University of Education Upper Austria

Background Team teaching is a common practice in many schools. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on how teachers' positive and negative affect triggered by their team‐teaching partners is related to the (perceived) instructional quality. Aim Therefore, our goal was to investigate how positive and negative affect correlates with relevant indicators of instructional quality at a situational (i.e., lesson‐specific) level and whether spillover effects can be observed from one lesson to the next. Sample Forty‐seven Austrian teachers participated in this longitudinal study, producing a total of 652 diary entries. Methods The teachers wrote diary entries after each team‐teaching lesson. They rated their positive and negative affect, as well as four indicators of instructional quality (i.e., time management, clarity, differentiation and teacher–student relationship). Results Clear links between teachers' affect and the perceived instructional quality were found at the within‐person level. The associations were less strong at the between‐person level. Spillover effects were also found, confirming the reciprocity of affect and teaching behavior. Conclusions Emotions are evoked not only by students but also by team‐teaching partners. It is therefore important to provide teachers who engage in team teaching with training on socioemotional skills (e.g., conflict management, emotional communication).

This article discusses the prospects and pitfalls of science-engaged theology (SET) – a new and growing movement in the science and religion discourse. The guiding question of this enquiry is why, when, and how theology should engage with the sciences. After introducing what I call the ‘source account’ of SET that has emerged in recent discussion, I show that this basic account often comes with additional commitments: the ‘no methodology’ and ‘locality and specificity’ theses, both of which address the ‘how’ question, and the ‘entanglement’ thesis, which addresses the ‘when’ question. I argue that accepting any of them as an essential feature makes SET methodologically flawed. To provide alternative answers, I then propose to interpret the sources of theology in terms of the so-called loci theologici . Recognizing the sciences specifically among the loci theologici alieni also helps to counter the view that SET may spell the end of the discipline of science and religion. The aim is, therefore, to show that the source account of SET, if taken in a minimal sense, is a valuable contribution to the science and religion discourse, without replacing it, whereas SET, if coupled with these additional assumptions, would and has considerably muddied the waters.

Improving the quality of the most basic health behavior among youth may contribute to short-term body composition management with long-term implications for noncommunicable disease regression. This investigation aimed to assess the impact of primary school physical activity (PA), dietary, or dual approach interventions on pupils’ body weight (BW) and body mass index (BMI). A systematic review and meta-analysis was completed following a study protocol and a trial registration (PROSPERO: CRD4202347770) with the PRISMA approach. Publications in English or German were included with school-based randomized controlled trials on diet and/or PA. Pupils of primary schools (aged 5–10) with no major nutritional deficiency or unstable health condition were included. The Boolean search strategy revealed a total of 9479 articles, qualifying 39 studies with 20 462 pupils (including 10 211 girls and 10 251 boys) for quantitative synthesis. The interventions were mostly PA (n = 31), several were dietary (n = 6), and some were dual approach (n = 5). Random effects meta-analyses revealed PA intervention (n = 20) to have an effect size of +0.07 kg (95% CI: −0.01 to 0.15) and −0.12 kg/m2 (95% CI: −0.23 to −0.01). Low statistical heterogeneity was found for BW (I2 = 0%; P = 1.000) and BMI (I2 = 0%; P = .9688), respectively. The findings indicate a scarcity of top-quality scientific research performed on healthy diet for body weight management in primary schools. PA intervention for elementary school pupils provides support for a healthier body composition profile amidst the current world health crisis.

