Digital skills among youth: A dataset from a three-wave longitudinal survey in six European countries

This dataset provides longitudinal survey data from a European project, ySKILLS, which was focused on the role of digital skills in youths' development. It contains data from 10,821 participants from Grades 6-10 (in Wave 1) in Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal. The data was collected between Spring 2021 and Spring 2023, the participants were recruited through schools, where the data collection also took place, except for online data collections due to restrictions caused by COVID-19. The dataset is novel in its multidimensional approach to the construct of digital literacy. It provides insight into the development of digital skills in youth and the role of digital skills and internet usage in youths' positive and negative online experiences and wellbeing. It also contains data that allows for the analysis of the role of digital skills in class networks. The data are beneficial for researchers interested in the examination of youths' online skills, internet usage, online experiences, and wellbeing from a longitudinal perspective.

Facilitating Youth's Curiosity in Learning: Needs-based Ecological Examinations

The decline of curiosity during adolescence has received increasing concerns in education. The present study aimed to identify the key factors in the environment that promote young people's curiosity from a needs-based ecological perspective, focusing on family and school. To enable a better understanding of the developmental effects, this study compared two age groups: 10-year-olds and 15-year-olds. A total of 5482 Finnish students (3034 aged 10 and 2448 aged 15; 48% female and 51% male) from the OECD Survey on Social-emotional Skills participated in the study, and their family and school factors related to basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) were assessed through surveys. Hierarchical Linear Modeling results revealed that: (1) contrary to the expectations, factors that support competence and relatedness facilitated youth curiosity to a greater extent than factors that support autonomy; (2) positive relationships with teachers were more beneficial for curiosity among older youth than younger youth; whereas, a sense of belonging at school was the most important factor for younger youth's curiosity. These findings have significant implications for promoting curiosity in general as well as during different age periods.

Profiles of Loneliness and Ostracism During Adolescence: Consequences, Antecedents, and Protective Factors

This longitudinal study (N = 1078, 46% boys; 54% girls) examined profiles of loneliness and ostracism during adolescence and their consequences and antecedents. Longitudinal latent profiles analyses identified four distinct profiles: (1) High emotional loneliness (25%), High and increasing social loneliness (15%), High peer exclusion and high social impact (9%) and No peer problems (51%). Subsequent internalizing problems were typical for the High and increasing social loneliness profile and externalizing problems for the High emotional loneliness and High peer exclusion and high social impact profiles. Furthermore, effortful control, prosocial skills, and relationship quality with parents and teachers were highest in the No peer problems profile, whereas the High and increasing social loneliness profile had the lowest self-esteem and was characterized by low surgency/extraversion, high affiliativeness, and high negative affectivity.

How do different childbirth experience scales predict childbirth-related posttraumatic stress symptoms and disorder?

PURPOSE

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth causes severe and lasting effects. Screening of childbirth experience may expedite early PTSD recognition. Systematic reviews have not provided consensus on how and when to measure childbirth experience and the clinical implications of such measurements. We aimed to identify a reliable and simple scale for screening the childbirth experience with minimum risk of missing PTSD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cohort study evaluated the childbirth experience of 1527 unselected women with Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ-B), Delivery Satisfaction Scale (DSS), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). VAS was measured first <1 week (VAS1) and then, together with the other scales, a few months after childbirth (VAS2). The scales' ability to identify PTSD (measured with Traumatic Event Scale) was evaluated and compared with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness were used to suggest cutoff values for scales.

RESULTS

W-DEQ-B showed highest recognition of partial or full PTSD (area under the ROC curve 0.96 in W-DEQ-B, 0.92 in VAS2, 0.91 in DSS and 0.82 in VAS1).

CONCLUSIONS

All included scales recognized partial or full PTSD well. Although W-DEQ-B performed best, VAS (measured twice) with cutoff value of 50 mm is most suitable for screening in clinical circumstances.

Prenatal wellbeing of mothers, their partners, and couples: a cross-sectional descriptive study

BACKGROUND

Prenatal posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), fear of childbirth (FOC), and depressive symptoms have been related to various negative effects during pregnancy, childbirth, and in the postnatal period. This study evaluates the prevalence of PTSS, FOC, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among pregnant women, their partners, and as couples.

METHODS

In a cohort of 3853 volunteered, unselected women at the mean of 17th weeks of pregnancy with 3020 partners, PTSS was evaluated by Impact of Event Scale (IES), FOC by Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire (W-DEQ-A), depressive symptoms by Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and HRQoL by 15D instrument.

RESULTS

PTSS (IES score ≥ 33) was identified among 20.2% of the women, 13.4% of the partners, and 3.4% of the couples. Altogether, 5.9% of the women, but only 0.3% of the partners, and 0.04% of the couples experienced symptoms suggestive of phobic FOC (W-DEQ A ≥ 100). Respectively, 7.6% of the women, 1.8% of the partners, and 0.4% of the couples reported depressive symptoms (EPDS ≥ 13). Nulliparous women and partners without previous children experienced FOC more often than those with previous children, but there was no difference in PTSS, depressive symptoms, or HRQoL. Women's mean 15D score was lower than partners' and that of age- and gender-standardized general population, while partners' mean 15D score was higher than that of age- and gender-standardized general population. Women whose partners reported PTSS, phobic FOC, or depressive symptoms, often had the same symptoms (22.3%, 14.3%, and 20.4%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

PTSS were common in both women and partners, as well as in couples. FOC and depressive symptoms were common in women but uncommon in partners, thus they rarely occurred simultaneously in couples. However, special attention should be paid to a pregnant woman whose partner experiences any of these symptoms.

