Testing the Effectiveness of an Intervention to Improve Romanian Teachers' LGBT+-Related Attitudes, Cognitions, Behaviors, and Affect: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Repeated stigmatization due to group membership constitutes a recurrent stressor with negative impact on physical and mental health (minority stress model). Among European countries, Romania ranks low on LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The "+" represents individuals whose identities do not fit typical binary notions of male and female [nonbinary]) inclusion, with 45% of Romanian LGBT+ respondents reporting discrimination in at least 1 area of life in the year preceding the survey. Importantly, while all LGBT+ people might experience minority stress, younger sexual minority individuals are more prone to the detrimental impacts of stigma on their mental and physical health. As such, interventions are necessary to improve the inclusion climate within schools, where young people spend most of their time. Until now, most interventions addressing this topic have been conducted on undergraduate students in Western countries, with no studies conducted in countries that have widespread anti-LGBT+ attitudes. OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the research protocol for a randomized controlled trial investigating whether LGBT+ stigma and bias among Romanian school teachers can be reduced using an internet-based intervention focusing on education and contact as primary training elements. METHODS: A sample of 175 school teachers will be randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group. The experimental group participants will receive the intervention first and then complete the outcome measures, whereas the control group will complete the outcome measures first and then receive the intervention. The 1-hour multimedia intervention is developed for internet-based delivery under controlled conditions. It includes 2 interactive exercises, 2 recorded presentations, animations, and testimonies from LGBT+ individuals. Data for attitudinal, behavioral, cognitive, and affective measures will be collected during the same session (before or after the intervention, depending on the condition). We also plan to conduct a brief mixed methods follow-up study at 6 to 8 months post participation to investigate potential long-term effects of training. However, due to attrition and lack of experimental control (all participants will have completed the intervention, regardless of the condition), these data will be analyzed and reported separately using a mixed methods approach. RESULTS: This paper details the protocol for the teacher intervention study. Data collection began in December 2022 and was completed by February 2023. Data analysis will be performed upon protocol acceptance. Follow-up measures will be completed in 2024. Results are expected to be submitted for publication following analysis in the spring of 2024. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study will establish the effectiveness of an internet-based intervention intended to lessen anti-LGBT stigma and sentiment in a nation where these views have long been prevalent. If successful, the intervention could end up serving as a resource for Romanian teachers and guidance counselors in high schools. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN 84290049; https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN84290049. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/54254.

Empowering School Staff to Support Pupil Mental Health Through a Brief, Interactive Web-Based Training Program: Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Schools in the United Kingdom and elsewhere are expected to protect and promote pupil mental health. However, many school staff members do not feel confident in identifying and responding to pupil mental health difficulties and report wanting additional training in this area. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the feasibility of Kognito's At-Risk for Elementary School Educators, a brief, interactive web-based training program that uses a simulation-based approach to improve school staff's knowledge and skills in supporting pupil mental health. METHODS: We conducted a mixed methods, nonrandomized feasibility study of At-Risk for Elementary School Educators in 6 UK primary schools. Our outcomes were (1) school staff's self-efficacy and preparedness to identify and respond to pupil mental health difficulties, (2) school staff's identification of mental health difficulties and increased risk of mental health difficulties, (3) mental health support for identified pupils (including conversations about concerns, documentation of concerns, in-class and in-school support, and referral and access to specialist mental health services), and (4) the acceptability and practicality of the training. We assessed these outcomes using a series of questionnaires completed at baseline (T1), 1 week after the training (T2), and 3 months after the training (T3), as well as semistructured qualitative interviews. Following guidance for feasibility studies, we assessed quantitative outcomes across time points by comparing medians and IQRs and analyzed qualitative data using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 108 teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) completed T1 questionnaires, 89 (82.4%) completed T2 questionnaires, and 70 (64.8%) completed T3 questionnaires; 54 (50%) completed all 3. Eight school staff members, including teachers, TAs, mental health leads, and senior leaders, participated in the interviews. School staff reported greater confidence and preparedness in identifying and responding to mental health difficulties after completing the training. The proportion of pupils whom they identified as having mental health difficulties or increased risk declined slightly over time (medianT1=10%; medianT2=10%; medianT3=7.4%), but findings suggested a slight increase in accuracy compared with a validated screening measure (the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). In-school mental health support outcomes for identified pupils improved after the training, with increases in formal documentation and communication of concerns as well as provision of in-class and in-school support. Referrals and access to external mental health services remained constant. The qualitative findings indicated that school staff perceived the training as useful, practical, and acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that brief, interactive web-based training programs such as At-Risk for Elementary School Educators are a feasible means to improve the identification of and response to mental health difficulties in UK primary schools. Such training may help address the high prevalence of mental health difficulties in this age group by helping facilitate access to care and support.

