Research on developmental and time-related trends (cohort effects) of anxiety is important for the assessment of anxiety levels that are not in line with expected developmental trends, and are in need of intervention. We present theresults of a large cross-sectional, two-wave cohort study for anxiety for emotional and cognitive components of anxiety, respectively. We measured anxiety using the Lestvica Anksioznosti za Otroke in Mladostnike [LAOM (Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents)] anxiety scale (general trait anxiety, and two cognitive components and one emotional component) in two age groups: 10-year-olds (N 4351; 2621 males and 2663 females), and 14-year-olds(N= 4043; 2545 males and 2569 females) over a 4-year period (2007-2011). The results of threeway analysis of variance showed significant gender, age and cohort effects with significant age X gender interaction effects (n2=0.002) and age X cohort effects (n2=0.000). The effect sizesare small. As expected, females showed higher levels of anxiety and, in line with developmental trends, 14-year-olds showed higher levels of anxiety compared with 10-year-olds. The time-related trends (cohort effects) show a significant increase in anxiety and its components from 2007 to 2011. The effect sizes are small, with cohort effect being the largest one (.07 d .34) and larger effect sizes generally in 14-year-olds than in 10-yearolds. The implications of the findings are discussed, and in line with the results early intervention is supported.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2614615
In this study, we analyse the predictive power of home and school environment-related factors for determining pupilsʼ aggression. The multiple regression analyses are performed for fourth- and eighth-grade pupils based on the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007 (N = 8394) and TIMSS 2011 (N = 9415) databases for Slovenia. At the national level, the Lestvica agresivnosti aggression scale was administered in both TIMSS cycles. For home environment variables, we included those related to socio-economic status, pupilsʼ educational aspirations, parental activities with their children and pupilsʼ free time activities. The results show that the variables related to socio-economic status, spare time activities and parental activities are significant predictors. The results differ in both analysed data-sets. For school environment variables, we include those related to the school climate, pupilsʼ attitudes towards school and school subjects and pupilsʼ achievement in mathematics. We find that the variables related to school climate and studentsʼ self-confidence are significant predictors. These results are stable in both years. The predictive power of the school characteristics model (including only the school environment variables) is larger (based on the proportion of explained variance) compared with the home characteristics model. The hierarchical linear model of data from 2007 to 2011 shows small differences in aggression between schools. The inclusion of two data cycles collected in two time- periods allows us to observe changes in aggression predictors over time. Practical implications are finally included.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2730839
Understanding the risk and protective factors for developing high levels of anxiety is critical to the development of effective anxiety prevention programs. Inthe current study we focused on the predictive power of home- and schoolenvironment-related factors on pupils' anxiety. In the study design we administeredanxiety scale (LAOM [Lestvica Anksioznosti za Otroke in Mladostnike] on thenational sample of TIMSS (Trends in International Math and Science Study) study.We used the same sample as TIMSS does in order to use TIMSS data base as a poolof possible predictors for anxiety. The rationale for including TIMSS data base inour research was on one hand inclusion of large representative samples in theTIMSS study and therefore gaining greater generalization of results and on other gaining a lot of variables from TIMSS background questionnaire that we used aspossible predictors. In order to monitor predictors of anxiety in time weadministered the same trait anxiety scale in TIMSS 2007 and in TIMSS 2011 (thetarget grade was 4 in both years, the students were not the same). TIMSS measuredachievement and with achievement related characteristics of students and theirbackground in 4th and 8th grade. Due to late childhood being critical period fordeveloping higher levels of anxiety we used 4th grade samples (N TIMSS 2007 = 4,049; NTIMSS 2011 = 3,951). The predictive power was established using multiple regression analyses separately for year 2007 and for year 2011 and separately for schoolrelated predictors and home related predictors. The results show greaterpredictive power for school related characterises (e.g. confidence regarding schoolsubjects, achievement) (percentage of explained variance varies between 13 and16 percent) in comparisons to home related characteristics (e.g. spare time activities, parental activities) (percentage of explained variance is around 2percent). As far as school related characteristics are concerned the results showedstability from 2007 to 2011 (the predictors are similar in both years). The results of hierarchical analyses showed that the differences between schools in anxiety were too small to use hierarchical predictive models. Practical implications and limitations of the results are discussed.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2698327
