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WHILE RESEARcH HAS REPEATEDLY shown the benefits of participation in extracurricular activities for adolescents, few studies have focused on very young children. Extra-curricular activities afford children opportunities for development and can also influence their behaviour. Children's behaviour is an important predictor of their future successes or failures. This study investigated the relationship between behaviour and participation in extra-curricular activities in children aged between five and eight years. Mothers of children (n = 906) in Prep to Year 3 from seven schools in middle-to high-SES areas from a regional city participated in the study. Mothers gave details of their child's extra-curricular activities and used the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) (Goodman, 1997) to measure their child's behaviour. Low scores on the SDQ indicate normal behaviour while high scores indicate borderline or abnormal behaviour. Participation, number of activities, and duration of activities were all associated with children's behaviour. Children who participated in extra-curricular activities had lower behaviour scores than those who did not. The results suggest that children benefit from participating in two or more activities for 80-90 minutes per week. *Total adds to more than 100%, as children could participate in more than one activity.

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Classroom management is a serious concern for beginning teachers including preservice teachers. The Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment (DETE) has developed the Essential Skills for Classroom Management (ESCM), a system of positive and pro-active strategies for maintaining supportive learning environments. In addition, the DETE offers Classroom Profiling, a data driven, non-judgmental process to allow teachers to reflect on the classroom management strategies they employ. This qualitative study investigated whether Classroom Profiling training could increase preservice teachers' knowledge and confidence in using ESCM. Fifteen preservice teachers in their final year of a Bachelor of Education degree in Far North Queensland participated in the study. Methods included surveys and a focus group discussion. Findings suggested that Classroom Profiling training improved preservice teachers' perceptions of their knowledge and confidence in classroom management techniques including the ESCM

Teacher perceptions and self-reported practices of education for sustainability in the early years of primary school: an