Disadvantaged Schools Research Articles

LifeLab Dublin; a process evaluation of a pilot health literacy intervention for socioeconomically disadvantaged adolescents

ABSTRACT Developing health literacy (HL) in youth populations, as a means to improving lifelong health behaviours and outcomes, has garnered increased interest in both research and practice in recent years. This mixed-methods process evaluation examines the acceptability, fidelity and dose delivered of the pilot of LifeLab Dublin: a nine-week, school-based HL intervention for low socioeconomic adolescents. The intervention, which comprised of two, out-of-school, interactive HL experiences in conjunction with seven school-based lessons, took place between September and December in 2021 and involved first-year students (aged 11–13) from one socioeconomically disadvantaged school in Dublin, Ireland. Data sources included focus groups, a questionnaire and self-reflection checklists. Overall, the intervention was perceived positively by the students and teachers, particularly the two interactive out-of-school experiences. The evaluation provided valuable insight into the refinements required to enhance the efficacy of the LifeLab intervention, as well as providing an evidence-base that can be used to inform future school-based HL interventions for low socioeconomic adolescents.

Health disparities continue to report in DEIS schools: Irish COSI Round 6 study

Abstract Background Previous reports have identified clear differences in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children living with disadvantaged compared to those living in advantaged circumstances. Childhood obesity is influenced by factors in the home environment, including lifestyle behaviours and socio-economic status. The Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) family survey provides insights into these factors, particularly in children that attend disadvantaged (DEIS) and non-disadvantaged (non-DEIS) schools. Aim This study aims to compare various demographic and socioeconomic factors within the home environment of primary school children across DEIS and non-DEIS schools in Ireland, elucidating the differences in their performance with implications for health policy. Methods Parents of 1st and 2nd class children (mean age 7) from 121 sentinel schools invited to participate in the family survey, returned it by post or online using Lime Survey. Ethical approval was secured for COSI R6, with consent from families. Data on demographics, diet, transportation, activities, and clinical characteristics of children in Ireland were collected, anonymised and analysed in SPSS, comparing children from DEIS (n = 147) and non-DEIS (n = 1014) schools. Results Around 88% of respondents of returned surveys included in the study (n = 1161) were mothers. Significant disparity in families with diabetes diagnosis or treatment observed between DEIS and non-DEIS schools (10.6% vs. 5.4%, p = 0.016). Breastfeeding rates were higher in non-DEIS schools (57.0% vs. 46.9%, p = 0.015). Children consuming at least 3 portions of fruits and vegetables daily were also higher in non-DEIS schools (58.9% vs. 46.0%, p < 0.001). More children in non-DEIS schools engaged in physical activities outside of school hours (93.7% vs. 74.5%, p < 0.001). Conclusions The findings underscore the significant socioeconomic disparities between families whose children attend DEIS and non-DEIS schools in Ireland. Key messages • Irish COSI R6 reveals disparities in health-related factors between disadvantaged and advantaged schools. • Targeted interventions and policies are necessary to address factors influencing child health.

Mediating between schools and families: experiences of teachers in privately-run migrant schools in South-West China

ABSTRACT This paper examines the experiences of 23 teachers who work in privately-run migrant schools (PMSs) in South-West China. Such schools cater for the needs of internal migrant children who do not often have access to free state education provision because of their lack of status in their new cities. We draw data from an ethnographic-informed qualitative study conducted in Guiyang City. The spillover effect as the theoretical lens, enables us to understand our participants’ experiences within and beyond the school gates. Different from existing research focusing on how home environment characteristics affect school-related outcomes, this study shifted towards investigating whether factors within the school domain can mitigate children’s home-related disadvantages or risks. The findings show that teachers support the students and their families by mediating family conflicts, supplementing often poor nutrition and assisting with homework. Overall, similar to educators in disadvantaged school settings elsewhere, the study demonstrates that teaching and managerial staff in PMSs go beyond their paid roles as educators and they are actively committed to breaking the cycle of poverty and transforming the lives of their students.

