Basic Education Research Articles

“All Hands on Deck”: The Critical Role of Non-State Actors in Basic Education in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

ABSTRACT The education landscape in low-income countries (LICs) and middle-income countries (MICs) is characterised by improving levels of school enrolments, but low levels of learning and systems performance, and critical shortfalls in education financing. In asking the question “what is the role of non-state actors in basic education in LICs and MICs?,” this article describes six features of the non-state sector landscape: (i) the non-state sector provides a large and growing share of basic education provision in LICs and MICs, (ii) this sector caters to the poor, but not to the extreme poor (nor probably should it without public subsidy), (iii) evidence on the performance of the non-state sector is mixed, (iv) Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in education are the norm rather than the exception, though regulation and PPPs are generally not done well by Governments, (v) the non-state sector has been uniquely hurt by COVID-19, but also proved to be resilient, and (vi) there are successful advocacy campaigns against the non-state sector and PPPs. Against this backdrop, we propose 10 policy measures for Governments, national actors and the international community, with a view to maximising the contribution of non-state actors to driving system-wide goals of equity, learning, and social cohesion.

Depression symptoms are associated with demographic characteristics, nutritional status, and social support among young adults in Chile: a latent class analysis

BackgroundDepressive disorders are a critical public health concern in Chile. Nonetheless, there is a lack of evidence regarding the identification of depressive symptom clusters. The objective was to identify depressive symptom clusters among Chilean young adults and examine how demographic, and lifestyle factors as well as social support can influence and predict them.MethodsCross-sectional study conducted among 1,000 participants from the Limache cohort 2. A latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify depressive symptom clusters, using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Multinomial logistic regression was then applied to explore the associations between identified classes and potential predictors. The models were adjusted by age and sex.ResultsThree latent classes of depressive symptoms were identified: minimal (25.7%); somatic (50.7%) and severe (23.6%). In the severe class for eight out nine depressive symptoms the probabilities were above 50%, and the probability of suicidal ideation was almost a third in this class. Being female (Adjusted Odds ratio [AOR], 2.49; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.63–3.81]), current smoker (AOR, 1.74; 95% CI [1.15–2.65]), having basic education (AOR, 3.12; 95% CI [1.30–7.53]) and obesity (AOR, 2.72; 95% CI [1.61–4.59]) significantly increased the likelihood of belonging to severe class. Higher social support decreased the odds of being in the somatic (OR, 0.96; 95% CI [0.93–0.98]) and severe (OR, 0.92; 95% CI [0.90–0.94]) classes.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of individualized intervention strategies for depression management. Also, the study suggests that nutritional status and social support should be considered when addressing depression in this population.

The politics of heritage education: an analysis of national curriculum guidelines in Estonia, Finland, and Sweden

ABSTRACT Heritage education is present in many educational institutions and their study programmes but not often directly addressed in national curriculum guidelines. The guideline documents of Estonia, Finland, and Sweden for compulsory basic education (children from 7 to 16 years old) are a case in point, and this article analyses how heritage is defined, in which contexts it appears, and what kind of effects it has in these educational policies. To accomplish this analysis, Critical Discourse Analysis is employed as a conceptual framework. It is argued that despite the claim made in the policies regarding heritage belonging to all, heritage is placed in opposition to history writing and associated with minority groups.

Support Tool for Fractions Concepts in Basic Education

Support Tool for Fractions Concepts in Basic Education

“When my teacher quits, I’ll quit too.” – A mixed methods study on trust and (dis-)continuation in adult basic education