The "Let's Talk about Children" intervention in a Finnish school context: fidelity, parents' experiences, and perceived benefits

The Let's Talk about Children intervention is a tool for parents and professionals to work together to promote children's positive development, resilience, and psychosocial well-being in social and healthcare services, at school, and in day care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fidelity, parents' experiences, and perceived benefits of using the Let's Talk about Children intervention in a school context. Participants (N = 65 first-grader parents) completed an online questionnaire after the intervention. The results show that the intervention was delivered as designed and conducted with high fidelity. Parents' experiences of the Let's Talk about Children discussions were positive, parents felt that the atmosphere was good during the discussion, and the participants reported benefits from the intervention. Clinical trial registration:ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05038280.

Child temperament is associated with energy intake and its day-to-day variability among preschoolers-Results from a cross-sectional DAGIS study

BACKGROUND

Although research has linked children's temperament with weight outcomes, the associations between temperament and dietary outcomes, particularly energy intake, remain understudied. Furthermore, little is known about how temperament is associated with diet in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) context, which is an important environment for many children.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined whether temperament is associated with mean energy intake and its day-to-day variability. In addition, the associations were examined separately in the contexts of home and ECEC.

METHODS

The study used data from 505 Finnish children from a cross-sectional DAGIS study conducted in 2015-2016. Parents reported their child's temperament with a questionnaire and food consumption with a food record for two weekdays (outside daycare hours) and one weekend day. Early educators at an ECEC centre reported the child's food consumption during the daycare hours on the same weekdays as the parents kept food records at home. Associations were examined with linear regression models.

RESULTS

Children with higher surgency had a higher mean daily energy intake. When examined separately at home and in the ECEC centre, the association was found only in the ECEC centre. Children with higher negative affectivity had greater day-to-day variability in energy intake. This association, however, was not observed when examined separately at home and at the ECEC centre.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that temperament may shape children's energy intake. Moreover, the role of the ECEC context in children's eating may be different depending on a child's temperamental dispositions, which warrants further research.

Epistemic Emotions and Observations Are Intertwined in Scientific Sensemaking: A Study among Upper Secondary Physics Students

This study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between emotions and development of scientific understanding by examining (1) how students perform in scientific sensemaking in the context of a three-cycle predict-observe-explain (POE) activity, (2) what kind of trajectories of situational epistemic emotions students show when making sense of the phenomenon, and (3) how students' performance in sensemaking is related to their emotional trajectories. Data from 109 participant students were collected in six upper secondary physics classes. Students' performance in sensemaking was evaluated based on their answers on POE items and categorised through qualitative content analysis. Situational epistemic emotions (surprise, curiosity, confusion, and boredom) were measured using a four-point Likert scale after each POE cycle. Latent class growth analysis was used to identify groups of students with distinctive emotional trajectories. The relationship between the performance in POE activity and emotional trajectories was explored by a chi-square test. The results indicate that students' inability to make relevant observations is significantly related to experienced boredom. Furthermore, students who perform better in making sense of the phenomenon are more likely to experience surprise, curiosity, and confusion. This implies that engaging students to be curious when they observe and test predictions is an important mission for curriculum designers and teachers in practice. The findings underline the importance of epistemic emotions in educational settings and the complexity of the interplay between cognitive and affective factors in learning situations.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10763-022-10310-5.

Associations between adolescent students' multiple domain task value-cost profiles and STEM aspirations

According to the modern expectancy-value theory, students' task values may differ across domains, manifesting as varying motivational patterns. In middle school, students' motivation becomes increasingly apparent and may direct their future occupational aspirations. Using a person-oriented approach, this study examines students' self-concept, and positive and negative task values (i.e., utility value, intrinsic value, and emotional cost) across Finnish language, math, biology, and physics, and the stability of the identified profiles. Further, the associations of the profiles with students' subsequent academic achievement and math and natural science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)/health science STEM aspirations, and gendered effects were examined. Longitudinal data was collected through Grades 7 to 9 in 21 middle schools in Helsinki, Finland (N = 1,309, N = 1,179, N = 818, respectively; age 13-15 years; 55.9% female). Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified four task value profiles in Grades 7 and 8: Low motivation high cost STEM (13%/13%) showed low task values with high cost, especially in math and physics; High motivation low cost STEM (7%/8%) showed the highest task values with the lowest cost, especially in math and physics; High motivation high cost (18%/17%) showed high task values and cost across domains; and Moderate motivation and cost (62%/62%) showed moderate task values and cost across domains. The latent transition analysis identified Moderate motivation and cost as the most stable profile across 2 years. In comparison to the other profiles, students with a Low motivation high cost STEM profile were less likely to have STEM aspirations in Grade 9. These results suggests that majority of middle school students are highly to moderately motivated in various domains, however, some students simultaneously experience high cost. It may reflect the increasingly difficult courses and study demands in middle school.

Preschool children’s temperament and its associations with energy intake

Background and objectives

Child's temperament dimensions have been linked with different weight outcomes as well as dietary factors such as consumption of fruit and vegetables, sugar-rich foods and drinks and an overall dietary quality. Links between temperament dimensions and energy intake, however, remain under-examined. This study expands the literature by investigating associations between child's temperament dimensions and energy intake.

