The Family Context

Good motor skills (MS) and physical activity (PA) are considered important for children’s physical, social, and psychological development. The Motor skills in PreSchool (MiPS) study-Denmark aimed to optimize children’s MS through weekly PA sessions. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of local preschool leaders and their strategies in influencing the implementation of MiPS into daily practice. Leaders from all seven preschools in the project were interviewed. The results show that preschool leaders used communication (setting an agenda and dedicating speaking time to address the program at staff meetings) and reflective questioning about the pedagogic staff’s current practice in relation to the program (adding focus on MS and PA) as their main course of action. Through this form of communication and reflective questioning, the preschool leaders aimed to involve the staff and heighten their sensemaking in the existing practice while also ensuring that the implementation of the program was kept in progress. In sum, future implementation of an MS and PA initiative in preschools should put emphasis on a shared responsibility between leaders and staff combined with an adaptive approach in which the existing practice is reshaped rather than just increasing the workload of the pedagogic staff.

Children, Youth and Environments 23(2), 2013 Outdoor Learning – A Year at Auchlone (DVD and booklet) Claire Warden (2013). Perthshire, Scotland: Mindstretchers, Ltd., 19 pages (booklet); 30 minutes (DVD).£60. Available in the United States from www.ChildCareExchange.com. Claire Warden is an educational consultant based in Perthshire, Scotland and CEO of Mindstretchers, Ltd. Claire is an accomplished author of books and materials relating to early years’ methodology. She has developed an approach to experiential learning that is practiced at her two nature kindergartens, Auchlone and Whistlebrae. Claire lectures around the world and is part of the leadership group of consultants that make up the World Nature Collaborative. Warden’s body of work is extraordinary and extensive. As an educational consultant, she has developed a unique approach to early childhood nature education that finds its roots in the forest kindergarten movement in Europe. Her book, Nature Kindergartens and Forest Schools (now is its second edition; see review in this issue of Children, Youth and Environments), outlines her experiential educational methodology developed for young children, using case studies to illustrate the underlying elements inherent in this approach. The values that underpin the methodology are research-based and include such things as mixedage classes, creating a sense of community, respect for children, risk-full learning, and eco-friendly and sustainable living. This review focuses on one particular resource that she has developed; however, several other resources are mentioned, providing a context for its use. Outdoor Learning – A Year at Auchlone is the first of four DVDs that provide visual examples of practices mentioned in Nature Kindergartens and Forest Schools. This DVD, filmed at the Auchlone Nature Kindergarten, is perfect for practitioners working with children in natural settings and for parents to better understand the goals of a nature-based program. The DVDs were filmed over a year in 2011/12; the first, reviewed here, focuses on spring. Each new DVD is associated with the other seasons and focuses on specific practices. The DVD comes with a companion booklet that describes the practices shown and explains the organization and possible uses of the materials. Together, they serve as a training piece for teachers (and parents) to better understand the practices that are beautifully described in Warden’s Nature Kindergartens book. This particular DVD focuses on nine examples of practice: transitions, risk, adult role, trust, self-engagement, consulting children, sustainability, sense of place, and depth of learning. Each is described in the booklet, shown in the DVD, and ends with a question for reflection.© 2013 Children, Youth and Environments DVD Review: Outdoor Learning – A Year at Auchlone 221 Narrated by Warden herself, each concept or practice is described and depicted in the DVD, as the nature kindergarten class climbs trees in the forest, plants black currant bushes in the garden, or makes bread in the kinder kitchen. Each concept by itself is worthy of discussion so the questions for reflection presented at the end of each segment provide an opportunity to consider one’s own practice. For example, the first segment is focused on transitions. In the nature kindergarten, Warden suggests that “transitions happen daily, from inside to outside, from movement to still, from sound to silence.” In this segment, examples are provided of the daily transitions. The class is shown in a circle reviewing a “floorbook” that provides photographs that were taken at a previous time. The children are given time to reflect on their previous experiences (in this case, related to birds) and talk about what is coming next. The children are then shown hiking to the forest and then being very quiet as they approach a nesting bird. The question for reflection suggested at the end of the segment is “How do you support children through daily transitions?” Any program, whether or not it has the same kind of outdoor setting as the nature kindergarten, goes through daily transitions. Therefore the ideas are relatable and the reflection on one’s own practice becomes a valuable exercise. Throughout this DVD, Warden makes available ways for children to encounter the authentic experiences that nature provides. She suggests that adults need to facilitate rather than teach by modeling key behaviors and allowing children to...

