The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a structured, playful activity program on the development of social skills in preschool aged children (4-6 years) during break time in the schoolyard of kindergarten. The participants were 40 pupils (26 toddlers and 14 pre-toddlers, 26 boys and 14 girls) from one Greek public kindergarten.…

Purpose: The need to tackle the problem of inadequacy of advisory services on Climate Smart Agricultural Initiatives (CSAI) rendered by extension agents led this study to determine the competency need of extension agents on CSAI using the Borich needs assessment model. Methodology: Data on importance and competence of tasks associated with CSAI…

Purpose: The study aimed to test whether improvement in fitness components, mediates the changes in Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) after exercise intervention in overweight and obese children. Methods and design: 170 obese and overweight children (121 exercise group and 49 control group) participated in a public exercise program based on…

Differences in motivation during adolescence relative to childhood and adulthood in autism was tested in a cross-sectional study. 156 Typically developing individuals and 79 individuals with autism ages 10-30 years of age completed a go/nogo task with social and non-social cues. To assess age effects, linear and quadratic models were used.…

Research shows that sibling victimization may be as detrimental to adolescent outcomes as peer victimization. However, many questions remain unanswered with regard to protective parenting factors and consequences of sibling victimization among adolescents. This study tested a mediation model in which sibling victimization, predicted by parental…

Background: Addressing goals of care involves an added layer of complexity in never-competent patients. The concept of best interests is used to guide decision-making for these patients; however, this can be difficult for many reasons. To help providers recognise and minimise these challenges, we recommend steps that can be taken to support…

First-year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students entering a problem-based learning (PBL) program are faced with a number of pedagogical challenges, including the development of self-directed learning skills, resource unfamiliarity, and group dynamics. These challenges can make learning anatomy in a self-directed manner less efficient.…

This emerging technology report explores three-dimensional collaborative virtual learning environments (3D CVLEs) as an intervention modality with potential to foster development of knowledge and skills for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Affordances and unique characteristics of 3D CVLEs are detailed and considered from the…

This research evaluated the ICT competencies of distance learning students of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), as a pre-requisite for their effectiveness in a computer-based learning environment. 186 students (66 males and 120 females) responded to the questionnaire -- Learners' Competency in the use of ICT (LC in CT) -- which was…

The Council of Europe's "Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture" (RFCDC) was published in April 2018, and is currently being implemented in a number of Council of Europe member states. The RFCDC consists of three main components: a conceptual model of the competences that learners need to acquire in order to respond…

Background: When delivered in a safe space, programs effective in promoting positive youth development (PYD) involve key features termed the Big Three: (1) Positive and sustained adult-youth relationships; (2) Life-skill-building activities; and (3) Opportunities for youth contribution and leadership. However, no measures exist in the literature…

This paper addresses a critical component of the infrastructure necessary for professional development toward more effective teaching and learning of research and statistical methods. In particular, an interdisciplinary in-service model is proposed, which has the potential to better prepare educators to address institution-specific needs amidst…

The extent to which creativity and perfection can be considered compatible aims for dancers was investigated. Also investigated were how creativity and perfectionism are (1) nurtured versus inhibited, and (2) related to basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness). Seventy-seven ballet students (12-19 years old) in Stockholm,…

Introduction: As one of the most important requirements for healthy communication, empathy is vital in a great many occupations. Various studies have investigated the importance and level of empathy in various occupation groups. One of the leading occupations requiring strong empathic skills is teaching. Teachers need empathy to create an…

In the last decade, learning from computer-supported collaborative technologies has been combined with social media (SM) and this has gotten a lot of attention. Also, there is a growing body of literature that suggests that SM is gaining a lot of attention because it has the perceived pedagogical affordances that could be used as a potential tool…