ABSTRACT Democratic values and social cohesion face challenges globally, affecting education access and participation. Global education policies aim to reduce barriers, particularly in literacy and adult basic education (ABE). Low literacy levels correlate with decreased social trust and stigmatisation, hindering further education enrolment due to associated shame. Trust emerges as a pivotal need among learners, facilitating enrolment bridged by trusted individuals, and enhancing the emotional value of participation. This study investigates the role of interpersonal trust in course (dis)continuation in the field of literacy and ABE. It explores clusters of learners based on generalised and particularised trust, examining how trust influences course continuation. Survey data was collected from 79 ABE learners in Germany and an exploratory cluster analysis was conducted. In-depth interviews with 8 active learners were matched with the results of the cluster analysis and were further qualitatively analysed. The analysis revealed two distinct learner clusters determined by trust levels. Findings underline the relevance of trust in drop-out decisions, both intra-individually and interpersonally. This study seeks to contribute to the discourse on the role of trust in drop-out and retention, thus aligning with the goal of enhancing social participation through basic education.

ANALYSIS OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE IN BRAZIL

School violence has emerged as an issue of great national relevance following the occurrence of tragic incidents involving children in different states of Brazil. These shocking events raised serious concerns about safety within educational institutions and highlighted the urgency of addressing the issue of school violence throughout the country. This article aims to analyze violence in high schools through the responses of school principals. The database is based on the results of the Basic Education Assessment System (SAEB) in the years 2019 and 2021, in the context of the Brazilian states. The data show a decrease in the types of violence reported between 2019 and 2021, with the exception of the Robbery type. For the year 2021, where new types of violence were introduced, mainly of a psychological nature, the data are worrying with regard to Bullying, Vandalism and the complete lack of perception of Sexual Harassment. By better understanding the dynamics of school violence, it will be possible to develop approaches to increase social capital, thus promoting a safer and more welcoming school environment and, consequently, an increase in human capital.

On the Integration of "Teaching, Learning and Evaluation" from the Perspective of Core Literacy and its Construction Paths

In the curriculum standards for various subjects in compulsory education issued in April 2022, it is advocated that the "teaching, learning, and evaluation" be integrated, and teachers are required to transform their educational approach and pay attention to the educational function of evaluation. The integration of "teaching, learning and evaluation" is not only the basic requirement of the new curriculum scheme, but also an important path to deepen the reform of basic education curriculum teaching, but also an important measure to develop students' core quality and implement the fundamental task of cultivating morality and people. However, from the current teaching practice, there are still many problems in the integration process of "teaching, learning and evaluation". This study makes a specific analysis of this, and tries to put forward the strategy of constructing the integration of "teaching, learning and evaluation", explore the effective path to promote teaching, so that the integration of "teaching, learning and evaluation" can be implemented.

Understanding the Implementation of Law 10.639/03 through Aspects of Brazilian Society and the Education System

ABSTRACT This manuscript analyzes the development of African studies in Brazil in the context of the implementation of Law 10.639/03, enacted in January 2003, which constituted an important step for teaching about Africa and the African diaspora in schools. We will present information that helps to understand key characteristics of Brazilian society, using data provided by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, with a focus on the functioning of the Brazilian educational system. In this context, it is important to highlight the role of public measures implemented in the 2000s that facilitated a more democratic education and addressed racial and social inequalities. Central to this agenda is the understanding of the implementation of Law 10.639/03, which mandated the teaching of African history and Afro-Brazilian peoples’ history throughout the country’s basic education system. The impact of this law was extensive and also affected higher education, which had to adapt to train professionals capable of implementing this mandate. However, as we argue, it is not possible to understand Law 10.639/03 in isolation; it must be studied in conjunction with other public policies, considering the Brazilian educational system and the societal interest in learning more about African history.

