Evaluation Studies in Social Sciences

The Relationship between Kindergarten Teachers' Use of Environmental Print and Four-Year-Old Children's Name Recognition

Nor Syazwanie Mohamad Zamal — 2024-04-30

Environmental print, or the text found in a child's environment, plays an important role in literacy development. However, few studies have looked at the role of environmental print in children's literacy development outside the classroom and how this might shape children's experiences in wider places. This study was conducted to (1) identify the level of practice of using environmental prints by teachers in nursery for four-year-old children, (2) identify the level of name recognition of four-year-old children and (3) identify the relationship between the use of environmental prints by kindergarten teachers with a level of name recognition. A survey research design was used involving a total of 123 nursery school teachers using a questionnaire through the Google Form application. The findings of the study show that the level of practice of using environment prints by nursery teachers is at a high level with a mean score value of 3.61 and a standard deviation of 0.77. The research findings for the level of children's name recognition are at a moderate level with a mean score of 3.38 and a standard deviation of 0.83. While the value of the correlation coefficient r between the practice of using environmental print in the nursery and four-year-old children's name recognition is r = .599. This result is supported by a modest r value. These findings give exposure to early childhood education teachers about the importance of using environmental prints among children to help improve the development of early literacy skills.

Breaking Barriers: Psychoeducation as a Viable Treatment for Psychological Distress in Low-Income Adolescent Population

Sylvester Ezechinyere Eze — 2024-04-30

The high occurrence of mental health issues among adolescents in low-income countries is a significant public health concern with limited evidence-based treatment documentation. The study evaluated the effectiveness of psychoeducation as a viable treatment for psychological distress among in-school adolescents in low-Income setting. Using quasi-experimental pre-test post-test control group design, data were collected using a standardized self-report questionnaire (DASS-21) from 240 students in four co-educational secondary schools in Oyo-East Area Council of Oyo State, Nigeria. Forty-eight participants with a mean age (13.02; SD±1.97), scoring above the mean (M=30.6) were gender-matched and randomly placed into intervention and control groups, each comprising 24 participants. Results revealed that psychoeducation effectively reduced psychological distress symptoms in the experimental group after six weeks of exposure (t (22) = 5.11, p < 0.001). A significant mean difference in psychological distress measures at pre-test (M= 49.5; SD = 21.4) and post-test (M=19.1; SD=13) was observed. One-month follow-up, the experimental group exhibited a significantly lower level of psychological distress (t (19) = 7.12, p < 0.001), while the control group's distress levels remained high (t (19) = 0.43, p > 0.05), with no significant difference in pre-test measures. Psychoeducation should be considered as a viable treatment for psychological distress symptoms, especially where trained experts may not be available to administer cognitive-behaviour therapy in low-income countries. The study concluded that psychoeducation is effective in alleviating psychological distress in adolescents. With this result, additional research is necessitated to establish psychoeducation as a viable treatment option.

Emotional Intelligence, Social Support and Academic Burnout Among University Students

Munif Norazan — 2024-04-30

The study conducted aimed to investigate the interplay between emotional intelligence, social support, and academic burnout among University of Malaya students enrolled in the Faculty of Education. Specifically, it sought to discern any notable disparities in emotional intelligence and burnout concerning gender, as well as differences in social support and academic burnout across various socioeconomic statuses. Additionally, the research endeavored to explore the correlations between emotional intelligence, social support, and burnout in university students. A quantitative survey design was employed, with convenience sampling chosen to enlist Bachelor's Degree students from three departments within the Faculty of Education, resulting in 257 participants, including 20 male and 237 female students. Descriptive analyses revealed a mean age of 1.50 among participants. Three main instruments were utilized: the Emotional Intelligence by Schutte, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Burnout Inventory for University Students (BUIS). Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and inferential methods via JAMOVI and SPSS version 23 software. The findings indicated no significant gender-based differences in emotional intelligence and academic burnout. Similarly, socioeconomic status did not show a significant association with social support and academic burnout. However, there was a noteworthy moderate negative correlation between emotional intelligence and academic burnout (r = -0.442, n = 257, p < .001), as well as between social support and academic burnout, rho = -0.323, p = < .001). This study provides valuable insights for future academic endeavors concerning emotional intelligence, social support, and academic burnout.