Geographical Variation in the Associations Between School Characteristics and Homophobic Bullying: a Contextual Analysis.

Homophobic bullying constitutes a serious threat to adolescent well-being and could be understood as an ecological phenomenon, influenced by diverse school, regional, and community contexts. This study examined geographic variations in the relationship between school characteristics and homophobic bullying. Data from 2244 California schools, including student surveys and administrative records, were combined and analyzed using geographically weighted regression (GWR). Results showed that the associations between school characteristics and general victimization were consistent across geographic areas. However, when it came to homophobic bullying, the relationships with school characteristics varied significantly based on location. Notably, regions with high intolerance, urbanity, large school size, and small student-teacher ratios appeared to offer protection against bullying. Additionally, student socioeconomic status influenced bullying in disadvantaged rural schools with limited Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) presence. Ethnic diversity also played a role, with low diversity or dominance of two ethnic groups linked to higher bullying rates.

Non-inclusive teaching of students with special educational needs in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhood

ABSTRACT Despite inclusive educational policies, inclusive teaching of diverse students with special educational needs (SEN) presents a professional challenge for many teachers and schools. To better understand how and why educators sometimes teach students with SEN non-inclusively, this study mapped non-inclusive teaching along with justifications for these practices in a primary school in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhood. Within this qualitative study, a one-month ethnographic observation of teacher-student and student-student interactions in a single second-grade classroom (with 22 students) was conducted. Additionally, eight teachers from the school and the principal were interviewed on teaching students with SEN. A stepwise-deductive inductive analysis of observations and a thematic analysis of interviews documented how some teachers excluded students with SEN from learning activities and groups by inappropriate space arrangements, reduced teacher-student interactions, and negative expectations. Paradoxically, teachers justified these non-inclusive teaching practices by efforts to address the special educational needs. The findings also documented that the socioeconomically disadvantaged context increased demands on teachers in the school, which possibly contributed to the limited inclusive teaching. The findings underscore the need to increase structural support for socioeconomically disadvantaged schools and show the necessity to systematically foster inclusive attitudes and teaching skills in teacher education.

An analysis of Australian teacher workforce policy: Challenges and opportunities for teacher recruitment and retention

The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the shortage of teachers worldwide. Shortages have been reported globally including in countries such as the UK, Netherlands, France, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. In Australia, persistent challenges in teacher recruitment, and retention, especially in disadvantaged schools have worsened, with rural and remote schools struggling to attract teachers, as well as urban schools in disadvantaged areas necessitating fast-tracked policy measures have been necessitated to address the teacher shortage. This paper focuses on teacher workforce policy given its prominence in the conceptualising and responding to teacher workforce shortages. The paper seeks to explore state-level teacher workforce texts with a focus on the ways workforce issues are constructed at a time of chronic teacher shortages. Utilising thematic analysis of six stated development policy texts, the paper argues state responses continue to emphasise teacher workforce planning based on a labour market perspective that prioritises teacher recruitment as the primary mechanism for addressing the teacher shortages. A delay in addressing the conditions of teachers’ work and the status of the profession as well as a notable inattention to priority areas such as hard-to-staff schools is also noted.

Reducing asthma attacks in disadvantaged school children with asthma: study protocol for a type 2 hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial (Better Asthma Control for Kids, BACK)

