Elementary Students’ Difficulties in English Learning: A Case Study of Elementary Schools in Pakistan

The study was an experimental study of spatial vocabulary in the subject of English. The subject was taught through four steps strategy at elementary level. Also the same subject was taught through lecture method. The major objectives of the study were: (i) to explore the effects of four steps strategy on the spatial vocabulary enhancement of elementary school students, (ii) to investigate the effect of four steps strategy on the spatial vocabulary enhancement of male elementary students, (iii) to measure the effect of four steps strategy on the spatial vocabulary enhancement of female elementary school students. To achieve the objectives, the following null hypotheses were tested: (i) there is no significant effect of four steps strategy on the spatial vocabulary enhancement of elementary school students, (ii) there is no significant effects of four steps strategy on the spatial vocabulary enhancement of male elementary school students. All the students of Grade-III from Army Public Schools and Colleges of province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were the population of this study. Sample of the study was 20 students (girls & boys) of Army Public School and College (Iqra) Risalpur Cantt District Nowshera by using random sampling technique. Pre-test and post-test single group four cycle designs were used as a tool for data collection in this study to measure the performance of the students. In four cycle experimental design, same group was exposed to experiment and lecture method of teaching. After the exposing, groups (experimental/control) were interchanged for getting accurate results. The data obtained was tabulated and analysed using paired t-test in the light objectives of the study. The analysis of the collected data revealed the following findings; it was revealed from the results that four steps strategy had significant effect on spatial vocabulary enhancement at elementary level. The result of the study showed that four steps strategy had significant effect on the spatial vocabulary enhancement of male and female elementary school students. It is recommended that the teacher should apply four steps strategy to foster the academic achievements of the students. This study will be beneficial for students, teachers and curriculum developer.

최근 환경, 건강, 배려의 지속가능한 식생활로 교육 패러다임 전환이 이루어지고 있는 가운데 학생 스스로 자신의 식생활역량을 진단하고 지속가능한 식생활을 실천할 수 있도록 교육할 필요가 있으나, 아직 지속가능한 식생활역량을 검사할 수 있는 진단도구는 부재한 실정이다. 이에 본 연구에서는 선행연구 분석, 전문가 자문, 예비조사를 거쳐 유아･초등학교 저학년생, 초등학교 고학년생 그리고 청소년 대상의 지속가능한 식생활역량 진단도구를 개발하였고, 현장 적용을 통해 대상별 식생활역량 실태를 파악하였다. 주요 연구 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, ‘지속가능한 식생활역량 진단도구’ 3종을 개발하였다. 이 진단도구는 2018년도에 개발된 ‘지속가능한 식생활교육 내용 체계’에 근거하여 환경, 건강, 배려 영역별로 진단항목을 설정하였으며, 유아･초등 저학년용 10개 문항, 초등 고학년용 15개 문항, 청소년용 20개 문항으로 구성하였다. 둘째, 개발된 진단도구의 현장 적용 결과에 따라 유형별 분류기준을 개발하였다. 영역별 점수를 기준으로, 환경, 건강, 배려의 영역별로 75% 이상 점수를 획득하였을 경우 각각 ‘환경친화형’, ‘건강한 식생활형’, ‘배려형’으로 분류하였다. 총점 기준으로는 ‘지속가능한 식생활 우수 실천형’, ‘지속가능한 식생활 실천형’, ‘식생활 개선형’의 3단계로 분류하였다. 셋째, 개발된 진단도구를 서울 지역 초, 중, 고등학생 1,255명을 대상으로 시범 적용 평가 결과, 전반적으로 청소년 집단이 초등학생 집단보다 지속가능한 식생활역량이 낮은 것으로 나타났으며, 학교급이 올라갈수록 ‘지속가능한 식생활 우수 실천형’이 줄어드는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 본 연구에서 개발된 지속가능한 식생활역량 진단도구는 지속가능한 식생활교육 플랫폼인 ‘식생활교실’에 탑재되어 초등학생과 청소년들이 온라인상에서 스스로 지속가능한 식생활역량을 진단하고 지속가능한 식생활을 실천하는 데 유용하게 활용될 수 있을 것이다.Along with the paradigm shift toward sustainable food education focusing on environment, health and consideration, it is necessary to educate students to diagnose their food competency and practice sustainable diet. However, there are no evaluation tools developed so far. Therefore, three kinds of Sustainable Food Competency Evaluation Tool (SFCET) were developed for lower elementary students, upper elementary students as well as for adolescents in this study by the analysis of previous studies, advices from experts in food education, and preliminary test for these student groups. The main results of this study were as follows: First, three kinds of SFCET were developed based on the sustainable food education content system suggested by Kim et al.(2018). SFCETs for lower elementary students, upper elementary students and adolescents consist of 10, 15, 20 questions, respectively, including the areas of environment, health and consideration. Second, classification criteria for each group were developed according to the results of pilot application of the developed evaluation tools. The evaluation criteria by area were classified as ‘eco-friendly type’, ‘healthy diet type’ and ‘considerate type’, respectively, if the scores of 75% or more were achieved in each area of environment, health and consideration. The total score was divided into three stages: ‘excellent practice of sustainable diet type’, ‘sustainable diet practice type’ and ‘dietary improvement type’. Third, when the developed evaluation tools were applied to 1,255 elementary, middle and high school students in Seoul, the results showed that the overall adolescent group showed a lower sustainable food competency than the elementary student groups, and the higher the school level, the lower the ratio of ‘excellent practice of sustainable diet type’. The SFCETs developed in this study were uploaded on the sustainable food education platform ‘Food Classroom’ and could be utilized to help elementary school students and adolescents evaluate their own sustainable food competency and practice sustainable diets in their lives.

