Public School Classrooms Research Articles

Public vs Private: Winning the Education Race in Tamil Nadu

With a mixed-methods approach, this research delves into the variables that contribute to the educational achievement gap between pupils in Tamil Nadu's public and private schools. Along with quantitative data, such as standardized test results, attendance records, and statistics on resource allocation, qualitative insights from student surveys and interviews were also considered. Private schools often provide better infrastructure, higher-quality teaching, and greater parental participation, resulting to improved student outcomes; the findings show substantial disparities in academic achievement, resource availability, and socio-economic backgrounds. To battle these inequalities and advance educational fairness, the report stresses the importance of focused governmental actions. In addition to adding to the larger conversation about educational inequality, the results give concrete suggestions for how educators and representatives might raise the bar in public school classrooms.

Transformative and equitable science teaching in the culturally diverse classroom: application of formative assessment system

ABSTRACT This study focuses on transformative teaching and learning practice through a formative assessment system in public school classrooms with mostly culturally marginalised students from Dalit communities which study aims to understand how a basic level teacher engages students in transformative science learning through a formative assessment system. A transformative and participatory research paradigm and a qualitative case study design has been used and the data were collected through one month of classroom observations and three in-depth interviews with the basic-level teacher from Gorkha Municipality of Gandaki, Nepal. The study found that teacher has a pedagogical deficiency in the effective implication of a newly revised curriculum and its formative assessment. The intervention provided that science teaching in school by applying the formative assessment system brought a drastic change to teachers and culturally dominated students’ involvement in science learning. The professional training, strong monitoring system, and enthusiasm of teachers support the transformative learning culture. Moreover, the study found that students can build the science capital from the different local activities and events that they observe in families, neighbourhoods and members. However, the school science teaching and assessment system is using usual formal and systematic Eurocentric philosophies, ideas, pedagogies and techniques in the culturally diverse classroom. The study also suggests professional training, a strong monitoring system, and the enthusiasm of teachers to support the transformative learning culture.

Classroom architectural design evolution: Acoustic evaluation of public-school classrooms in Malaysia

Education transformation greatly emphasises curriculum modification to produce impactful future generations and yet often disregards the impact of classroom design in achieving desired education outcomes. The prioritisation of optimal acoustic quality in classroom design is crucial due to the inherent reliance on auditory abilities in the process of teaching and learning. Therefore, a comprehensive acoustic standard guideline for classrooms, ANSI Standard 12.60, was launched in 2002 and adopted for school classrooms in the USA. However, the scenario might be different in Malaysia, as there is no acoustic standard guideline established. Therefore, this study seeks to identify the actual acoustic conditions of classrooms that were constructed in the post-independence era. On-site acoustic measurements were performed to evaluate significant acoustic parameters, including reverberation time (RT), background noise level (BNL), speech transmission index (STI), and sound pressure level (SPL). The findings revealed that the RT for both classrooms was within the recommended value, while the BNL and STI of both classrooms failed to comply with the established recommended guidelines. In a similar vein, these findings translate the degree of awareness among the education institutions and construction sector of the importance of classroom acoustics in providing a better learning experience among students.

Il “ragionevole accomodamento” nella giurisprudenza italiana in materia ecclesiastica*

The “reasonable accommodation” in Italian jurisprudence in ecclesiastical matters
 ABSTRACT: With judgment n. 24414/2021, the United Sections of the Supreme Court suggested “reasonable accommodation” as a key to resolving conflicts over religious symbols in public school classrooms. This approach, which is typically used to promote equality for workers with disabilities, has been applied to this dispute in a novel way. This paper intends to reconstruct the Court’s proposal of a “reasonable accommodation” model after analyzing the original features of this approach. From the investigation of nature and the application of “reasonable accommodation” in the decision of the Court, this work seeks to verify whether this model can be effectively and legally relevantly applied in the public school context.
 SOMMARIO: 1. Il crocifisso e l’inedita chiave di risoluzione dei conflitti dopo la sentenza n. 24414 delle Sezioni Unite della Corte di cassazione - 2. La natura del principio del “ragionevole accomodamento” - 3. Il “ragionevole accomodamento” come metodo “mite” - 4. Limiti e prospettive - 5. Brevi osservazioni conclusive.

