Supporting Syrian Refugee Children’s Academic and Social-Emotional Learning in National Education Systems: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of Nonformal Remedial Support and Mindfulness Programs in Lebanon

Experimental evidence on strategies to support refugee children's integration into host-country public schools is needed. We employ a three-arm, site-randomized controlled trial to test the impact of short-term access to two versions of nonformal remedial programming infused with social-emotional learning (SEL) among Syrian refugee children in Lebanese public schools. Remedial programming with classroom climate-targeted SEL practices improved children's perceptions of public schools (effect sizes [ES] = 0.48–0.66) only. The remedial program with both classroom climate-targeted SEL and skill-targeted activities had positive impacts on children's perceptions of public schools (ES = 0.43–0.50) and on certain basic academic skills (ES = 0.08–0.14), and marginally significant positive and negative impacts on some SEL outcomes (ES = 0.16–0.31). We found no impacts of either version on children's global literacy or numeracy competence.

Investigation of Preschool Children’s Perceptions to Protect the Environment Through Drawings

This study aimed at investigating the perceptions of children attending preschool education about protecting the environment through drawings. This study was carried out with a qualitative research method. The study group of this study consisted of 80 children among 48-60-month-old children attending preschool education in Nicosia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). In this study, the children were requested to explain their thoughts through drawings by asking the following question: “What can be done to protect the environment?” Then, the children were asked to describe their drawings orally. The descriptions of children were recorded in writing and analyzed. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the most common perception about protecting the environment was “not littering”. In addition to this, it was determined that the children had different perceptions as “not wasting water”, “not polluting nature”, “not starting a fire”, “not polluting the sea”, and “not cutting the trees”. It was concluded that the children had a perception of protecting the environment only from these aspects with the drawings that included reduce and respect dimensions of the 7R model. It was also concluded that they did not have a perception in the dimensions of reuse, rethink, reflect, recycle, and redistribute.

Kindergarten children’s perceptions of the social unrest in Hong Kong

Hong Kong experienced a period of significant social unrest, marked by protests, from June 2019 to February 2020. Media coverage was pervasive. In July 2020, children aged from 5 to 6 years attending kindergartens in areas both directly and less directly impacted by the protests were asked to draw and talk about what had taken place during the social unrest. Thematic analysis of children’s drawings demonstrates the extent of their awareness and understanding and suggests that children perceived both protestors and police as angry and demonstrating aggression. Many children were critical of police conduct and saw protestors as needing protection from the police. Children around the world have been exposed to protest movements in recent times. The implications for parents, teachers and schools are discussed.