This study aims to analyze the psychological indicators manifested in children's drawings during late childhood and to examine their relationship with psychological and social adjustment. The study reported here was conducted with elementary school students in the Riyadh region. For collecting data and answering the study questions, three main tools were used: the Drawing Analysis Scale, the modified Ontario Child Health Study (OCHS), Teacher Version, and a Social Adjustment Scale developed by the researcher. The study sample consisted of 125 male and female elementary school students from the Riyadh region. The findings revealed that the most prominent psychological indicators in the children's drawings were introversion, followed by feelings of insecurity, anxiety, and withdrawal behaviors. These indicators reflect emotional tension and internal conflict, likely rooted in the child's family or school environment. The results also showed a statistically significant positive correlation between the psychological indicators in the drawings and signs of poor psychological adjustment, with anxiety and introversion being the most strongly associated with reduced emotional balance. Furthermore, a statistically significant negative correlation was found between the psychological indicators and social adjustment. Children whose drawings contained symbols of isolation, threat, repeated erasure, or distortion demonstrated lower levels of social adjustment and appeared to struggle in forming healthy relationships and actively engaging in their school.

AimThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has had a significant psychological impact on children and adolescents, increasing depression, anxiety, and suicide‐related behaviors. In Japan, suicide remained the leading cause of death among individuals aged 10–19 years, with rates rising after the pandemic onset. However, few studies have examined these changes in psychiatric outpatient settings. We aimed to determine whether the prevalence of suicide‐related behaviors and associated psychiatric symptoms—depression and anxiety—differed pre‐ and post‐pandemic among elementary and junior high school students attending psychiatric outpatient clinics.MethodsIn this retrospective case–control study, we analyzed registry data from a child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinic in Japan. Patients were classified into pre‐ and post‐COVID‐19 groups based on the visit date (cutoff: March 2, 2020). Clinical characteristics were assessed at the initial visit through interviews and standardized rating scales: Depression Self‐Rating Scale for Children, Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, and Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale‐IV. Group differences were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.ResultsBetween 2016 and 2022, 2878 patients were included. The prevalence of suicide‐related behaviors increased post‐pandemic, from 3.0% to 6.9% among elementary school students and from 15.5% to 21.2% among junior high school students. In the post‐COVID‐19 group, elementary students more often exhibited antisocial behaviors and hyperactivity/conduct disorder diagnoses. Junior high students more often exhibited anxiety symptoms, particularly social anxiety, panic, and trauma‐related fear.ConclusionSuicide‐related behaviors significantly increased after the COVID‐19 pandemic, with distinct clinical characteristics observed across age groups.

