Oranim Academic College of Education

This introductory paper seeks to demonstrate how the articles in this volume enhance our understanding of child agency in both language development at home and language learning in educational environments. The four contributions in this Special Issue address various aspects of child agency in early childhood. The volume aims to strengthen this emerging field by bringing together areas such as agency, family language policy, educational language policy in preschool settings, and methodologies for researching with and about children in early language learning contexts. The introduction focuses on five themes relevant to our discussion of what is novel in this special issue: (1) child agency, (2) issues in research in early language learning, (3) the symbiotic relationship between child agency and family language policy, (4) the role of educational context in child agency development, and (5) the ecological approach toward child agency. ARTICLE HISTORY

This qualitative study examined the experiences of school counsellors facing loss of colleagues, an unexplored area in educational settings. Twenty-one school counsellors who had lost their colleagues within the past five years participated in the semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed a wide spectrum of experiences among school counsellors who face colleague loss. Reactions range from initial shock to immediate action and are influenced by the nature of previous relationships with the deceased. Counsellors experience conflict between professional responsibilities and personal emotions and often struggle with blurred professional boundaries. They provide immediate emotional support to staff and students while simultaneously needing ongoing support, which is not always possible. Counsellors have developed diverse coping mechanisms, including peer support groups. These results highlight the need for formal support systems for counsellors dealing with colleague loss, emphasizing the complex interplay between personal grief and professional duties in a unique school environment.

This study examines the efficacy of using a digital gamed platform in acquiring phoneme-grapheme correspondences of closed syllables with short vowels. Fifty-five fourth-grade English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners navigated through five digital escape rooms where they learned, practiced, and produced target graphemes. Mixed methods analyses found that spelling competence in the intervention group as opposed to the control group improved in the post-test and continued to improve significantly in the delayed post-test. Following analysis of the participant interviews four themes emerged. Autonomous learning and self-monitoring were the dominant themes followed by engagement and motivation, self-confidence and self-esteem, and peer learning and social interaction in decreasing order of prevalence. Combining learning with play while participants navigated within the digital learning environment proved to be an effective method of teaching young EFL learners to spell. The results of this intervention contribute to recent research in the post-COVID-19 era and mirror OECD goals for the 21st century which have highlighted the need for effective digital platforms that promote independent learning while maximizing student engagement.

This qualitative study sought to examine how Israeli middle grades teachers perceive students’ peer rejection in their classes. Using a phenomenological paradigm in a sample of 28 homeroom teachers, the study examined teacher perceptions of adolescent peer rejection and its causes, teachers’ coping methods, and the support provided by the school. The findings indicate that teachers perceived the victim as the one who caused the rejection and who deviated from the norm. The teachers adopted strategies that included rejection therapy, working with the rejecting peer group, and recruiting the parents to support the process. The teachers felt frustration and difficulty because the victims neither turned to them for help nor regard them as sources of help. Because research has shown that most adolescents cannot be unequivocally classified as bullies or victims, it is important for teachers to become familiar with the dynamics of rejection, the participants, and their mutual influences. The implications of these findings for education and counseling are discussed.

Background and objective Depression is a substantial public health issue, with global ramifications. While initial literature reviews explored the intersection between artificial intelligence (AI) and mental health, they have not yet critically assessed the specific contributions of Large Language Models (LLMs) in this domain. The objective of this systematic review was to examine the usefulness of LLMs in diagnosing and managing depression, as well as to investigate their incorporation into clinical practice. Methods This review was based on a thorough search of the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases for the period January 2018 through March 2024. The search used PROSPERO and adhered to PRISMA guidelines. Original research articles, preprints, and conference papers were included, while non-English and non-research publications were excluded. Data extraction was standardized, and the risk of bias was evaluated using the ROBINS-I, QUADAS-2, and PROBAST tools. Results Our review included 34 studies that focused on the application of LLMs in detecting and classifying depression through clinical data and social media texts. LLMs such as RoBERTa and BERT demonstrated high effectiveness, particularly in early detection and symptom classification. Nevertheless, the integration of LLMs into clinical practice is in its nascent stage, with ongoing concerns about data privacy and ethical implications. Conclusion LLMs exhibit significant potential for transforming strategies for diagnosing and treating depression. Nonetheless, full integration of LLMs into clinical practice requires rigorous testing, ethical considerations, and enhanced privacy measures to ensure their safe and effective use.