Public speaking woes of academic leaders: resources and alternative ways to improve speaking with audience

Public speaking skills are essential for academic leaders because of the nature of their roles and responsibilities within educational institutions. As leaders, they often serve as spokespersons for their departments or institutions, representing their vision, goals, and achievements to various stakeholders, including students, faculty, administrators, and external partners. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of academic leaders who experience public speaking woes. This study explored their professional resources and alternative strategies to cope with public speaking anxiety. Purposive sampling (n=20) was carried out to sample the Filipino academic leaders from the basic education and higher education institutions (HEIs). The findings highlighted the importance of targeted support and resources, such as professional development workshops and a supportive learning environment, in enhancing their public speaking skills and confidence. The adoption of coping mechanisms, including regular practice and exposure to different speaking opportunities, emerged as crucial strategies for academic leaders to manage their public speaking woes effectively. These findings underscored the need for ongoing training and support initiatives to empower academic leaders in their roles and cultivate an environment conducive to their professional growth and development.

Change in care needs of people with severe mental illness with and without a non-Western migration background: are their needs equally served throughout treatment?

People with a non-Western migration background living in Western countries are more likely to experience psychiatric problems and have more severe symptoms when they do. Patients of non-Western origin also have more unmet needs for care. This study focuses on differences between Western and non-Western patients in care needs being met during the course of mental health treatment. The care needs of 1099 patients, 39% with and 61% without a non-Western migration background, recorded between 2017 and 2020 in Flexible Assertive Community Treatment, were compared. Non-Western migrants more often received psychotic disorder diagnoses, had more socio-economic problems, met, unmet and total needs for care and experienced less reduction in unmet needs during treatment. This was specifically the case for the rehabilitation areas: daily activities, treatment information, basic education, paid work and meaningful life and recovery. After controlling for socio-economic factors and diagnosis, group differences in change in number of unmet needs were no longer significant. However, the reduction in unmet needs in the areas of basic education, paid work and meaningful life and recovery remained significantly smaller for non-Western patients. Except for the rehabilitation domains of basic education, paidwork and meaningful life, the disadvantages in resolving the care needs of patients with a non-Western migration background do not remain significant after taking into account socioeconomic factors and diagnosis. Collaboration of mental health care and the social domain is warranted to improve socio-economic factors for patients with a non-Western migration background, to better address their unmet needs for care.

A figura do narrador como inspiração para a prática docente no ensino de sociologia na educação básica

The debate on Sociology in basic education in Brazil refers to the clash experienced by the figure of the narrator in medieval Europe by enabling individuals to become aware of a distant reality through the narrative whose content had meaning and distanced itself from common sense, but society Capitalist industrialism created an urban and increasingly individualized way of life in which facts became disposable when presented in the information format that made up the modern press. A similar situation finds Sociology in high school when faced with technological innovations that reiterate the immediacy of social relations in our daily lives.

(Im)mobility, literacies and second language education for adults and adolescents with limited previous education

This special issue draws attention to literacy and basic literacy education for adult and adolescent migrants with limited or no previous school background, who are learning a second language. This introduction addresses issues closely related to literacy education for this group of migrants, namely human mobility and immobility, including both horizontal (geographical and spatial) and vertical (social) mobility, as well as the interrelation between the two. Whereas some people’s mobility is considered a threat that must be regulated and restricted, other people’s mobility is encouraged. While mobility and diversity have always been intrinsic aspects of human societies, it can be concluded that social, economic and technological changes have intensified migration, the movement of artifacts and communication between people over vast distances. As mobility and diversity have increased, theoretical perspectives and research in applied linguistics and education have emerged. In this special issue, we bring together seven studies of second language and literacy education for adolescent and adult second language learners in different contexts, illustrating both similarities and differences between educational domains. The studies were conducted in Canada, Norway and Sweden. We are happy to say that the authors’ efforts have resulted in a body of work that contributes to research on literacies and literacy education for adults and adolescents with limited previous education. It is also our hope that the articles will inspire additional research in the area in the coming years.

