The main question that leads the focus in this study is: What is the contribution of the school environment to the resilience of middle-adolescent students? Before going into the background and rationale of this study I will specify the terms used in this research question: - Contribution: In this study I will use the dynamic term contribution instead of the term effect because I will not measure the causal influence in a statistical way but I will explore the relationship between school environment and middle-adolescents resilience in terms of dynamic, reciprocal interactions. - School environment: With the term school environment I refer to all possible aspects of the immediate environment constituted by the school as a system in which the middle-adolescent is interactively participating. These aspects can include teachers as well as the school building as well as the lunch breaks and extramural activities. No framed description of this term will be postulated beforehand because the school environment will be studied from the viewpoint of the middle-adolescents. It is the middle-adolescents description of the term school environment that is the focus of this study. - Resilience: Before constructing the term resilience in a detailed manner in Chapter Two I will use the term to denote the ability to bounce back after stressful experiences. - Middle-adolescent: a 14-or 15-year old girl or boy. I will elaborate on the reason for the focus on this age group in paragraph 2.1.
DOCUMENT
Introduction: The health-promoting school (HPS) approach was developed by the World Health Organization to create health promotion changes in the whole school system. Implementing the approach can be challenging for schools because schools are dynamic organizations with each a unique context. Many countries worldwide have a health promotion system in place in which healthy school (HS) advisors support schools in the process of implementing the HPS approach. Even though these HS advisors can take on various roles to provide support in an adaptive and context-oriented manner, these roles have not yet been described. The current study aims to identify and describe the key roles of the HS advisor when supporting schools during the dynamic process of implementing the HPS approach. Methods: The study was part of a project in which a capacity-building module was developed for and with HS advisors in the Netherlands. In the current study, a co-creation process enabled by participatory research was used in which researchers, HS advisors, national representatives, and coordinators of the Dutch HS program participated. Co-creation processes took place between October 2020 and November 2021 and consisted of four phases: (1) a narrative review of the literature, (2) interviews, (3) focus groups, and (4) a final check. Results: Five roles were identified. The role of “navigator” as a more central one and four other roles: “linking pin,” “expert in the field,” “critical friend,” and “ambassador of the HPS approach.” The (final) description of the five roles was recognizable for the HS advisors that participated in the study, and they indicated that it provided a comprehensive overview of the work of an HS advisor in the Netherlands. Discussion: The roles can provide guidance to all Dutch HS advisors and the regional public health organizations that employ them on what is needed to provide sufficient and context-oriented support to schools. These roles can inspire and guide people from other countries to adapt the roles to their own national context.
DOCUMENT
Objectives: Promoting unstructured outside play is a promising vehicle to increase children’s physical activity (PA). This study investigates if factors of the social environment moderate the relationship between the perceived physical environment and outside play. Study design: 1875 parents from the KOALA Birth Cohort Study reported on their child’s outside play around age five years, and 1516 parents around age seven years. Linear mixed model analyses were performed to evaluate (moderating) relationships among factors of the social environment (parenting influences and social capital), the perceived physical environment, and outside play at age five and seven. Season was entered as a random factor in these analyses. Results: Accessibility of PA facilities, positive parental attitude towards PA and social capital were associated with more outside play, while parental concern and restriction of screen time were related with less outside play. We found two significant interactions; both involving parent perceived responsibility towards child PA participation. Conclusion: Although we found a limited number of interactions, this study demonstrated that the impact of the perceived physical environment may differ across levels of parent responsibility.
MULTIFILE
The central aim of this thesis was to increase understanding of designing vocational learning environments at the school–work boundary. Four studies were conducted, focusing on learning environment designs at the school–work boundary and on design considerations of the actors involved in their construction, both from the world of school and the world of work.
DOCUMENT
Een beroep leer je in het mbo op school én in de praktijk, tijdens de binnenschoolse praktijk, beroepspraktijkvorming en in hybride vormen. Heel mooi als dat niet twee verschillende werelden zijn. Een uitdaging van formaat is het daarom om leeromgevingen te ontwerpen op de grens van school en werk. Zoals allerlei varianten van werkplekleren, werkpleksimulaties en hybride leeromgevingen. Maar het is nog niet zo eenvoudig om de schoolse context en de werkcontext in dit soort leeromgevingen-op-de-grens optimaal met elkaar te verbinden.