Unfair teachers, unhappy students: longitudinal associations of perceived teacher relational unfairness with adolescent peer aggression and school satisfaction.

Teacher relational unfairness is a significant risk factor for students' physical and mental well-being, especially during adolescence. However, school psychology research has not yet fully analyzed the links between teacher unfairness and important indicators of school experience and wellbeing, including peer aggression and school satisfaction. Even less evidence does exist with longitudinal, multilevel data. The present study tested the prospective relations between Fall perceived teacher unfairness and Spring reactive and proactive aggression, and school satisfaction. At T1, participants were 1,299 students (48.3% girls, mean age = 13.6 years, SD = 1.1) attending 67 classrooms in Italian public schools, whereas 1,227 students participated in the second wave 6 months later. Multilevel regressions showed that, at the individual level, T1 perceived teacher unfairness positively predicted T2 reactive and proactive aggression, and negatively predicted school satisfaction. At the class-level, T1 class teacher unfairness explained between-class variability in T2 school satisfaction, but not variability in peer aggression. The findings expand current knowledge about the role of teacher unfairness with the classroom and have implications for interventions at school.

Earning Your Way into General Education: Perceptions about Autism Influence Classroom Placement

The language used by teachers, school staff, and parents to talk about autistic students can send either positive or negative messages to other school staff, parents, and all students—with or without autism—about autistic students. Ultimately, these messages also extend to autistic people. Using qualitative focus group methods, we talked to parents, teachers, administrators, and other school staff to better understand how people speak about the inclusion of autistic students in general education classrooms in public schools. Overall, we found that many of our participants thought (1) autistic students need to earn their way into general education classrooms, unlike their peers without disabilities, (2) segregating students with disabilities away from their peers without disabilities is acceptable, and sometimes preferable, in school settings, and (3) there is power in inclusive education opportunities for students with and without disabilities in school settings. The findings from this study suggest that inclusive opportunities for autistic students were largely driven by stakeholder mindsets. These results should encourage school staff to think about and reflect on how they talk about autistic students in inclusive settings with the ultimate goal of creating more welcoming inclusive environments for autistic students.

Epiphany as a pragmatic response to claims of indoctrination in public schools

This article argues for the need of a new, pragmatic response to claims of indoctrination in public school classrooms across the United States. While attempts at defining indoctrination and moral arguments for and against certain pedagogical practices may be worthwhile, the article maintains that claims of indoctrination, whether substantive or not, are an impediment to effective teaching, especially for educators who are primarily interested in perspective transformation. Drawing on recent scholarship regarding epiphany and transformative education, an argument is presented that teaching for epiphanic experience may be a pragmatic solution for teachers to adopt to remain effective in the classroom amid ever-increasing political polarization and professional scrutiny. After establishing this point, the article turns to arts education as a possible source for understanding the pedagogical technique that may lead to the creation of a classroom ethos for epiphany.

"On an island by myself": implications for the inclusion of autistic students in self-contained classrooms in public elementary schools.

