Compulsory School Education Research Articles

Prevention of School Attendance Problems in Japan: A Macro-Level Perspective on Avoidance Behaviour

In this study, we examined government policies and the relevant law on prevention measures for school attendance problems in Japanese compulsory education schools from the perspective of school avoidance behaviour. In summary: (a) the number of students with school attendance problems has been increasing rapidly since 2017; (b) despite an increase in school counsellors as a government-initiated prevention measure, the number of students with school attendance problems has risen; (c) government policies and the relevant law seek to foster social independence even for students unable to return to school and to provide spaces where students with school attendance problems feel comfortable, which may inadvertently reinforce or perpetuate school avoidance behaviour; and (d) in the Japanese compulsory education system, stakeholders have limited opportunities to block school avoidance behaviour. We propose two measures to prevent school attendance problems drawing on a macro-level behavioural perspective: (a) employing data on class absences in mainstream schools, regardless of the reason for the absence, as an evaluation criterion for prolonged school absenteeism, and (b) implementing appropriate grade repetition for students who miss classes in their mainstream school over a certain threshold, including withholding the school diploma.

The learner identity of adolescents with trajectories of resilience: the role of risk, academic experience, and gender

In at-risk areas of social exclusion, a higher number of adolescents drop out of school. Dropout from compulsory education and early school leaving are associated with unemployment, poverty, and greater health problems, posing a significant threat to the youth’s development and wellbeing. Nevertheless, some students manage to pursue formal education even in high-risk areas, exhibiting resilience. Interwoven between the processes of risk and resilience, the students’ identity development plays a vital role. The present study aimed to analyze the learner identity of students who exhibit a resilience trajectory in areas at risk of social exclusion, and its relation to the degree of risk they face, their academic experience, and their gender. The sample consisted of 132 students from at-risk neighborhoods in Spain who successfully completed compulsory secondary education and continued beyond that level. To measure their academic selves, a modified version of the Twenty Statement Test (TST) was used, which was analyzed using a category system that included four dimensions: organization of the self, emotional valence, plane of action, and thematic reference. The results indicate the participants primarily used personal, positive, evaluative self-descriptions related to the academic world, mostly based on effort. A higher degree of risk was associated to more self-descriptions referring good relationships with others and class attendance, while higher academic experience was associated to more independent selves. The study also found several gender differences. The implications of these findings for research and social intervention in at-risk contexts are discussed.

Examining Chinese Minority Education Policies

China is renowned for its rich cultural tapestry, diverse ethnic groups, and complex history. While Han Chinese make up the majority of the population, China is also home to a mosaic of 55 ethnic minorities, each with its unique customs, languages, and traditions. While they may share some similarities, each minority ethnic group has their own unique culture and language that differs from other groups and sometimes their differences have caused conflict between each other. Therefore, when writing and implementing policy for minority education, it is important to be adaptable and flexible to local conditions. The Chinese government has increasingly emphasized minority education as an important factor for social unity. In late 20th century, Premier Zhou Enlai decided to create written language for minority groups such as the Hani and Bai, while in 2020, Chairman Xi decided to shift promotion to protection by creating an online archive for minority languages and cultures such as folklore and the creation myth. This paper critically examines the effectiveness of China's bilingual education policy, teacher training initiatives, and the mechanisms of two exemptions and one subsidy for minority education in compulsory education schools in Yunnan. The study underscores the laudable intentions behind these policies while shedding light on the numerous challenges encountered during their implementation.

The characteristics of Japan’s “invisible people”

ABSTRACT Some people in Japanese society have been classified as ‘invisible’ because they could not complete their compulsory elementary school education and have failed to assimilate into mainstream society. The 2010 Japan Census identified about 1.3 people per thousand over 15 years old who had not graduated from elementary school. However, the circumstances that prevented them from completing their compulsory elementary school education and their current challenges in accessing lifelong learning have yet to be researched. In an attempt to investigate these two issues, quasi-experimental panel data analysis with count data was applied to determine the characteristics of invisible people using the Japan census data disaggregated by the district for all residents and decomposed of environmental and war factors, thus unravelling the geographic anomaly in the national data. Estimation results showed that their features can be explained by three multi-level layers: 1) an explanation due to personal conditions: being in a state of poverty, 2) an explanation created by differences in nationality, and 3) identification from environmental factors, such as geographical isolation and the Battle of Okinawa. We can identify specific features of how to deliver lifelong learning to people with information barriers.