Healthy lifestyle behaviors among teachers working in public primary schools and affecting factors.

Healthy lifestyle behaviors have been recognized as a key strategy to achieve a policy of health for all. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of health promotion lifestyle behavior among teachers working in public primary schools. The present study also investigated the effects of selected socio-demographic characteristics on these behaviors. The research was designed using the survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. The sample of the research consisted of public primary school teachers (n = 372). Research data were collected using the Health-Promotion Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II) scale. As a result of the research, it was put forward that there were statistically significant differences in levels of health promotion lifestyle behaviors based on taking courses on health promotion, and following programs and articles about healthy living (p < 0.05). It was revealed that primary teachers' taking courses on health promotion, and following programs and articles affected their healthy lifestyle behaviors. Public primary school teachers' health promotion lifestyle behaviors were found to be moderate. It was found that the primary teachers obtained the highest mean score for the spiritual growth subscale of the health promotion lifestyle behaviors scale; however, the primary school teachers had the lowest mean score for the physical activity subscale, which indicates that they need support in improving their healthy lifestyle. Male teachers had higher mean scores in the physical activity subscale, whereas females had higher mean scores in all other subscales. Training programs to protect and improve the health of teachers should be organized.

Orthodontic awareness amongst middle school teacher sand parents of twin cities.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the level of awareness towards orthodontic treatment among parents and teachers of middle school children. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2021 to May 2022 in the middle schools of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pak istan, after approval from the ethics review committee of the Foundation University College of Dentistry and Hospital, Foundation University, Islamabad. Those included were middle school teachers and parents of students studying in middle schools. Data was collected using a validated questionnaire that had 6 demographic and 5 sur vey ques tions. The fo rm was digiti zed for easy dissemination a mong parents. Data was analysed us ing SPSS 23. RESULTS: Of the 240 subjects, 120(50%) each were parents and teachers. Overall, there were 165(68.75%) females and 75(31.25%) males. Level of education and professional exposure were not significantly different between teachers and parents (p>0.05). There was no difference in the level of education and professional work experience between th e parents and teacher (p>0.05). Teachers showed a higher level of awaren ess than parents towards the role of orthodontist in tooth alignment (p=0.013), associated habits with malalignment of teeth (p=0.003), and that the most appropriate age for tre atment wa s 10-15 years (p≤0.0 01). Teach ers were more likely of the opinion tha t facial disharmony is treatable than parents (odds ratio: 1.599, 95% confidence interval: 0.572-4.467). CONCLUSIONS: Teachers showed a higher level of awareness than parents regarding orthodontic treatment of children.

The assessment of preschool children with ESSENCE symptoms: concordance between parents, preschool teachers and child psychologists.