Multiliteracies and translanguaging pedagogy in the adult L2-classroom

In this article, we study space for multiliteracies in basic literacy education for adult second language learners of Swedish for Immigrants (SFI). The teaching observed was categorised as translanguaging pedagogy, and the study was part of an action research project with Linguistic Ethnography as the methodological framework. The material used comes from classroom observations in three schools and consists of fieldnotes, recordings of teaching, photographs, handouts and other artefacts. Hornberger’s (2003) continua of biliteracy was used for the analysis. Findings show there to be space for multiliteracies in these classrooms; however, since most students in these classes have limited literacy skills in their earlier languages, the written texts used in class are mainly in Swedish. Findings also show that teaching includes practices from all points on the continua, which Hornberger (1989) highlights as important for biliterate development, in this case to a lesser extent for written language. The shuttling between the ends of all continua is particularly important for students in SFI, Study Path One, who tend to have low status in, for example, the workforce and society. Findings also show that images tend to be used as tools rather than as objects for interpretation. Our conclusion is that space for multiliteracies varies depending on the earlier literacy skills of students, the number of students in a group who understood a particular language and the availability of study guidance assistants in the students’ mother tongues.

Analyses of Pre-Service Teachers’ Errors in Solving Algebraic Tasks in Ghana.

This study analyzed prospective basic education teachers’ errors in solving algebraic tasks using Newman’s Error Analysis (NEA). The study employed an interpretivist philosophical paradigm with a qualitative case study design. Data were collected from 250 prospective mathematics teachers randomly selected from four colleges of education in the eastern region of Ghana using super item tests and unstructured interview protocols. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the qualitative data. The study findings revealed that transformation and encoding errors among prospective mathematics teachers are the most prevalent errors. Other error types encountered included comprehension errors and process skills errors. In order to reduce aspiring mathematics teachers’ errors, the study emphasizes the necessity of focused interventions and professional development programs to address transformation and comprehension errors in algebraic concepts.

Child-headed Households: Techniques to lessen the detrimental Impacts of Poverty on Secondary School Students from Chimanimani District in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe

The purpose of this study was to examine strategies to reduce the negative effects of poverty among learners from Child-headed Households. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was employed as the theoretical framework. The study used a qualitative research design. Thirty-two participants were purposefully selected. Interviews, focus groups and document analysis were employed as data collection tools. The study established that the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM), supplementary feeding schemes, and income-generating projects were the main strategies which were employed to cushion secondary school learners from child-headed households. It is recommended that school administrators prioritise funding income-generating projects to help schools satisfy the psychological requirements of learners from child-headed households. This study adds to the body of knowledge about how adolescents from child-headed households experience academic success. In several sub-sectors of the Zimbabwean education sector, it expands understanding of the lived experiences of a sample of teenage students from low-income homes in Manicaland Province that has never before been investigated. The report makes a clear call to action for the Zimbabwean government to reconsider the BEAM support model in light of the insufficient funds now provided to learners and children ofchild-headed households. Keywords: Academic Success, Child-headed Households, Poverty, Psychological Development,Vulnerable groups

School Head’s Supervisory Skills and Implementation of Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) Among Secondary Schools of Surigao Del Norte Division Amidst Pandemic

This research investigated the supervisory skills of school heads in secondary schools within the Surigao del Norte Division during the pandemic. It examined their skills in areas such as instructional leadership, human resource management, learning environment, community partnership, and school operations. Additionally, the study explored the implementation of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP). The study employed a descriptive survey method. The findings indicated that all three school heads received an "outstanding" rating based on the OPCRF, signifying exceptional performance and commitment. The BE-LCP implementation was also perceived as "very high" by teachers, with 96-100% successful implementation. Interestingly, the study found no significant relationship between the school heads' OPCRF rating and the BE-LCP implementation. Similarly, there was no significant difference between teachers' perceptions of the school heads' supervisory skills and their actual OPCRF ratings.