Autistic students have limited access to inclusive classes and activities in their schools. Principals and special education teachers who directly teach and administer programs for autistic elementary students can offer critical insight into factors, such as educators' attitudes, that may impact inclusive opportunities in schools. These attitudes may serve as barriers to or facilitators of promoting an inclusive school setting. Semi-structured interviews with 26 elementary school principals and 26 special education teachers explored their experiences implementing evidence-based practices for autistic students (pivotal response training, discrete trial training, and visual schedules) in 26 self-contained classrooms in the United States. Autism-specific culture and inclusion emerged as a theme, which was analyzed for this paper. An inductive approach to thematic analysis revealed principals' and special education teachers' perspectives regarding the "autism-specific culture" in the school, including attitudes towards and inclusion of autistic students in self-contained classrooms in the broader school environment. Analysis of text related to "autism-specific culture" detailed aspects of inclusion, factors (i.e., barriers and facilitators) affecting inclusion, principals' and special education teachers' attitudes towards autistic students placed in self-contained classrooms, attitudes of other school staff towards teachers in self-contained classrooms, and recommendations to support an inclusive school environment for autistic students. Results suggest that valuing "equal" access to classes and activities for autistic students in self-contained classrooms may not be sufficient for promoting an inclusive school environment, Educators may benefit from targeted strategies to facilitate inclusion. Strategies range from supporting educators' attitudes and knowledge of autism to shifting physical aspects of the school environment (e.g., location of classrooms). Additional implications for supporting the true inclusion (i.e., inclusion that goes beyond physical inclusion) involves of autistic students in self-contained classrooms schools are discussed.

The Enactment of the Colombian National Bilingual Program: Equal Access to Language Capital?

Drawing upon Bourdieu’s concept of capital, this article examines the enactment of the Programa Nacional de Bilingüismo (National Bilingual Program), a policy that aims to provide Colombian students equal opportunities to learn English. In this exploratory, sequential mixed-methods study, data were collected from teachers and students from three Grade 5 classrooms of public schools in Colombia. The findings revealed that the plan’s differentiated enactment generates unequal access to opportunities to build language capital and unequal levels of academic language achievement among the three schools. We argue that the enactment of the plan to equalize opportunities and achievement and therefore build the language capital of Colombian students is obstructed by existing funding structures.

Black Lives Still Matter: Freedom Schools as an Embodiment of Critical Literacy Through Reflection and Action

The continuation of racial inequities in the United States has ignited the recent Black Lives Matter Movement, a protest of police brutality and gun violence. Black lives matter in public school classrooms, too—where students of color face barriers to equitable educational experiences. The Children's Defense Fund Freedom School program is a major component in developing critical literacy skills through critique, inquiry, and transformation through social justice and action. Critical literacy is enacted through identity—mainly as difference, self, consciousness, narrative, and positionality. Historical and contemporary relevance of Freedom Schools connects to the urgency of the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Science Teaching in Culturally Diverse Classrooms: Application of Sociocultural Knowledge at a School System in Nepal

ABSTRACT This study focuses on teaching and learning science in three secondary public school classrooms with mostly culturally marginalized students from Gurung and Magar communities in a semirural district in Nepal. The study aims to understand how three science teachers in different schools engage students in culturally relevant transformative science learning. I use a constructivist case study design. Data were collected through 18 classroom observations, three interviews with science teachers, and a student focus group interview. Analysis of the data showed that culturally marginalized students are experts in the cultural knowledge they bring into the classroom, science teachers felt ambivalence between culturally relevant science and success in tests, and science teachers showed a need for greater pedagogical skills in cultural relevancy. The study suggests a need for focused and intentional culturally relevant courses in science teacher education programs and professional development. Educating teachers for more transformative and relational science teaching will support embedding cultural knowledge and values in classroom teaching and curriculum.

“Fitting It In”: Elementary Teachers Talk About Social Studies Instruction in Public School Classrooms

The tenuous state of elementary social studies has been explained by scholars who cite lack of time and curriculum resources devoted to social studies; teachers’ emphasis on tested subjects; and instruction that distorts, trivializes, or omits social studies content. Integrating social studies with other core subjects has been positioned as a viable approach to address some of these challenges, but not all teachers have a healthy understanding of integration as an avenue for robust social studies instruction. This qualitative study explores 14 elementary teachers’ stances to social studies as a core content area—with particular emphasis on content integration—in public schools. By investigating ways in which practicing teachers talk about social studies in their classrooms, this paper adds to the growing body of scholarship documenting the peripheral status of social studies in early grades. Findings offer theoretical implications for interpreting how and why social studies continues to be marginalized in early grades by focusing on participants’ healthy and unhealthy understandings of content integration.