BACKGROUND: It is important to detect children with Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations (ESSENCE) in order to implement early intervention and support for the child and family. Standardized instruments for assessment in different contexts of behaviour problems, engagement and psychosocial health obtain an objective picture of the preschool child's mental health. AIM: To explore and compare parents', preschool teachers' and child health care psychologists' assessment of behaviour, everyday function, engagement, social interaction and psychosocial health in children with ESSENCE symptoms. METHOD: Parents of 152 children (114 boys and 38 girls, 4.5 ± 1 years) with ESSENCE symptoms, 155 preschool teachers and 8 child psychologists participated. Parents and preschool teachers assessed externalizing and internalizing behavioural problems using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), including the SDQ supplement for assessing the impact of behavioral problems on daily function. Preschool teachers also assessed engagement and social interaction using the Children's Engagement Questionnaire (CEQ), and the child psychologists assessed psychosocial health with the Child Psychosocial Health Assessment (LillaLAPS) and template in conversations with parents of children with neurodevelopmental problems. RESULTS: Parents', preschool teachers' and child psychologists' assessment of the child's ESSENCE symptoms overall agreed. Both parents and preschool teachers see a strength in the child's social abilities. Differences in mean values show that parents assess more conduct, emotional symptoms and problems in daily life and more social skills, compared to the preschool teachers rating more peer problems. CONCLUSION: It is important to consider different contexts to identify the child's need for support in everyday life. Expanded use of validated screening instruments in clinical practice would promote detection of children not already identified as exhibiting neurodevelopmental problems.

Gendered pathways to socioemotional competencies in very young children.

Parent-child and teacher-child relationship closeness have been shown to be crucial for children's development of socioemotional competencies from preschool to school-age stages. However, less is known about the importance of developing close relationships with young infants and toddlers attending childcare group settings for their early socioemotional development. The current study aimed to address this gap and to explore how child gender may influence the associations. Participants included 378 Hong Kong Chinese children (196 girls; Mage = 22.05 months, SD = 9.81 months) enrolled in childcare centres, along with their parents and teachers. Parents reported on children's socioemotional competencies as well as their relationship closeness with children; teachers reported on their relationship closeness with children. Multiple group structural equation modelling was used to analyse the results. The findings showed that both parent-child and teacher-child closeness were positively associated with children's social competence, while teacher-child closeness was negatively associated with children's anxiety behaviour. Parents of girls reported greater parent-child closeness, higher levels of social competence, and higher levels of anxiety behaviours compared to parents of boys. Furthermore, teacher-child closeness was significantly associated with social competence exclusively among girls, while parent-child closeness was significantly associated with anxiety behaviours solely among boys. Findings are discussed in terms of the role of child gender in influencing the associations between parent-child closeness, teacher-child closeness, and children's socioemotional competencies in the earliest years.

Technical adequacy of measuring teachers' knowledge of dyslexia.

Given the rapid growth in educational policies targeting educators' knowledge of dyslexia, this study explored the technical adequacy of a common instrument for measuring that knowledge. The responses of 1141 preservice teachers were scored in three ways: polytomously with the original 4-point Likert scale, dichotomously as true-false, and dichotomously as though the options were multiple choice. An exploratory factor analysis suggested at least one-third of the items needed to be removed. Confirmatory factor analyses suggested a one-factor model with polytomous scoring had the best fit to the data, but only six items loaded. All models demonstrated unacceptable internal consistency reliability (<0.70). Because no technically adequate version of the measure was identified, questions remain about basing policy on scores from these instruments. However, the findings indicated ways this type of measure might be improved.

Neuromyths: Misconceptions about neurodevelopment by Italian teachers.

BACKGROUND: Neuromyths are commonly held misconceptions about the brain, often generated by a misunderstanding of scientifically established facts. To date, limited research has explored the pervalence of neuromyths about neurodevelopmental disorders in the teacher population. METHOD: The current study investigated the prevalence of teachers' general and neurodevelopmental neuromyths among 820 Italian teachers. RESULTS: Italian teachers correctly identified 73% of general neuromyths and 70% of neurodevelopmental neuromyths. The difference between general and neurodevelopmental neuromyths endorsement was significant. Frequency of accessing relevant information emerged as a protective factor. A mediation analysis showed that higher need for cognition was significantly associated with a higher frequency of accessing relevant information about the brain, which in turn led to lower endorsement of neuromyths. CONCLUSION: In line with our findings, we suggest that teachers can benefit from neuroeducation initiatives aimed to enhance neuroscience literacy in both the initial education and continuous professional development of teachers.