Methods

Altogether 505 Finnish children aged 3-6 years provided data for the analyses. The data is a part of the DAGIS (Increased Health and Wellbeing in Preschools) study conducted in 2015-2016. Child's energy intake was measured with 3-day food records. To be included, children had to 1) have food record for two preschool days and one weekend day and 2) to have consumed both lunch and an afternoon snack in the preschool on the two preschool days. The very short form of Children's Behavior Questionnaire was used to measure child's temperament dimensions. Concurrent associations between three temperament dimensions (surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control) and energy intake were examined using linear regression models adjusted for child's age, sex, mother's highest education, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

Results

Surgency, temperament dimension referring to characteristics such as impulsivity, high activity level and high approach, was positively associated with energy intake. Effortful control or negative affectivity were not associated with energy intake.

Conclusions

The findings imply that temperamental surgency may be one relevant determinant of energy intake among preschool children. The result is in line with previous studies linking child's surgency as well as its specific facets, such as impulsivity, with weight outcomes and food approach behaviors. Considering child's individual temperament dimensions when counselling families in eating issues could be beneficial.

Key messages

• Surgency, a temperament dimension referring to characteristics such as impulsivity, high activity level and high approach, was positively associated with energy intake.

• When promoting children’s balanced eating, tailored support for parents acknowledging child’s temperament could be beneficial.

Gendered difference in motivational profiles, achievement, and STEM aspiration of elementary school students

To better understand the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) aspiration, the article examines the critical role of domain-specific motivation (i.e., expectancy and task values). Using longitudinal data from 5th and 6th grade (∼11–12-year-old) students (n = 360, 55% girls), person-oriented analyses was applied to understand the gendered motivational profiles and their longitudinal influence on achievement and STEM aspiration. Specifically, we aimed to (1) derive motivational belief profiles regarding science, mathematics, and language (Finnish), (2) analyze the stability and change in the profiles between the 5th and 6th grade, (3) assess the relationship between motivational profiles and achievement and STEM aspiration, and (4) test for gender differences. We derived four motivational profiles for both years: high motivation in all subjects (∼21%), high mathematics motivation (∼46%), low mathematics motivation (∼11%), and low motivation in all subjects (∼8%). Latent transition analysis revealed that most students remained in the same profile throughout the 2 years. We found evidence of gendered differences in the motivational profiles and the chance of transitioning between profiles. More girls are characterized by low math motivation, while boys are more likely to transition to higher math motivation in 6th grade. The motivational difference is reflected in their achievement, although not strongly coupled with their STEM aspiration. The findings suggest that at this developmental stage, Finnish students have not developed a strong association between (gendered) STEM aspiration and their domain-specific motivation, although their motivation may have influenced their achievement. Interpretation and practical implications are discussed.

Closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship: The importance of skill variety

Given that skill variety is widely regarded a key component of entrepreneurial human capital, gender differences in entrepreneurship could be rooted in the formation of such skill variety. Analyzing 12-year longitudinal data following 1,321 Finnish adolescents into adulthood, we study whether gender differences in skill variety open up early in the vocational development of entrepreneurs vs. non-entrepreneurs, thereby contributing to the persisting gender gap in entrepreneurship in adulthood. Specifically, structural equation modeling was used to test and compare the mediating effect of early skill variety in adolescence vs. education- and work-related skill variety in early adulthood on the gender gap in entrepreneurial intentions in adulthood. We find that education- and work-related skill variety indeed operate as an obstacle for women entrepreneurship, despite women outperforming men in early skill variety in adolescence. Hence, we identify a critical turning point in early adulthood where women fall behind in their development of entrepreneurial human capital.

The roles of social-emotional skills in students' academic and life success: A multi-informant and multicohort perspective

Social-emotional skills have been shown to be beneficial for many important life outcomes for students. However, previous studies on the topic have suffered from many issues (e.g., consideration of only a small subset of skills, single-informant, and single-cohort design). To address these limitations, this study used a multi-informant (self, teacher, and parent) and multicohort (ages 10-15 from Finland, N = 5,533) perspective to study the association between 15 social-emotional skills and 20 educational (e.g., school grades), social (e.g., relationships with teachers), psychological health (e.g., life satisfaction), and physical health outcomes (e.g., sleep trouble). Results showed that (a) there was a modest level of interrater agreement on social-emotional skills, with the highest agreement between students and parents (mean r = .41); (b) inclusion of multi-informant ratings substantially enhanced the ability of social-emotional skills in predicting outcome variables, with parent- and self-rated skills playing important, unique roles; (c) by modeling skills at the facet level rather than at the domain level, we identified the key skills for different outcomes and found significant variation in facets' predictive utility even within the same domain; and (d) although the older cohort showed lower levels of most social-emotional skills (9/15), there were only minor changes in the interrater agreement and predictive utility on outcomes. Overall, self-control, trust, optimism, and energy were found among the four most important skills for academic and life success. We further identified the unique contribution of each skill for specific outcomes, pointing the way to effective and precise interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Brain Responses to Peer Feedback in Social Media Are Modulated by Valence in Late Adolescence

Previous studies have examined the neural correlates of receiving negative feedback from peers during virtual social interaction in young people. However, there is a lack of studies applying platforms adolescents use in daily life. In the present study, 92 late-adolescent participants performed a task that involved receiving positive and negative feedback to their opinions from peers in a Facebook-like platform, while brain activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Peer feedback was shown to activate clusters in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), superior temporal gyrus and sulcus (STG/STS), and occipital cortex (OC). Negative feedback was related to greater activity in the VLPFC, MPFC, and anterior insula than positive feedback, replicating previous findings on peer feedback and social rejection. Real-life habits of social media use did not correlate with brain responses to negative feedback.

