Multivariate count data is ubiquitous in many areas of research including the physical, biological, and social sciences. These data are traditionally modeled with the Dirichlet Multinomial distribution (DM). A new, more flexible Dirichlet-Tree Multinomial (DTM) model is gaining in popularity. Here, we consider Bayesian DTM regression models. Our…

This qualitative study examines how elementary school teachers teach the notion of home in the curriculum, centring on the 'All About Me' and 'Where We Live' units. This study also illustrates how the notion of home presented through teaching practices can marginalise children, particularly those who are experiencing homelessness. Through…

This study reports the findings of extensive ethnographic research in which six preschoolers were observed for 2 years at a preschool in Saudi Arabia. Drawing on the sociocultural perspectives of literacy learning, this study focuses on the early literacy practices in the Saudi home context of two preschoolers and their mothers. The data described…

Sleeping difficulties among adolescents constitute a pressing public health issue, and it is of the utmost importance that these are approached from a health-promotion perspective. This study explores adolescents' suggestions on how their sleep could be supported. Data were collected via eight focus group interviews with 43 adolescents aged 15-16,…

The purpose of this study is to explore the association between marital satisfaction and social activities with parents' self-perception. Self-perception included parents' sense of self and their attitudes and beliefs about who they are as individuals and as parents. Three hundred and twenty-seven parents, having either a child with (D1-target…

Research on the implications of negative emotions for creativity has yielded mixed findings. To clarify this relationship, we conducted a short-term prospective study with data collected across two time points. We also explored the moderating roles of family expressiveness and gender in the creative process. The sample included 392 Japanese…

Children learn words in a social environment. In my dissertation, I examine how caregivers' social cues facilitate young children's word learning in settings that mirror their typical, dynamic learning environments. In Chapter 1, I overview prior work examining how social cues may support word learning, focusing on possible mechanisms underlying…

Learner variability presents an enormous challenge for teachers and schools. Even as early as kindergarten, incredible learner diversity exists in terms of children's early learning experiences, especially in mathematics. Research has shown that this variability begins in the home environment, where parents and caregivers have the biggest impact…

Perfectionism is a multidimensional personality trait with two higher-order dimensions; perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns. The purpose of the present study was to explore and evaluate the two-factor model for the first time using three instruments developed to measure perfectionism in sport. In doing so, we (i) assessed the…

The Affordances for Motor Behavior of Schoolchildren (AMBS) is a standardized self-reporting tool comprising 73 questions, organized into seven sections aiming to assess affordances in children's regular contexts. This investigation aims to establish the reliability and validity of the results obtained from the AMBS in South Indian children. The…

Literacy activities and critical thinking are two fundamental aspects in the growth and development of primary school students. Parents also play a vital role in children's lives, as they are considered their children's first educators. The time that family members spend together is invaluable and must be used to lead to the harmonious development…

Despite evidence of the benefits of early care and education (ECE) for child development and family employment, the supply of providers is scarce and variable; leading many families with young children to experience limited and inequitable access. To examine the multidetermined nature of access, this study leverages a multidimensional,…

Research on the effects of the socioeconomic status (SES) on literacy development of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) is limited. This study aimed to explore the SES's influence on literacy development of children with ID and possible mediating effects of home literacy environment (HLE) and the parent-child relationship. The subjects…

Background: Socio-economic status (SES) is a powerful predictor of attainment. Research has identified multiple mechanisms that underpin the effect of SES on attainment. For example, self-regulation (processes through which individuals direct and control their attention, emotion and behaviour) has been identified as one mechanism mediating the SES…

The call to transform education must begin with the youngest children. The world is not on track in meeting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 4.2 committing countries to ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education by 2030. There is solid scientific evidence that early…