The relational side of teachers' self-efficacy: Assimilation and contrast effects of classroom relational climate on teachers' self-efficacy.

Although much is known about the sources of teachers' self-efficacy (TSE), less attention has been paid to the social-contextual specificity of TSE and the processes influencing the relevance of TSE information sources. This study investigated both dyad-level relationships and the classroom relational climate as predictors of TSE at the student and classroom level. Additionally, we explored two competing hypotheses-assimilation and contrast-articulating how teachers use information conveyed by classroom relationship experiences as a heuristic to interpret relationship experiences with individual students as a TSE source. Elementary school teachers (N = 86; 72.05% female) completed the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale and Student-Specific Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale for randomly selected children (N = 687, 50.1% girls, Grades 3-6) from their classes. Doubly latent multilevel structural equation modeling was used to test for associations of Closeness and Conflict with TSE at both the student (L1) and classroom level (L2). Contextual effects, corresponding to associations of classroom-level Closeness and Conflict with TSE above the same associations at the student level, were calculated to test assimilation and contrast hypotheses. At L1, results indicated positive associations between Closeness and TSE and negative associations between Conflict and TSE. At L2, only Conflict was negatively associated with TSE. Consistent with the contrast hypothesis, the contextual effect of Closeness, but not Conflict, was negative and significant. Hence, teachers' judgments of a relatively close classroom relational climate may lead them to perceive relational closeness with individual students in a more negative light, resulting in lower levels of TSE toward these students.

Effect of psychological intervention in cushioning work-induced stress among secondary school home economics teachers: Implications for policy and administration.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Work demands in the contemporary Nigerian work environment are a critical concern to many including occupational stress researchers. This informed the current study to investigate the effect of psychological intervention in cushioning teachers' stress in public secondary schools in Nigeria. METHODS: A randomized control design was applied. The participants were 80 secondary school home economics teachers. They were randomized into 2 groups, that is, treatment and waitlisted arms. The former was designed as a 12-session cognitive behavior intervention while the latter was waitlisted and the members received theirs at the end of the study. Both group members were evaluated at the pretest, posttest, and follow-up test to understand the baseline of the problem, treatment outcome, and sustainability respectively. Perceived Stress Scale and Teacher irrational belief scale were used as test tools. Data from the 3-time tests were analyzed using multivariate statistic. RESULTS: The main effect results showed a significant reduction in teachers' stress and irrational beliefs due to cognitive behavior intervention. The follow-up test results also indicate that the impactful benefit of cognitive behavioral intervention on job stress reduction was significantly sustained over time. Regarding the influence of gender, the result shows no significant influence of gender on teachers' job stress in schools. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that cognitive behavior intervention can decrease work-induced stress among secondary school home economics teachers. Therefore, the management of schools is enjoined to deploy the services of cognitive behavior therapists to monitor the mood and mental health of teachers.

The role of parenting self-efficacy on teacher-child relationships and parent-teacher communication: Evidence from an Australian national longitudinal study.

