Kindergarten Teachers' (KTs') work is different from that of school teachers' because they juggle the role of being caregivers for young children and tending to their physical, emotional and educational needs, with the task of being 'managers' or 'leaders' of their kindergarten units (Guo et al. in Teach Teach Educ 27(5):961-968, 2011a; Aizenberg…

Objective: This study examined students' perceived levels of coping and need for help, and the relationship with their risks and protective factors during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. Participants: A sample of 4,710 university students responded anonymously to an online questionnaire. Methods: The risk and protective…

Research has already demonstrated the impact of positive and negative social interactions on one's self-efficacy. In particular, empowering or degrading messages from school teachers may have a significant long-term effect on students' self- efficacy. This is especially pertinent to students with ADHD symptoms, since they face increased challenges…

The sociocultural approach regards being deaf as a cultural characteristic in the identity of a deaf/hard-of-hearing (D/HH) person. The degree to which one integrates the hearing and Deaf cultures ("acculturation") is an important factor for the well-being of deaf adolescents. We examined the relationship between acculturation patterns…

This paper examines aspects and predictors of actual and hidden dropout among immigrant students in general, and among Israeli students of Ethiopian origin, in particular. A hidden dropout is a student who is often absent from school or physically in class but is passive and does not actively take part in the learning process. The subject of this…

This study investigated the effect of a school-based and teacher-led psychosocial intervention that targeted academic underachievement among conflict-affected youths. We hypothesized that participants in the intervention would experience improved school functioning and reduced levels of stress-related symptoms after the intervention, in comparison…

Background: This study compared Bedouin mothers of adolescents with developmental disabilities (DD) and Bedouin mothers of typically developing adolescents using measures of social support, depression, and somatisation. It further examined whether social support and raising a child with DD would predict maternal depression and somatisation beyond…

A positive transition to secondary school is pivotal to adolescents' mental health and success. However, the school transition research has mainly focused on transition-related adversities rather than adolescent wellbeing and adaptation. While the disturbing consequences of a difficult school transition are known, little attention has been paid to…

The inclusion challenge of students with special educational needs does not end in the classroom. Mandatory community services in Israel may present unique challenges and supportive demands from their teachers. The goals of this study were to examine the risks experienced by youth with ADHD who joined rescue workers such as ambulance teams. The…

Parental involvement plays a critical role in the development of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and can promote children's developmental and educational outcomes. This study aimed to compare mothers and fathers of children with ASD's social support and education levels in relation to their level of involvement. Participants included…

Based on the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the study aims to investigate factors that predict students' interest in pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in tertiary education both in general and in relation to their gender and socio-economic background. The results of the analysis of survey responses of…

This study investigates how social support may protect Israeli early adolescents who have witnessed community violence from engaging in violent behavior when they have also witnessed terror violence. The study examines how support from parents, school, and friends could serve as protective, despite the interactive risk effects of witnessing…

Differences between boys' and girls' exposure to terror and posttraumatic symptoms were examined in a sample of 2,999 Israeli adolescents. Gender differences were also assessed regarding perceived social support, religious beliefs, and ideological commitment. Results indicate that girls reported more posttraumatic symptoms than boys, although boys…

This is the 1st longitudinal examination of trajectories of resilience and resistance (rather than ill-being) among a national sample under ongoing threat of mass casualty. The authors interviewed a nationally representative sample of Jews and Arabs in Israel (N = 709) at 2 times during a period of terrorist and rocket attacks (2004?2005). The…

An investigation of the work environment of child caregivers in Israel focused on the amount of professional support the caregivers received and the group characteristics of the children in their care. A total of 41 caregivers were sampled from a population of 97 sponsored family day care (FDC) providers. Most of the sampled FDC homes provided…