A critical appraisal of education policy practices ensuring free and compulsory school education: Insights from Nepal

Education policy plays a pivotal role in ensuring access to free and compulsory education for all children, fostering national development and reducing social disparities. This critical appraisal examined the school education policy practices in Nepal that aimed at achieving the goal of free and compulsory school education at basic level. For this, descriptive and analytical research designs were applied for analyzing the education policy provisions. The education policies practices were observed through a field survey in which the information was gathered from schools through the distribution of questionnaires to students, teachers, and guardians, as well as interviews with head teachers and focus group discussions among policy experts and local leaders. The investigation led to the provision of free and compulsory education in basic education. While there was good achievement in teacher training and development, there was insufficient support for teachers-guardians interaction programs. The research also offers suggestions for preparing detailed policy implementation guidelines, including an education plan for policy execution. Nepal has made significant progress in school education in terms of providing free and compulsory school education. This paper has provided a critical appraisal of these policies and practices drawing on evidence from Nepal. By analyzing the evidence and outcomes, this study evaluates the effectiveness, challenges and potential areas for improvement in the Nepalese education system.

The clash of cultures: Individualization and standardization in education

In this essay, we argue that pupils in compulsory school education seem to be exposed to conflicting pressures from an (internal) tendency towards individualisation and an (external) tendency towards standardisation. Drawing on Luc Bolanski and Laurent Thévenot’s pragmatic sociology of orders of worth, we develop a theoretical framework to discuss the two conflicting cultures. In the first part of the analysis, we present the broad and enhanced tendency towards individualisation in terms of methods and content in Norwegian compulsory education – the construction of an inspirational pupil – and in the second part of the analysis, we present the development of standards for assessment – the construction of an industrial pupil. In the final section we discuss two forms of processes – individualisation and standardisation – rooted in two incompatible orders of worth, the inspirational and industrial order, respectively, and argue that these processes represent a major challenge in schools, a conflicting pressure to which pupils are being subjected.

School management team and inclusion: the perspective of families and teachers in the Spanish context

ABSTRACT School leaders play a key role in improving inclusion in schools. However, information on the practices promoted by headteachers to promote inclusion in their institutions is still scarce. The article analyses the degree of implementation of actions undertaken by principals to favor inclusion in compulsory education schools from the perspective of families and teaching teams. 631 families and 420 teachers from the city of Granada (Spain) participated in the research. It is a quantitative study and follows a comparative design based on survey. In order to collect information the questionnaire Leading Inclusive Education in Compulsory Education Schools was used in its two versions (LIE-Q-Teaching Team and LIE-Q-Families). The data obtained were subjected to both descriptive and inferential analysis. The results reveal that, in the opinion of teachers and families, most actions implemented by school headteachers to favor inclusion, are those that favor the opening of the school to the community and its surroundings. The study has made it possible to verify, among other things, that there are differences in the perception of the inclusion practices of school leaders in compulsory education depending on the group analyzed (family or teaching teams).

How to teach about sustainable development in physical education? Examples from the perspectives of certified teachers in Sweden

IntroductionTeachers have a vital role in educating and empowering students to become informed and active agents of change in promoting sustainable development (SD). Little is known what PE teachers teach about SD. The aim of the present study was to explore what certified compulsory school and upper-secondary school physical education (PE) teachers in Sweden teach about SD within their practice.MethodsAn online survey was used to collect data about background information and what the PE teachers had taught about SD in PE. Data from 653 PE teachers was used and the teaching examples were analyzed through thematic analysis.ResultsThe analysis resulted in eight themes: Equality, inclusion, and norms, Exploring the local environment, Outdoor education and care of nature, Interdisciplinary projects, Picking waste and recycling, Sustainable bodies, Sustainable lifestyles, health and well-being, and Sustainable use of products and consumption.DiscussionThe findings suggest that PE can have distinct subject-specific contribution to aspects of the SD agenda, but also a role to empower students of how movement, exercise, and sport can be embedded within a broader ecological perspective. Furthermore, the described themes may open for research about what competences that are particularly relevant for PE teachers in the context of SD.