LINK
The aim of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of a school-centered multicomponent PA intervention, called ‘Active Living’, on children's daily PA levels. A quasi-experimental design was used including 9 intervention schools and 9 matched control schools located in the Netherlands. The baseline measurement took place between March–June 2013, and follow-up measurements were conducted 12 months afterwards. Accelerometer (ActiGraph, GT3X +) data of 520 children aged 8–11 years were collected and supplemented with demographics and weather conditions data. Implementation magnitude of the interventions was measured by keeping logbooks on the number of implemented physical environmental interventions (PEIs) and social environmental interventions (SEIs). Multilevel multivariate linear regression analyses were used to study changes in sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) between baseline and follow-up. Finally, effect sizes (ESs) were calculated using Cohen's d. No pooled effects on PA and SB were found between children exposed and not exposed to Active Living after 12 months. However, children attending Active Living schools that implemented larger numbers of both PEIs and SEIs engaged in 15 more minutes of LPA per weekday at follow-up than children in the control condition (ES = 0.41; p < .05). Moreover, children attending these schools spent less time in SB at follow-up (ES = 0.33), although this effect was non-significant. No significant effects were found on MVPA. A school-centered multicomponent PA intervention holds the potential to activate children, but a comprehensive set of intervention elements with a sufficient magnitude is necessary to achieve at least moderate effect sizes.
MULTIFILE
Active transport to school is associated with higher levels of physical activity in children. Promotion of active transport has therefore gained attention as a potential target to increase children’s physical activity levels. Recent studies have recognized that the distance between home and school is an important predictor for active travel among children. These studies did not yet use the promising global positioning system (GPS) methods to objectively assess active transport. This study aims to explore active transport to school in relation to the distance between home and school among a sample of Dutch elementary school children, using GPS. Seventy-nine children, aged 6-11 years, were recruited in six schools that were located in five cities in the Netherlands. All children were asked to wear a GPS receiver for one week. All measurements were conducted between December 2008 and April 2009. Based on GPS recordings, the distance of the trips between home and school were calculated. In addition, the mode of transport (i.e., walking, cycling, motorized transport) was determined using the average and maximum speed of the GPS tracks. Then, proportion of walking and cycling trips to school was determined in relation to the distance between home and school. Out of all school trips that were recorded (n = 812), 79.2% were classified as active transport. On average, active commuting trips were of a distance of 422 meters with an average speed of 5.2 km/hour. The proportion of walking trips declined significantly at increased school trip distance, whereas the proportion of cycling trips (β = 1.23, p < 0.01) and motorized transport (β = 3.61, p < 0.01) increased. Almost all GPS tracks less than 300 meters were actively commuted, while of the tracks above 900 meters, more than half was passively commuted. In the current research setting, active transport between home and school was the most frequently used mode of travel. Increasing distance seems to be associated with higher levels of passive transport. These results are relevant for those involved in decisions on where to site schools and residences, as it may affect healthy behavior among children. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-227 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanned/
MULTIFILE
This doctoral dissertation aims to address the challenges faced by physical education (PE) teachers in building an inclusive learning environment that promotes a physically active lifestyle among secondary school students. Although existing research offers useful empirical insights into addressing this complexity, successfully implementing these insights in the dynamic PE context remains challenging. It is recommended to develop tools that bridge the gap between theory and practice and provide guidelines for teachers to effectively embrace the diverse needs of students. Advancements in technology have created new opportunities for developing digital tools for CPD. In the field of PE, a variety of technologies (e.g., exergames, wearables) have been developed and are currently used. However, there is a scarcity of studies focusing on technology that primarily supports teachers in enhancing skills, knowledge, and expertise (i.e., CPD) rather than improving student learning. While the potential benefits of technological tools in PE have been recognized, their successful implementation remains complex. Therefore, this doctoral dissertation, grounded in the fields of social psychology, human-computer interaction (HCI), and design research, aims to (i) gain insights into the motivational perceptions and needs of students within secondary school PE, (ii) examine how the teacher can meet these motivational needs and (iii) explore how technology can be better utilized to support teachers in