Book review: Children’s Life-Histories in Primary Schools: Imagining schooling as a positive experience, by Eleanore Hargreaves, Denise Buchanan and Laura Quick

The aim of this research is to adapt the Positive Experiences at School Scale for the Turkish culture. The study group was composed of 635 students studying in a primary school and four secondary schools in the academic year of 2013-2014 in Çanakkale. 327 of the students (52%) were female, 308 of them (48%) were male. In the research, the Positive Experiences at School Scale, the Comprehensive School Satisfaction Scale for Children and the Positive and Negative Experiences Scale were used for data collection. As a result of exploratory factor analysis, the variance explained by four subscales was 60%. As a result of confirmatory factor analysis, fit indices related to the model were observed to be in acceptable level. The results of a convergent validity study showed that positive experiences at school were positively associated with school satisfaction and positive experiences, and were negatively associated with negative experiences. Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient of the scale was calculated as follows: .70 for gratitude, .80 for zest, .63 for optimism, .73 for perseverance and .86 for the overall scale. Results showed that the scale was a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating positive school experience in Turkish culture. ÖzetBu araştırmanın amacı, Okulda Pozitif Yaşantılar Ölçeği'nin Türkçeye uyarlama çalışmasını yapmaktır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu Çanakkale ilinde 2013-2014 eğitim-öğretim yılında bir ilkokul ve dört ortaokulda öğrenim gören 635 öğrenciden oluşmaktadır. Öğrencilerin 327’si (%52) kız, 308’i (%48) erkektir. Araştırmada veri toplamak için Okulda Pozitif Yaşantılar Ölçeği, Çocuklar İçin Kapsamlı Okul Doyumu Ölçeği ve Olumlu ve Olumsuz Yaşantı Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Açımlayıcı faktör analizi sonucunda dört alt boyutun açıklamış olduğu varyans %60'tır. Doğrulayıcı faktör analizi sonucunda modele ilişkin uyum indekslerinin kabul edilebilir düzeyde olduğu görülmüştür. Uyum geçerliği çalışması sonuçları okulda pozitif yaşantıların okul doyumu ve pozitif yaşantılar ile olumlu; negatif yaşantılar ile olumsuz ilişkili olduğunu göstermiştir. Ölçeğin Cronbach alfa iç tutarlık katsayısı minnettarlık için .70, yaşam coşkusu için .80, iyimserlik için .63, sebat için .73 ve ölçeğin geneli için .86 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Bulgular ölçeğin Türk kültüründe pozitif okul yaşantılarını değerlendirmeye yönelik geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı olduğunu göstermiştir.

What are the positive and negative work experiences reported by teachers, and how do these contribute to their quality of work life? This paper reports structural equation analyses conducted on questionnaire data obtained during three studies from 1539 Australian primary and secondary school teachers. Drawing on perceived quality of life research it was hypothesized that psychological distress and morale would be separate outcomes of positive and negative work experiences. Results confirmed that psychological distress and morale operate on different dimensions. Three structural equation models showed that positive experiences were stronger determinants of morale than psychological distress, whereas negative experiences were stronger determinants of psychological distress than morale. Psychological distress and morale contributed equally to teachers' overall quality of work life. When examined simultaneously it was found that positive experiences contributed only to morale whilst negative experiences contributed only to psychological distress. These findings challenge conventional wisdom and suggest that it is not possible to enhance morale by reducing negative experiences, nor is it possible to reduce psychological distress by focusing on positive experiences.

Students flourish by having positive learning experiences at school. Here we describe an action research study undertaken in an Australian primary school that was intended to promote the development of students’ positive learning identities and resources. We partnered with classroom teachers to devise pedagogical practices that explicitly targeted the development of students’ positive cognitions, positive emotions and positive experiences. Two main lines of inquiry guided the action research: (i) what might ‘positivity’ look like in relation to learning, for students within primary school classrooms? and (ii) what kinds of pedagogical practices promote positivity within the classroom? Data were collected over an 18-month period and drew from two cycles of action research which generated teacher reflections and interviews, observations of classroom teaching and learning episodes, rich descriptive field notes, anecdotal feedback from parents, as well as student reflections and student focus group interviews. Practice theory was used to analyse the data. Our findings indicate that there are explicit learning behaviours and dispositions that represent positivity in a learning context; and we identify pedagogical practices effective for fostering these behaviours and dispositions. These practices, referred to here as positive pedagogies, include teacher talk, social and emotional resources for students, the supplementation of lessons with resource building materials and the development of individualised learning goals that target the development of positive cognitions, emotions and experiences. We provide a detailed commentary of the action research cycles (and related professional learning) that classroom teachers undertook in the process of contributing to the ‘positive pedagogies’ presented.