BackgroundAsthma is a leading cause of children’s hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and missed school days. Our school-based asthma intervention has reduced asthma exacerbations for children experiencing health disparities in the Denver Metropolitan Area, due partly to addressing care coordination for asthma and social determinants of health (SDOH), such as access to healthcare and medications. Limited dissemination of school-based asthma programs has occurred in other metropolitan and rural areas of Colorado. We formed and engaged community advisory boards in socioeconomically diverse regions of Colorado to develop two implementation strategy packages for delivering our school-based asthma intervention — now termed “Better Asthma Control for Kids (BACK)" — with tailoring to regional priorities, needs and resources.MethodsIn this proposed type 2 hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial, where the primary goal is equitable reach to families to reduce asthma disparities, we will compare two different packages of implementation strategies to deliver BACK across four Colorado regions. The two implementation packages to be compared are: 1) standard set of implementation strategies including Tailor and Adapt to context, Facilitation and Training termed, BACK-Standard (BACK-S); 2) BACK-S plus an enhanced implementation strategy, that incorporates network weaving with community partners and consumer engagement with school families, termed BACK-Enhanced (BACK-E). Our evaluation will be guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework, including its Pragmatic Robust Implementation Sustainability Model (PRISM) determinants of implementation outcomes. Our central hypothesis is that our BACK-E implementation strategy will have significantly greater reach to eligible children/families than BACK-S (primary outcome) and that both BACK-E and BACK-S groups will have significantly reduced asthma exacerbation rates (“attacks”) and improved asthma control as compared to usual care.DiscussionWe expect both the BACK-S and BACK-E strategy packages will accelerate dissemination of our BACK program across the state – the comparative impact of BACK-S vs. BACK-E on reach and other RE-AIM outcomes may inform strategy selection for scaling BACK and other effective school-based programs to address chronic illness disparities.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT06003569, registered on August 22, 2023, https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT06003569.

Negotiating between the accountability and the innovation mandates: evidence from Italian schools

ABSTRACT In Italy, the National Evaluation System (SNV), encompassing both internal and external accountability components, is designed not only to hold school actors accountable but also to stimulate innovation and change in pedagogical practices. Nevertheless, existing literature presents inconclusive and contradictory findings regarding the effects and the relationship between school performance-based accountability (PBA) and educational innovation. Utilizing sensemaking and filtering theories, this paper analyses the negotiation of PBA and innovation mandates in Italian schools, emphasizing how school actors interpret, filter, and adapt the policy expectations to their organizational and educational practices. Special attention is given to the influence of local school contexts and performative pressures on this process. The primary data collection method involves interviews with school leadership teams and teachers analysed through an ideal type case analysis. Findings reveal diverse school responses to the double mandates of PBA and innovation. Varied logics of school enactment within the contemporary policy context are identified, influenced by teacher attitudes towards PBA and schools’ socio-economic conditions. Innovation is evident in both advantaged and disadvantaged school contexts, albeit with distinct applications and interpretations. Overall, the adaptation of PBA prerogatives in schools to foster innovation and change is neither uniform nor direct, although external pressures impact educational practices across contexts. Beyond socio-economic factors and administrative and marketing accountability pressures, additional intervening elements include school leadership and staff cohesion as well as school infrastructure and material resources.

Successful School Principals in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Schools: A Grounded Theory Research from Turkish Context

The purpose of this study was to delve into the characteristics, professional competencies, leadership attitudes, and behaviors of successful school principals (SSPs) in socioeconomically disadvantaged schools. Utilizing a systematic grounded theory method (SGTM), we conducted research in the provinces of Amasya, Çorum, Samsun, and Tokat in Türkiye. Purposeful and theoretical sampling methods were employed to recruit successful school principals, deputy principals, teachers, students, and parents from secondary schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education (MoNE). The data draws on unstructured individual and focus group interviews, as well as documents and observations. All the data obtained were inductively analyzed through open, axis, and selective coding stages. Based on the codes, sub-categories, categories, themes, and dimensions from the analyses, we designed the Contextual Successful School Principalship Model (CSSPM), which falls into four dimensions as follows: individual, managerial, organizational, and instructional. SSPs in this study mostly tend to display paternalistic leadership attitudes and behaviors in terms of dedication and self-sacrifice, serving, intrinsic motivation, and influencing stakeholders. They exhibit almost all the attitudes and behaviors of servant leadership, act according to some national and moral values, and experience national attitudes such as patriotism and nationalism intensely. By giving importance to the academic socialization of students' mothers, successful school principals exhibit transformational and instructional leadership behaviors. They act strategically to directly involve mothers in enhancing student achievement, demonstrating their commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive educational environment.