High-quality teacher-child relationships and parent-teacher communications have substantial benefits to children's well-being and school functioning. However, more research is needed to understand how parenting self-efficacy influences these relationships. This cross-sequential study investigated the direct associations of parenting self-efficacy with the teacher-child relationship and parent-teacher communication, as well as potential mediation pathways. The present study included a sample of 8152 children who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), a large study with a nationally representative sample of children from two cohorts who were 4 years apart. We used data collected in three waves when participating children were ages 6 years, 8 years, and 10 years. Structural equation modeling was used to test a panel model with parent-reported parenting self-efficacy and parent-teacher communication quality, as well as teacher-reported teacher-child relationship, child behavior difficulties, and child prosocial behaviors at school. Cross-lagged regressions demonstrated that baseline parenting self-efficacy directly and positively linked with the quality of teacher-child relationship and parent-teacher communication 2 years later. Child behavior at school was identified as a mediation pathway between parenting self-efficacy and teacher-child relationship. The same patterns were identified in two waves (Waves 6-8 and Waves 8-10). Limited child gender, parent gender, or cohort differences were observed. The current findings provide initial support that parenting self-efficacy may have spillover effects on school-related factors. The findings have implications both for parenting and school researchers and for child mental health practitioners because one important way to promote parenting self-efficacy is through evidence-based parenting programs.

Perspectives and Attitudes of Newer New Jersey High School Teachers towards Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting Consumer Products Used in School Classrooms.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increased reported use of chemical cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products (CSDPs), which created public concerns about negative health consequences for both children and adults in public schools. A subset of newer teachers shared experiences regarding safety and health (S&H) while working in school-based settings through a series of online surveys. Surveys were provided to teachers who completed work-based learning supervisory trainings provided by the New Jersey Safe Schools Program between October 2021 and June 2023. The participants answered questions focusing on CSDPs purchased for school use, their attitudes towards CSDPs, their use of personal protective equipment, and symptoms employees may have had due to CSDPs. A total of 205 teacher participants successfully completed the surveys. Over 25% of the teachers did not know where their CSDPs originated from, as they were provided by the school. Most participants "sometimes", "not often", or "never" read labels for CSDP ingredients or looked them up on healthy product apps. The participants (60%) tended to wear gloves while cleaning/disinfecting but did not wear masks. A third of the participants experienced respiratory health problems after working at school. Overall, the data suggest that more education on S&H regarding CSDPs needs to be provided to New Jersey teachers.

Pilot randomized controlled trial of a game-based intervention for teaching basketball in Chinese primary school physical education.

This study aimed to examine the preliminary efficacy and feasibility of implementing a tailored version of the MASTER coach education programme in Chinese primary schools to support physical education (PE) teachers' basketball lesson design and delivery. A total of 20 primary schools in Beijing, China were recruited, with one PE teacher and their class (N = 715 students aged 10-13 yrs) from each school included in the study and randomly allocated to the MASTER intervention (n = 10) or control group (n = 10). Compared to the control group, a significant difference was observed in the MASTER group for the proportion of playing-form activities delivered during PE (27.65, 95% CI [20.27, 35.03]) and for teachers' perceptions of confidence (23.92, 95% CI [15.87, 31.92]) and competence (24.12, 95% CI [10.28, 24.71]) to teach. Significant differences between groups were observed for students' perceived athletic competence (3.56%; 95% CI [3.15, 3.96]), enjoyment (11.83%; 95% CI [10.98, 12.69]), well-being (8.51%; 95% CI [7.02, 10.00]), intrinsic motivation (+0.74%; 95% CI [0.30, 1.17]), introjected motivation (-2.24%; 95% CI [-2.77, -1.70]), and external motivation (-0.49%; 95% CI [-0.90, -0.08]). The MASTER programme was effective in improving teaching practices in Chinese primary schools, and in facilitating improvements in teacher and student outcomes.

Assessing the effect of cardiovascular disease on work productivity and financial loss among school teachers in Peninsular Malaysia: a nested case-control study.