The paper presents results of a study that was focused on testing the hypothesis that the levels of kindergarten and primary school students' positive emotions, engagement and positive experience will be significantly different while they play free-form and structured digital games. In the context of this study, students' emotion, engagement and experience were assessed through three corresponding questionnaires drawn from the literature. These questionnaires were completed for approx. 500 students of public kindergartens and primary schools located in Athens, Greece. From the analysis of the data collected, free-form digital games are found to lead students towards more positive emotions, higher engagement and more positive player experience. On top of that, a significant correlation is found between positive emotions, engagement and positive experience; the more positive the students' emotion while playing digital games, the higher appears to be their engagement and positive player experience.

Objective: Transition from primary school to secondary school is an important point in a young person's development. Children's experiences at transition have been found to have an enduring impact on their social and academic performance and potentially their success or failure at secondary school. This primary-secondary transition frequently presents challenges for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), resulting in uncertainty and anxiety. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of children with ASD, on the topic of which features of school environment fit more or less well with their needs, as they transferred from primary to secondary schools.Method: Semi-structured interviews were used to gather the experiences of 6 students with ASD, and their parents, before and after the transition to secondary school. A thematic analysis of these data identified common themes that captured the fits and misfits between the children's needs and their primary and secondary school environments.Result: Overall, participants voiced more positive perspectives of secondary school than primary school. Data analysis identified themes of feelings about school, peer relationships, relationship with school staff, curriculum, school organization, and accommodations.Conclusion: Inclusion and integration of students with ASD in mainstream secondary schools at transition can be a positive experience when the school environments are a good fit with the individual needs of each child with ASD. The transition can be challenging for children when a one size fits all approach is taken.

Physical education (PE) researchers sustain that the teaching styles adopted by PE teachers play a key role in defining children’s positive experiences during lessons and have a relevant impact on their psychophysical health. However, a limited number of studies has examined the effect of teaching styles on these aspects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an integrated approach mainly based on integration of multi-teaching styles and active reflection (MTA) on the fitness level, motor competence, enjoyment, self-perception, amount of physical activity (PA), and children’s perception of PE, in Italian primary school children. Participants were 121 children from three elementary schools. Children were randomly assigned into two groups: (a) an intervention group (IG) that received PE lessons based on MTA provided by specifically trained PE students, and (b) a control group (CG) that received standard PE lessons (S-PE) from primary school classroom teachers. Both groups engaged in two PE lessons per week lasting 1 h each for 12 weeks. The findings revealed an increase in the children’s fitness level, motor competence, enjoyment and amount of PA in the IG compared to those in the CG. Furthermore, the children of the IG spent more time being engaged on a task, reflecting on it, and wasted less time during PE compared to the children of the CG. Finally, the children of the IG reported higher levels of satisfaction with PE lessons and teaching styles compared to children of the CG. Integration of different teaching styles lead by specifically trained educators can be suggested as a valuable strategy to provide learning experiences of children of primary school to have positive effects on their physical literacy development promoting healthy lifestyles.

Background Family–school connections during the transition from preschool to primary school are crucial, as they serve to bridge the gap between the home and school learning environments. In order to support children’s learning and engagement throughout their school career, more needs to be understood about the factors that contribute to successful or difficult transition experiences during this critical period. Purpose This case study was part of the Children’s School Lives (CSL) national longitudinal study of Irish primary schooling. It aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of mothers’ experiences of family–school connectivity during their child’s transition to primary school in Ireland, exploring how these connections helped them manage their experiences of the transition. Method A qualitative, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach was used to investigate mothers’ experiences of the transition to primary school from preschool. The analysis drew on data collected from semi-structured interviews carried out with five mothers of children who had started primary school. Findings Overall, findings from the analysis suggested that mothers had positive experiences of family–school connectivity during the transition period and indicated high levels of trust in their children’s teachers and their abilities. Mothers expressed a desire to be active participants in their child’s learning and transition experience, as well as to develop quality connections with their child’s school and teachers through regular communication and familiarity with the school environment. However, the analysis identified that experiences among the mothers were mixed. Conclusion This study offers insight into the need to develop consistent policy and practice across schools in terms of opportunities to contact teachers, parent–school communication and transition activities held by schools. It highlights the importance of creating strong bridges between families and schools and positive transition experiences for children entering primary school.