Exploring the Relations Among Teachers' Epistemic Theories, Work Engagement, Burnout and the Contemporary Challenges of the Teacher Profession

Current educational reforms concerning curricula and digitalization challenge educators to meet new demands for learning and schooling. What is common for current educational reforms is that they tend to emphasize competencies that are not related to the traditional subject-matters and reflect a stance which presents learning as a naturally reflective and collaborative act. It is often assumed that teachers are automatically ready to implement ideas of this kind in practice. In this study, we propose that teachers' theories about knowledge, knowing and learning, particularly their epistemic theories, may be related to how teachers approach these reforms which challenge their previous ways of working and how they perceive their wellbeing at work. To examine these matters, we explored the dynamic interrelations between teachers' epistemic theories, conformity with the novel curricular and digital reforms (ideas behind the new curriculum and digitalization program), perceptions of the school leadership, work engagement and burnout. Participants (Study 1 n = 228; Study 2 n = 200) were Finnish class teachers and subject-matter teachers. Both data sets were collected before the COVID-19 pandemic. For data analysis, we plotted correlation network figures. Results showed that if teachers' epistemic theory was in harmony with the curricular or digital reforms, there is a positive association with work engagement and negative association with burnout. In sum, results of this provided a hint of the phenomenon suggesting that teachers' epistemic theories may be a factor which buffers teachers to meet the current epistemic and developmental challenges of teachers' profession, and furthermore, serve as grounds for a positive association for teachers to feel adequate and satisfied in their work.

Effects of Media Multitasking and Video Gaming on Cognitive Functions and Their Neural Bases in Adolescents and Young Adults

Abstract. The increasing use of digital technology among adolescents and young adults has led to concerns about possible detrimental effects on cognitive and brain functions. Indeed, as reviewed here, according to behavioral and brain-imaging studies, excessive media multitasking (i.e., using different digital media in parallel) may lead to enhanced distractibility and problems in maintaining attention. However, frequent video gaming may be beneficial for the development of working memory, task switching, and attention skills. All these cognitive skills depend on executive cognitive functions. Still scant but gradually cumulating brain-imaging results suggest that the negative effects of frequent media multitasking and the positive effects of frequent video gaming on cognitive skills in adolescents and young adults are mediated by effects on the frontal lobes, implicated in executive cognitive functions and still developing even through early adulthood.

Study Burnout and Engagement During COVID-19 Among University Students: The Role of Demands, Resources, and Psychological Needs

The COVID-19 pandemic forced most universities to switch from in-person to remote teaching from May 2020 to May 2021. This period covered three semesters of studies, and due to these changes students experienced fundamental changes in their learning. The present research was carried out 3 times during the pandemic (e.g., May 2020, December 2020, and April 2021) to investigate study engagement and burnout, and their associations with various demands, resources, and psychological needs among university students. Self-reports were collected from 1501, 1526, and 1685 university students in Helsinki. The results showed that study burnout increased across the time points, being the highest in April 2021, whereas study engagement was the lowest in December 2020. Further, at the beginning of the pandemic the explanatory power of study-related demands and resources on study burnout and engagement was stronger, whereas in April 2021 the role of psychological needs increased. These results inform strategies to promote students' engagement through distance-learning, mitigating negative effects of the situation.

Digital Engagement and Academic Functioning

Abstract. Since the turn of the millennium, the digital revolution has opened a new layer of opportunities for adolescents to participate, create and learn. Simultaneously there has been growth in both debate and worries regarding how the intensive engagement with digital media affects students’ academic performance, engagement, and school-related well-being, that is, academic functioning. Students’ continuously evolving digital practices are not always in congruence with the more traditional ways of schoolwork. Students flourish and fulfill their potential when the informal and formal practices of learning reach congruence, but when this is not the case, frictions can emerge. Spending time with digital media can provide new avenues for learning and development, but it can equally well divert young people from their studies or increase the daily demands. In this narrative review, we address these continuities and discontinuities between engagement with digital media and academic functioning for school-aged children and young people, focusing on meta-analyses, reviews, and key studies. Following the examination of the current literature, we conclude that, in general, the field of “digital media effects” needs to move beyond screen time and utilize the research on the students’ multidimensional socio-digital engagement already conducted. Second, we conclude that the average effects of digital engagement on academic functioning are negligibly small but heterogeneous, further corroborating the claim to examine the qualitative differences in students’ digital engagement, the individual differences between students, as well as the contextual interplay.