A Quasi-Experimental Study on Code-Switching in Enhancing The Reading Comprehension Skills of ABEL Students

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of code-switching in enhancing the reading comprehension skills of ABEL (Alternative Basic Education for Literacy) students at Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology. A two-group design was implemented, with one group receiving instruction incorporating code-switching and the other using traditional English-only methods. Standardized tests assessed reading comprehension, and data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean scores, t-tests, and ANCOVA. Results showed that students in the code-switching group achieved a significantly higher average score (7.48, "Very Satisfactory") compared to the control group (6.22, "Satisfactory"). This significant difference (p-value = .002) demonstrates that code-switching led to markedly improved reading comprehension skills. The study concludes that code-switching is a highly effective strategy for enhancing reading comprehension in ABEL students, offering a more impactful approach than traditional English-only instruction. The research recommends integrating code-switching into teaching practices to facilitate understanding of complex topics and language structures, ultimately contributing to a more accessible and effective learning experience for students. Future research is encouraged to explore the broader applicability of code-switching across diverse educational contexts to further inform pedagogical best practices.

Factors Influencing the Quality of Life in Rural Populations in Colombia: A Theoretical Review

The quality of life of rural populations in Colombia is affected by various problems, including poor living conditions related to limited access to basic services, education, health and economic opportunities. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the most impacted dimensions in these rural contexts and to formulate guidelines to address the difficulties faced by their inhabitants. Methodologically, the research is framed within the qualitative paradigm, with a descriptive scope and is based on a review of existing academic literature. The findings emerging from the literature review show that the most affected dimensions are access to public services, infrastructure, employment and education, which has a direct impact on the general welfare of rural communities. It is concluded that there is a need to implement public policies that promote the integral development of these areas, improving their infrastructure, strengthening access to basic services and promoting educational and economic strategies that favor a better standard of living in rural areas of Colombia.

Lived Experiences of School Heads in School-Based Management (SBM) Implementation

This study explored the lived experiences of school heads in SBM implementation using Collaizi’s phenomenological approach with transcribed semi-structured face-to-face interviews among nine participants who were school heads in the Schools Division of Siargao. Selected through the snowball sampling technique, these participants graciously shared their lived experiences, including the challenges and best practices through SBM implementation. This study was anchored on RA 9155: Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 and DepEd Order No. 1, s. of 2003 (Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 9155) as supporting legislative works. Moreover, this study was also in line with Pluralism, Social Cognitive, and Functionalism Theories. Six emergent themes were derived from the study: (1) unified support from stakeholders; (2) pressure; (3) community linkages; (4) transparency and responsibility; (5) challenging journey; and (6) development. The emergent themes comprehensively explained an understanding of the participants’ thoughts about SBM, the perceived challenges and opportunities, best practices, and achievements in collaboration with the internal and external stakeholders. To ensure the aim of this study, it was crucial to develop meaningful programs as recommendations for enhancing quality assurance, particularly within the realm of school-based management across the entire division. Moreover, empowerment not only among internal but also external stakeholders must be established, in order to keep empowering communities and foster unity in diversity for the benefit of enhanced SBM implementation in schools.

A Quasi-Experimental Study on Code-Switching in Enhancing The Reading Comprehension Skills of ABEL Students

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of code-switching in enhancing the reading comprehension skills of ABEL (Alternative Basic Education for Literacy) students at Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology. A two-group design was implemented, with one group receiving instruction incorporating code-switching and the other using traditional English-only methods. Standardized tests assessed reading comprehension, and data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean scores, t-tests, and ANCOVA. Results showed that students in the code-switching group achieved a significantly higher average score (7.48, "Very Satisfactory") compared to the control group (6.22, "Satisfactory"). This significant difference (p-value = .002) demonstrates that code-switching led to markedly improved reading comprehension skills. The study concludes that code-switching is a highly effective strategy for enhancing reading comprehension in ABEL students, offering a more impactful approach than traditional English-only instruction. The research recommends integrating code-switching into teaching practices to facilitate understanding of complex topics and language structures, ultimately contributing to a more accessible and effective learning experience for students. Future research is encouraged to explore the broader applicability of code-switching across diverse educational contexts to further inform pedagogical best practices.