Provisions for Deprived Groups (SEDGs) in NEP 2020

Major policy initiatives related to formal education in India includes National Policy on Education 1986, which was modified in 1992 and New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. All of these policies stressed on importance of education in mother tongue and need for preparing teaching/learning materials in local languages. Various 5 year plans also recognized need for empowerment of socio economically underprivileged groups through educational development. 11th 5-year plan (2007 2012) included one prime goal that up to 2007 every child should attain school. While this period, ‘The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009’ laid down legal underpinnings for achieving universal elementary education. NEP 2020 also laid stress for education in native language, vocational education, compulsory school education and holistic multidisciplinary education. The global education development agenda reflected in the Goal 4 (SDG4) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by India in 2015 seeks to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030.

Socio-demographic profiles and academic outcomes for participants of the ‘school strikers for climate’ in Belgium

During the spring of 2019, approximately 1.6 million people in over 1700 cities worldwide participated in strike action to raise public awareness of government inaction on climate change. The large proportion of youth and young people mobilized through these climate strikes was unprecedented. However, we know very little so far about who these young people are, how they participated, and what it will mean for them academically over the short and long term. To address these knowledge gaps, we accessed a unique administrative longitudinal dataset consisting of 65,085 youth, enrolled in 723 compulsory education schools in Flanders. We aimed to investigate the socio-demographic profiles of students who were absent from school due to participating in the School Strikes for Climate. The results indicate that students who attended the School Strikes for Climate were predominantly females with a middle to higher socio-economic background, attending schools in an urban context. Additionally, contrary to previous research demonstrating positive correlations between absenteeism and reduced academic outcomes, missing school to attend the School Strikes for Climate did not affect these students’ academic achievements at the end of the school year. In the discussion, we elaborate on the theoretical implications of our findings with regards to discussions on the personal, social, and political effects of this movement.

The Development of Physical Education Curriculum Martial Arts Sports for the Nine Years Compulsory Education Stage of Guangdong Province

Background and Aim: Based on the lack of existing teaching materials. The objective of this research was to construct the Wushu physical education curriculum in the nine-year compulsory education stage. Materials and Methods: This study is a survey study. The population samples of this study are five nine-year compulsory education schools in Guangdong Province, namely Bayi Experimental School in Guangzhou, Xiaode School in Baoan District, Shenzhen, Zhongte Wenwu School in Zhuhai, Affiliated School of Foshan No. 4 Middle School, and Shantou Jinhua Overseas Chinese Pilot School. There are 369 students, 21 teachers, and 23 experts in the field of martial arts. Results: 1) The selection of martial arts teaching content in the teacher's book of the Cantonese Education Edition is better than that of the People's Education Edition, but there are still lack of martial arts etiquette content, lack of boxing characteristics, too single theoretical content, insufficient evaluation content and content system issues still need to be improved; 2) During the implementation of teaching, there are problems such as the teaching content in the teacher's book cannot meet the needs of the class hours, the difficulty of the teaching content is not appropriate, and the sequence of the teaching content is not properly arranged, which leads to certain influences on the selection of the actual teaching content by teachers; 3) In the actual teaching implementation, teachers should make full use of lesson preparation resources in the setting of teaching content, deeply understand the new curriculum standards; they should fully analyze the academic situation, and consider the sensitive period of students' physical fitness and students' psychology. The characteristics and learning basis; should fully reflect the integrity of the content, rationally set the theoretical content, and appropriately increase the traditional boxing types, to make the teaching content system more complete. Conclusion: In the first stage of the level, the study of theoretical knowledge such as martial arts is added. The second stage of the level emphasizes the connection between the past and the next. For the consolidation and improvement of the content of the previous stage, the practice of prescribed routines is added to strengthen the basic skills exercises. Level three adds to the learning of martial arts equipment. The fourth stage of the level enriches the theoretical knowledge and increases the practice of characteristic boxing and equipment at the level of movement technology.

The Study on the Strategy for Education Management Innovation in Primary and Middle Schools under the Background of Informatization

Since entering the 21st century, the rapid development and wide application of information technology have changed people's habits of life and cognitive habits, and China's "2010-2020 Education Informatization Planning Outline" has made it clear that "information technology has a revolutionary impact on the development of education", which means that informatization also puts forward new requirements for the innovation of education management in primary and secondary schools. This means that information technology also puts forward new requirements for the innovation of education management. As an important stage of compulsory education, primary and secondary schools are developing towards informatization, technologization and diversification.