The cases in this collection were developed as part of the Strengthening Australia’s Reform ‘Muscle’ via Social Licence to Operate (SLO) project, a collaborative initiative between ANZSOG, the Australian National University (ANU), and the South Australian Department of the Premier and Cabinet. The project explores how governments can build and sustain the “muscle” required to undertake complex reforms, with a particular focus on the role of social licence in enabling and shaping reform processes. Each case study examines a distinct reform initiative across different jurisdictions and policy domains, offering a rich, practice-oriented lens into how public sector leaders navigated the challenges of reform. Central to each narrative is the strategic use of social licence, how trust, legitimacy, and credibility were cultivated to support reform efforts, and how these elements influenced outcomes. They highlight recurring themes such as: The importance of early and authentic engagement with stakeholders and communities. The role of narrative and framing in building public understanding. The need for adaptive leadership and institutional resilience. The risks and trade-offs involved in pursuing bold reforms. Proactive vs reactive policy making and policy driven by crisis Each case study concludes with a set of key lessons, practical insights, and questions for reflection, designed to help public servants and policy practitioners apply these learnings to their own work.

This chapter draws on material from throughout the entire book including geography, place, memory, WWI commemorations, case studies and especially education with an emphasis on Teaching and Learning (T&L) including autonomous individual work. It promotes studies in geography including inter-disciplinary and inter-cultural approaches drawing on the wealth of geographical, educational and cultural capital displayed by the various authors from a wide range of countries and traditions. The chapter provides resources to encourage both self-directed readers and educators to reflect on the themes of the volume. A broad range of sources and methodologies is presented, combined with both chapter-specific and broader questions, project exemplars and suggestions for enhancing & extending learning.

This case study investigates how Chinese lesbians negotiate identity within the family context, foregrounding visual practices as crucial sites of negotiation often overlooked in textual or verbal studies. Utilizing participant-driven Photo Elicitation Interviews (PEI) with eight women across different provinces, and working through the Visual Narrative of Identity (VNI) framework that reinterprets Butler’s performativity and Lacan’s mirror stage through Chinese kinship and cultural obligations, the study analyzes photographs alongside in-depth interviews. The findings reveal the dual role of families as both transmitters of heteronormative norms and sources of emotional support, producing tensions between conformity and selfhood. Economic independence emerges as critical for identity autonomy, while visual narratives expose how participants recite, resist, and reconfigure family scripts. By situating these insights in dialogue with Chinese and transnational queer scholarship, the article contributes to feminist and visual studies by demonstrating how image-based methods illuminate identity negotiations that remain obscured in discursive accounts.

The study concentrates on the importance of circulating the school visions and its management message in terms of achieving its goals and strategies. This study scope was limited to the orphan’s Islamic school as a population under this study, which is school that is considered one of the well-known boarding schools in the northern Palestine and mainly in Jerusalem, the school is monitored by the Palestinian Ministry of AL-Awqaf and Religious Affairs. As aforementioned above the study was developed to focus on the reality and life experienced by the boarding students in this school, whom joined the school for different reasons in which among them there are orphans, whether father or mother or both parents together, and officially registered in the Palestinian civil registry, and some of them are registered as a social status, which face many different family issues and social problems such as but not limited to: divorce, abandonment by parents. These students are officially registered in the Palestinian Ministry of Community Affairs, and some of them for other reasons of family poverty and others. Total number of internal students reached (35) students in the second semester of the academic year 2021-2022, in the period expanding from February until the period of preparing this research. in addition to the body supervising them to sustain their life. In order to achieve the objectives of this study, the researchers adopted the qualitative research methodology "case study”. Detailed description of the case (boarding students in the Dar Al-Aytam Islamic Industrial School) through the use of approved data collection tools such as type of studies, which are interviews (students, internal supervisors, administrative and teaching staff), context-based observations and analysis of permitted official documents, such as recordings Audio and video, official school publications and official records. This study attempted to answer the questions. The main points from the point of view of its participants are: 1- What does your presence in Dar Al-Aytam Islamic Industrial School offer you? 2- How did your presence in this school affect your social, educational and professional life? 3- What are the challenges and problems that you face in the Dar Al-Aytam Islamic Industrial School? In addition to the sub-questions that arose during the interviews and related to the societal and family context, where a representative number of boarding students of various age, social and family groups, supervisors, administrative staff and educational counselors were interviewed. According to the case study methodology, the names of those participants in the interviews will not be disclosed, and we will suffice to give the codes to the names. It is worth noting that this study came to further emphasize the role of this Institutions to stand by this category of society, especially in our Palestinian society. Keywords: The Islamic Industrial Orphanage Institution, Challenges and Problems

