School Ecology Research Articles

A Suggestion to Elementary School Ecology and Environmental Education Program based upon Imaginative Ecological Education

A Suggestion to Elementary School Ecology and Environmental Education Program based upon Imaginative Ecological Education

Lions & Liars by Kate Beasley

Reviewed by: Lions & Liars by Kate Beasley Wesley Jacques Beasley, Kate Lions & Liars; illus. by Dan Santat. Farrar, 2018 [304p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-374-30263-4 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-374-30265-8 $9.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4–7 One day at school, a dodgeball to the face drives home to Frederick Frederickson that he’s not one of life’s victors (lions, as his friend defines the school ecology) and sets him on an accidental journey of discovery. In a flustered attempt to redefine himself, Frederick commandeers a boat he can’t quite pilot and aimlessly floats down a stream to Camp Omigoshee, where he adopts the identity of Dashiell “Dash” Blackwood, a presumably cool kid who hasn’t yet arrived. Frederick-as-Dash quickly falls in with a group of young ne’er-do-wells—including the ill-tempered Specs, who loves snatching eyeglasses off of faces and breaking them—and takes a bit longer than the reader to realize that this is a camp for bad boys. Eventually the real Dash shows, and an absurd series of events—a prank leading to some local zoo animals being released, and a flash flood putting the camp in danger—forces Frederick to face his namesake, his lies, and an actual lion, in a clever bit of narrative maneuvering. Beasley’s humor and knack for wordplay effectively leaven this story of a precocious boy who rejects what he isn’t but struggles with figuring out what he is. By novel’s end, Beasley delivers several laughs as well as an earnest and invaluable exploration of what it means to be a “troubled” boy. Reviewed from an unillustrated galley. Copyright © 2018 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

The Conceptions of Information Literacy (IL) Education Implementation Among Public School Teachers

Information literacy (IL) education in Malaysia is officially integrated into the school curriculum. However, it seems that the development and progress of ILE implementation are slower than might be expected. Thus, the goal of this qualitative study is to determine the factors affecting the implementation of IL education in Malaysian primary schools and to explore how these factors are facilitating or hindering the process. Case studies were conducted involving two national primary schools representing one of the two public school types in Malaysia. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were held with school teachers and key stakeholders followed by documentary analysis for further understanding of the implementation issues emerging during the implementation. From the analysis of the transcripts of the interviews with teaching staff, a range of factors hindering and facilitating IL education implementation has been identified. Interview data shows that most participants had positive attitudes towards IL education. They believed that IL education was important and had the potential to make teaching and learning activities more engaging and fun. However, the participants also reported that there were problems in implementing ILE; these problems seem to be associated with the school ecology.

The anatomy of ability

ABSTRACT“Ability” is one of the most common concepts underpinning education. Generally, “ability” is central to notions of a meritocratic society. More specifically, schools are allocated the right to define, categorise and label students according to their ability. While there has been ample discussion of the role of ability in the creation of curricula, teachers’ concepts of “ability” have remained relatively unstudied. Using semi-structured interviews with 236 primary and secondary school teachers, we examined how teachers use concepts of “ability”, identify its conceptual components in their discourses (its anatomy), and show how the internal structure of the concept relates to specific institutional functions. Teachers’ uses of “ability” prompted us to recount a too-often forgotten perspective – the reframing of our understanding of schools as institutions. Recognising the internal anatomy of ability, as it is used in schooling, helps us better understand its capacity to survive within a broader ecology of schooling, and the degree to which schools are designed to limit learning and legitimise consequent social exclusion.

Using Place-Referenced Approaches to Extend Language-Minority Youths’ Problem-Solving Abilities and Literacy Engagement

We examine an action research initiative focusing on youths who were born and/or began formal schooling in Canada but raised in homes where the societally dominant language was not extensively spoken. Concepts of place and situation were used as heuristics to extend secondary-level students’ problem-solving abilities and literacy engagement and—using activities revolving around youths’ locations within family, school, and community ecologies—to stimulate reflection on their personal and socially situated identities. The structure of secondary schooling, including its engagement of placemaking processes, is not conducive to the promotion of pedagogies that beneficially support the learning of this student cohort.

