Newest Journal Issue Features Research on Virtual Learning, Phonics, Technology, Recess, and More
The newest issue of the Journal of Research in Childhood Education features research from around the world focused on virtual learning, phonics instruction, technology, recess, and more.
The Journal of Research in Childhood Education (JRCE) presents education research on a wide range of ideas, including theory articles and studies on all scales. From empirical research projects to small-case studies carried out in naturalistic settings, such as schools and community centers, articles track data across cultures and study research design. Published 4 times a year, JRCE keeps teacher educators informed about best practices for advancing education and learning.
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Articles in Volume 38, Issue 4, include:
Teachers’ Lived Experiences With Engaging Elementary Students in Synchronous Virtual Learning
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an unprecedented shift to virtual learning in the United States, even though there is limited research supporting virtual learning at the K-5 level. This study explored teachers’ lived experiences with engaging their K-5 students in a synchronous virtual setting. Data for the present study were collected through a survey of 60 teachers and two focus groups of 12 teachers total who taught grade K-5 online with a larger virtual learning provider in Missouri. Additionally, two one-on-one interviews with the assistant principals of virtual learning at this virtual learning provider were conducted. Findings suggest there were certain teacher dispositions that contributed to successful engagement in elementary virtual learning. In addition, several specific practices for cognitive, affective, and behavioral engagement were uncovered, as well as several challenges regarding engagement in K-5 virtual learning. This research begins the important work of uncovering best practices in virtual learning at the K-5 level and paves the way for future research on the topic.
Guided STEM Activity Kits for Parents With Preschool Children: Design, Frequency of Use, and Parent Evaluation
Parents boost STEM skills by scaffolding children’s attention and discovery during play, but many need support doing so. Using human-centered design (HCD) methods, we created activity kits fostering parents’ (a) involvement in and (b) valuing of parent-child play to promote preschoolers’ STEM skills. Study 1 documents how HCD methods informed the design of guided activity kits. In initial home visits, we videorecorded six parent-child dyads playing with basic building materials. Play revealed minimal parental STEM scaffolding and talk. Collaborating with 18 families and drawing on prior research, parent interviews, videotaped play sessions, and advisory-board members’ expertise, the interdisciplinary research team designed and refined activity kit prototypes. Study 2 was a randomized field test comparing use and evaluation of final guided kits (n = 50) versus basic kits (n = 25) that contained identical building materials and challenges but omitted scaffolding guides. Both groups received kits by mail every other week for 10 weeks. Relative to parents given basic kits, parents given guided kits (a) reported significantly more sustained use of the kits across the 10 weeks, (b) felt more self-efficacy in fostering their child’s STEM learning, and (c) judged that their child had achieved greater STEM-skill learning from program use.
Integration of Tablets in Phonological Awareness and Phonics Instruction: A Systematic Review
This article reviews literature published between 2010 and 2022 on the integration of tablets in phonological awareness and phonics instruction in kindergarten and the elementary grades. Studies involving phonological awareness skills compared traditional methods with tablet instruction and investigated tablet integration with teacher guidance, while those targeting phonics skills focused on self-paced learning with game elements and one-on-one learning. Results across 14 studies indicated mixed learning outcomes. The literature indicated that tablet-assisted instruction can be as effective as traditional instruction and helps students gain a learning advantage with teachers’ guidance. In several studies, students’ independent learning with game-element apps or one-on-one learning with apps customized by teachers positively affected students’ learning performance. The role of tablets in phonological awareness and phonics instruction, the need for teacher guidance and an evaluation rubric, and critical issues to consider for future research are discussed.
A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Inquiry: Risk and Protective Factors for the Left-Behind Children in Shaanxi Province, China, With Gender Comparison
This research presents the lived experience of left-behind children living in Shaanxi province of China through the lens of resilience theory. A hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry is employed to identify inner and outer risk factors faced by left-behind children at the primary school level and explore their protective factors (internal assets and external resources). This study attempts to determine how these protective factors can moderate or reduce the repercussions of risk exposure on the children’s development. Unstructured observations, including on-site observations of the classroom, life, and interpersonal relationships, were conducted in 2018 and remote classroom observations were completed in 2020 due to the pandemic. There were 51 students (including 28 left-behind children) observed in total. Fourteen 9- to 13-year-old left-behind children, eight guardians, and six teachers participated in interviews. Remote pre-interview activities were specifically employed in 2020. The findings indicate this group’s internalized and externalized problems, and the internal assets and external resources. This study would potentially identify viable targets for interventions and socially inclusive education. Resilience-based interventions in policies and practices are recommended to intervene in the trajectory from risk exposure to associated negative effects.