Hackathons have become increasingly popular in higher education, although prior research about their use in the higher education sector is limited in scope and does not link the new pedagogy to learning theories. In contrast to the main literature in this field, our research adopts a conceptual rather than an empirical focus and is built on two comparative analyses. The first of these is a placement of hackathons within learning theories, in particular inquiry-based learning, experiential learning, challenge-based learning, problem-based and project-based learning. The second is a comparative analysis of hackathons with other community-based methodologies, that is, service-learning, challenge-based learning and community-based research, with which many educators already identify. Hence, our study lays the ground for assessing the pedagogical value of hackathons in higher education and provides a methodological comparison for educators, who aim to use this type of pedagogy in their applied coursework.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for effective public health interventions during infectious disease outbreaks. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban human behaviour is essential for such responses. Crowd-sourced geo-data can be a valuable data source for this understanding. However, previous research often struggles with the complexity and heterogeneity of such data, facing challenges in the utilisation of multiple modalities and explainability. To address these challenges, we present a novel approach to identify and rank multimodal time series features derived from mobile phone and geo-social media data based on their association with COVID-19 infection rates in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. Our analysis spans from April 6, 2020, to August 31, 2021, and integrates 59 time series features. We introduce a feature selection algorithm based on Chatterjee’s Xi measure of dependence to identify relevant features on an Área Programática da Saúde (health area) and city-wide level. We then compare the predictive power of the selected features against those identified by traditional feature selection methods. Additionally, we contextualise this information by correlating dependence scores and model error with 15 socio-demographic variables such as ethnic distribution and social development. Our results show that social media activity related to COVID-19, tourism and leisure activities was associated most strongly with infection rates, indicated by high dependence scores up to 0.88. Mobility data consistently yielded low to intermediate dependence scores, with the maximum being 0.47. Our feature selection approach resulted in better or equivalent model performance when compared to traditional feature selection methods. At the health-area level, local feature selection generally yielded better model performance compared to city-wide feature selection. Finally, we observed that socio-demographic factors such as the proportion of the Indigenous population or social development correlated with the dependence scores of both mobility data and health- or leisure-related semantic topics on social media. Our findings demonstrate the value of integrating localised multimodal features in city-level epidemiological analysis and offer a method for effectively identifying them. In the broader context of GeoAI, our approach provides a framework for identifying and ranking relevant spatiotemporal features, allowing for concrete insights prior to model building, and enabling more transparency when making predictions.

Purpose: This paper discusses participatory research as a way to amplify the voices of students with blindness and visual impairment, drawing on insights from a participatory research project on the perceived barriers and opportunities for these students to participate in specialized PE, as well as their imaginations of a digitized, and more inclusive future. Method: Against the theoretical background of a critical investigation of ableism, the principles of Youth Participatory Action Research, and Inclusive Participatory Action Research, we combined Clark’s Mosaic approach with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. We provide insights into our research process from navigating academic framework conditions, building relationships with participants to selecting and applying methods. Results: With two exemplary data extracts, we illustrate how our methodological approach facilitated the exploration of students’ lived and embodied experiences of opportunities and barriers to participation in PE. Discussion: We conclude with a discussion of future opportunities for the active engagement of students with disabilities in research to facilitate inclusion, participation, and empowerment in PE.

The significance of the 24-h movement guidelines (24-HMG) for the health of typically developing children and adolescents has gained considerable attention in recent years. However, there has been limited research on the impact of adhering to 24-HMG among children and adolescents with speech/language impairments. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between adherence to 24-HMG and psychological health and academic engagement in this population. This cross-sectional study involved a secondary analysis of data from 1609 students aged 6–17 years with speech/language impairment. Self-report questionnaires were employed to measure the movement behaviours, psychological indicators, and academic engagement. Multivariable regressions were used to analyze the associations between adherence to 24-HMG and psychological health and academic engagement. The findings revealed that merely 10.82% of participants adhered to all three 24-HMG. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that, compared to meeting none of the recommendations, meeting all the three recommendations was significantly associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and cognitive difficulties, higher psychological resilience and increased academic engagement. The findings underscore that adherence to the 24-HMG is associated with enhanced psychological health and academic engagement among children and adolescents with speech/language impairments.