Background: School teachers may have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), potentially affecting their work productivity. However, limited data exists on the impact of CVD on teachers' productivity in Malaysia. Our objectives were to assess work productivity loss (absenteeism and presenteeism) as well as to determine the associated annual monetary loss among school teachers who experienced incident CVD in Peninsular Malaysia. Methods: We adopted a nested case-control design within a cohort of school teachers. Working teachers from six states of Peninsular Malaysia, and had experienced incident CVD before a right-censored date (31st December 2021) were defined as cases. Incident CVD was operationally defined as the development of non-fatal acute coronary syndrome (ACS), stroke, congestive cardiac failure, deep vein thrombosis or peripheral arterial disease before the censored date. Controls were working teachers who did not acquire an incident CVD before the similar right-censored date. All controls were randomly selected, with a ratio of one case to four controls, from among the working teachers in one of the states in Peninsular Malaysia. We used a shortened version of the Malay-validated World Health Organization-Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ) to estimate the workplace productivity effect among teachers with incident CVD (cases). The same questionnaire was distributed to teachers in a single state of Peninsular Malaysia who did not experience incident CVD (controls). Absenteeism, presenteeism and annual monetary loss were computed based on the scoring rules in the WHO-HPQ. Analysis of covariance was performed with covariate adjustment using propensity scores. The bootstrapping method was applied to obtain better estimates of marginal mean differences, along with standard errors (SE) and appropriate effect sizes. Results: We recruited 48 cases (baseline mean age = 42.4 years old, 54.2% females) and 192 randomly selected controls (baseline mean age = 36.2 years old, 99.0% females). The majority of the cases had ACS (73.9%). No significant difference was observed in absenteeism between cases and controls. The mean self-rated job performance score was lower for cases (7.63, SE = 0.21) compared to controls (8.60, SE = 0.10). Marginal mean scores of absolute presenteeism among cases (76.30) were lower (p < 0.05, eta squared = 0.075) than controls (85.97). The marginal mean annual cost of presenteeism was higher in cases (MYR 21,237.52) compared to controls (MYR 12,089.74) (p < 0.05, eta squared = 0.082). Conclusion: Absolute presenteeism was lower among school teachers who experienced incident CVD and the annual cost of presenteeism was substantial. Implementing supportive work strategies in school settings is recommended to increase absolute presenteeism, which can lead to a reduction in the annual cost of presenteeism among teachers experiencing incident CVD.

The relationship between physical activity and the health of primary and secondary school teachers: the chain mediating effects of body image and self-efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Active health is a new concept, model, and system to maintain the state of whole-person health. In the context of the increasingly serious health problems of primary and secondary school teachers, it is of great significance to explore the relationship between physical activity and primary and secondary school teachers' health based on the active health perspective. METHODS: The survey involving 741 primary and secondary school teachers across representative provinces in China utilized the International Physical Activity Scale, Body Imagery State Scale, and General Self-Efficacy Scale. Data analysis employed SPSS 25.0 and Amos 24.0 software. RESULTS: While no significant gender disparities were observed in body image and self-efficacy, age groups exhibited a bipartite and "V" shaped distribution. Female teachers demonstrated higher physical activity levels (2456.46) and superior physical fitness compared to males (2297.86). A positive correlation emerged between physical activity, body image, self-efficacy, and health status. Importantly, body image and self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between physical activity and health status, accounting for 82.31% of the total effect. CONCLUSIONS: Primary and secondary school teachers have real problems such as teachers' physical activity is generally insufficient, teachers' body image status is generally poor, and teachers' self-efficacy is low; physical activity is an important factor in promoting primary and secondary school teachers' health status, and low, medium, and high levels of activity all have a promoting effect on the health of primary and secondary school teachers, and the more active primary and secondary school teachers are in terms of physical activity, the better their body image, self-efficacy, and health status are, and the more active primary and secondary school teachers are in terms of physical activity, the more positive the physical activity, self-efficacy, and health status are. The more physically active primary and secondary school teachers are, the better their physical intention, self-efficacy and health status are. SUGGESTIONS: improve the quality and effectiveness, promote the concept of active health among teachers; empower teachers, strengthen the institutional protection of teachers' health; reduce the burden and increase the quantity,and optimise the supply of health services for teachers.

