https://sphere.acg.edu/jspui/handle/123456789/2273 2026-04-15T23:13:15Z https://sphere.acg.edu/jspui/handle/123456789/2533 Title: Parental educational anxiety during children’s transition from kindergarten to primary school and children’s adjustment in first grade Authors: Michalopoulou, Eleni Abstract: Transition from kindergarten to primary school is an important milestone in a child’s life, and successful adjustment to first grade is associated with academic, social, and emotional gains throughout childhood and into adulthood. Based on ecological models, the present study investigates the transition to primary school from the perspective of the parents, with a specific focus on Parental Educational Anxiety (PEA). The research aims to explore the factors influencing PEA during the transition from kindergarten to primary school and investigate its impact on children’s adjustment to first grade. It was hypothesized that PEA would be influenced by parental gender, educational level, and the child’s birth order, and that PEA would predict children’s school adjustment. To assess PEA, an adapted version of the Measurement Questionnaire of Parents’ Anxiety about their Children’s Education” (MQPAE) was employed, while children’s school adjustment was measured using the “Nurture Group Reintegration Readiness Scale”. Regression analysis indicated that higher levels of parental education predicted successful school adjustment in the first grade, R2 = .105, F (1, 55) = 6.487, p = .014. Hierarchical linear regression analysis, after controlling for demographic variables of parents and children showed, statistically significant, F (10, 46) = 2.541, p = .016. PEA emerged as an explanatory factor, accounting for 35.6% of the variance in children’s school adjustment. Contrary to our predictions, parental gender and child’s birth order were not correlated with PEA. The present study’s findings are in accordance with a recent body of research conducted in China that elevates parental educational anxiety to a prominent topic for educational research and policy making. 2024-03-01T00:00:00Z https://sphere.acg.edu/jspui/handle/123456789/2532 Title: Activity schedules as antecedent-based interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review Authors: Gerafenti, Georgia Eva Abstract: Children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often depend on adults to assist them in leading an independent life. This co-dependence tends to exist in a variety of settings such as the home, the school, and the community, often leading to problem behaviors. Extensive research has found that the use of antecedent evidence based instructional practices, such as picture prompts, reduce adult dependence and challenging behavior for children and adolescents with an autism diagnosis (Radley & Dart, 2022; Lory et al., 2020). A promising intervention, including picture prompts, used to decrease dependence on adults in various social, academic, and other contexts, is the use of activity schedules (AS). This scoping review aimed to explore the modalities and usage of activity schedules as an intervention among individuals with ASD. Twenty-three articles were selected, which (a) identified various types and formats of activity schedules (b) distinguished and categorized skills taught through the implementation of AS and (c) examined intervention methods. A reproducible search strategy methodology was used, including a screening process, data extraction, and synthesis of results to map and summarize the available evidence on activity schedules for individuals with ASD. The findings revealed that activity schedules are predominantly utilized among children and adolescents, particularly focusing on skill acquisition with limited attention on reducing challenging behaviors. There was a strong balance between the use of pictorial and digital formats of activity schedules, with a strong presence in clinical settings, suggesting the need for enhanced experimental control. Most studies employed multiple baseline experimental designs. A corpus of the reviewed studies highlighted the dominance of US based research in this field, potentially indicating disparities in the field of autism-related resources. 2023-02-13T00:00:00Z https://sphere.acg.edu/jspui/handle/123456789/2497 Title: Homework problems: Are there any differences between students with a preferred learning style Authors: Poimenidi, Dimitra Abstract: Homework is an important part of a student’s school life, and it has been correlated with academic achievement. It formulates a connection between home and school and impacts students, their caregivers, and their teachers. Teachers design and assign homework for instructional and non-instructional purposes. Parents are encouraged to support homework assignments and assist their children with homework completion and students choose whether to complete their homework or not. Children with higher academic performance view parental involvement with their homework positively; however, children with lower academic performance perceive this behavior as controlling. In addition, when students struggle with homework, parents tend to get more involved with their children’s homework which leads to children’s lower performance at school and more controlling parental involvement in homework. The visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (VAK) model when applied in classrooms has been found to increase the students’ overall academic achievement and make learning fun. This study attempted to investigate if there were any differences in homework challenges between students with a preferred learning style (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic). A total of 43 parents with their children answered an on-line survey distributed via e-mail and social platforms. The survey consisted of two sections. Parents answered the first section, and their fourth and fifth grade children answered the second section. Results found no statistically significant differences in homework challenges between students with a preferred learning style. However, significant differences were found when comparing homework problems in fourth and fifth grade students, on parental educational level and in married and single parent households. Parental involvement was also discussed in the findings. 2024-03-28T00:00:00Z https://sphere.acg.edu/jspui/handle/123456789/2420 Title: Does the economics crisis affect Greek adolescents' academic performance? An EST approach Authors: Geritsidou, Tanya M. Abstract: The enduring economic crisis across several countries has sparked a growing amount of research interest regarding its potential impact on various aspects of life, including adolescent academic achievement. This study uses ecological systems theory (EST) as a theoretical framework in order to explore the influence of both distal and proximal factors on students’ academic achievement. A person-process-context-time (PPCT) ecological systems model was used: a longitudinal analysis using cross-sectional data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). The results indicate that student performance is not only significantly affected by family Socioeconomic standards, class environment and teacher quality, but also that across the examined three years the economic crisis is a key distal influence factor; as such, it is a significant risk factor for student and teacher performance. It therefore should be taken into consideration when designing educational programs. 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z