The Satisfaction with Life Scale in Adolescent Samples: Measurement Invariance across 24 Countries and Regions, Age, and Gender

Measurement of adolescent life satisfaction across cultures has not received much attention in previous empirical research. The present study evaluated measurement invariance of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) among adolescents in 24 countries and regions (N = 22,710; age range = 13-19 years; 53% female). A single-factor model with residual covariance between a pair of items tapping past life satisfaction fitted well in 19 countries and regions and showed a partial metric invariance. In a subset of nine countries and regions, partial scalar invariance was supported. Partial metric invariance across all 24 countries and regions was achieved when custom model modifications in five countries and regions were included. Three SWLS items showed evidence of noninvariance across cultures. The measurement model was found to operate similarly across gender and age. Our findings suggest that caution is needed when using the SWLS for measuring life satisfaction among adolescents from different cultures.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11482-021-10024-w.

School Principals' Stress Profiles During COVID-19, Demands, and Resources

The present study examined latent profiles of school principals’ stress concerning students’, teachers’, parents’, and principals’ own ability to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the role of job demands (workload, remote work stress, difficulty to detach from work, COVID-19 crisis, COVID-19 infections at school, impact of COVID-19 on future teaching), resources (buoyancy, effective crisis leadership, social appreciation, successful transition to remote teaching), and occupational well-being (measured as job burnout and engagement) in predicting the latent profiles of stress sources was examined. The participants were 535 (59% women) school principals across Finland, who answered to a questionnaire concerning their sources of stress and occupational well-being during spring 2020. Three latent profiles were identified according to principals’ level of stress: high stress (41.4% of the school principals), altered stress (35.9%), and low stress (22.7%) profiles. Work burnout, workload, COVID-19 related concerns, and difficulty to detach from work increased the probability of principals belonging to the high or altered stress profile rather than to the low stress profile. Work engagement, buoyancy, and social appreciation increased the probability of principals belonging to the low rather than to the high or altered stress profile.

Validation and Reliability of the German Version of the School Burnout Inventory

Abstract. This study investigates the validity and reliability of the German version of the School Burnout Inventory (SBI-G) in 1,570 secondary-school students ( Mage = 14.11, SD = 0.78; 51.7 % girls). Results indicate that school burnout consists of two correlated but separate dimensions including (1) exhaustion at school, (2) cynicism toward the meaning of school and sense of inadequacy. The study revealed that school burnout can be measured as a two-factor model, which provided good reliability and validity indices. Further, we verified concurrent validity, finding that students suffering from general stress also reported overall school burnout as well as exhaustion, cynicism, and inadequacy. Students who exhibited cynicism and inadequacy also reported lower levels of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive school engagement, while exhausted students reported lower emotional school engagement but higher cognitive school engagement.

School burnout trends and sociodemographic factors in Finland 2006-2019

PURPOSE

To identify the changes of school burnout for Finnish adolescents in lower (grades 8-9) and upper secondary schools (grades 10-11) during years 2006-2019; and to examine the associations of personal-(gender, family socioeconomic, and immigrant status) and school-related (school level, urban-rural area) sociodemographic demands and resources in school burnout.

METHODS

We used nationally representative data on 949,347 students in secondary school in Finland between 2006 and 2019. Generalized Linear Models were used to assess the effects of year, gender, school level, parental education, unemployment, immigrant status, and urban-rural area and the interactions of year, gender, and school level with each of the remaining sociodemographic variables on school burnout.

RESULTS

School burnout increased among girls and slightly declined among boys. The increase intensified in girls and the decline in boys stagnated after 2011. The educational level of the parents had a constant protective impact over time, the gradient for boys slightly larger compared to girls. Urban areas contributed to the trend of increasing school burnout among girls but not among boys. Parental unemployment and immigration background were associated with the increasing trend of school burnout over time, although somewhat mitigated by parental education.

CONCLUSION

The results showed the trends in school burnout are often gendered and appeared to worsen aligned with the school budget cuts after 2011. In addition to considering school burnout related to lower parental education and urbanization, it is important to support those students in families experiencing unemployment and/or immigration, especially when concurring with lower parental education.

Latent Profiles of Parental Burnout During COVID-19: The Role of Child-Related Perceptions

The present study examined latent profiles of parental burnout dimensions (e.g., exhaustion in parental role, contrast with previous parental self, feelings of being fed up, and emotional distancing, measured with a shortened version of the parental burnout assessment scale) among Finnish parents of sixth and eighth grade children. In addition, the role of children’s strengths and difficulties (e.g., prosocial skills, hyperactivity, somatic problems, conduct problems, and peer problems) and parents’ growth mindset in predicting membership in the latent parental burnout profiles was examined. The participants were 1,314 parents (80% mothers) from the Helsinki Metropolitan area who filled in a questionnaire concerning their parenting burnout and child-related perceptions during the fall 2020. The results were analyzed using latent profile analysis (LPA) and three-step procedure. Three latent profiles of parental burnout were identified as: low parental burnout (85.7% of the parents), high parental burnout (8%), and emotionally distanced (6.3%) profiles. Parents who reported their children having some challenges (e.g., hyperactivity, somatic problems, conduct problems, and peer problems) more often belonged to the high burnout or emotionally distanced profiles rather than to the low parental burnout profile. Parents whose children had high prosocial skills and who employed growth mindset more often belonged to the low parental burnout rather than to the distanced profile.