Teaching listening in middle schools: perceptions of practice

Abstract This qualitative case study first examined middle school teacher perceptions of practice regarding L2 listening instruction and, from these, proposes guidelines to favour L2 listening development. Novice middle-school teachers from Chile (n = 14) were guided within semi-structured interviews to reflect on their own L2 listening teaching practices in public and semi-private school classrooms. Verbal reports were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis techniques and underwent systematic interrogation of qualitative data. The results show an overemphasis on teacher preference for task completion to the detriment of developing listening strategies. We present results and provide guidelines for teachers to integrate features of a metacognitive instruction approach to listening.

Controlling the Past to Control the Future: Christian Nationalism and Mandatory Patriotic Education in Public Schools

AbstractRecent debates about whether educators should teach America's racist history have sparked activism and legislation to ensure students are taught American history in such a way that promotes “patriotism,” amplifying cherished national myths, emphasizing American exceptionalism, and erasing negative historical facts. Building on insights from both social dominance theory and Christian nationalism research, we propose Christian nationalism combines legitimizing myths that whitewash America's past with authoritarian impulses and thus seeks to enforce “patriotic” content in public school classrooms. We also theorize this connection varies across racial, partisan, and ideological identities. Data from a nationally‐representative survey of Americans affirm Christian nationalism is by far the leading predictor Americans believe “We should require public school teachers to teach history in a way that promotes patriotism.” This association is consistent across race (possibly due to divergent meanings of both “Christian nationalism” and “patriotism” across groups), but varies by partisanship and ideological identity for whites. Specifically, Christian nationalism brings whites who identify with the ideological and political left into complete alignment with their conservative counterparts who are already more likely to support mandatory patriotic education. Our findings provide critical context for ongoing battles over public‐school curricula and education's role in perpetuating social privilege.

First-Year Teachers’ Challenges With Implementing Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Their Public School Classrooms

ABSTRACT The first year of teaching has and continues to be fraught with challenges for early educators in public school contexts across the United States. A persistent problem that has been documented across the globe is the ability of novice teachers to engage in developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) with their students. We examine this issue through a case study that investigated how the first-year teachers in our study described: a) their conceptions of DAP with their students and b) their engagement in such practices during their first year of teaching in public school contexts. Our findings reveal the challenges and opportunities for growth as professionals in implementing DAP that emerged for these teachers in their first year of teaching. Through this analysis, we illuminate the spaces that might exist for teachers to think about and engage in DAP within public elementary school contexts and offer the chance to consider how such stakeholders as teacher educators and principals can better support novice teachers in conceptualizing and implementing more appropriate and equitable practices in their teaching.

Implementation of a Universal School-Based Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a public health problem of considerable magnitude. The prevailing primary prevention strategies are universal, school-based CSA prevention programs, some of which have been designated as evidence-based, such as Safe Touches. However, to reach their public health impact potential, effective universal school-based CSA prevention programs require effective and efficient dissemination and implementation strategies. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the reach and effectiveness of a school-based CSA prevention curriculum, Safe Touches, when implemented on a wide scale. Using a longitudinal cohort design, children in second grade classrooms in public elementary schools in five counties received the Safe Touches workshop and completed surveys designed to assess gains in knowledge at four timepoints (one week prior, immediately post-workshop, 6- and 12-months post-workshop). In total, the Safe Touches workshop was delivered in 718 classrooms in 92% of school districts, reaching ~14,235 second graders. Multilevel models (n = 3,673) revealed that Safe Touches significantly increased CSA-related knowledge, and that these gains were maintained 12-months post-workshop (ps < .001). There were some small but significant time-varying effects among participants in schools with a greater percentage of low income and minority students, but these effects largely disappeared 12-months post workshop. This study demonstrates that a single-session, universal school-based CSA prevention program can effectively increase children's knowledge when implemented and disseminated on a wide scale and knowledge gains can be retained 12-months post intervention.

