Leading with humour and its effect on resilience in the workplace: The perspectives of principals in Kuwaiti secondary schools

This study aimed to explore the extent to which the principals of secondary schools in the State of Kuwait said they practiced leadership with humour and if it impacts on their level of resilience in the workplace. The study sample consisted of 121 male and female secondary school principals from six educational districts in Kuwait who were selected using the random stratified method. The study findings showed that the perceptions of school principals regarding the extent to which they practice leadership with a sense of humour were moderate in all fields. The study also found that school principals enjoy high resilience in their workplace, especially when solving a problem. Finally, the results showed that the more a school principal used humour the more resilient he/she would be in the workplace. The study concluded that humour should be considered as one factor in effective leadership and that leadership training programmes should include this dimension. The level of resilience can be clearly predicted by identifying the extent to which school principals claim to practice leading with humour.

Parents perceptions of school nurses roles: The impact of communication on students with autism spectrum disorder

This qualitative study used the nursing grounding theory to describe parents' experiences working with school nurses to elevate their child’s healthcare. Seventeen interviews were conducted with parents/primary caregivers (P/PCG) who had children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; ages six to ten). Through centering parents’ voices, the investigators were able to identify gaps in P/CG understanding of their school nurses’ roles through thematic analyses. We found that P/CG lacked the understanding of school nurses' roles and how school nurses could aid their child’s healthcare. The oversight of school nurses contributed to miscommunication, which constrained the relationship between the parent and the school nurse. These findings provide insight into the importance of enhancing communication between the parents of children with ASD and school nurses and was the catalyst to why this article was written. When healthcare professionals provide clarity and expertise to parents as to their respective roles, incorporate perspective-taking, and tailor their approaches based on their concerns, it may enhance parents’ experiences with their school nurses. In addition, school nurses should consider various routes of engaging parents so they have a deeper understanding of their responsibilities in enhancing the healthcare of children with ASD.

The Role of School Administrators in Organizational Learning Processes

This study aims to determine the perceptions of school administrators about the roles they played in the organizational learning process. In this qualitative research, interviews were conducted with 30 school administrators in Ankara, Turkey. The content obtained through interviews in a semi-structured form was analyzed descriptively and evaluated within the context of organizational learning processes. The roles of school administrators on organizational learning were discussed in three different categories: the existence or production of knowledge, the sharing or interpretation of knowledge, and the integration or institutionalization of knowledge. This study advances existing research literature by focusing on organizational learning processes.

Students’ perceptions of school sugar-free, food and exercise environments enhance healthy eating and physical activity

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationships between students’ perceptions of their school policies and environments (i.e., sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) free policy, plain water drinking, vegetables and fruit eating campaign, outdoor physical activity initiative, and the SH150 program (exercise 150 min/week at school)) and their dietary behaviors and physical activity. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Primary, middle, and high schools in Taiwan. Participants: A nationally representative sample of 2,433 primary school (5th-6th grade) students, 3,212 middle school students, and 2,829 high school students completed the online survey in 2018. Results: Multivariate analysis results showed that after controlling for school level, gender, and age, the students’ perceptions of school sugar-free policies were negatively associated with the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and positively associated with consumption of plain water. Schools’ campaigns promoting the eating of vegetables and fruit were positively associated with students’ consumption of vegetables. In addition, schools’ initiatives promoting outdoor physical activity and the SH150 program were positively associated with students’ engagement in outdoor physical activities and daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Conclusions: Students’ perceptions of healthy school policies and environments promote healthy eating and an increase in physical activity for students.

The Kids are Alright: Middle-Level Students’ Perceptions of School during COVID-19

This research sought to determine middle school students’ perceptions of the academic year they experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in a district in South Carolina. The students were surveyed three times throughout the year (beginning, midyear, and end of year), and their responses were disaggregated by the instructional model choice (face-to- face, in-person instruction, and online, virtual instruction via webcam technology). Families of students in this district were offered a choice of these two instructional models throughout the year, and the reasons for their family’s choice were surveyed. Students who were face-to-face for the entire year were more likely to perceive their school year as a positive experience than their online peers, but both groups identified that despite the circumstances, they mostly felt positive about the year, except in the case of being able to make friends, in which face-to-face students’ responses were significantly more positive. Also, students reported spending time during the previous school year’s shutdown (March 2020 to the end of the school year in June) completing many different academics and social tasks in which they were able to develop skills and direct their free time. The results of this research suggest that consistent with previous research suggesting that offering a few options results in people feeling satisfied, this research suggests that in the future, when faced with difficult choices at the district level on how to handle student experiences in unprecedented circumstances, offering choice to the students and families may benefit the outcomes of those students and the district overall.

Attitudes and Perceptions of School Teachers in Melilla Regarding the Care Provided to Students with Type 1 Diabetes

The main objective of the study was to assess the perception of non-university teachers in the city of Melilla to help students with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), as well as their attitudes towards helping these students in diabetic emergencies. This observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study analyzed the answers given by 441 teachers from 25 public institutions in the city of Melilla to a survey on the attitude and perception regarding the capacity of educational institutions (16 questions) to help and manage students with T1DM. Out of 47.6% of teachers who represent having had students with TIDM, only 4.8% acknowledged having been trained in diabetes. The percentage that has experienced a hypoglycaemia episode at the institution was 29.9%. More than half of participants acknowledged that their educational institution is not prepared to manage diabetic emergencies. Only 5.7% stated their institutions have glucagon in their first-aid kit and less than half of participants (44.7%) would be willing to administer it if necessary. Teachers of educational institutions believe they have not been particularly trained in the care of students living with T1DM and point out that their educational institutions are not prepared to help in diabetic emergencies.