Internationalization within school and educational psychology: Perspectives about positive indicators, critical considerations, and needs

Translation and cultural adaptation of the HELPS Reading Fluency Program into Brazilian Portuguese: A report of systematic adaptation processes and initial evidence of efficacy

Introduction

Across multiples languages, research demonstrates the important relationship between reading fluency and comprehension. Put simply, a fluent reader has greater attention and memory resources to use higher-order functions in reading, resulting in better comprehension of text. Some reading fluency interventions have shown positive results in improving students' text reading fluency and comprehension; however, this research has predominantly been conducted with English-speaking students. For instance, until this report, a comprehensive search revealed only one prior study that evaluated an intervention strategy designed to improve students' reading fluency in Brazilian Portuguese and no prior studies evaluated an intervention program with that population of students.

Methods

The main goals of this two-part project were to (a) systematically translate, culturally adapt, and pilot test the Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies (HELPS) reading fluency program for use in Brazilian Portuguese (referred to as, HELPS-PB); and (b) conduct a preliminary quasi-experimental study of the HELPS-PB program with 23 students in grades 3 to 5 who needed a reading fluency intervention.

Results and Discussion

This report documents the processes and successful adaptation of existing English- and Spanish-versions of HELPS into a new HELPS-PB program. It also offers preliminary evidence showing that students receiving HELPS-PB significantly improved their text reading fluency comparted to students in a control group. Implications for research, practice, and the adaptation of reading fluency programs into other languages are discussed.

The Influence of Educational Psychology on Modern Art Design Entrepreneurship Education in Colleges

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between psychology and modern art design education in colleges, and to provide the basis for improving the quality of art education in colleges. Based on the relevant theory, the characteristics of educational psychology and art psychology and the correlation between them were analyzed from the angle of art education. According to the characteristics of college students' psychological development, the significance of art psychology-related courses was analyzed. Through the form of questionnaire, a total of 200 students (400 students in total) were randomly selected from Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts (professional art college) and Xi'an University of Science and Technology (comprehensive university), respectively. A total of 400 questionnaires were issued, and 382 valid questionnaires were recovered. The results show that almost all students in two colleges think pedagogy and educational psychology are the theoretical basis for art teachers, while less than one-third of students in Xi'an University of Science and Technology think that art psychology is the theoretical basis for art teachers. The difference between the students' aesthetic and life values in the two colleges is significant (p < 0.01). In the 15 directions of life values, there are significant differences in five directions: spirit—material (p < 0.05), enrichment—emptiness (p < 0.05), enthusiasm—apathy (p < 0.05), hope—despair (p < 0.01), and dedication—acceptance (p < 0.01). It shows that the psychological and values of college students are changeable, and the educators should pay attention to the education in the related fields of psychology. This exploration was conducted based on educational psychology, which is of great significance for improving the educational level of art psychology in colleges and enable students to form correct aesthetic standards and life values.

International Capacity Building in Psychological Science: Reflections on Student Involvement and Endeavors

Internationalization in psychology provides unique opportunities for students worldwide and promises to build a more inclusive, representative, and culturally sensitive discipline. Far from passive recipients of the internationalization process, students are actively involved in promoting opportunities for cross-cultural collaborations, international learning, and the creation of international networks. This paper reviews opportunities for student involvement in internationalization related efforts in psychology. Students’ roles within international and regional psychology organizations are explored to highlight the unique contributions and opportunities afforded by more independent and fully student-led organizations and initiatives. This paper discusses the barriers to establishing student-led organizations and to student involvement in international endeavors, including power imbalances, language barriers, and disparities in students’ ability to access financial resources and mentorship depending on their geographical location. Recommendations are offered, to both students and professional members, to foster student contributions to the internationalization of psychology and support the creation of sustainable student-led international organizations.

Psychoeducational Challenges in Spanish Children With Dyslexia and Their Parents' Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background

Research during 2020 has been rapidly attending to the impact of COVID-19 on various dimensions of wellbeing (e.g., physical, psychological, lifestyle and routines) on adults and children around the world. However, less attention has focused on the psychoeducational impact on children and their families. To our knowledge, no currently available studies have looked specifically at the impact of COVID-19 on students with dyslexia and their families. Research on this topic is needed to offer greater support for this population of students and their families.

Objective

The main objective of this paper is to examine the psychoeducational impact of the required COVID-19 quarantine in Spain among children with dyslexia and their families.

Method

A sample of 32 children with dyslexia and their mothers participated in this study.

Measures

Children and adolescents with dyslexia and their mother completed several measures before the required national quarantine in Spain and again during the quarantine. Children completed measures of depression, state anxiety, reading activity, and reading motivation. Mothers provided demographic information and completed measures related to students’ emotional and behavioral difficulties as well as parenting stress, parental distress, and a questionnaire about educational problems during quarantine.

Results

Major findings showed that during quarantine, children with dyslexia had increased levels of depression and anxiety symptoms, and parents perceived their children as having more emotional symptoms, hyperactivity-inattention, and conduct problems. During quarantine, children and adolescents with dyslexia also showed less reading activity and less reading motivation. Parents also reported significantly more stress, during quarantine compared to pre-quarantine conditions. Some demographic and psychological variables predicted children’s state anxiety as well parental stress. The questionnaire related to impacts of quarantine also revealed several important findings. For example, nearly all parents of children with dyslexia reported (a) difficulties in establishing study routines, (b) that the quarantine negatively affected their child’s learning, and (c) that they did not receive sufficient help from teachers on how to support their child’s learning. Additionally, the vast majority of the parents were very worried about the child’s learning and school success, the child’s motivation and interest in reading, the child’s peer relations, and the professional skills of the child’s teacher.

Conclusion

This study offers a preliminary investigation into this topic and elucidates several psychoeducational challenges that children with dyslexia and their families have experienced during the quarantine in Spain. Study findings highlight the need to provide immediate support for children with dyslexia and emphasizes the importance of developing prevention programs to mitigate any future negative impacts of COVID-19 on children with dyslexia and their parents.

Editorial boards of 45 journals devoted to school and educational psychology: International characteristics and publication patterns

To assess and promote internationally representative scholarship, several past studies have examined the geographic affiliation of journals’ editorial board members and authors. The present study is the first known to examine this with journals devoted to school and educational psychology. After systematically identifying all peer-reviewed scholarly journals around the globe that are specifically devoted to school or educational psychology ( N = 45), the goals of this study were to (a) report key characteristics about each journal’s editorial board, and (b) examine the extent to which geographic affiliation (country where one is employed) is consistent among a journal’s editorial board members and recent authors. One key finding revealed that editorial boards of the discipline’s journals represent individuals from all global regions, but many global regions (e.g. Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America) are underrepresented. Another finding showed that the vast majority of journals evidence strong similarities in geographic affiliation between editorial board members and authors. Findings, implications, limitations, and future research directions are discussed in the context of internationalization.