Objective: To understand the repercussions of coexisting with the drug use in a family based on the daughter's narrative of a woman who is a multiple drugs user. Method: A case study with a family accessed in 2014, through the records of a Poison Control Center in the North of Paraná. It was used a semi-structured interview and field journal, and resources of thematic oral history to apprehend the story, from the question "How is/was for you and your family to live with a mother who is a drug user?” Results: The daughter's memories emphasized repercussions in the family context: long-term of living with drug abuse; absence or transience of the motherly figure, with rupture processes for homeless situation; cycle of parental disruption/forgiveness and continued presence and fatherly support. Final considerations: The narrative indicated a family that could be added to the process of rehabilitation and social reintegration of the female drug user.

The present study examines learning difficulties encountered by children in Barcelona (Spain) on the basis of a comprehensive review of scholarly literature complemented by the analysis of selected case studies. Particular attention is paid to neurodevelopmental disorders, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study integrates theoretical approaches with the analysis of real educational situations, allowing for the alignment of research-based knowledge with educational practice and support for children. Purpose and objectives. This study examines the educational difficulties faced by school-age children with neurodevelopmental disorders in Barcelona (Spain). The main objective is to analyse learning challenges associated with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and ASD, and to determine how these conditions influence behavioural manifestations, academic performance, and emotional well-being. The study also aims to identify gaps in educational support and propose scientifically grounded strategies to improve school outcomes. Methods. A thorough review of contemporary scientific literature was combined with a qualitative analysis of concrete case studies. Sources included peer-reviewed research articles, diagnostic guidelines, and educational intervention frameworks. Case selection was purposive and aimed at illustrating distinct behavioural symptoms, cognitive difficulties, and academic consequences associated with each disorder, while taking into account educational, social, and family contexts, as well as the perspectives of parents, teachers, and members of the support team. The findings indicate that delayed identification of learning disorders and insufficient pedagogical and psycho-pedagogical support often lead to academic difficulties, emotional strain, reduced self-esteem, and social isolation among students. At the same time, timely identification and early intervention significantly improve educational outcomes and children’s psychological well-being. The results also demonstrate that learning difficulties are shaped by the interaction of individual characteristics and educational environments, highlighting variability in children’s responses to similar instructional conditions. The analysis highlights the decisive role of teacher training, professional awareness, and attitudes towards learners with special educational needs, as well as the effectiveness of individualised and multisensory interventions tailored to children’s cognitive and emotional characteristics. Particular emphasis is placed on the prevalence of comorbid manifestations, which reveals the limitations of rigid diagnostic categories and underscores the need for flexible and comprehensive approaches to assessment and support planning. It is concluded that effective addressing of learning difficulties requires a holistic, interdisciplinary approach based on early diagnosis, professional teacher preparation, individualised instruction, emotional support, and active cooperation between families and educational institutions. Prospects for further research are associated with in-depth examination of behavioural indicators of learning difficulties, expansion of interdisciplinary collaboration, evaluation of the effectiveness of targeted pedagogical interventions, and analysis of the potential of digital and AI-oriented technologies for early identification and personalised support of learners.

Advocacy for social change has been described as an ethical mandate in feminist therapy theory. Feminist family therapy has focused on the empowerment of women within the familial context, but not addressed the feminist therapist's role in broader societal issues or training models which integrate advocacy with treatment paradigms. This article presents the problem-posing model of Paulo Freire as one way to introduce advocacy issues into therapeutic and ethical frameworks. An application of Freire's model, Empowerment Education, is adapted for use in live family therapy supervision, illustrated through case example, and compared to other family therapy supervision models.