The 1969 Supreme Court ruling in Tinker v. Des Moines established that students in public elementary and secondary schools do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” Before Tinker, students often faced punishment from school officials for their role in protests both on and off campus. A rise in civil rights protests and the role of young people in the social movements of the 1960s led to frequent conflicts between students and school administrators. Many black students were especially vocal in contesting racial discrimination at school in the two decades following the 1954Brown v. Board of Education decision. But before Tinker, students in public elementary and secondary schools were not considered to have any constitutional rights, including the right to free expression. Some of these students brought lawsuits in response to punishments they believed unfairly disciplined them for participating in legitimate protests. The political activism of young people and developments in First Amendment law eventually brought the Constitution into the public school classroom, leading to Tinker and other cases that established students’ rights.

V raziskavi smo preučevali razlike v agresivnosti med spoloma in med različnimi starostnimi skupinami na vzorcih slovenskih učencev in dijakov. Zajeti so bili trije reprezentativni vzorci: mlajši učenci (učenci 4. razreda osnovne šole), starejši učenci (učenci 8. razreda osnovne šole) ter dijaki (dijaki 4. letnikov programov splošne mature). Analize so temeljile na rezultatih lestvice agresivnosti LA, ki meri splošno agresivnost in štiri specifične vrste agresivnosti: telesna agresivnost (TA), besedna agresivnost (BA), notranja agresivnost (NA) in agresivnost v odnosu do avtoritete (AA). Z dvosmerno analizo variance smo ugotovili pomemben učinek spremenljivk spola, starosti ter pomembne učinke interakcije obeh spremenljivk (spol in starost) na agresivnost učencev in dijakov. Ugotovili smo pomembne razlike med spoloma v skupini starejših učencev in v skupini mlajših učencev, ne pa tudi dijakov. Učenci, tako starejši kot mlajši, so bili bolj agresivni v primerjavi z učenkami. Starejši učenci so bili v primerjavi z mlajšimi učenci bolj besedno agresivni, bolj telesno agresivni, bolj notranje agresivni in bolj agresivni v odnosu do avtoritete. Dijaki so bili v primerjavi z obema skupinama učencev manj telesno agresivni, manj besedno agresivni, bolj notranje agresivni, v agresivnosti v odnosu do avtoritete pa so se nahajali med obema skupinama učencev. Vzorec razlik med različnimi skupinami je skladen z izsledki strokovne literature, ki ugotavljajo višjo agresivnost pri moškem spolu in različne razvojne poti za različne vrste agresivnosti, kar so potrdili tudi naši podatki. Raziskava je podala pomembne primerjave agresivnosti na slovenskih vzorcih in obenem odprla nova raziskovalna vprašanja, vezana predvsem na merjenje in preverjanje bolj posrednih oblik agresivnosti, ki so značilnejše za ženski spol in dijake.

Technological advancement has reduced writing skills due to dependence on the internet, AI, and ChatGPT. This study aims to examine the effect of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and learning motivation on elementary students’ writing skills. This study uses a quantitative research method using a quasi-experimental design. The population of this study was all 165 sixth-grade elementary school students. The sample selection in this study used a non-probability sampling technique with a sample size of 37 students. The data collection method used questionnaires and tests. The instruments used in this study were learning motivation questionnaires and tests. The technique used to analyze the data was inferential statistics. The results of this study indicate that the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) learning model has a significant effect on elementary school students' writing skills. The experimental group outperformed the control group in explanatory writing skills (p = 0.004 < 0.05). Highly motivated students in the experimental class achieved higher scores than those in the control class. Learning motivation also had a significant effect on writing skills (p = 0.029 < 0.05). It is concluded that PBL and learning motivation improve students’ writing skills.

