable gap between education policy and practice, and propose a useful framework that addresses these challengesviaa common language and structure to implement learning through play.
Every level of education includes mathematics as one of its disciplines. However, due to ineffective teaching, children find mathematics less interesting in elementary school. Therefore, teachers must be able to choose the best teaching strategy for their students. By utilizing the classic congklak game, researchers hope to deliver learning media that teachers can use using a literature review study approach from various sources and related media. The analysis findings show that, in addition to helping children learn to count and recognize numbers, the classic congklak game also helps children develop moral principles and good behavior, such as the ability to act honorably, wisely, and obediently. The traditional congklak game can increase students' interest in learning. The traditional Congklak game is also considered one of the most effective ways of improving students' mathematical abilities. So, this game can be used as a reference for teaching mathematics methods. Thus, the traditional congklak game changes mathematics into something exciting and fun to learn.
Fatimatuszahro Fatimatuszahro, Heni Hanifah, Lily Hermawanti et al.
Background Screens have become an integral part of the daily lives of children and young people and play a crucial role in both educational and leisure activities. The aim of this scoping review was to explore and map the existing evidence on the potential influence of recreational screen use on concentration ability and learning in individuals aged 6–25 years. Methods A search of the literature published between 2013 and 2023 was performed in three databases (PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science). The search was conducted using relevant search terms related to screen use, concentration and learning, and children, adolescents, and young adults. Inclusion criteria included reviews, meta-analyses, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, and experimental studies. Data was synthesized using thematic analysis Results A total of 33 original studies and reviews were included and encompassed a close to equal distribution in terms of age groups. Of these studies and reviews, 33 % examined screen time, 58 % media multitasking, 27 % gaming, and 6 % television viewing. The results of the studies indicated that excessive screen time was associated with concentration difficulties, which suggests that the associations are bidirectional. Some studies identified poor sleep quality, influenced by pre-bedtime screen use, as a mediating factor. Recreational media multitasking in school settings was consistently correlated with inferior learning outcomes, whereas studies on television use and gaming showed inconsistent results. Conclusion Findings from this scoping review suggest a small yet consistent correlation between screen use and concentration difficulties among children and young people. Further research is needed to establish causal relations and to examine how different aspects and uses of screens affect concentration.
Any mainstream school’s trajectory of ‘Inclusive Education’ is dependent on the key factors playing out their roles for the actualisation of the proposed concept. The concept of ‘Inclusive Education’ envisions an environment where key factors: educators, administrators, and educational policies cater to diverse learners in an all-inclusive learning environment. ‘Mainstreaming’ of Children with Learning Difficulties (LD) in a system of ‘Inclusive Education’(IE) enhance the quality of learning of students with Learning Difficulties as well as those without. In this context, the paper examines classroom teachers’ attitude regarding ‘Inclusive Education’ in selected mainstream schools of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. A study was conducted with the help of a questionnaire schedule administered on 100 teachers. Responses to crucial questions were statistically computed by Chi-Square Test, interpreted and analysed. Of the two hypotheses drawn for study, the first states that mainstream school teachers ‘attitude towards Children with LD will be positive. The second hypothesis states that teachers will show a positive attitude toward providing additional guidance to children with LD in mainstream classrooms. The majority of responses supported the first hypothesis but rejected the second. Interviews of the respondents were recorded for a qualitative analysis, as well. Emerging traits from quantitative and qualitative analyses are discussed in the manuscript. This study may have implications for an expansive and in-depth research into the apprehensions of teachers of Secondary schools and lacunae in the education system to make ‘Inclusive Education’s success.
Education is widely recognized as a central instrument of social transformation and human development. However, its equitable distribution remains a persistent challenge, particularly among marginalized populations residing in urban slums. This study critically examines the status of primary education among children living in the slum settlements of Chetru and Salangari near Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, India. Using a qualitative research design, the study draws upon field-based evidence collected through interviews with parents, teachers and school administrators, supplemented by direct observation. The findings reveal a complex paradox, while enrollment rates are nearly universal largely due to policy interventions such as the Right to Education Act (RTE) and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme however issues of irregular attendance, low learning outcomes and limited educational continuity persist. Socio-economic deprivation, parental illiteracy, child labour, and institutional constraints emerge as key barriers to meaningful education. The study interprets these findings through the lenses of Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital, Sen’s capability approach and Freire’s critical pedagogy, arguing that access to schooling does not necessarily translate into educational empowerment. The paper concludes that structural inequalities continue to shape educational experiences, thereby limiting the transformative potential of education in slum contexts. Policy recommendations emphasize the need for quality-focused interventions, community engagement and systemic accountability. Keywords: Slum education, educational inequality, learning outcomes, cultural capital, capability approach, India, primary education, social exclusion
Abstract Despite progress towards universal primary education, children in India lag in age and grade-appropriate learning competencies. This paper studies the effect of women’s political leadership in state legislatures on primary school-aged children’s learning outcomes. I use close elections won by women against men as an instrument for the election of a female politician and find significant gains in math and reading proficiency in children 8–11. Using a rich set of school and household-level data, I evaluate the impact on public and household investments. There is an increased likelihood of public schools receiving grants and inputs beneficial for learning. Further, female politicians lead households to exhibit more confidence in the ability of public schools to provide a better education. Consistent with this perception change, there are reduced time allocation and spending on supplementary household resources. The net positive effect suggests the policy effect outweighs the crowding out of private resources.