Distance learning in higher education during COVID-19: The role of basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation for persistence and procrastination-a multi-country study

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher educational institutions worldwide switched to emergency distance learning in early 2020. The less structured environment of distance learning forced students to regulate their learning and motivation more independently. According to self-determination theory (SDT), satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and social relatedness affects intrinsic motivation, which in turn relates to more active or passive learning behavior. As the social context plays a major role for basic need satisfaction, distance learning may impair basic need satisfaction and thus intrinsic motivation and learning behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between basic need satisfaction and procrastination and persistence in the context of emergency distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-sectional study. We also investigated the mediating role of intrinsic motivation in this relationship. Furthermore, to test the universal importance of SDT for intrinsic motivation and learning behavior under these circumstances in different countries, we collected data in Europe, Asia and North America. A total of N = 15,462 participants from Albania, Austria, China, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Malta, North Macedonia, Romania, Sweden, and the US answered questions regarding perceived competence, autonomy, social relatedness, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, persistence, and sociodemographic background. Our results support SDT's claim of universality regarding the relation between basic psychological need fulfilment, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, and persistence. However, whereas perceived competence had the highest direct effect on procrastination and persistence, social relatedness was mainly influential via intrinsic motivation.

U.S. and Finnish high school science engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic

When the COVID‐19 pandemic struck, research teams in the United States and Finland were collaborating on a study to improve adolescent academic engagement in chemistry and physics and the impact remote teaching on academic, social, and emotional learning. The ongoing “Crafting Engaging Science Environments” (CESE) intervention afforded a rare data collection opportunity. In the United States, students were surveyed at the beginning of the school year and again in May, providing information for the same 751 students from before and during the pandemic. In Finland, 203 students were surveyed during remote learning. Findings from both countries during this period of remote learning revealed that students' academic engagement was positively correlated with participation in hands‐on, project‐based lessons. In Finland, results showed that situational engagement occurred in only 4.7% of sampled cases. In the United States, students show that academic engagement, primarily the aspect of challenge, was enhanced during remote learning. Engagement was in turn correlated with positive socioemotional constructs related to science learning. The study's findings emphasise the importance of finding ways to ensure equitable opportunities for students to participate in project‐based activities when learning remotely.

Student Engagement in Adolescence: A Scoping Review of Longitudinal Studies 2010-2020

We systematically mapped and analyzed the longitudinal research on adolescent student engagement published during 2010-2020. A total of 104 studies of 104,304 adolescents met inclusion criteria. Studies were mainly conducted in North America (43%) or Europe (34%). Over half studied engagement across one or more years. Most studies (93%) focused on antecedents of engagement rather than outcomes of engagement (38%). Data were commonly collected using self-report questionnaires (87%) and analyzed using path, growth, and cross-lagged models. Studies mainly examined engagement in classroom activities, school, or schoolwork; and focused on behavioral engagement (70%), followed by emotional (61%), then cognitive engagement (35%). No studies used a specific theory of engagement development, but instead referred to self-determination, ecological systems, and stage-environment fit theories.

The Effects of Peers’ Career Goal Appraisals on School to Work Transition Outcomes

Despite the growing body of research on the transition from school to work, an important aspect of young people’s social realities in this phase has been largely overlooked: their peers. This study investigates to what extent peer networks in late adolescence, and particularly peers’ appraisals of their own career goals, are related to young people’s subjective early transition outcomes in a Finnish sample ( N = 322) between the ages 17 and 20. The results show that having peers who positively appraise their goals as attainable is associated with more positive transition outcomes as young people more often reported having reached a (temporarily) satisfactory transition outcome which they intended to maintain unchanged. Negative peer appraisals showed no associations with transition outcomes. The present study offers an important step toward a comprehensive understanding of the social lives of young people in career transitions and provides new directions for research and counseling.

Adolescent well-being and learning in times of COVID-19-A multi-country study of basic psychological need satisfaction, learning behavior, and the mediating roles of positive emotion and intrinsic motivation

The sudden switch to distance education to contain the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered adolescents' lives around the globe. The present research aims to identify psychological characteristics that relate to adolescents' well-being in terms of positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, and key characteristics of their learning behavior in a situation of unplanned, involuntary distance education. Following Self-Determination Theory, experienced competence, autonomy, and relatedness were assumed to relate to active learning behavior (i.e., engagement and persistence), and negatively relate to passive learning behavior (i.e., procrastination), mediated via positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation. Data were collected via online questionnaires in altogether eight countries from Europe, Asia, and North America (N = 25,305) and comparable results across countries were expected. Experienced competence was consistently found to relate to positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, and, in turn, active learning behavior in terms of engagement and persistence. The study results further highlight the role of perceived relatedness for positive emotion. The high proportions of explained variance speak in favor of taking these central results into account when designing distance education in times of COVID-19.

Assessing Engagement in Chinese Upper Secondary School Students Using the Chinese Version of the Schoolwork Engagement Inventory: Energy, Dedication, and Absorption (CEDA)

The schoolwork engagement inventory: Energy, Dedication, and Absorption (EDA) is a measure of students' engagement in schoolwork and has been demonstrated valid in Western student populations. In this study, we adapted this inventory to and tested its psychometric appropriates in Chinese upper secondary school students (CEDA). Participants were 1,527 general high school students and 850 vocational high school students. The mean age of the total sample was 16.21 years (54.4% females, age span: 15–19 years). The results of confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) showed that a modified one-factor model fitted the data best. The results of the multigroup CFA showed that the factor structure was metrically invariant across school tracks (i.e., general or vocational high school) and scalarly invariant across gender and school types (i.e., ordinary or key school). Moreover, schoolwork engagement was negatively related to emotional exhaustion and positively related to self-efficacy, perseverance of effort, teacher–student relationships, and life satisfaction. Overall, the CEDA can be regarded as a valid measure for the assessment of student engagement in the Chinese upper secondary school context.