Monoglossic echoes in multilingual spaces: language narratives from a Vietnamese community language school in Australia

ABSTRACTThis article reports on language narratives in the ecology of a Vietnamese community language school (VCLS) in Australia. The study takes a dialogical perspective, where the stories about language that informants in the research setting tell are understood to shape and be shaped by the contexts in which they are told. Systematic analysis of deictics, reported speech and evaluative indexicals in stories told during 19 interviews with 34 students, teachers and administrators (20 hours 53 mins) was conducted to investigate how informants talk about language and language use and how this impacts on the language learning environment in that context. The results show how narratives both echo and contest ideas about language and language planning in the wider context. The narrative of separate multilingualism echoes monolingual views of language, advocating separate spaces for the use and development of different languages. In contrast, the narrative of flexible multilingualism frames multilingual practices as a natural part of daily life and at the VCLS, but constrained in other spaces. The study illustrates the gap between multilingual practices and monolingual ideologies and approaches to language education. It contributes to the literature calling for revised approaches to language education planning and multilingualism in Australia.

Self- and Peer-Identified Victims in Late Childhood: Differences in Perceptions of the School Ecology.

Patterns of adjustment for youth victimized by peers vary depending on whether youth are identified as victims through self-reports, peer-reports, or both. In order to provide more targeted strategies that may help mitigate negative consequences associated with specific victimization groups, more information is needed about how these youth perceive their school ecology (bullying and academic ecology), their feelings of school belonging, and their valuing of school. Based on the convergence of self- and peer-reports of victimization, we identified four victim groups from a sample of students in 5th grade classrooms (N = 1360; 52.8% girls, 53.1% White, 34.6% Black or Hispanic, 12.2% Native American, Asian, or other) using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA): convergent victims (high self- and peer-reports), self-identified victims (high self-, low peer-reports), peer-identified victims (low self-, high peer-reports), and nonvictims (low self- and peer-reports). Convergent victims' perceptions were similar to nonvictims with key differences being convergent victims' greater willingness to protect peers being bullied but lower feelings of school belonging compared to nonvictims. Peer-identified and self-identified victims perceived differences in the bullying and academic ecology including peer-identified victims' greater willingness to protect peers and expectations for more peers to encourage bulling against them compared to self-identified victims. However, both peer- and self-identified victims perceived greater emotional risk of participating in class and had lower feelings of school belonging compared to nonvictims. Implications for supporting youth with divergent self- and peer-reported victimization status as they transition to middle school are discussed.

ANÁLISE FATORIAL E ANÁLISE DE CLUSTER NO MAPEAMENTO DE CONCEPÇÕES EPISTEMOLÓGICAS DE PROFESSORES SOBRE A CIÊNCIA E A ECOLOGIA

A construção e a validação de novas ferramentas para pesquisas epistemológicas no contexto educacional mostram-se extremamente importantes, e são poucos os trabalhos na área que realizam um processo de validação utilizando técnicas da estatística multivariada. Como a literatura aponta, existem inúmeros instrumentos disponíveis para o mapeamento de visões sobre a ciência como um todo, mas poucos voltados para a caracterização de concepções campo-dependentes, ou seja, concepções sobre áreas específicas da ciência, como a ecologia, que configura entre aquelas que têm recebido menor atenção dos pesquisadores. Desse modo, o presente artigo teve como objetivos: i) validar novos questionários para o mapeamento de concepções epistemológicas sobre a ciência e a ecologia profissionais e sobre o ensino de ecologia (ecologia escolar), e ii) caracterizar os perfis de concepções epistemológicas de uma amostra inicial de professores respondentes, em função do desempenho obtido nesses questionários. Elaboramos três questionários do tipo Likert com escala de cinco pontos, e realizamos um survey online, de corte transversal, com amostragem não probabilística por conveniência. O número amostral analisado correspondeu a um total de 80 sujeitos. Foi possível avaliar, por meio da análise fatorial exploratória e da análise de consistência interna (alfa de Cronbach), a capacidade dos nossos instrumentos de medir os construtos-alvo, o que em outras pesquisas normalmente é feito apenas de maneira qualitativa e subjetiva (análise pautada exclusivamente no conteúdo e não na estrutura interna). Já a análise de agrupamento permitiu definir quais grupos de professores mostraram perfis de concepções epistemológicas mais atualizadas/sofisticadas, e quais apresentaram concepções mais limitadas/ingênuas, contribuindo também com critérios mais objetivos para a interpretação dos resultados.