Public Health: Local and Global Perspectives presents a comprehensive introduction to public health issues and concepts in the Australian and international contexts. It provides students with fundamental knowledge of the public health field, including frameworks, theories, key organisations and contemporary issues. The third edition features a new chapter on the public health workforce and the importance of advocacy in the profession and a thorough update that includes current research and case studies. Discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic and other contemporary public health issues offers students the opportunity to apply theory to familiar examples. Each chapter contextualises key concepts with spotlights and vignettes, reflective questions, tutorial exercises and suggestions for further reading. Written by an expert team of public health professionals, Public Health is an essential resource for public health students.

Public Health: Local and Global Perspectives presents a comprehensive introduction to public health issues and concepts in the Australian and international contexts. It provides students with fundamental knowledge of the public health field, including frameworks, theories, key organisations and contemporary issues. The third edition features a new chapter on the public health workforce and the importance of advocacy in the profession and a thorough update that includes current research and case studies. Discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic and other contemporary public health issues offers students the opportunity to apply theory to familiar examples. Each chapter contextualises key concepts with spotlights and vignettes, reflective questions, tutorial exercises and suggestions for further reading. Written by an expert team of public health professionals, Public Health is an essential resource for public health students.

Public Health: Local and Global Perspectives presents a comprehensive introduction to public health issues and concepts in the Australian and international contexts. It provides students with fundamental knowledge of the public health field, including frameworks, theories, key organisations and contemporary issues. The third edition features a new chapter on the public health workforce and the importance of advocacy in the profession and a thorough update that includes current research and case studies. Discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic and other contemporary public health issues offers students the opportunity to apply theory to familiar examples. Each chapter contextualises key concepts with spotlights and vignettes, reflective questions, tutorial exercises and suggestions for further reading. Written by an expert team of public health professionals, Public Health is an essential resource for public health students.

Feedback is essential for improving workshops, ensuring relevance, and demonstrating accountability to stakeholders. This Teaching Paper introduces two practical feedback templates—an End-of-Workshop Feedback Form and an Anonymous Feedback Form—designed to help facilitators systematically collect participant perspectives on satisfaction, content, delivery, logistics, and areas for improvement. Drawing on Patton’s utilization-focused evaluation, Kirkpatrick’s training evaluation model, and Caffarella and Daffron’s program planning approaches, the paper situates workshop feedback within the broader field of program evaluation and adult learning. Practical guidance is offered for adapting forms to diverse contexts, analyzing responses, and using findings to improve future sessions. A case study from a capacity-building training in East Africa illustrates how structured feedback enabled iterative improvement. Reflection questions and limitations are provided to support critical thinking and adaptation. Ultimately, this Teaching Paper highlights feedback as both a practical tool for facilitators and an essential practice for accountability and continuous improvement.

Chronic Care Nursing: A Framework for Practice provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of the role of the nurse in dealing with chronic conditions across a variety of healthcare settings in Australia and New Zealand. The first part of the book provides a road map for the implementation of chronic care, by outlining how two essential approaches to chronic care management - the Chronic Care Model and the World Health Organization's Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions Framework - can help to improve patient outcomes at both national and international levels. The second part devotes separate chapters to key conditions - including dementia, disability, palliative care and mental health - and highlights the pressing contemporary considerations of each condition. Written by an expert author team of clinicians and academics, this book is full of helpful educational tools such as national competencies, case studies and reflective questions, and is an indispensable resource for students and registered nurses.

Public Health: Local and Global Perspectives presents a comprehensive introduction to public health issues and concepts in the Australian and international contexts. It provides students with fundamental knowledge of the public health field, including frameworks, theories, key organisations and contemporary issues. The third edition features a new chapter on the public health workforce and the importance of advocacy in the profession and a thorough update that includes current research and case studies. Discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic and other contemporary public health issues offers students the opportunity to apply theory to familiar examples. Each chapter contextualises key concepts with spotlights and vignettes, reflective questions, tutorial exercises and suggestions for further reading. Written by an expert team of public health professionals, Public Health is an essential resource for public health students.