As anxiety and aggression have a large number of adverse effects on individuals, the school and the society at large, they are often at the forefront of discussions held by researchers, experts and practitioners alike. The aim of this publication is to aid in efficient prevention and reduction of anxiety- and aggression-related problems that has been adapted for use in the Slovenia environment. Reduction strategies have been devised on the basis of a theoretical review of factors and trends related to anxiety and aggression. The theoretical parts of the publication are combined with the empirical parts (which place the theoretical framework within the context of Slovenia) and combined they allow addressing anxiety and aggression in a comprehensive way. The content of the publication is divided into four interconnected sections. The (i) introductory presentation of the two concepts is followed by (ii) an analysis of the explanatory factors of anxiety and aggression at the levels of individuals and schools, (iii) an analysis of developmental trends of anxiety and aggression and, in the concluding part, (i) anxiety and aggression reduction strategies by means of the anxiety-aggression model, as well as an example of simultaneous reduction in both anxiety and aggression. The basic premise for the reduction was the relationship between anxiety and aggression, which are closely intertwined in spite of their conceptual differences. This intertwined relationship was taken into account in planning prevention and reduction strategies for both anxiety and aggression, and then a hypothesis was formulated according to which increased anxiety implies increased aggression. Based on this assumption, our aim was to examine whether reducing anxiety can also result in reducing aggression. Research has shown that aggression reduction strategies have for the most part been unsuccessful in both Slovenia and in other countries. The reason for this may be in that their focus is on the changes in aggressive behaviour rather than its causes, whereas anxiety reduction strategies, the cognitive-behavioural approaches in particular, have proven more effective. The anxiety-aggression model was tested by means of the internationally recognised anxiety reduction programme (Barrett, 2005). The publication addresses anxiety and aggression within the school environment, where children and adolescents spend the majority of their time (in addition to their homes), which makes the school environment an important developmental factor (also when it comes to the development of anxiety and aggression). We hope the publication will prove helpful for anyone who deals with anxiety- and aggression-related problems on a daily basis, for the purposes of which guidelines for the practice of schools have been added in each chapter.
COBISS.SI-ID: 282525184
This paper focuses on the assumption that students' learning outcomes can be influenced byfostering social and emotional learning and by reducing their anxiety. Learning and teaching inschools are not only characterised by a strong cognitive component, but also by emotional andsocial components (Zins, Weissberg,Wang and Walberg, 2004). Social and emotional learning involves the processes of acquiring the fundamental skills of identifying and regulating emotions,setting and achieving positive goals, taking into consideration other people's perspectives,establishing and maintaining positive relationships, taking responsible decisions and dealing with interpersonal conflicts in a constructive way (Elias, Zins, Weissberg, Frey, Greenberg, Haynes etal., 1997, in Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Schellinger and Taylor, 2011). Students' lack of social and emotional skills, together with their low level of connection with school in the transition to upper secondary education, may lead them to lower academic achievement or even dropouts (Blum and Libbey, 2004). In addition to students' greater social and emotional competencies, social and emotional learning also improves their view of themselves, others and school, and at a school level decreases the frequency of aggressive behaviour, fosters cooperative behaviour within the classroom and increases academic achievement (Durlak et al., 2011). Studies have revealed that achievement in Year Eight can be predicted more efficiently from the data on pupils' social and emotional skills from five years ago than the data on their learning achievement from the same period (Barrett, 2012). Several universal prevention programmes have been developed for the purposes of encouraging social and emotional learning, where the FRIENDS programme has proven to be especially effective (Barrett, 2005). In addition to the positive impacts on an individual, the programme also achieves positive impacts on the school as a whole.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2643031