Well-designed game-based learning can provide students with an innovative environment that may enhance students' motivation and engagement in learning and thus improve their learning performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among elementary school students' flow experience and learning performances. We also investigated the gender and grade differences as well as the types of potential clusters of flow experiences and performance. Thirty-four elementary school students participated in this study. This study conducted correction analysis, difference analysis and a two-stage cluster analysis. The findings suggested that the students with higher flow experiences tended to have higher learning performances. The results of gender differences showed that female students had high performance scores and great flow experiences in the mini-educational game in this study. Moreover, the results revealed that the students of higher grade had significantly higher scores in both performance and flow experience than the students of lower grade. The result of cluster analysis fell into three categories: low performance/low flow experience students, high flow experience students and high performance/high flow experience students. On the basis of our findings, we also proposed suggestions for future game-based learning research.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between academic self-efficacy and mathematical problem-solving among elementary school students in Cirebon, Indonesia. With the increasing recognition of psychological factors in 21st-century education, especially in primary education, there is a need for empirical validation to understand how self-efficacy operates at this developmental stage. A quantitative correlational approach was utilized, involving 50 students from five public elementary schools, chosen through purposive sampling. Data collection involved validated mathematical problem-solving assessments and academic self-efficacy questionnaires. The instruments demonstrated acceptable reliability (Cronbach's alpha > 0.6) and content validity was confirmed by experts in the field. Statistical analyses included tests for normality and homogeneity, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression. While the data were not normally distributed, they satisfied the assumptions of homogeneity. The results indicated no significant relationship between academic self-efficacy and problem-solving ability (r = -0.014, p = 0.922), with regression analysis further confirming its negligible predictive power (β = -0.029, p = 0.922). These findings imply that academic self-efficacy may not be a crucial determinant of mathematical problem-solving performance at the elementary level, possibly due to the students’ limited metacognitive development. Theoretically, this study contributes to the field of educational psychology by challenging the universality of self-efficacy's influence in early education. Practically, it prompts educators and policymakers to consider developmental readiness when creating interventions designed to enhance self-belief. Future research should investigate mediating variables such as cognitive strategies, emotional regulation, and classroom environment to better understand academic performance among early learners.

The English language is considered the most important part of education after seeing its importance in the curricula of many countries throughout the world. The thesis/dissertation investigates the impact of L2 motivational self-system on language learning achievements and proficiency level.Quantitative approach has been used to administrate the relationship between L2 motivational self-system and English language learning.Two public sector and two private sector schools of Lahore were the sample of the study. Close-ended questionnaires were used to administrate the study by collecting data from elementary school students in Lahore.The data was analyzed using SPSS software. The findings of the research showed a noteworthy difference between public and private sector students. The analysis revealed that male participants of the study are more motivated as compared to the female participants but overall, both male and female participants are highly indulged in motivation of English language learning.

The low level of nationality awareness among primary school students, which resulted from inadequate learning, served as the research basis. A learning model was developed to facilitate this, namely the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model. However, the previous learning model was not contextual, did not involve students, did not consider the students’ preferred learning methods, and did not connect the technology-based learning process. Although the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning approach has been deemed valid, further research was required to ascertain its impact on students’ nationalistic insight. This research aimed to determine how elementary students’ nationalistic insight was impacted by an ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model. Six hundred students participated in this quasi-experimental research. Test questions were utilized to assess their level of nationalistic insight. The normality, homogeneity, paired sample t-test, effect size, and independent sample t-tests were performed on the test results. The findings indicated that the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model impacted elementary school students’ nationalistic insight. Comparing students who learned conventionally with those who used the ethnosocial-based differentiated digital learning model, the former showed a higher value of nationalistic insight. The findings of this study have value for how academics might help elementary school students develop their nationalistic insight.