The study explores the social belonging of first-generation students in a large university in Austria after the pandemic. While social belonging is a complex notion and nebulous to define, this study applies n enhanced concept of student engagement, which views student engagement as active involvement and social belonging on behalf of a student, and as integration and social support measures on behalf of the university. A strong sense of social belonging is on the one hand fundamental to becoming a student and the likelihood to graduate, however, the institution must also provide social support and academic integration on the other hand. This study explores the social belonging of seven first-generation students in Austrian higher education applying a qualitative approach using narrative interviews. The findings illustrate that first-generation students navigate higher education under significant economic constraints and experience intermittent access to social support measures. They hold strong feelings of social belonging with friends outside the university and do not make new friends at university easily. The study shows that first-generation-students depend on financial and social support by their families more than others and that negative sentiments during studying block their active involvement in class, and thus their sense of belonging.

Objective To evaluate the association between modifiable lifestyle behaviors and mental health indicators in Brazilian adolescents. Methods This cross-sectional study used data from the 2019 National Survey of School Health including 152,860 students. The lifestyle behaviors and mental health indicators were obtained from a self-reported questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between lifestyle behaviors and mental health indicators. Results Infrequent healthy eating (OR 1.22; 95%CI 1.14–1.31), being inactive (OR 1.82; 95%CI 1.65–2.01), smoking (OR 1.24; 95%CI 1.10–1.40), and irregular school attendance (OR 1.31; 95%CI 1.22–1.40) were associated with not having close friends. Additionally, not having close friends was also associated with unhealthy eating (OR 0.86; 95%CI 0.81–0.92) and alcohol consumption (OR 0.81; 95%CI 0.75–0.87). Infrequent healthy eating (OR 1.29; 95%CI 1.24–1.33), frequent unhealthy eating (OR 1.39; 95%CI 1.35–1.43), being inactive (OR 1.12; 95%CI 1.07–1.18), excessive screen time and sitting (OR 1.10; 95%CI 1.07–1.14 and OR 1.68; 95%CI 1.63–1.73, respectively), smoking (OR 1.26; 95%CI 1.19–1.34), alcohol (OR 1.33; 95%CI 1.28–1.37), drugs (OR 1.13; 95%CI 1.05–1.22), and irregular school attendance (OR 1.53; 95%CI 1.48–1.59) were associated with worse self-rated mental health. Conclusions Various lifestyle behaviors are associated with different indicators of mental health. Keywords: Lifestyle; Mental health; Adolescent

Background The population of adult CHD patients is continuously increasing. The underlying CHD affects performance and prognosis, but also has a significant impact on quality of life, psychosocial behaviour, anxiety and emotional disturbances. This study analyzes these parameters of patients after one or more heart operations and the possible psychological effects of medical and psychosocial complications at the Department of Cardiology of the Kepler University Hospital Linz. Methods and Results A total of 81 subjects participated in the questionnaire survey of the Institute of Cardiology and Clinical Psychology during their annual cardiological check-up. Of these, 80 participants were included in the study and three showed a mild CHD, 49 a moderate one, and 28 a severe one. This study has an exploratory design to assess possible stress factors and limitations in quality of life. For this purpose, a self-administered sociodemographic questionnaire and three standardised questionnaires were used. In summary, the quality of life of adult CHD is considered depending on the severity of the symptoms and compared with the healthy population. Differences in this regard are observed in individuals with lower symptom severity, who report higher psychological well-being. Sex differences are observed in physical role function and physical functioning. Conclusion Based on the results, regular repetitions of the study, as well as continuous psychological and psychosocial support, are necessary, since challenges are predictable with the increasing age of adult CHD patients and since the upholding of good quality of life and dealing with difficult life circumstances must be supported.

