We use three studies to develop and validate the new concept of playful study design -- the cognitive-behavioral orientation towards study tasks with the aim to make these tasks more fun and/or more challenging. Based on play and proactive motivation theories, we propose that playful study design can be assessed by items indicating two dimensions:…

This volume provides an in-depth discussion and analysis of how critical perspectives on disability can inform our work with children, families, and teachers in early childhood settings. Thirty international contributors center disability and prioritize children's perspectives across a variety of contexts, including Head Start, community-based…

Concepts of student peer accountability and intervention have largely focused on high-risk behaviors (i.e., substance use, sexual misconduct, hazing, etc.) or the institutional practices of conduct investigation. This study extends student involvement literature to explore how undergraduate men understand and engage in peer accountability…

National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) programs provide opportunities for professional development for teachers. The goal of the RET site at North Dakota State University (NDSU), established in May 2020 (NSF Awards #1953102 and #2224135), was to increase the knowledge of secondary (6th to 12th grade)…

Despite the success of informal STEM programs, one ongoing challenge is sustaining learners' interest beyond the programs' initial impact (Morris et al., 2019). Although some longitudinal studies suggest that such programs can have a lasting impact on girls in STEM (e.g., McCreedy & Dierking, 2013), further research is needed to identify the…

Sociocultural theory (SCT) is a powerful basis for exploring and guiding L2 (second/foreign language) learner development. For the most part, however, the focus of classroom SCT-L2 has been on single activities, for example, teacher mediation of learners' writing process or peer scaffolding. In this paper, we expand on these studies, building on…

Friendships for students with ADHD have been presented within the literature as an area of complex challenges. Medical perspectives surrounding ADHD attribute these challenges in social relationships to deficits in the individual's behaviour, emotional regulation, prosocial skills and patterns of comorbidity that males and females with ADHD…

Using a three-wave (mean age 14.4, 17.4, and 20.4 years) longitudinal design (N = 1,834; 55.6% females), we set out to map direct and indirect effects of adolescent peer victimization and mental health on academic achievement in early adulthood, and the buffering effect of positive family relations. Data was collected in Sweden 2012 to 2018. We…

The present study examined critical thinking (CT) and its importance in Saudi secondary education. The sample included upper-secondary students and teachers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital and largest city. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to study students' CT skill development, barriers to growth, instructors' views on CT…

A limited number of findings from empirical studies show that biracial adolescents are at a heightened risk of peer victimization. Black/White biracial adolescents are frequent targets of peer victimization due to racism and systematic oppression that are inherent in U.S. schools. Similar to adolescents of other racial and ethnic groups, biracial…

Student well-being has emerged as a topic of considerable interest to researchers and educators. Recent work has sought to examine relationships between measures of student well-being and other constructs such as academic achievement, physical health, relationships with peers, and engagement in learning. Reading assessment and context…

Consensual Non-Monogamy (CNM) is an umbrella term for relationships in which all partners explicitly consent to engage in romantic, intimate, or sexual relationships with multiple people. In a recent study on polyamory, one form of CNM, data from a nationally representative sample of 3,438 single adults in the U.S. from a range of backgrounds…

Institutions of higher education are interested in supporting the academic success of their students in the most effective ways possible. Increasingly, this means engaging students in a blend of both online and in-person learning activities as well as connecting students with supportive communities in both modalities. This research explores the…

Various studies have demonstrated how the discrimination and violence experienced by LGBT+ children and young people affect their mental health and quality of life. Training for professionals working with children and young people is a key means of helping them provide the necessary support to LGBT+ children and youth people, for handling any…

Peer assessment has been proven to improve learning for both the observer and the observed. One dimension of peer assessment that has been given little attention in the context of physical education teacher education (PETE) is the tension that exists when peers give feedback on each other's work. In this paper, we report on Swedish preservice…