Higher Education in Times of COVID-19: University Students' Basic Need Satisfaction, Self-Regulated Learning, and Well-Being

In the wake of COVID-19, university students have experienced fundamental changes of their learning and their lives as a whole. The present research identifies psychological characteristics associated with students' well-being in this situation. We investigated relations of basic psychological need satisfaction (experienced competence, autonomy, and relatedness) with positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, considering self-regulated learning as a moderator. Self-reports were collected from 6,071 students in Austria (Study 1) and 1,653 students in Finland (Study 2). Structural equation modeling revealed competence as the strongest predictor for positive emotion. Intrinsic learning motivation was predicted by competence and autonomy in both countries and by relatedness in Finland. Moderation effects of self-regulated learning were inconsistent, but main effects on intrinsic learning motivation were identified. Surprisingly, relatedness exerted only a minor effect on positive emotion. The results inform strategies to promote students' well-being through distance learning, mitigating the negative effects of the situation.

Employment trajectories until midlife associate with early social role investments and current work-related well-being

Applying social investment theory (SIT), we examined whether employment trajectories until midlife, with differential investments in education and employment, are associated with social investments during early life and with work-related well-being in midlife, with a special reference to potential differences between self-employment and paid work. In the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (n = 6496; 2963 men, 3533 women), life-history calendars from age 16-45 were used to determine the respondents' yearly employment statuses (student, full-time employee, part-time employee, self-employed, unemployed, on parental leave, on sabbatical leave or otherwise not working). Latent class analysis was used to identify the employment trajectories. The associations of these trajectories with indicators of social investments in early life (mother's attitude to financial self-reliance, father's socioeconomic status, own success at school) and work-related well-being at age 46 (job satisfaction, life satisfaction, absence of retirement thoughts, work engagement, work favoring attitude and perceived job control) were studied using regression models and analyses of variance, adjusting for life situation at age 46. We identified five employment trajectories for both genders: 1) traditional full-time, 2) highly educated, 3) self-employed, 4) delayed full-time and 5) floundering employees. In early life, a mother emphasizing self-reliance in earning one's living was associated with both highly educated and self-employed trajectories. A white-collar father and own success at school preceded a highly educated trajectory. A farmer family background preceded self-employed trajectory. At age 46, highly educated and self-employed trajectories were associated with highest well-being at work, while those floundering perceived their work most negatively. Men in the delayed full-time employment trajectory reported better well-being at age 46 than those constantly floundering. Overall, the macroeconomic employment rates were unevenly reflected in the five trajectories. Our findings support SIT by showing that the employment trajectories most favorable for work-related well-being in midlife are long rooted in social investments during early life and characterized by further social investments in employment, such as higher education and self-employment.

Does temperament make children differently susceptible to their home physical food environment? A cross-sectional DAGIS study on 3-6 year old Finnish children's food consumption

Consistently linked with children's food consumption are food availability and accessibility. However, less is known about potential individual differences among young children in their susceptibility to home food environments. The purpose of the study was to examine whether the association between home food availability and accessibility of sugar-rich foods and drinks (SFD) or fruits and vegetables (FV) and children's consumption of these foods differ according to their temperament. The study used two cross-sectional datasets collected as part of the Increased Health and Wellbeing in Preschools (DAGIS) study: 1) a cross-sectional data of 864 children aged 3-6 years old collected between fall 2015 and spring 2016, and 2) an intervention baseline data of 802 children aged 3-6 collected in fall 2017. Parents reported their children's temperament, consumption of FV and SFD, and home availability and accessibility of SFD and FV. Examination of whether associations between home availability and accessibility of FV and their consumption differ according to children's temperament involved using linear regression models. Similar models were used to examine association between home availability and accessibility of SFD and their consumption, and the moderating role of temperament. The association between home accessibility of SFD and their consumption frequency was dependent on the level of children's negative affectivity. More frequent consumption of SFD was observed with higher home accessibility of SFD. The association was stronger in children with higher scores in negative affectivity. No other interactions were found. Children with higher negative affectivity are possibly more vulnerable to food cues in the home environment than children with lower negative affectivity. Consideration of children's individual characteristics is necessary in supporting their healthy eating.

Longitudinal Trajectories, Social and Individual Antecedents, and Outcomes of Problematic Internet Use Among Late Adolescents

Given the detrimental effects associated with problematic internet use (PIU) and the need to better understand its nature and evolution, the present study examined the development of PIU in a sample of 1,750 adolescents (aged 16-19) from Finland over a 3-year period. We documented the social (loneliness, perceived maternal and paternal behaviors) and individual (sex) antecedents, as well as the outcome implications (depressive symptoms, substance use, academic achievement) of PIU trajectories. Outcomes also predicted PIU trajectories. Latent curve modeling revealed an initially moderate, and subsequently decreasing trajectory of PIU. PIU was predicted by loneliness, paternal neglect, maternal care, depressive symptoms, and being male. In turn, PIU trajectories predicted increases in depressive symptoms and substance use, but decreases in academic achievement.

