Vasiliki Karavida

• Associate Professor - Department of Early Years Learning & Care - University of Ioannina
• Associate Professor at University of Ioannina

Recently, maternal breastfeeding in Greece has shown a positive trend. However, breastfeeding rates in Greece still lag behind those of other European countries. The participants of this quantitative study were recruited via social media and by personal connections. Data were gathered through questionnaire and analyzed utilizing descriptive statist...

The Montessori method offers an alternative approach to public and independent schooling. In the Greek educational system, the Montessori method is mainly applied in preschool and primary educational contexts. The main research objective was to investigate the early mathematical competence of students aged 4-7 years old attending a Montessori presc...

The home learning environment (HLE) is the first environment in which children's early learning takes place. A number of studies have provided empirical evidence that the HLE contributes to children's cognitive, socio-emotional development. This study addresses the question of the factors that can be associated with creating a positive learning env...

Financial literacy, viewed not only as a fundamental skill but also as an investment, proves valuable for individuals, aiding them in making sound financial decisions and savings. In the current societal landscape, where financial responsibilities are important, instilling financial education early on through suitable programs becomes pivotal, part...

The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of intergenerational play on grandparents and children relationship according to the teachers’ and grandparents’ point of view during the traditional playing. It is claimed that traditional games improve relationships within the family and strengthen the bond between children and grandparents. Gran...

Child-care researchers agree on the importance of preschool quality as an essential factor in developmental and cognitive outcomes. This study is a first attempt to assess structural and process aspects of Greek private and state preschool settings after the COVID-19 crisis and to provide empirical evidence for efforts to maintain the early childho...

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact around the world and has drastically changed the field of education. In addition to instructional materials, new technologies enabled access to new learning environments. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted some significant disparities between conventional information and communication techn...

The importance of socialization for children, in terms of secondary socialization is demonstrated through teachers' and parents' perceptions of the changes they have noticed in their children as a result of following the transition to online schooling. Pretest and posttest data were collected through qualitative interviews with in-service teachers...

The aim of this study was to find out if educational activities about friendship can lead to children's well-being, socialization and adaptation in the preschool setting according to parents’ perceptions. It is generally accepted that there are strong links between subjective feelings of well-being and companionship (family solidarity and friendshi...

The aim of the study was to examine whether participation of academic students in experiential activities during their semester lessons could facilitate their learning and improve their exam performance. The study involved 68 students of an Early Years Learning & Care Department, who volunteered and committed to attend all semester lessons. All stu...

Background: Current research and the bibliography suggest that both synchronous and asynchronous distance education in the early years of education is a new era to explore the teaching of young children. Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the extent of use of online classroom platforms in early years, both in the private and public sector, a...

In educational practice, the principal aim of the teacher is to enhance the all-round development of children and their active participation in the teaching and learning process. According to Montessori, children learn more effectively when they discover knowledge themselves, through self-exploratory learning and experiential approach to knowledge....

Experiences with food preferences begin in infancy and continue to develop on children transition to solid food. Children’s food preferences are influenced by availability and familiarity with foods as well as parental modeling and health related picture books. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether picture-books regarding healthy lifestyle c...

Pretend play in early years is considered key to the development of both children’s and pre-service teachers’ skills. Teachers’ involvement in pretend play might be an effective tool for supporting children’s play skills and self-confidence, communication, cooperation and decision-making. Drawing on qualitative interviews with pre-service and in-se...

Context: A lot of parents whose children are overweight or even obese are in no position to accurately acknowledge the real weight of their children. Parents' perception of their children's weight plays a significant role in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. Aims: This paper describes parents' opinions on the real weight status...

Emergencies like Covid-19 brought distance education to the fore, as countries were forced to close the campuses and initiate online teaching. Many universities in the country supported a distance education program aimed at students who had experienced an unprecedented experience. Thus, 155 students from the Greek department of Early Years Learning...

Students’ pre-service teachers’ placements in preschool settings are an integral part of the educational process within the educational institutions. During their placement students receive art education and are invited to implement art-related programs. The aim of the study was to perceive the anxieties students face when engaging in practice of a...

Obesity during infancy and childhood is a threat for children's health and has reached alarming dimensions worldwide. This is one of the most common eating problems with short and long-term effects on both physical and psychological development of the children. Childhood is a critical stage in human life, as developing eating habits lay the foundat...

Children's outdoor play is declining despite the clear interaction between play, learning and child development. Therefore, the children need alternative forms of learning that, among other things, provide them with the opportunity to play outdoors. Forest schools recommend a pedagogical process that takes place in the natural environment, outside...

According to Montessori, children learn more effectively when they discover knowledge on their own, through spontaneous exploratory learning and experiential approach to knowledge, focusing primarily on trusting the child and respecting his exceptional capabilities and skills. The Montessori educational approach was implemented in a public preschoo...

Human brain begins to develop from uterus to postnatal period, affected by a genetic program in which diet holds a distinguished role. Research evidence has shown that diet in early life has a significant long-term impact on health and development. Moreover, food deprivation during early life affects physiology and brain biochemistry and connects t...

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 disruption on university students, namely pre-service teachers from an Early Years Learning and Care Department in Greece. The study was conducted by the end of the third month of higher education lockdown and online shift, a period which coincides with the completion of the online courses...

Cr-EAT-ive Schools Feasibility Study is a research-based innovative project which aims to reduce food waste. In order to conduct the study, a pilot action was implemented to public and private Kindergarten, which involved headmasters, teachers, parents and canteen staff. The key-aspect of this pilot action was the parents’ volunteering two-week com...

This paper presents a study aimed at investigating 3-to 4-year old children's perceptions of friendship and difference and the effects of the systematic use of art on these issues. There is a considerable number of scholars suggesting that art-based experience, as a form of expressive way of knowing, can contribute to the development of creative an...

The aim of this study is to estimate children's knowledge on healthy eating habits through art-based activities. Several studies provide the value of nutrition and environmental education programs as well as arts participation early in life. Art activities stimulate creativity, build brain capacity by providing new problems to solve and attest posi...

Human brain development begins in the uterus and continues in the early postnatal period. Individual brain development follows a genetic program that is affected by environmental factors, including nutrition. This article highlights the multifaceted effects of nutrition on the development of the child’s brain, based on data derived from review of t...

Early childhood is a basic stage for the child's later life. During this period, apart from the physical one, the brain development, as well as the foundations for cognitive development and social-emotional skills up to adulthood, is laid. Proper nutrition plays a key role in optimal brain function. When a child is adequately fed, the basis for smo...

Introduction: Obesity in childhood is one of the most important public health problems of the 21st century. Early influences, beginning in intrauterine environmental and continuing through the first few years of life, play important role in weight gain during childhood with consequences that last until adulthood. Purpose: This study is a literature...

Childhood obesity is one of the most common eating disorders and the prevalence of overweight and obese children is growing rapidly worldwide, in both developed and developing countries. Obesity in the early years of a child’s life is particularly hazardous, both because of its impact on the physical and psychosocial development of the child, and b...

Η παρούσα μελέτη διερευνά την ουσιώδη και κριτική σημασία της υγιούς, τροφοδοτικής/τονωτικής ανθρώπινης αφής, στην οργανική, συναισθηματική και κοινωνική συμπεριφορά και ανάπτυξη βρεφών και νηπίων (Underdown, 2009). Μέσω του δέρματος και της ανθρώπινης αφής, ως διαμεσολαβητικό μέσο μεταξύ του εσωτερικού και εξωτερικού κόσμου, εστιάζουμε στις ποικίλ...