Background/Objectives: Physical fitness and diet along with body weight are key determinants of health. Excess body weight, poor dietary choices, and low physical fitness, however, are becoming increasingly prevalent in adolescents. In order to develop adequate intervention strategies, additional research on potential interaction effects of these entities is needed. Therefore, this study examined the combined association of physical fitness and diet with body weight in Austrian adolescents. Methods: A total of 164 (56% male) adolescents between 11 and 14 years of age completed the German Motor Test, which consists of eight items that assess cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular endurance and power, speed and agility, flexibility, and balance, along with body weight and height measurements. Additionally, participants completed a standardized food frequency questionnaire. Results: Spearman correlation analyses showed an inverse association between physical fitness and processed foods consumption (rho = −0.25, p < 0.01), while sweet consumption was positively associated with physical fitness (rho = 0.17, p = 0.03). No significant interaction effects between diet and physical fitness on body weight were observed. However, both higher physical fitness and greater sweet consumption were associated with lower body weight (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The present study emphasizes the independent and combined interactions of key correlates of health. It also suggests that high fitness may offset detrimental effects of poor dietary choices. In order to address potential health risks early in life and facilitate future health and well-being, it is important to monitor and control physical fitness, diet, and body weight during adolescence.

The health status (HS) of children is influenced by a variety of factors, including physical fitness (PF) or social and environmental characteristics. We present a 4-year longitudinal study carried out with 263 primary school children. PF was assessed yearly using the German Motor Performance Test 6-18. Demographic data, leisure time behavior and socioeconomic factors were collected using questionnaires for children and parents. Based on parents' ratings in year 4, children were categorized as either "very good health status" (VGHS) or "good health status or below" (GHSB). Children with VGHS (73%) showed a larger improvement of global PF (p < 0.001), a significantly higher proportion of being/playing outside (p < 0.001), significantly lower proportions of overweight (p < 0.001), of media availability in the bedroom (p = 0.011) and of daily media consumption > 2 h (p = 0.033) compared to children with GHSB. Regarding socioeconomic factors, children with VGHS revealed significantly fewer parents with lower education (p = 0.002), lower physical activity levels (p = 0.030) 2 AIMS Public Health Volume 11, Issue 1, 1-18. and lower migration background (p < 0.001). Physical fitness (p = 0.019) and outdoors exercising (p = 0.050) were the only variables to provide significantly higher chances of perceiving one's own health as very good when tested within a complex model including all the variables studied in this work. Considering the little focus on PF in the current Austrian physical education curriculum and the favorable environmental features of the Tyrolean region, more emphasis should be given to promoting didactical and pedagogical approaches that allow schoolers to be active in the nature.

This study examines the impact of the Scientific Creativity in Practice program on students’ scientific creativity. This comprehensive teaching program aims to foster general creative skills, domain-specific competencies, and certain personality traits in science education. The program includes a variety of interventions and reflection tools that focus on divergent thinking, problem-solving, bisociation, imagination, and metacognition, which promotes strategies for developing, selecting, and evaluating creative solutions to scientific problems. The study used a two-group, repeated-measures design in Austrian secondary schools, with 26 classes taught using teaching techniques from the program and 12 control classes using traditional teaching methods. The effectiveness of the teaching program was assessed using the Divergent Problem-Solving Ability test, which was administered at the beginning and end of the school year. The results showed that the intervention classes achieved significantly higher scores, indicating improved divergent problem-solving ability.The study also emphasized the importance of intervention fidelity, with the quality of implementation (adherence) having a significantly higher impact on outcomes than the quantity (number of interventions). The results confirm the effectiveness of the Scientific Creativity in Practice program in fostering academic creativity and emphasize the importance of a well-structured teaching program. Future research will focus on measuring the impact of individual techniques of the program on different aspects of scientific creativity.