The chapter starts with a quotation from eight-year-old Harriet who told us during the Children’s Life-Histories in Primary Schools (CLIPS) project that in her classroom, she believed: ‘I got rejected … Everyone else is smarter than me … Shouting at us doesn’t make it better’. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s conceptualisation of social justice as parity of participation, we introduce the suggestion that some children experience status-subordination and non-participation during schooling, because of their designation as below-age-level expectation in tests of mathematics and English. We contrast these negative feelings with the positive experience or wellbeing depicted by Ryan and Deci as founded in a person’s achievement of agency, also necessitating their strong Sense of Competence and Sense of Relatedness. Moving to Chris Watkins’ education-focused work, we then differentiate between the processes of learning; with those of performance, highlighting how the latter may erode the motivation and engagement of ‘lower-attainers’. The chapter then takes the reader through the following eight chapters of the book which revisit the above authors and issues in detail.

Despite advances in the rights and recognition of sexuality and gender diverse people, Australian schools continue to fail queer young people. While emergent research has rejected discourses of victimization by illuminating positive experiences of queer students to propose a pathway towards justice, the exploration of queerness in primary schools remains hindered by moral panic and the erroneous oversexualisation of these identities. This study contributes to this scholarship by identifying features of schooling that foster affirmation and acceptance, focusing on queer young people’s lived and imagined experiences. Semi-structured interviews with seven young adults prompted reflections on their primary school years and visions of how institutions could have better supported queer identities. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed that positive experiences stemmed from supportive staff, peers, and institutional cultures, yet participants’ imagined experiences envisioned explicit, proactive allyship – visible queer representation, affirming curricula, and confident advocacy. This paper argues for embedding queer justice institutionally through education and allyship.

"Research studies suggest the importance of some developmental assets in promoting positive youth development: studies on Social and Emotional Learning have shown the benefits of acquiring these competencies on academic performance and well-being. In addition, future orientation emerged as a dimension that impacts on nonadaptive behaviors and educational performance but also on the agency they recognize themselves over their life trajectory and goals, reach greater academic achievement. Limited evidence is available on the role of and relationships between the developmental assets mentioned in primary school children. The study aims to deepen our understanding on how do these developmental assets vary in primary school children and what are the relationships between Social Emotional Competences that primary school children recognize themselves and both school engagement and future orientation. Data collected in a psychoeducational action promoted by the PSSmile project (Social-Emotional Capacity Building in Primary Education, http://smile.emundus.lt/) were used to address these questions. A hundred and fifty four, 8 to 11 years old, primary school students participated in the study. Direct and indirect, qualitative and quantitative tools have been used to address the study issues. The analyses confirm the specific patterns that characterize the two age groups. Specific relationships and patterns of association emerge between main dimensions of Social Emotional Competences, Positive Experiences and belonging at school, and Future Orientation. The need to address these issues early in primary school and understand the variability that may lead to vulnerability in the development emerge, and, stemming also from current societal challenges and consequences of the global pandemic, to promote educational and prevention actions."

ABSTRACTA review of educational policies and procedures in Botswana reveals that inclusion of learners with special educational needs (SENs) in regular classrooms is currently the main policy and school practice. However, there are variations in the way inclusion is being practiced and implemented throughout the country. The purpose of this present study was to examine the experiences of inclusion by learners with SENs in Botswana’s primary schools. Using a qualitative approach, 36 learners with SENs as well as 36 learners without SENs were engaged in twelve focus group discussions from six primary schools. Six focus group were for learners with SENs and the other six were for learners without SENs. Objectives of these focus group interviews were to gather day-to-day experiences of learners in general education classrooms since they were the recipients and participants of an inclusive practice. The findings revealed that although, learners with SENs had positive experiences about inclusion, they equally faced barriers in accessing curriculum. Implications of the findings are discussed in order to promote wider participation for learners with SENs in Botswana primary schools.