The obstacle race to educational improvement: governance, policies, and practices in disadvantaged schools

Contemporary educational reforms emphasise school autonomy, performance-based management, and accountability as necessary policies for attaining improvement goals. Despite their widespread adoption, the configuration and enactment of these policies are discretionary and contingent, deeply influenced by the interaction of local contexts, organisational features, and teachers’ beliefs about policy and pedagogy. Apart from these challenges, schools serving disadvantaged students, often targeted for educational improvement, also struggle with significant organisational constraints and policy overload. This study explores how disadvantaged urban schools make sense of their policy environment and engage with the school improvement mandate through different logics and practices. The analytical framework stresses the policy filtering and adaptation processes that school actors undergo when tasked with multiple implementation demands, and how these interact with school contexts to produce diverse responses. This research is conducted in Catalonia, Spain, and adopts a sequential mixed-methods strategy, relying on interviews with principals and teachers, as well as survey and administrative data. The findings are organised in four ideal types of school responses to the improvement mandate, showing the diverging ways schools engage with policy. Disadvantaged schools exhibit diverse improvement approaches despite sharing structural characteristics, explained by the interaction of contextual factors and organisational characteristics. Each ideal type prioritises different aspects, such as performance, innovation, or inclusive practices. The heterogeneity of school responses highlights the necessity for targeted, context-sensitive support to ensure equitable educational practices.

Telaah Kurikulum K13 Pendidikan Agama Islam di Madrasah Tsanawiyah Darul Muttaqien

The implementation of the 2013 curriculum began in the 2013 school year with a coba tahap that benefited the more disadvantaged schools. Initially, this curriculum is taught in lower grades, such as grades I and IV for Dasar School, grades VII for Primary School, and grades X for Upper School/Kejuruan School. Over time, this curriculum is needed to cover more ground in various educational settings.One of the primary guidelines in the 2013 curriculum is the application of knowledge to four areas of study: comprehension, application, sikap, and research. The purpose of the curriculum is to evaluate students not only on the basis of their academic performance but also on their moral and social development. This aspek-aspek integration aims to provide a holistic approach to teaching.

Key Competence Choices of Students at a Science Festival in Turkey: A Preliminary Study

This study focusses on ensuring quality education among other SDGs. The choice of competency area of participants in a local science festival that adopted European key competencies for lifelong learning as a theme and the effect of demographic and contextual variables on these choices were investigated. The survey method was used to make inferences about the participants' attitudes towards competency areas through their choices. Data were collected through the Participant Information Form. Descriptive statistics and chi-square independence tests were conducted in the SPSS-22 programme to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the students selected the area of competency in mathematics, science and technology the most and the area of digital competency the least. Furthermore, the choices of the competency area of the students differed according to their gender, education level, and socioeconomic level of the district in which they resided. It can be concluded that there are political, social, and economic reasons for the choices of the competency area of the students. In this context, it is recommended that educational policies include practices that promote all competence areas, the government incentives for competence development should be expanded and maintained, the technical infrastructure of socioeconomically disadvantaged schools should be strengthened, and appropriate learning environments should be created, both to ensure students' key competence development and to eliminate gender differences.

Working with constructs of inclusion for understanding teachers’ literacy practices and their impact on student learning

ABSTRACT The paper explores teachers’ language literacy practices in underprivileged, inner-city schools in Athens, Greece, and their implications for student learning and educational inclusion. The current developments of global/European and national education policy agendas on literacy and inclusion inform the research questions of the study. Bernstein’s theory of pedagogic discourse frames our analysis on the reproduction of social inequalities through schooling and informs our discussion on the discursive means and the pedagogic practices for their interruption. Findings, based on interview data and classroom observations, indicate that global discourses on inclusion, (re)articulated in the disadvantaged school settings of the study, invest the notion of inclusion with three different meanings: a. inclusion as assimilation and absorption into the dominant culture and society; b. inclusion as therapy for students’ emotional ‘traumas’; and c. inclusion as recognition of difference. We argue that these constructs of inclusion shape teaching practices that either promote or undermine student learning and empowerment.