Assessing interactional competence in secondary schools

AbstractInteractional competence (IC) is a crucial component of teaching and assessing speaking in second/foreign languages in general. However, SLA research based on Conversation Analysis (CA) has shown that IC is a complex phenomenon, and while a qualitative approach to assessing IC is needed, it is time-consuming. At the same time, assessment in the foreign-language classroom has to be both manageable for teachers and it should provide learners with reliable and supportive feedback about their specific strengths and weaknesses. This paper offers some solutions for these issues. It will draw on previous proposals in CA to employ generic organizations of practice as a way to manage the complexity of the IC concept. Second, it will show how one of these organizations – action accomplishment – can be operationalized for assessment purposes in public-school classrooms. This includes a discussion of the CEFR Companion’s approach to ‘action’. Finally, it will present a possible rubric for action accomplishment. Our approach to assessing will be illustrated through the analysis of a sample role play with two foreign-language learners from a corpus of 14 2–4 minute role plays, recorded with beginning-to-intermediary-level learners of English as a foreign language in two German secondary schools.

AI in the Classroom

These two opening quotations highlight the emerging dilemma faced by classroom practitioners at all levels throughout the education structure. At base, will AI turn out to be a minor irritant with relatively manageable education consequences or, on the other hand, is AI a major game changer that will fundamentally alter the overall educative process ? In the following prefatory ‘think piece’, we focus specifically on what has been identified as the most invasive conundrums that will impact all levels of society including, but not exclusively, public school classrooms. Realistically, the issue of AI is spacious with possible fundamental implications for all learners and teachers. Further, concerns may yet to be identified and unintended consequences, both positive and negative, will no doubt emerge. Nonetheless, a review of the existing shifting research literature base has identified several broad areas of concern.

“The students keep me hopeful”: Teacher hope during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study examined teacher enactment of hope, specifically willpower, waypower, and agency in the shadow of the COVID-19 glare. Participants of this mixed methods study were K-12 public school classroom teachers (n = 233) in a Western US state. Quantitative survey results indicated teachers maintained moderate to high levels of hope. Qualitative survey results indicated themes of obstacles that were unique to this pandemic context as well as indicators of willpower, waypower, and agency. This study illustrates teacher resiliency and the ways in which they shifted instruction under highly strenuous circumstances. Teachers maintained hope because of their dedication to the students.

Responding to "Don't Say Gay" Laws in the US: Research Priorities and Considerations for Health Equity.

Despite increased legal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer-identifying (LGBTQ +) people in the USA over the past 30years, there has been an increasing number of anti-LGBTQ + laws proposed and passed at the state level. One of the most notorious laws, Florida's HB 1557, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" law, garnered substantial national attention for prohibiting discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity in public school classrooms. Other states quickly proposed similar laws, but little scholarship exists on the potential impacts of these laws. We explore the potential health equity ramifications of laws like Florida's HB 1557, focusing on the individual, interpersonal, and broader policy and practice implications. Examining these policies through the lens of political determinants of health, we identify theoretical and methodological approaches needed to address recent "Don't Say Gay" policies. Theoretical approaches emphasizing power, intersectionality, and the role of politics in health should guide research examining the impacts of recent anti-LGBTQ + policies. Laws like Florida's HB 1557 emphasize the need for methodological approaches that emphasize collaborative engagement between researchers and community members, and future research may be needed to understand how stressors created by law and policy can have individual and interpersonal consequences. Public health researchers have a role to play in reversing policies that negatively affect LGBTQ + individuals and undermine health equity. Research combating harmful policies may require theoretical approaches attentive to power differences and methodological approaches that squarely focus on disrupting power imbalances.