Hidden hurt: A qualitative study of the microaggressions experienced by disabled children in education in China

BackgroundMicroaggressions are brief, commonplace indignities expressed through verbal or behavioral means. In China, microaggressions have proliferated with the wide implementation of education protection policies for disabled children (including learning in regular classes (LRC), special school education (SSE), and home-delivery education (HDE)), resulting in severe consequences. However, related issues have not been discussed yet. ObjectiveThis study explores concrete forms of microaggressions that disabled children have experienced under three educational policies. MethodsWe took a qualitative phenomenological approach and used semi-structured interviews to collect data. 22 disabled children, their guardians, and eight educators from three compulsory education schools in Jinan, China, were included in this study. ResultsMicroaggressions are categorized into three types: microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations. In LRC, typical microaggressions include the microassaults of refusal, extra requirements, avoiding needs, and accusations; the microinsults of labeling, differential patronization, and over-protection; and the microinvalidation of suspicion. In SSE, typical microaggressions include the microassaults of refusal, belittling, hiding, and ignoring; the microinsults of assumptions of low intelligence, ignoring, and distancing; and the microinvalidation of suspicion. In HDE, typical microaggressions include the microassaults of denial of privacy and denial of expression; and the microinsults of infantilization and blame. ConclusionsThe microaggressions that disabled children experience under educational policies produce serious disciplinary effects. To eliminate microaggressions, it is necessary to publicize the new disability rights paradigm, engage disabled children and their families in participation in the political process, develop demand-oriented assessment criteria, and standardize educators' discretion.

Effect of Gender on Access to Loans in Malawi

Access to loan is vital for households to supplement their current flow of income as they strive to meet their consumption and investment expenditure needs. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of gender on access to loans and amount of money that is borrowed. This is a quantitative research that used secondary cross section data collected from all parts of the country by the Malawi National Statistical Office (NSO) called The Fifth Integrated Household Survey (IHS 5) data. This is cross section data that was collect in the period from 2019 to 2020. Data was analysed quantitatively by using descriptive statistics and econometric models. Probit model was used to assess the effect of gender on access to credit and a multiple regression was used to determine the effect of gender on amount of money a household borrowed. This study found that Malawians borrow money mainly for consumption. On access to loans, results show that, being female increases the probability of accessing loans but reduces the amount of borrowed money. Education was found to have positive effect on both access to credit and amount of credit. To increase the amount of money that women borrow, the study recommends that public loan programs like National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) must put in place deliberate mechanisms aimed at increasing the amount of money they lend to women. On education, we recommend compulsory primary school education, Business Studies in secondary school education and Entrepreneurship module in Colleges.

What Does School Attendance Mean in Japanese Compulsory Education Schools? Analysing the National Annual Report

School absenteeism in Japan has become a serious psychosocial issue over the past few decades. According to the national survey conducted annually by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology − Japan (MEXT), the number of students with school attendance problems (futoko) in compulsory education schools has been the highest since the government introduced the current data collection format in 1991. All Japanese compulsory education schools collect data on attendance and absence each day. The obtained data in each school are collected by MEXT via local education boards, which are eventually reported as annual national data. However, in recent years, data classification and interpretation of school attendance and absenteeism have become more complicated, which may constitute a limiting factor for appropriate measures for school absenteeism in Japan. The current study showed the situation of school absenteeism in Japanese compulsory education schools using the annual data reported by MEXT, and it examined matters of data classification and interpretation. The author proposed that two main categories of attendance/absence be used, namely: (a) class attendance in mainstream schools, and (b) class nonattendance in mainstream schools.

The structure and evaluation of educational research skills and accomplishments among rural teachers: Data from China.

The practice of educational research by rural teachers is highly valued and very important for their professional development and for the revitalization of rural education. This study explored the components of educational research activities among rural teachers (Study 1). Based on the results, a regional norm for Hunan province was formulated, and discriminant criteria were developed for the evaluation of educational research skills and accomplishments among rural teachers (Study 2). In Study 1, data from 892 Chinese rural teachers working at compulsory education schools in Hunan Province (a representative province in central China), divided into two samples, were found to support the constructs included in the measurement instrument. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the 33 items of the Rural Teachers' Educational Research Self-rating Scale identified a first-order model with three factors: educational research on basic educational activities (BEA), educational research involving the creation of an educational community (CEC), and educational research involving the refinement and popularization of educational theory (RPE). Based on the results of Study 1, in Study 2, a set of norms for educational research skills and accomplishments among rural teachers was formulated based on the data from Hunan Province. This norm can serve as a reference standard for the evaluation of rural teachers' educational research skills and accomplishments. The components of rural teachers' educational research activities are discussed, and suggestions for the formulation of education policies are provided.