“We Can Come in Together and Garden”: A Mixed Methods Study of School Connectedness in a Middle School Garden Project
School connectedness is important for students’ current and future outcomes but may decline in the middle school years. This mixed methods study investigated the impact of a school garden project on 6th-graders’ school connectedness. Surveys were completed by 46 middle school students at the beginning and end of a garden unit. In addition, individual interviews were conducted with 25 participants. Quantitative findings indicated that most participants had some gardening experience at home and enjoyed being part of the garden at school. However, pre-post results did not show increased connectedness following the garden unit, as connectedness ratings were moderately high both before and after the garden unit. Analysis of student interviews found that the garden project facilitated home-school, student-student, and student-teacher connections. Qualitative results also highlighted the garden as a context for engagement as students shared what they were learning and doing in the garden, the choices and autonomy they experienced there, and their anticipation of upcoming activities. Finally, interviews documented students’ enjoyment of the school garden through their expression of positive emotion and appreciation for the outdoor setting and activities, which students described as stress-relieving and a valued break from traditional schooling. Implications for educators are discussed.
Creating a Mark of Reference About the Use of Positioning Technology in Preschool-Aged Children Based on a Systematic Review
Technological development has experienced exponential growth, providing more opportunity for enhancing scientific progress based on objective measures. To date, accelerometer (movement monitors) and subjective observations have led researchers to create a mark of reference in preschool education; however, the use of positioning technology is still scarce. The aim of the present article was to analyze previous research that provided behavioral information on preschoolers based on positioning systems, in order to provide a mark of reference and identify possibilities for future research. The results revealed that six studies used global positioning systems (GPS), one used a geometrical information system (GIS), and another one used video cameras for detecting location through a gridding technique. Overall, four articles used positioning systems to detect each child’s indoor/outdoor location, three used these systems to identify physical activity (PA) levels, and two used systems to detect social interactions. In conclusion, the use of positioning systems in future studies is necessary to open up new lines of research to collect data in early childhood.
Investigating Preschoolers’ Perspectives on Aggression Through Observation and Video-Stimulated Recall
This article explores video-stimulated recall as a novel approach to understanding children’s decisions to engage in relational and physical aggression. Past studies have relied on caregiver and observer reports to investigate children’s social behaviors, omitting children’s experience and interpretation of their own behavior. Within this Australian study, 68 children age 3 to 5 years were assessed for relational aggression by teachers. Nine children identified by teachers with high relational aggression and seven children identified with average levels of relational aggression were video recorded while engaging in free play. Immediately afterward, video footage of the child engaging in aggressive behavior was shown to the child to stimulate recall of the reasons for their behavior. Subsequent analysis were focused on assessing the intentions and functions of children’s aggressive behaviors, as reported by the child. Focusing on children’s own interpretations enabled a more nuanced and accurate understanding of the child’s social cognitive processes about the intent and functions of their aggression. We demonstrate that video observations alongside video-stimulated interviews can be used to effectively elicit children’s interpretations of their own behaviors. Incorporating children’s perspectives in research and practice has several implications, such as improving communication between children and adults and fostering children’s self-reflective awareness.
The Impact of Recess on Students: A Scoping Review of Developmental Outcomes and Methodological Considerations
Once a hallmark of the elementary experience, recess time is now being exchanged for increased classroom time as standardized test results drive decision-making. This scoping review examined the impact of recess on school-age students, providing decision-makers valuable evidence to help determine the role recess should play in the academic day. The included studies (n = 73) examined the impact recess had on school-age students in the areas of physical activity, social-emotional learning, academic performance, injuries, and food consumption. In our review, 7% to 76% of recess time was spent in device-measured, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; however, all children do not participate equally. Additionally, recess provides opportunities to develop social-emotional skills through problem-solving and may improve academic achievement and classroom behavior. Food consumption increased when recess occurred before lunch. Recess does, however, include a risk of injury. The majority of studies were cross-sectional designs and conducted in the United States. Thus, rigorous studies examining the causal effects of recess on multiple development outcomes for diverse students are needed to make specific recommendations on the optimal duration and scheduling of recess to optimize student learning and health.
Early Childhood Teachers’ Relationships with Families When Children Experience Adversity
Quality relationships among families and teachers in early care and education (ECE) hold promise to nurture resilience among children impacted by adversity. However, little is known about how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may affect the interactions between families and teachers. This study uses quantitative survey data from families (N = 235) and qualitative interview data from teachers (N = 13) to examine the link between children’s adversity and family-teacher relationship quality (knowledge, attitudes, practices) in ECE. Quantitative results indicate that when a child has experienced more of the ACEs conventionally studied (e.g. maltreatment, parent substance abuse or mental illness), parents are more likely to perceive lower quality practices with teachers, but when a child has experienced more ACEs on an extended measure (e.g., bullying, discrimination), parents are more likely to perceive higher quality practices with teachers. Qualitative results indicate that teachers report challenges in relationships with families when children experience trauma or adversity, but that ACEs also can present an opportunity to strengthen family-teacher relationships. Findings can inform professional development for teachers focused on strategies to work with families facing adversity, as well as policies related to program standards (e.g., family engagement) and interventions to improve family-teacher relationships quality.