Introduction Students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors often struggle with essential skills critical to their academic success and future careers. Traditional self-regulated learning (SRL) training programs, while effective, require significant time investments from both students and instructors, limiting their feasibility in large lecture-based STEM courses. Methods This study investigates whether completion of three AI-powered virtual-human training modules—focused on planning, self-monitoring, and reflection—leads to increased use of corresponding MS Planner tools among STEM majors compared to a control group. Results Results indicate that students who did not complete the first two training modules were less likely to use MS Planner features for planning and self-monitoring; however, the reflection module did not yield comparable results. Discussion These findings highlight the potential of AI-powered virtual-human training as a scalable solution to enhance desirable learning behaviors among STEM majors, particularly in large and diverse classrooms. This research contributes to the understanding of effective interventions for fostering SRL behaviors in STEM education and suggests avenues for future refinement and implementation of digital training tools.

Background Dementia is a progressive disease, and as the disease progresses, many families seek help through activities and therapies. In contrast to some other therapies, horticultural therapy (HT) is widely accepted by most people with dementia (PWD) because it invites them to the natural world. Objectives To explore whether HT emotional and communication measures (i.e. appropriate expression of emotions, ability to communicate with others) are higher than in other activities offered to PWD in adult day care centers (ADCC) and continuing care retirement community (CCRC), and whether there is a difference between the impact of HT on the number of “positive actions” (communication actions and actions that fit the guided activity) vs. the other activities. Research design and methods Fifty-one PWD attending ADCCs and living in one CCRC were recruited to a structured HT activity and other activities that took place in the ADCCs and CCRC. The activity took place over 10 weeks. The effects were assessed using Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) and questionnaires. Results Paired t-tests found that higher levels of mood and behavior were observed during HT activities compared to the other activities. Also, communication and function actions were higher in the HT activities as compared to the other activities. Discussion and implications This study adds to the growing evidence of the benefits of HT for PWD regardless of past experience in gardening/agriculture. HT seems to provide high therapeutic benefits and should be more prevalent in centers caring for PWD.

Objective Joining efforts to reveal how fathers affect their children's social competence, we examined whether fathers' rejection sensitivity was associated with biases in their children's social information processing. We also explored whether this link was indirect via biases in fathers' social information processing of their children's peer interactions and, in particular, fathers' behavioral responses. Background Children's social information processing biases predict their social competence and well‐being. Studies have explored how mothers' rejection sensitivity may impact children's social information processing. Yet, little is known about the role of fathers in this context. Method Participants were 85 fathers living in Israel (68.24% Jewish; 31.76% Arab) and their kindergarten children (55.29% female; M Child age in months = 68.70, SD = 5.59). Fathers completed the Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire and reported their attributions, emotions, and likely behaviors in ambiguous hypothetical scenarios that might suggest a rejection of their child by peers using the Peer Rejection Scenarios measure. Children were interviewed using the Social Information Processing Interview–Preschool Version, tapping hypothetical peer interactions. Results Fathers' rejection sensitivity was indirectly related to children's generation of maladaptive responses to ambiguous peer interactions through fathers' reports of their more negative emotions and overinvolved behavioral responses. Conclusion Results underscore the role of fathers' rejection sensitivity and emotional and behavioral responses in children's social information processing. Implications The study points to the need to consider paternal rejection sensitivity in research and interventions focused on promoting children's social competence.

Abstract Objective: Suicide is a critical global health concern. Research indicates that generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and large language models, such as generative pretrained transformer-3 (GPT-3) and GPT-4, can evaluate suicide risk comparably to experts, yet the criteria these models use are unclear. This study explores how variations in prompts, specifically regarding past suicide attempts, gender, and age, influence the risk assessments provided by ChatGPT-3 and ChatGPT-4. Methods: Using a controlled scenario based approach, 8 vignettes were created. Both ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT 4 were used to predict the likelihood of serious suicide attempts, suicide attempts, and suicidal thoughts. A univariate 3-way analysis of variance was conducted to analyze the effects of the independent variables (previous suicide attempts, gender, and age) on the dependent variables (likelihood of serious suicide attempts, suicide attempts, and suicidal thoughts). Results: Both ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 recognized the importance of previous suicide attempts in predicting severe suicide risks and suicidal thoughts. ChatGPT-4 also identified gender differences, associating men with a higher risk, while both models disregarded age as a risk factor. Interaction analysis revealed that ChatGPT-3.5 associated past attempts with a higher likelihood of suicidal thoughts in men, whereas ChatGPT-4 showed an increased risk for women. Conclusions: The study highlights ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4’s potential in suicide risk evaluation, emphasizing the importance of prior attempts and gender, while noting differences in their handling of interactive effects and the negligible role of age. These findings reflect the complexity of GenAI decision-making. While promising for suicide risk assessment, these models require careful application due to limitations and real-world complexities