building an optimal motivational PE class climate. Therefore, the following research questions were formulated: 1. What are the differences and similarities in students’ motivational perceptions and needs in secondary school PE? 2. How can PE teachers meet the motivational needs of all students in secondary school PE? 3. What is the affordance of technology in supporting teachers in the PE context? The first study (chapter 2) focused on identifying distinct motivational profiles among secondary school students based on their perceptions of the PE environment. Building upon the first study, the second study (chapter 3) qualitatively examined students preferred motivational teaching strategies in secondary school PE. In our third study (chapter 4) we investigated the impact of potential motivating teaching strategies on students’ motivation in a secondary school PE context. These three studies yielded valuable insights into the motivational perceptions and needs of students in secondary school PE. It was demonstrated that students exhibit varied perceptions of the motivational climate in PE. However, despite these differences, it was discovered that students across different motivational profiles share similar motivational needs. Several teaching strategies within the dimensions of the TARGET framework were identified which are potentially beneficial for all secondary school students’ motivation. Yet, the implementation of these motivating TARGET teaching strategies in PE is challenging for teachers. Therefore, in the last two studies, we explored the affordance of technology in supporting teachers in the PE context. Study four (chapter 5) aimed to examine how the evidence-based theoretical TARGET framework for creating a motivating PE learning climate might be embedded into a digital professional development tool for PE teachers. A multidisciplinary team of researchers, designers, and end-users iteratively went through several phases of need identification, idea generation, designing, development, and testing. By using a participatory approach, the TARGET-tool for PE teachers was developed. In the fifth study (chapter six) we explored the applicability of the completed TARGET-tool in a secondary school PE context. The perceived usability of the tool was examined and we gained insights into the process of teachers’ professional development as a result of using the tool. In the last chapter (chapter 7), the main findings of the dissertation are discussed thematically in light of the overarching research questions and their empirical, methodological, and artefactual contributions. The three research questions are addressed to provide a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively support teachers in optimizing the motivational learning climate in secondary school PE and the potential facilitative role of technology in this process.
LINK
Educational institutions and vocational practices need to collaborate to design learning environments that meet current-day societal demands and support the development of learners’ vocational competence. Integration of learning experiences across contexts can be facilitated by intentionally structured learning environments at the boundary of school and work. Such learning environments are co-constructed by educational institutions and vocational practices. However, co-construction is challenged by differences between the practices of school and work, which can lead to discontinuities across the school–work boundary. More understanding is needed about the nature of these discontinuities and about design considerations to counterbalance these discontinuities. Studies on the co-construction of learning environments are scarce, especially studies from the perspective of representatives of work practice. Therefore, the present study explores design considerations for co-construction through the lens of vocational practice. The study reveals a variety of discontinuities related to the designable elements of learning environments (i.e. epistemic, spatial, instrumental, temporal, and social elements). The findings help to improve understanding of design strategies for counterbalancing discontinuities at the interpersonal and institutional levels of the learning environment. The findings confirm that work practice has a different orientation than school practice since there is a stronger focus on productivity and on the quality of the services provided. However, various strategies for co-construction also seem to take into account the mutually beneficial learning potential of the school–work boundary.
LINK
In this chapter, we discuss the education of secondary school mathematics teachers in the Netherlands. There are different routes for qualifying as a secondary school mathematics teacher. These routes target different student teacher populations, ranging from those who have just graduated from high school to those who have already pursued a career outside education or working teachers who want to qualify for teaching in higher grades. After discussing the complex structure this leads to, we focus on the aspects that these different routes have in common. We point out typical characteristics of Dutch school mathematics and discuss the aims and challenges in teacher education that result from this. We give examples of different approaches used in Dutch teacher education, which we link to a particular model for designing vocational and professional learning environments.We end the chapter with a reflection on the current situation.
LINK