After the preschool, primary school is the first educational institution where the pupil encounters difficulties in the learning process. The first years of schooling form the basis for further education, influencing the child's social, physical, cognitive, emotional, and psychological development. For this development to be successful, it is essential to be aware of the pedagogical demands placed upon children and their resources in meeting them. Considering the peculiarities of the primary school age group, the curriculum requirements and desired outcomes can be rated as very high, which a pupil can only achieve with an increased effort, extra learning hours and prolonged concentration – the resources that are not characteristic for primary school pupils. As the requirements exceed the resources on the regular basis, the child is exposed to increased stress level, and if it is prolonged, the child's overall development is adversely affected, as well as his/her attitude and abilities. In this stage, it is important to ensure positive development of systematic and purposeful working skills, healthy self-confidence, cooperation and self-management skills, so that the child develops as a self-sufficient, active citizen of Latvia. Formation of a positive stress experience in the childhood supports successful child’s personal growth and development in the future. In the pedagogical process, it is important not only to identify the causes of children's stress, but also to teach how to reduce stress and how to manage the consequences. Further research and particularly action research studies are needed in primary schools of Latvia fully assessing the children’s workloads in practice and determining the level of stress associated with learning.

Teachers’ positive attitude is most critically and consistently associated with successful inclusion. However, little is known about teachers’ first-hand encounters with inclusive education in Singapore. We present findings from a qualitative study on inclusion based on focus group interviews with 202 teachers from 41 resourced primary schools. The data were transcribed and coded using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis and NVIVO software. Two broad clusters identified were teachers’ positive and negative experiences in implementing inclusion. More reference was made to negative than positive experiences. The most dominant negative experience was stress from challenging behaviours and instructional difficulties of catering adequately for diverse needs in the same classroom. The most salient positive experience was satisfaction with pupils’ progress and new learning for teachers. Classroom practices that facilitated inclusion and the value of training in shaping teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion were highlighted.

School readiness has a profound educational value for children's positive adjustment to primary school and holistic development. However, little research sufficiently addresses how young children view multifaceted components of learning, such as cognitive, affective and behavioural experiences on school readiness. A timely understanding of children's perceptions and experiences is crucial to shed light on how to promote transition and improve children's school readiness. This study investigated the perceptions and experiences of 41 children in China (5–6 years of age, 23 girls) regarding their school readiness based on Mosaic approach methods. The results indicated that young children have their own unique perceptions, emotional and behavioural experiences of school readiness. The perceptions of school readiness include four aspects of material supplies, subjects knowledge, interests and specialties and behavioural habits, which has similarities to that of adults in aspects of academic knowledge and social rules. Nevertheless, findings revealed young children view interests and strengths as important part of school readiness, reflecting their personal preferences and abilities. The emotional experiences could be considered positive or negative, with positive emotional experiences expressing children's curiosity and expectation, fulfilment and pleasure, and negative emotional experiences expressing academic burden, rules pressure and social worries, which need to be addressed. Young children's behavioural experiences with school readiness present two patterns of passive acceptance and active participation, they are eager to participate in activities and have a strong desire to explore and learn. Our findings extend beyond existing conception of school readiness, and give greater weight to children's interests and strengths, positive experiences and active participation. It is important to focus on children's intrinsic interests and strengths, accept children's ideas and choices, care for their emotional state and provide positive support.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought challenges to families around the world. The prolonged school closures in Hong Kong have forced young students to stay at home and adapt to remote learning for over a year, putting their mental health conditions at risk. Focusing on primary school students and their parents, the main objective of our research is to investigate the socioemotional factors and their associations with mental health conditions.MethodsA total of 700 Hong Kong primary schoolers (mean age = 8.2) reported their emotional experiences, loneliness, and academic self-concept via a user-friendly online survey; 537 parents reported depression and anxiety, perceived child depression and anxiety, and social support. Responses from students and parents were paired to account for the family context. Structural Equation Modeling was used for correlations and regressions.ResultsThe results of students’ responses showed that positive emotional experiences were negatively associated with loneliness and positively related to academic self-concept among students. Furthermore, the paired sample results showed that, during the one-year societal lockdown and remote learning period, the socioemotional factors were associated with mental health conditions among primary school students and their parents. Among our family sample in Hong Kong, evidence supports the unique negative association between students-reported positive emotional experiences and parents-reported child depression and anxiety, as well as between social support and parents’ depression and anxiety.ConclusionsThese findings highlighted the associations between socioemotional factors and mental health among young primary schoolers during the societal lockdown. We thus call for more attention to the societal lockdown and remote learning context, especially since the social distancing practice could be “the new normal” for our society to handle the future pandemic crisis.