One in every five students in the Western world faces mental health challenges. Nevertheless, very little research to date has examined how teachers cope with these students. In the current study, we aimed to examine two main areas: (1) the relationship between teachers' knowledge of and attitudes toward students with mental disorders and their perceptions of student dangerousness and devaluation, and (2) the differences between special education teachers and regular education teachers in terms of these perceptions. This study employed a cross-sectional design that included 183 teachers from various regions across Israel. The findings indicate that higher levels of knowledge of mental health issues are positively correlated with more favorable attitudes. Additionally, positive attitudes toward individuals with mental health challenges are associated with lower perceptions of danger and devaluation. Moreover, a comparison between the two groups of teachers revealed that special education teachers reported higher levels of value reduction in assessing their students with mental disorders than their counterparts in regular education.

The Econeurobiology of the brain describes the environment in which an individual’s brain develops. This paper explores the complex neural mechanisms that support and evaluate enrichment at various stages of development, providing an overview of how they contribute to plasticity and enhancement of both achievement and health. It explores the deep benefits of enrichment and contrasts them with the negative effects of trauma and stress on brain development. In addition, the paper strongly emphasizes the integration of Gardner’s intelligence types into the school curriculum environment. It emphasizes the importance of linking various intelligence traits to educational strategies to ensure a holistic approach to cognitive development. In the field of Econeurobiology, this work explains the central role of the environment in shaping the development of the brain. It examines brain connections and plasticity and reveals the impact of certain environmental factors on brain development in early and mid-childhood. In particular, the six key factors highlighted are an environment of support, nutrition, physical activity, music, sleep, and cognitive strategies, highlighting their potential to improve cognitive abilities, memory, learning, self-regulation, and social and emotional development. This paper also investigates the social determinants of health and education in the context of Econeurobiology. It emphasizes the transformative power of education in society, especially in vulnerable communities facing global challenges in accessing quality education. KEYWORDS public health, brain development, brain connectivity, plasticity, learning, education, self-regulation, social determinants of health

The Econeurobiology of the brain describes the environment in which an individual’s brain develops. This paper explores the complex neural mechanisms that support and evaluate enrichment at various stages of development, providing an overview of how they contribute to plasticity and enhancement of both achievement and health. It explores the deep benefits of enrichment and contrasts them with the negative effects of trauma and stress on brain development. In addition, the paper strongly emphasizes the integration of Gardner’s intelligence types into the school curriculum environment. It emphasizes the importance of linking various intelligence traits to educational strategies to ensure a holistic approach to cognitive development. In the field of Econeurobiology, this work explains the central role of the environment in shaping the development of the brain. It examines brain connections and plasticity and reveals the impact of certain environmental factors on brain development in early and mid-childhood. In particular, the six key factors highlighted are an environment of support, nutrition, physical activity, music, sleep, and cognitive strategies, highlighting their potential to improve cognitive abilities, memory, learning, self-regulation, and social and emotional development. This paper also investigates the social determinants of health and education in the context of Econeurobiology. It emphasizes the transformative power of education in society, especially in vulnerable communities facing global challenges in accessing quality education.

In recent years, the topic of self‐compassion has attracted increasing attention in the literature, yet little is known about teachers' perceptions of self‐compassion in their daily practice. This qualitative study adopted a phenomenological approach to deepen the understanding of self‐compassion among this population. Thirty‐four teachers in Israel aged 25–63 were interviewed face‐to‐face in 2023, using a semistructured interview guide. Thematic content analysis revealed three main themes: (1) an approach to life and professional practice—fostering connection and collaboration; (2) an evolving process—accepting and forgiving oneself; and (3) training—strengthening the self‐compassion muscle. The findings suggest that fostering self‐compassion among teachers can help alleviate occupational stress and burnout. Schools should provide resources and promote a collaborative culture, implement mentorship programs, and incorporate self‐compassion tools into teacher training programs. Additionally, policy‐makers should promote practices that focus on enhancing teacher self‐compassion. By implementing these recommendations, schools can create a supportive environment that promotes teachers' overall health and well‐being. This study offers practical implications for teachers, administrators, and teacher education programs, and highlights relevant areas for future research.