School transformation in minoritized settings: a practice architectures lens

ABSTRACT This article examines school transformation for students from minoritized backgrounds in a highly disadvantaged Australian elementary school. Employing the theory of practice architectures and ecologies of practices, it analyses the educational practices and arrangements that enable and constrain the fostering of a more holistic educational approach for the school’s diverse and highly impoverished school community. Furthermore, it examines how these practices and arrangements connect to one another in ways that foster enabling conditions for a more holistic approach to educating to emerge. A practice approach to the study of change is crucial for schools in highly disadvantaged circumstances. It foregrounds the non-human, material elements of school transformation, rejects the reification of practices found in adjectival accounts of leadership and acknowledges the funds of knowledge that minoritized communities bring to schooling. In so doing, a practice approach speaks back to the materiality of power in the making. The article concludes by discussing the implications for socially just educational leadership practice, particularly in minoritized school communities experiencing the challenges of highly performative, marketized systems.

“Teaching Unplugged”: An Approach For Designing An EFL Teacher Education at Disadvantaged Schools

Inspired by the approach of “Teaching Unplugged: Dogme in English Language Teaching” developed by Luke Meddings and Scott Thornbury, this theoretical research introduces and offers a conceptual design of teacher training intended to be relevant to novice Indonesian EFL teachers, especially those working at schools located in the most remote and disadvantaged areas of Indonesia. The training is designed based on the theoretical framework of the approach and critical reviews of several related empirical studies. This article, therefore, focuses on exploring the applications of the approach by examining some other research including the most recent ones about the approach, and investigating its relevance to the context of English education at the most disadvantaged schools in Indonesia. The practical stages and syllabus are also presented in the article so that both teachers as participants and teacher educators can easily follow and understand how the materials can be implemented in their teaching contexts. Considering the theoretical-based materials and well-planned activities that the training offers, novice EFL teachers, after completing the program, are expected to be able to improve their both language and pedagogical skills that are needed in their school contexts and in line with the recent curriculum, the Merdeka curriculum.

Wellbeing of Students from Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Schools

This article presents data of a quantitative study that aimed to analyze the specifics of the wellbeing of students in disadvantaged secondary schools. A total of 1579 students of gymnasium level from 27 disadvantaged schools in Iasi County, Romania, participated in a survey conducted using the Adolescent Wellbeing Scale (EPOCH). Findings illustrate that pupils from disadvantaged schools have a low level of wellbeing, with different characteristics depending on the gender, age, environment and the level of disadvantage of the school. Results indicate that students from disadvantaged schools are satisfied with their life, develop positive interpersonal relationships, show indifference to involvement in activities and easily abandon their goals. This study confirms the importance of analyzing students' wellbeing to identify educational strategies that allow schools to be more effective from the perspective of reducing the level of violence and decreasing the level of student demotivation, problems that educational systems face nowadays.

A spatial examination of alcohol availability and the level of disadvantage of schools in Ireland

BackgroundThe availability of alcohol is a major factor in underage drinking and according to the alcohol harm paradox, those living in more deprived communities are more susceptible to the negative consequences of alcohol use, despite drinking the same or less than those from more affluent areas. Alcohol availability within the vicinity of the home or school normalises alcohol for schoolchildren. For the first time in the Republic of Ireland, this study examines the number of premises licensed to sell alcohol within 300 m of all schools in Ireland and differences in this number between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged schools.MethodsUsing publicly available data from the Department of Education and Revenue, the addresses of all schools (n = 3,958) and all premises with at least one liquor licence (n = 14,840) were geocoded and analysed using the Geographic Information System software, Quantum GIS (QGIS). Schools were identified by their disadvantaged classification using the HP Pobal Deprivation Index and the number of liquor licences within 300 m of each school type was examined. To test for significant differences between schools’ level of disadvantage, a combination of Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests and Dunn-Bonferroni tests were used.ResultsThere was a mean of two licenced premises within 300 m of all schools in Ireland, but when disadvantaged schools were compared to non-disadvantaged schools, there was a significantly higher number of licenced premises around disadvantaged schools (p < .001). Primary schools are further classified according to their level of disadvantage and the results indicated that those schools classified as the most disadvantaged had a significantly greater number of liquor licences within 300 meters (p < .001). There was no significant difference in density of licenced premises when comparing disadvantaged secondary schools with non-disadvantaged secondary schools (p = .705).ConclusionIreland is considering increasing alcohol availability through the Sale of Alcohol Bill, 2022. However, this analysis indicates already problematic numbers of licenced premises within close proximity of schools in Ireland. It is essential that the harms associated with alcohol availability are considered, especially for those living and attending school in disadvantaged communities, where higher numbers of licenced premises were identified.