School readiness includes the readiness of the individual child, the school's readiness for children, and the ability of the family and community to support optimal early child development. It is the responsibility of schools to meet the needs of all children at all levels of readiness. Children's readiness for kindergarten should become an outcome measure for a coordinated system of community-based programs and supports for the healthy development of young children. Our rapidly expanding insights into early brain and child development have revealed that modifiable factors in a child's early experience can greatly affect that child's health and learning trajectories. Many children in the United States enter kindergarten with limitations in their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development that might have been significantly diminished or eliminated through early identification and attention to child and family needs. A strong correlation between social-emotional development and school and life success, combined with alarming rates of preschool expulsion, point toward the urgency of leveraging opportunities to support social-emotional development and address behavioral concerns early. Pediatric primary care providers have access to the youngest children and their families. Pediatricians can promote and use community supports, such as home visiting programs, quality early care and education programs, family support programs and resources, early intervention services, children's museums, and libraries, which are important for addressing school readiness and are too often underused by populations who can benefit most from them. When these are not available, pediatricians can support the development of such resources. The American Academy of Pediatrics affords pediatricians many opportunities to improve the physical, social-emotional, and educational health of young children, in conjunction with other advocacy groups. This technical report provides an updated version of the previous iteration from the American Academy of Pediatrics published in 2008.
Patricia Gail Williams, Marc Lerner, Jill M. Sells et al.
The study aims to assess the machine learning techniques in predicting students' associated factors that affect their academic performance.The study sample consisted of 5084 middle and high school students between the ages of 10 and 17, attending public and UNRWA schools in the West Bank.The 'Health Behaviors School Children' questionnaire for the 2013-2014 academic year was used for data collection, and was then analyzed through machine learning techniques in order to evaluate their relationship with student academic outcomes.Six machine learning techniques (Random Forest, Neural Network, Support Vector Machine, Decision Tree, Naïve Bayes, and Logistic Regression) were used for prediction.The results indicated that the logistic regression and Naïve Bayes models had the highest accuracy levels (94.3%, 94%) respectively, followed by a decision tree, Neural Network, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine (93.3%,91.9%,91.7%,and 80.2%) respectively.Thus, the Logistic Regression and Naïve Bayes had the best performance in classifying and predicting student academic performance with the associated factors.Furthermore, Decision Tree, Random Forest, and Neural Network had better predictive performance than Support Vector Machine.The results indicated that perception, Smoking, Depression, PTSD, Healthy Food Consumption, Age, gender, Grade Level, and Family income are the most important and significant factors that influence student academic performance.Overall, machine learning techniques prove efficient tools for identifying and predicting the features that influence student academic performance.The deployment of machine learning techniques within schools' information systems will facilitate the development of health prevention and intervention programs that will enhance students' academic performance.
Radwan Qasrawi, Stephanny Vicuna Polo, Diala Abu Al-Halawa et al.
Purpose of the study: The development of digital technology has brought about significant changes in the patterns of social interaction and learning outcomes of children, including in developing countries such as Nigeria. This study aims to investigate the impact of new media use on the social interaction and learning outcomes of children aged 8–12 years in Nigeria. Methodology: Using a mixed-method approach with a sequential explanatory design, data were collected from 220 respondents through questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Main Findings: The results showed that the majority of children use digital media, such as mobile phones and computers, not only for entertainment but also as a means of learning and social communication. A total of 59.6% of respondents had a good level of media use, while 64.6% demonstrated good social interaction, and 62.3% achieved positive learning outcomes. Regression analysis showed that new media use contributed 64.3% to the variation in children's social interaction and learning outcomes. This study confirms that with proper supervision and direction, digital media can be an effective tool to support children's social and academic development. Novelty/Originality of this study: These findings have important implications for education policy and the active role of parents and teachers in assisting children's use of digital media.
Queen Nwoji, Bashiru Aliyu Gada, Zahra Mohammed M. Alqahtani
Introduction: National health policies to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the US resulted in widespread school closures and disrupted learning in Spring 2020. Methods: = 282 5-12 year olds enrolled in the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Research Program to investigate associations between caregiver-reported duration of Spring 2020 learning disruptions and academic achievement. Results: Linear regression analyses estimated that children who experienced more than 4 weeks of instruction disruptions in Spring 2020 scored 4.5 points [95% CI: -8.77, -0.22] lower on age-normed math assessments compared to peers who had four or fewer weeks of disruption, adjusting for sociodemographic variables, pre-pandemic vocabulary, and COVID-19 family hardships and stress. No differences were found for reading. Children whose caregivers had higher levels of pandemic-related traumatic stress and lower educational attainment also had lower math scores, adjusting for all other covariates. Discussion: Results suggest educators and schools focus additional attention on supporting math instruction for children who experienced extended learning disruptions.
Courtney K. Blackwell, Maxwell Armand Mansolf, Sean Deoni et al.