This article investigates the significant disparities that often occur between mathematics teachers' written reflections of their class from memory and their reflections after later observing a video of the same class. Data was collected from journal and video documentation made during in an M.Ed. course about post-lesson analysis. The disparities were examined based on the theoretical literature with the participation of the teachers, who shared their interpretations as to the reasons for them. The three educational and cognitive theories that formed the basis for the discussion were Tulving's theory regarding episodic (personal experience) and semantic (general knowledge) memory; Mason's theory about noticing and awareness; and Wimber et al.'s theory about memory mechanisms that can lead to forgetting specific memories or by which remembering specific events can lead to forgetting others. As a result of the analysis, three disparity types were defined: "memory extinction", "misguided interpretation", and "false mem-ory", indicating that selective memory and forgetfulness may be at play when teachers write their reflections. The results of the study led to suggesting a five-stage reflective analysis method to enhance teachers' noticing focus and abilities. They also emphasize the importance of group discussions on theories related to 'reflection', 'noticing', and 'memory' to improve teachers' interpretation of teaching events. ARTICLE HISTORY

Mothers of children on the autism spectrum cope with numerous difficulties associated with raising a child with a complex disability. Religious belief is perceived as a resource for coping with the difficulty. This study examined the uniqueness of the perception of motherhood among Israeli national-religious and Haredi mothers of children on the autism spectrum ages 10–19 with various levels of function, using 12 semistructured interviews which were analyzed by a full content analysis according to grounded theory. The interviews revealed that the mothers perceived their motherhood as an ongoing process that is accompanied by a journey of self-awareness. The transition from feelings of helplessness, frustration, and guilt to feelings of growth and development from the crisis, as well as movement from total motherhood and attentive motherhood, reflect this process. A dichotomous distinction of motherhood emerged between how the participants related to other mothers of children on the autism spectrum and to mothers of typically developing children. The religious beliefs expressed by the participants touched on coming to terms with reality, belief as an anchor, belief that life invites inner progress, belief in future reward, and belief that their situation is a test from God or, alternatively, a punishment from God. The study contributes to knowledge of perceptions of motherhood by mothers of children on the autism spectrum, unique to national-religious and Haredi mothers in Israel.

Background: Childhood hearing loss is a common chronic condition that may have a broad impact on children’s communication and motor and cognitive development, resulting in functional challenges and decreased quality of life (QoL). Objectives: This pilot study aimed to compare executive functions (EFs) as expressed in daily life and QoL between deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) children and children with typical hearing. Furthermore, we examined the relationship between EFs and QoL in D/HH children. Methods: The participants were 76 children aged 7–11 yr: 38 D/HH and 38 with typical hearing. Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), while the child performed a shopping task in the virtual action planning supermarket (VAP-S) to reflect the use of EFs in daily activity. Results: D/HH children showed significantly poorer EFs (as measured by BRIEF and VAP-S) and reduced QoL. Difficulties in EFs were correlated with lower QoL. BRIEF scores were significant predictors of QoL domains. Conclusions: Difficulties in EFs may characterize children with D/HH and reduce their QoL. Therefore, EFs should be screened and treated. VAP-S and BRIEF are feasible tools for evaluating EFs that reflect children’s challenges due to EF difficulties in real-life contexts.

Socio-cultural contexts are formative to how teachers understand, conceptualize, and act when contending with child sexual abuse (CSA) cases among their students. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the experiences of Druze Arab teachers in Israel coping with cases of CSA among their students and the meaning they attribute to CSA in the context of socio-cultural change. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 female Druze elementary school teachers. All of the participants taught in schools located in Druze villages, where the children of Druze families comprise the majority of the student body. The analysis used a thematic approach. The analysis revealed that a transition between tradition and modernity in the Druze socio-cultural group was the central conceptual framework through which the teachers’ narratives regarding CSA emerged. As an emblem of modernity, increasing openness around sexual topics was perceived as simultaneously favorable and threatening to both the welfare of children and the well-being of the community. Coping with CSA was viewed as a negotiation between closed (traditional) and open (modern) society, as well as silence and dialogue regarding CSA. This study highlights the importance of preventing teachers’ cultural biases from affecting their contributions to CSA interventions, as well as how religion can be a source of strength when confronting CSA. Implications for policy and developing bottom-up, culturally sensitive training, practice, and interventions are discussed.