The lack of nutrient was happened because of the low of quality and quantity of nutrient supply, and because of infection also. Nutrient supply like vitamin A, Fe, and Zn are the components which influence someone's nutrient status. The citizen of outskirts city usually identify by poverty. Vitamin A has a role in the mobilization of Fe reserve in human body to synthesize the hemoglobin. Fe and Zn which were given together can absorb well if Fe doses was not more than Zn. The research to new students of elementary school's nutrient status in NTT Province in general, and in Kupang particularly was rare until now. To know nutrient status of new students of elementary school basically is important to keep up with the development of students' study process as long as their education period in elementary school. To know the relationship of Zn, Fe, and vitamin A supply to the new students of elementary school's nutrient status in outskirts of Kupang city, NTT Province. This is a quantity of research with observational design cross-sectional. The research will be done in Kupang City in 2 months. The populations of this research are 3993 students of class one at the elementary school (this populations counted according to the number of class one data on 2013, in Kupang City. It means that all of the elementary students in Kupang City were not included in this account). Minimum sample which was needed in this research were 98 students. To anticipate the drop out students, then needed to add 10%, so the number of sample which was needed in this research are 108 students. To take 108 students was used random sampling technique. The criteria of the sample are: the new elementary school students (not repeat students) on the time of measuring didn't in sick condition and had not physic difference (hadn't hunchbacked). Fe supply has a relationship to nutrient status (IMT/U) with p-value less than 0, 05 (p=0,019), Zn supply also point out the relationship to nutrient status (IMT/U) with p-value 0,038, and vitamin A has a relationship to new students of elementary school's nutrient status with p-value 0, 005. There is a relationship between Fe supply with nutrient status (IMT/U), there is a relationship between Zn supply with nutrient status (IMT/U), there is a relationship between vitamin A supply with nutrient status (IMT/U). to the next researcher, besides measuring Fe supply, pay attention also macronutrient. Education organizer (school) need to pay attention to student's nutrient problem, because the students who have nutrient problem tend to have problems on their ability to accept subject matter in class.

OBJECTIVESThis study investigated the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and its risk factors among elementary-school students.METHODSIn this cross-sectional study, 693 elementary students from Hamadan city, western Iran, were selected by multistage stratified cluster sampling. Data were collected through interviews using questionnaires. Posture and psychosocial elements were assessed using the observational Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) checklist and the standard Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, respectively. Penalized logistic regression with the group smoothly-clipped absolute deviation regularization method was used for variable selection and data analysis (α=0.05). The chi-square test was also used.RESULTSIn total, 26.6% of the students (7-12 years old) reported LBP in the last month. Older age (odds ratio [OR], 3.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80 to 5.26), watching TV for more than 3 hours a day (OR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.46 to 4.68), very short seat backrests (OR, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.61 to 5.90), excessively curved seat backrests (OR, 4.36; 95% CI, 2.08 to 9.13), very short desks (OR, 3.44; 95% CI, 1.61 to 7.35), a family history of LBP (OR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.58 to 3.91), carrying a school bag on one shoulder (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.03 to 3.54), and RULA scores of 3 (OR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.13 to 4.50) or 4 (OR, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.37 to 5.91) were associated with LBP.CONCLUSIONSA high prevalence of LBP was found among elementary-school students. This study underscores the importance of recognizing vulnerable children and teenagers and developing interventional health promotion programs to prevent LBP based on an appropriate consideration of its contributory factors.

One of the problems faced by elementary school students is the difficulty of mastering the subject matter being taught. Efforts to increase mastery of the material were carried out by teachers, among others, by applying various varied learning models. The Problem Based Learning model is a learning model that is able to hone students' critical thinking. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of the Problem Based Learning model on science learning content on the critical thinking abilities. This study uses a quantitative approach to the experimental method. This research was conducted at elementary students using grade V as the research target for treatment by the Problem Based Learning learning model. The data analysis used was the t-test for sample correlation ratio data with the Wilcoxon Matched Pairs test analysis. The problem-based learning model to improve the critical thinking skills of science grade V elementary school students has a positive and significant effect. The results of this study conclude that hypothesis 1 (h1) is accepted. This shows that the Problem Based Learning model influences students' critical thinking ability, where students' critical thinking ability increase after being applied to a given subject.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of pediculosis and its related factors in elementary students in the city of Khorramshahr. A cross-sectional, descriptive-analytic that carried out on 170 female students in Khorramshahr city on March and April of 2015. 22 subjects (12.9%) got infestation of head lice in the past three months and 148 (87.1%) could not experienced infestation of louse. The mean score of awareness between the studied sample was 48.41 ± 3.12 with maximum value 36 and minimum value 4. Regression analysis was used to predict behaviours. Results showed that only the awareness variable was behaviour predictive (p = 0.014). There was no significant relationship between predictive behaviours and demographic variables. The results of this study showed that the knowledge is the only predictive variable of behaviour that has significantly relationship with preventive behaviour of pediculosis. As a result, elementary school students can be protected by increasing awareness of preventive behaviours and the prevalence of pediculosis can be reduced.