Effectiveness of an Intervention Program to Enhance the Self-Confidence of Kindergarten Teachers Dealing with Radiation-Related Health Concerns from Parents of Young Children: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention program to enhance the self-confidence of kindergarten teachers who address radiation-related health concerns among parents following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011, wherein radiation anxiety among mothers with young children was high. Kindergarten teachers are expected to address the concerns of these parents. METHODS: Participants from 2 private kindergartens in Fukushima City were assigned to either the intervention group (n = 10), which received an intervention program comprising lectures, group discussions, and presentations, or the control group (n = 16), which received only written materials used in the intervention program. Changes in the measured scores post-intervention were calculated, and the mean values were compared between both groups using the Student's t-test. RESULTS: The primary outcome was self-confidence, and the difference-in-differences approach was used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention program. The study found a more significant difference between pre- and post-intervention self-confidence in the intervention group compared to the control group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The intervention program effectively enhanced the self-confidence of kindergarten teachers in dealing with radiation-related health concerns of parents with young children.

Primary school teachers are immune: a journey in the sea of psychological well-being, buoyancy, and engagement.

The concept of language teacher immunity is a relatively new notion that has been introduced in the field of language teacher psychology. It is imperative that teachers have their inherent immunity strengthened since they have never been intrinsically protected against fluctuations that are unanticipated and beyond their control. In order to achieve this goal, the present research used a quantitative approach in order to investigate the possible effects of teacher immunity on their psychological well-being, buoyancy, and engagement. This study was conducted by sending out three questionnaires to a total of 384 primary language teachers. On the basis of the findings, it was concluded that teacher immunity has the potential to serve as a significant predictor of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' psychological well-being, buoyancy, and engagement. The research's conclusions may have substantial implications for education in terms of advancing psychological well-being, buoyancy, and engagement.

Childhood trauma and factors influencing primary school teachers' reporting of child abuse: Insights from Italy.

BACKGROUND: Childhood traumatic experiences can profoundly impact individuals, posing risks to the physical and psychological well-being of children and influencing their psychological development. Teachers in primary schools play a critical role in identifying and reporting suspected cases of child abuse and maltreatment (CAM), which initiates child protection interventions. However, the psychological factors that influence teachers' likelihood of reporting suspected CAM cases remain largely unexplored. AIM: This study investigates the influence of teachers' childhood traumatic experiences and psychological factors (i.e., cognitive empathy and psychological detachment) on their reporting behavior regarding child abuse and maltreatment, addressing an important social issue. PARTICIPANTS: The study involved 1380 primary school teachers from Italy (88.3 % female; aged 21-69, Mage 46.7, DS 10.3). RESULTS: The results reveal that teachers with a history of childhood emotional abuse tend to report a higher number of suspected child abuse and maltreatment cases. Other forms of traumatic childhood experiences were not significantly associated with teachers' reporting suspected cases of CAM. Additionally, cognitive empathy and psychological detachment emerge as significant predictors of teachers' reporting behavior. CONCLUSIONS: This research contributes to the existing literature by providing unique insights into actual reporting behavior within an unexplored cultural context.

The Association between Perceived Stress, Quality of Life, and Level of Physical Activity in Public School Teachers.

Chronic high stress levels related to work impact the quality of life (QoL). Although physical activity improves QoL, it is not clear whether this life study habit could attenuate possible relationships between QoL and stress in public school teachers. The sample for this study was made up of 231 teachers from public schools. QoL was assessed using the Short-Form Health Survey and physical activity via Baecke's questionnaire. A Likert scale assessed stress level perception. Poisson Regression analyzed the association between stress level and QoL domains adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic conditions (model 1). In model 2, physical activity level was inserted in addition to model 1. Seven out of eight domains of QoL, except the domain of pain, were associated with high levels of stress (all p < 0.05-model 1). However, in model 2, the associations of the high levels of stress with general health status (p = 0.052) and functional capacity (p = 0.081) domains of QoL were mitigated. Our results indicated that physical activity mitigated the relationship between higher levels of stress and lower perception of general health status and functional capacity domains in secondary public school teachers.