Introversion and Social Engagement: Scale Validation, Their Interaction, and Positive Association With Self-Esteem

Learning through social interaction has been documented widely; however, how introverted people are socially engaged in learning is largely unknown. The aim of this study was, first, to examine the reliability and validity of the social engagement scale among students at Finnish comprehensive schools. Then, we aimed to examine the interaction effect of introversion and social engagement on self-esteem, schoolwork engagement, and school burnout. Based on a sample of 862 ninth grade students in Finland, we found that a two-factor model best fitted the social engagement scale (i.e., social engagement and social disengagement). Further, we found that introverts with high social engagement have higher self-esteem than introverts with low social engagement. Our results implied that introverts should be given extra support when they encounter group work in school.

Momentary task-values and expectations predict engagement in science among Finnish and Chilean secondary school students

While expectancy-value-cost theory predicts that students' task values play an important part in academic engagement, these associations have rarely been tested in science education and are even less studied in authentic classroom situations. The present study examined to what extent momentary task-values, expectations and costs are associated with students' momentary academic engagement in science classes. Momentary academic engagement was operationalised as energy (give up), dedication (grit) and absorption (flow) components of engagement. Finnish (N = 5891 beeps, 307 students) and Chilean (N = 1931 beeps, 157 students) secondary school students participated in the study using Experience Sampling Method via smartphones. When signalled, students responded to questions via smartphones concerning their momentary task values, expectations, costs and components of engagement in the current activity. The research questions were analysed with multilevel path modelling. The results showed that, for both samples task-values, expectations and costs were related to energy, dedication and absorption components of engagement in science classes. High momentary task-values were positively associated with momentary flow and grit; high momentary expectations were positively associated with high grit and low giving up in both samples; and high momentary challenge showed as increases in feelings of giving up.

Sport burnout inventory-Dual career form for student-athletes: Assessing validity and reliability in a Finnish sample of adolescent athletes

BACKGROUND

The pressure of pursuing an athletic career simultaneously with education may set adolescent student-athletes at risk for sport and school burnout. Although the 2 life domains of student-athletes are strongly intertwined, so far, there has not been an instrument for investigating sport burnout parallel to school burnout. The aim of the present study was to introduce a sport burnout measure for adolescents in a dual career context and investigate its validity and reliability by using confirmatory factor analysis.

METHODS

The participants were 391 student-athletes (51% females) who filled in a questionnaire of sport burnout and background variables in the beginning of upper secondary school.

RESULTS

A 3-factor model or a second-order-factor model described the data better and gave better reliability indices than a 1-factor model. The 3 dimensions of sport burnout were shown to be separate, but closely related constructs. Evidence for convergent and discriminant validity was obtained by correlating the 3 sport burnout dimensions with depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and sport task values.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that Sport Burnout Inventory-Dual Career Form (SpBI-DC) is a valid and reliable instrument for investigating sport burnout among adolescent student-athletes.

Academic Well-Being and Structural Characteristics of Peer Networks in School

Peer networks at school and students' position in these networks can influence their academic well-being. We study here individual students' network position (isolation, popularity, social activity) and peer network structures at the school level (centralization, density, clustering, school connectedness) and their relations to students' academic well-being (school burnout, SB; schoolwork engagement, SE). Classroom surveys for 14-16-year-olds (N = 11,015) were conducted in six European cities (SILNE survey). Students were asked to nominate up to five schoolmates with whom they preferred to do schoolwork. SB and SE correlated negatively (-0.32; p < 0.0001). Students had on average 3.4 incoming (popularity; range 0-5) and 3.4 outgoing (social activity; 0-5) social ties. Percentage of isolated students was 1.4. Students' network position was associated weakly with academic well-being-popular students had less SB and higher SE, and socially active students had higher SE. School-level peer networks showed high clustering and school connectedness, but low density and low centralization. Clustering was associated with higher SB. Low centralization and high school connectedness protected from SB. Dense networks supported SE as did high average school connectedness. Correlations between these network indicators and academic well-being were, however, low. Our study showed that both students' network position and network characteristics at the school level can influence adolescents' academic well-being.

Social demands and resources predict job burnout and engagement profiles among Finnish employees

Background and Objectives: Latent profiles of employees' job burnout (e.g., exhaustion, cynicism, feelings of inadequacy) and work engagement (e.g., energy, dedication, absorption) were examined. Moreover, the role of social work-related (multicultural, interpersonal, and project work demands) and personal demands (relationship demands) and social work-related resources (servant leadership, team climate) and personal resources (resilience, self-efficacy) in predicting the latent profiles were examined. Design: This study is a part of an Occupational Health Study in which 766 employees participated twice. Methods: The results were analyzed using latent profile analysis. Results: Two longitudinal profiles of burnout and engagement could be identified, namely high engagement (84% of the participants) and increasing burnout (16%) profiles. Employees who experienced high work-related social resources (servant leadership) and high personal resources (resilience, self-efficacy) were more likely to belong to the high engagement group than to the increasing burnout group. Employees who experienced high work-related social demands (multicultural, interpersonal, and project work demands) and personal social demands (relationship demands) more often belonged to the increasing burnout group. Conclusions: Social resources may help in promoting employees' job engagement, whereas social demands are often associated with increasing burnout symptoms.