Socioeconomic inequality at school entry: A cross-cohort comparison of families and schools

The widening income gap between the wealthy and the disadvantaged in the United States has been well documented and has coincided with a near doubling of the income-achievement gap among school-age children. Motivated by calls for approaches to research that enable comprehensive accounts of change in the social ecologies of children, we leverage recently released data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to compare two nationally representative samples of kindergartners. Using multiple indicators reflecting children's family and school ecologies, we document a substantial and widening divide between kindergarteners from high- and low-income households. We show that kindergartners from families with low-income are more disadvantaged in 2010, following the Great Recession than they were in 1998 on a number of measures of well-being including higher levels of maternal unemployment and greater food insecurity. We also document a dramatic increase in the proportion of school administrators reporting a decline in school funding as well as increased student mobility in the latter time period. Our results raise concerns that schools may not be prepared to compensate for the widening gap between the rich and the poor.

Elementary school parent engagement efforts: Relations with educator perceptions and school characteristics

School efforts to engage parents are posited to influence whether and how they are involved in their children's schooling. The authors examined educators' engagement efforts in beginning reading, their subjective evaluations of engagement practices, and beliefs about parent involvement, in two stratified samples of New Zealand elementary school educators. They explored whether educators' ratings supported multidimensional and multitiered theoretical models of engagement. The authors invited responses from elementary principals and teachers, given their different roles in the nested ecology of schools and relationships with parents, and examined associations between pairs of principals and teachers working in the same school. Finally, the authors examined relations among educators' engagement efforts, evaluations of engagement practices, and beliefs about involvement, and school characteristics including community socioeconomic status, size of school population, ethnic composition of school population, community size, and geographic region.

How school ecologies facilitate resilience among adolescents with Intellectual Disability: Guidelines for teachers

The global prioritisation of the inclusion of learners with disabilities, and of vulnerable young people’s resilience, means that teachers worldwide require insight into how best to facilitate the resilience of adolescents made vulnerable by intellectual disability (ID). To provide such insight, we conducted a secondary data analysis of a multiple case study of resilient adolescents with ID attending special schools in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The visual and narrative data that inform this case study were generated by resilient adolescents with ID ( n = 24), and their teachers ( n = 18). Four school-related themes emerge from their accounts of resilience-supporting factors associated with their schools for the physically and severely intellectually disabled (SPSID). From these, we distill three uncomplicated actions mainstream school ecologies can execute in order to enable the resilience of included adolescents with ID. Their simplicity and ordinariness potentiate universally useful ways for mainstream teachers to champion the resilience of included adolescents with ID. Keywords: adolescents; formal services; health and well-being; inclusion; intellectual disability; qualitative research; resilience; SPSID; teachers

STUDENT CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND SCHOOL CLIMATE: ASSOCIATIONS AT MULTIPLE LEVELS OF THE SCHOOL ECOLOGY

