Are Moroccan Free School Support Websites Effective for Learners During the Covid-19 Pandemic?

In these times of Covid-19 pandemic, many Moroccan students access websites for their school support needs. The objective of this study is to carry out an evaluation of some Moroccan free school support websites and to verify their effectiveness for learners, from a socio-constructivist perspective. This evaluation is conducted out by various teachers, using an evaluation grid developed by the authors following a review of literature that identified a number of elements considered as important factors for the proper functioning of an educational website. The approach adopted allowed the grid to be validated (Cronbach's alpha equal to 0.82). The results of the evaluation show several positive aspects but also some weaknesses inherent to the studied websites, especially concerning help with work methodology and pedagogical guidance and also the interactivity. Finally, several recommendations are proposed by the authors.

Development of a Web-Based School Support System Within the AVATAR Project for Psychosocial Well-being in Adolescents: Pilot Feasibility Study

Background Health and well-being promotions are key points of educational programs for adolescents within schools. There are several health education programs mainly based on lifestyle habit changes; however, social and emotional dimensions should be considered within these educational strategies. Objective This study aimed to (1) develop a new web-based school support system to assess and analyze individual, classroom, and scholastic institute data on lifestyle habits, social context, emotional status, and scholastic performance; (2) create a web tool for managing the well-being of adolescents through a dynamic and personalized interface that provides immediate feedback that allows the school to monitor progress; and (3) evaluate, in a pilot study, the feasibility of this web-based school support system in order to build health programs that are specific to the needs of the studied population. Methods The AVATAR (a new purpose for the promotion and evaluation of health and well-being among healthy teenagers) method consists of integrating the information coming from different questionnaires. In particular, to allow planning didactic and educational actions based on the results obtained, the AVATAR approach allows subdivision of the results of the different observed variables and the 4 components into the following 3 percentile categories: modify, improve, and maintain. The AVATAR web platform was designed to collect data on lifestyle, emotional status, and social context from junior high schools in terms of the fundamental aspects of adolescent daily life, with free use by the scholastic community (scholars, teachers, and parents). In this pilot/feasibility study, data from 331 students were acquired between 2018 and 2019 at the beginning of the scholastic year (pre) and at the end following the school-based program (post). Results Preliminary results showed that after school planning and specific program implementation, defined after AVATAR feedback, students reported better well-being perception characterized by higher perception in psychological well-being (P=.001), mood (P=.001), self-perception (P=.006), and autonomy (P=.001), and an increase in the perception of financial resources (P=.001), which helped in developing healthy lifestyle habits (P=.007). In the social context assessment, students reported stronger relationships with family (P=.02) and peers (P=.001), and a lower perception of bullying (P=.001). Conclusions The AVATAR web-based platform is a feasible and flexible tool for the health and well-being management of adolescents from epidemiological, preventive, and educational points of view. In particular, it can be used to (1) promote information campaigns aimed at modifying risk behaviors in the student population, (2) sensitize students and put them at the center of their growth path, (3) inform institutions about the health and well-being of the school population, (4) ensure health programs are acceptable and feasible to users before launching on a large scale, and (5) improve the relationship of users (school) and educational agencies with research groups.

Investigation and Analysis on the Postgraduate Entrance Examination for Undergraduate Students from Private Colleges and Universities

Students from private undergraduate universities were included in this study as research subjects. Questionnaires were distributed to the students to collect information in order to keep abreast of students’ motivation, preference, preparation and plan, encountered difficulties and adjustments made, demands, as well as other aspects about their postgraduate entrance examination. The results showed that students from private universities have clear motivation for their postgraduate entrance examination, but there are some problems, such as the lack of scientific choices, long preparation time, more challenges, and lack of school support. In view of these problems, this study offers countermeasures and suggestions for these students and relevant schools.

Community Participation in Education: A Case Study in the Four Remote Primary Schools in Samlot District, Battambang Province, Cambodia

<p>This study was conducted to investigate the nature of community participation in education in a remote district in Cambodia. A case study approach was used to explore the issue and employed mixed research methods for data collection. Epstein‘s participation and Bray‘s degree of community participation were used as analytical frameworks. The study contributes to a wide body of literature in participation in education, but which is under-researched for rural Cambodia. The study focussed on the forms and processes of participation by parents, community members and education stakeholders in primary schools in remote areas. The study discovered a range of social practices in community participation in education. The degrees of participation varied depending on the types of participation and the participants. Parents had direct participation in their children‘s learning at home, and indirect participation through resource contribution for school development. In addition, the community participated in education through their main representatives, the School Support Committees (SSCs). SSCs were found to possess power in the decision-making processes in school and education development. The most common type of participation was collaborative resource contribution for school development. This practice reflected the traditional culture of participation of Cambodian society but there was also a sign of behavioural change to focus more on children‘s learning. Teachers and School Support Committees were the drivers in bringing community and parents to participate in education. They were the facilitators, communicators, network connectors and mobilizers for school and education development. This case study suggests that a shift in focus (on the part of the government, non-governmental organizations and education stakeholders) to support parental involvement in children‘s learning, rather than the traditional resource mobilisation, may better promote children‘s learning. Further research on parental involvement in children‘s learning could be conducted.</p>

Community Participation in Education: A Case Study in the Four Remote Primary Schools in Samlot District, Battambang Province, Cambodia

<p>This study was conducted to investigate the nature of community participation in education in a remote district in Cambodia. A case study approach was used to explore the issue and employed mixed research methods for data collection. Epstein‘s participation and Bray‘s degree of community participation were used as analytical frameworks. The study contributes to a wide body of literature in participation in education, but which is under-researched for rural Cambodia. The study focussed on the forms and processes of participation by parents, community members and education stakeholders in primary schools in remote areas. The study discovered a range of social practices in community participation in education. The degrees of participation varied depending on the types of participation and the participants. Parents had direct participation in their children‘s learning at home, and indirect participation through resource contribution for school development. In addition, the community participated in education through their main representatives, the School Support Committees (SSCs). SSCs were found to possess power in the decision-making processes in school and education development. The most common type of participation was collaborative resource contribution for school development. This practice reflected the traditional culture of participation of Cambodian society but there was also a sign of behavioural change to focus more on children‘s learning. Teachers and School Support Committees were the drivers in bringing community and parents to participate in education. They were the facilitators, communicators, network connectors and mobilizers for school and education development. This case study suggests that a shift in focus (on the part of the government, non-governmental organizations and education stakeholders) to support parental involvement in children‘s learning, rather than the traditional resource mobilisation, may better promote children‘s learning. Further research on parental involvement in children‘s learning could be conducted.</p>

Parent Perspectives on Educational Needs of Students with Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies

Students with sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) are at increased risk for learning disabilities and often require individualized supports in the school setting. This international survey study used qualitative methods and a bioecological systems framework to inductively capture parent perspectives on the challenges that occur in students with SCAs leading to the need for educational supports, how schools serve children with SCAs, and the types of educational supports that are most helpful. Analysis of parent responses emphasized that challenges with reading, executive function, reduced stamina, social skills deficits, and emotional dysregulation act as barriers to learning, and are frequently triggered by busy or noisy classroom environments led by educators unfamiliar with needs of students with SCAs. Further, skills hovering in the borderline range are common to the SCA phenotype, and are not often well served special education systems challenged by limited resources and strict cut-offs for qualification. Parents report the need to strongly advocate for their child to receive adequate school support services. We recommend developing robust family-school partnerships, increased collaboration between the school and the child’s medical team, and acknowledgement of the significant role the genetic condition plays in the educational experiences of students with SCAs. Specific suggestions for school support plans for students with SCAs are provided.