Understanding Leadership for Learning of School Leaders in Disadvantaged Areas in the Context of Education Reform in Vietnam

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the interrelationships between leaders’ personal traits, leadership behaviors, and leadership competencies for learning. This quantitative study utilizes structural equation modeling to analyze survey data collected from 563 school leaders across primary, secondary, and postsecondary schools situated in disadvantaged regions of Vietnam. Study participants from disadvantaged areas in Vietnam completed 20-item questionnaires, providing their perspectives on leader traits, leadership behaviors, and competencies related to leadership for learning. The findings revealed a positive correlation between leaders’ personal traits, leadership behaviors, and leadership competencies regarding learning. The research model successfully explained 54.70% of the variance in leadership competencies for learning. The results indicate instructional leadership behaviors have the most significant influence on competencies of leadership for learning, followed by shared leadership behaviors and transformational leadership behaviors. This highlights the integral role of school leaders in effectively implementing new curricula in Vietnam and advancing positive change, especially in disadvantaged schools. These insights hold practical implications for developing impactful leadership strategies in educational institutions to benefit students and shape a brighter future for Vietnam’s educational landscape.

How can academic health science centers help to increase diversity in the STEM professions?

In the United States, great inequities exist within the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields in individuals who self-identify as belonging to underrepresented groups (e.g., from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, people with disabilities, and Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander). Underrepresentation in STEM careers has been documented to be due to a lack of qualified and diverse teaching personnel, limited access to resources in disadvantaged schools, and implicit bias within US institutions. In recognition of these inequities, an interprofessional team of biomedical faculty members and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) educators from the Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSUHSC) in New Orleans developed and implemented a STEM educational training pipeline for elementary, middle, and high school (K-12), undergraduate, and medical students, with accompanying DEI training for LSUHSC mentors and staff to mitigate implicit bias and promote a welcoming environment for participants from different backgrounds. Our findings focus on one social determinant of health: access and quality of education. Other institutions can implement a program as described in the present study to address the educational and health inequities in their own communities.

“This is Where the Care Can Step Up”: A Typology of Nurturing Pedagogies in Primary Schools Serving Low-Income Communities During COVID-19 Closures

AbstractAll schools possess a duty of care towards their students. However, this duty of care falls unevenly across schools, with those serving low-income communities often responding to the material and psychological effects of poverty as a priority. This duty of care for such schools was placed into stark relief during the period of COVID-19 school closures, when structural inequalities in society became particularly pronounced. Previous research has drawn distinctions between different forms of caring enacted in schools serving low-income communities. These range from practices centred on children’s academic learning to those more concerned with children’s welfare and well-being—which, for the purposes of this paper, we term as academic nurturing and affective nurturing respectively. Others recognise the need for schools in low-income communities to perform a dual role and engage in both forms of nurturing simultaneously—which we term as critical nurturing. This paper presents findings based on case studies from three designated disadvantaged primary schools in Ireland during pandemic-related closures. It draws on interviews from the Children’s School Lives longitudinal study with the teachers, principals, and families of four Junior Infant children (typically aged four to five years). Our findings suggest a typology of nurturing pedagogies, with academic and affective nurturing emphasised to varying degrees across our three schools during this period. Narratives from interviewees also demonstrate the central role of school culture and leadership in achieving critical nurturing, with significant social justice implications for the education of children in schools serving low-income communities.