Government organizations worldwide focus on digital solutions to improve public services and enhance citizen experience. These initiatives continue to receive significant resource allocation. There exists the need for a thorough evaluation to ensure that these projects deliver the intended benefits and address citizen needs. Currently, the absence of a single suitable evaluation method poses a challenge. The complexity of these projects demands a dynamic evaluation environment to understand societal impact and relevance. Relevance implies assessing to what extent a project aligns with the stakeholders’ goals, needs, and desires, mainly government organizations and citizens or businesses. This chapter explores the importance of relevance in evaluating such projects and highlights the reasons for adopting a transdisciplinary research approach. Unlike traditional disciplinary-focused approaches, transdisciplinary research focuses on real-world context and interdisciplinarity, goes beyond just science, and promotes interaction and integration among involved parties to produce high relevance. By focusing on project outcomes and processes, this research aims to propose relevant metrics for evaluating digital government projects and their relevance in a real-world context. To do so, a series of European research and development projects focusing on digital government will be analyzed using the proposed transdisciplinary evaluation framework to understand if outcomes and processes promote project relevance. This research will help enhance current evaluation approaches for digital government projects. The findings of this study will contribute to the widening of evaluation frameworks for digital government initiatives.

The mGov4EU project represents an ambitious effort to revolutionise European mobile government services. It aims to develop an ecosystem that integrates state-of-the-art digital wallet approaches within the framework of eIDAS and SDG. This initiative is pivotal in fostering a seamless interface between citizens, businesses, and public administrations, enhancing the efficiency and user experience in accessing government services. Despite its potential, the mGov4EU project confronts many challenges, including legal compliance, technical interoperability, user acceptance, and the formulation of viable and sustainable business models. These challenges are particularly pronounced in the public sector, where traditional business strategies may not align seamlessly with innovative digital service models. This chapter focuses on examining the business model aspects of the mGov4EU project. It explores the strategies and priorities of the project’s partners, particularly in the context of sustaining and scaling the project outcomes within the European framework. It reflects on decisions, as well as challenges accordingly.

This chapter uses the lessons learned from technical work and piloting of the mGov4EU project, as well as experience made so far in developing the Single Digital Gateway (SDG) Once-Only Technical System (OOTS) and the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW). These are our basis, and we dare to look into the future. The two European flagship policy initiatives OOTS and EUDIW are meant to facilitate citizens’ journey through European public services but also are meant as tools to navigate private services in the Digital Single Market. It, however, would be naïve to assume that setting such complex systems into production is the end of an endeavour. We might only learn through first experience where pitfalls lie but in particular what opportunities are given that haven’t been seen before. We, therefore, give authors’ views on where this road might lead us and what research might be essential to get there. The chapter, thus, aims at anticipating what might be needed to reap the benefits of OOTS and EUDIW in a mobile world from a governance perspective, a privacy and data protection perspective, a services perspective and a mobile technologies perspective. Therefore, each section first sets the scene by outlining the status. This is followed by addressing some challenges and gives an outlook by indicating how research might address these challenges.

Despite the rapid advancement of digital technologies in governance, there remains a significant gap in understanding the complex interplay between various stakeholders and the actual needs of end users. This disconnect poses a challenge in designing and implementing effective, user-centric digital government services. This chapter provides an in-depth exploration of the evolving landscape of mGovernment and eGovernment, primarily through the lens of stakeholder dynamics and end-user perspectives. It situates its inquiry within the broader context of the mGov4EU project, emphasising the growing importance of digital governance in modern public administration. The core focus of this chapter is to dissect and analyse the roles, challenges, and expectations of diverse stakeholders in the mGovernment and eGovernment domains. Simultaneously, it prioritises end-user experience, stressing its vital role in the success of digital governance initiatives. Case studies from Austria, Estonia, and Germany provide practical insights into these dynamics. The key findings comprise the necessity for nuanced stakeholder analysis in digital governance projects and the imperative of a user-centric approach in service design. It reveals how stakeholder engagement and user satisfaction are pivotal for the adoption and effectiveness of mGovernment and eGovernment services. Concluding with a forward-looking perspective, the chapter advocates for continuous adaptation and innovation in digital governance. It calls for more inclusive and participatory frameworks that accommodate evolving stakeholder needs and enhance end-user experiences, thereby setting a roadmap for future research and practice in digital government.