Compulsory Basic Education and Social Inequality: State of Local Government and Compulsory and Free Education Act 2075 BS

This article analyses the constitutional and legal provisions for school education and particularly Compulsory and Free Education Act, 2075 of Nepal. These provisions are oriented toward creating an environment where all citizens can get basic education so as to enhance equal and just Society. Compulsory and Free Education Act, 2075 is enacted to implement the constitutionally Assured fundamental right to education, and provision of free and compulsory school education without evidence-based analysis, planning and budgeting. The provisions of Compulsory and Free Education Act, 2075,in essence, are closed to the imposed social order from the top envisioned by Durkheim, influence and control of the powerful section of the society by Weber and inequality in the society due to unequal access to education by the classical Marxists.

중국의 2022년 개정 초⋅중학교 교육과정 탐구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the procedures and contents of China's national level curriculum revision, focusing on the general framework of the 2022 revision of the elementary and middle school curriculum, and to draw implications for the revision of the Korean curriculum.
 Methods This study analyzed the documents and related prior research and government policy data of China's revised national curriculum for elementary and secondary schools. Goal setting, curriculum organization structure, common guidelines for subject curriculum quality control, framework document system, etc.
 Results First, the Chinese national curriculum is divided into three school-level curriculums: kindergarten, compulsory education schools, and high school. China's national curriculum revision cycle went through a long revision cycle of about 10 years for each school level. Second, the purpose of the revision is to emphasize the socialist state idea, to focus on core competencies for education reform in preparation for the future society, and to improve the curriculum for problem solving and educational reform. The educational goal is ‘a new human being with the ideal, ability, and responsibility required by the times’. In the curriculum organization, the 6-3 system was operated as a 5-4 system, allowing autonomy in the role of the region and school, and the integration of education between the two school levels for 9 years of compulsory education and the linkage between school levels were strengthened. Curriculum suggested key competencies, achievement standards and quality management plans based on them. In the curriculum document system, the principles and directions of curriculum revision are emphasized in the first half of both the general curriculum and each section, and the readability is clearly stated.
 Conclusions Implications include the stability of the Chinese curriculum revision cycle for about 10 years, the linkage of curriculum by school level and curriculum and the pursuit of independence at the same time, guidance on the role of the nation-local-school in designing and teaching the subjects. The principles of the learning process, evaluation, and operation are presented relatively clearly.

What do school management teams do to make their schools inclusive?

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to describe the actions carried out by school management to promote inclusion and the learning of all students, from the perspective of teaching staff (members of management teams and teachers), and to find out whether these initiatives are determined by the school environment, the educational stages taught, and the positions held by the members of the management teams. The questionnaire, ‘Liderando la Educación Inclusiva en Centros de Educación Obligatoria (LEI-Q)-Equipo Docente’ (‘Leading Inclusive Education in Compulsory Education Schools – Teaching Staff’) was answered by 420 teaching-staff members. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire have been confirmed using exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis. Descriptive analysis and nonparametric regression have also been carried out. The results show that in the schools analysed, the management teams are undertaking actions in favour of educational inclusion, with the most implemented being those aimed at managing the teaching-learning processes and professional development, and the least implemented being those that aim to make the school an inclusive community. These actions are influenced by the educational stages taught in the school, the district where they are located, and the position held by the school leaders.

School Management Teams in the Face of Inclusion: Teachers’ Perspectives

This study analyses teachers’ opinions concerning the actions taken by management teams in favor of policies which address inclusion in compulsory education schools in Granada (Spain). This is quantitative research in which the LIE-Q-Teaching Team has been used. Two hundred forty-three teachers participated in this study which involved a descriptive and inferential analysis. Results show that the actions promoting inclusion mainly relate to the management of teaching-learning processes and professional development. Results also reveal that there are significant differences based on the ownership of the school, its educational level and the socio-economic status of the area in which it is located.