Research suggests that youth civic participation predicts desirable outcomes for engaged individuals, but less is known about the benefits of individual participation that accrue to schools as a whole. The present study investigates whether students’ individual and collective participation predict students’ perceptions of school climate. We examine survey and administrative data from 4,947 students from 11 middle schools. Using multilevel modeling we examine the association of aggregate civic participation at the grade cohort level with school climate. Cohort‐level civic participation has a significant positive association with perceived school climate, specifically student–teacher relationships, the fairness of school rules, and democratic climate. These aggregate associations are estimated over and above individual‐level civic participation, which is independently predictive of school climate. Results demonstrate that students’ civic participation is associated with positive individual and setting‐level outcomes, such as positive perceptions of school climate. Limitations of this study and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Competence Approach Of Personally Oriented Direction During Teaching Ecology In Schools

Purpose. determine and substantiate effective methods of implementation the competence approach of personally oriented direction during teaching ecology in schools. Methods. Traditional pedagogical, sociological, statistical. Results. According to the research, the students expressed a desire to study ecology in themes other lessons, based on differentiated and interdisciplinary principles. Among the methods of learning, interest was aroused excursions to industrial plants and wastewater treatment plants, nature lessons, experiments with animals, practice in laboratory and viewing of thematic movies. Most children agreed to participate in environmental projects as volunteers, guided by motives of environmental protection. Conclusions. The investigated approaches contribute to the motivation; meet individual learner needs and professional self-realization; as well as the development and consolidation of competences necessary for harmonious human coexistence with the environment.

ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКОЙ РАБОТЫ ПО БИОЛОГИИ И ЭКОЛОГИИ В ШКОЛЕ

ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКОЙ РАБОТЫ ПО БИОЛОГИИ И ЭКОЛОГИИ В ШКОЛЕ

"Can a school-wide bullying prevention program improve the plight of victims? Evidence for risk × intervention effects": Correction to Juvonen et al. (2016).

Reports an error in "Can a school-wide bullying prevention program improve the plight of victims? Evidence for risk × intervention effects" by Jaana Juvonen, Hannah L. Schacter, Miia Sainio and Christina Salmivalli (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2016[Apr], Vol 84[4], 334-344). In the article there was an error in Table 2 of the Results. The Victimization, BL × Intervention interaction term was marked significant in the Attitudes Toward School column (".023(.02)**"). However, this interaction was not statistically significant and the two asterisks should be removed in Table 2. The correct table is provided. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2016-03231-001.) This study was designed to examine whether a school-wide antibullying program, effective in reducing incidents of bullying, can also reduce the harm associated with victimization. Specifically, we test whether baseline victimization moderates the KiVa program intervention effects on school perceptions, depression, and self-esteem. Relying on a randomized control sample consisting of 7,010 fourth to sixth grade Finnish elementary school students, self-report data were examined using multilevel modeling across 39 intervention and 38 control schools over a 12-month period. The KiVa program was particularly effective in facilitating perceptions of a caring school climate among students who were most victimized before the intervention, while program benefits on attitudes toward school did not vary by level of victimization. The intervention effects on depression and self-esteem were strongest only among the most victimized sixth graders. The results suggest that antibullying programs designed to improve the school ecology can alleviate the plight of the victimized and underscore that harm reduction should be assessed by testing risk × intervention effects when evaluating effectiveness of such programs. (PsycINFO Database Record

Can a school-wide bullying prevention program improve the plight of victims? Evidence for risk × intervention effects.

This study was designed to examine whether a school-wide antibullying program, effective in reducing incidents of bullying, can also reduce the harm associated with victimization. Specifically, we test whether baseline victimization moderates the KiVa program intervention effects on school perceptions, depression, and self-esteem. Relying on a randomized control sample consisting of 7,010 fourth to sixth grade Finnish elementary school students, self-report data were examined using multilevel modeling across 39 intervention and 38 control schools over a 12-month period. The KiVa program was particularly effective in facilitating perceptions of a caring school climate among students who were most victimized before the intervention, while program benefits on attitudes toward school did not vary by level of victimization. The intervention effects on depression and self-esteem were strongest only among the most victimized sixth graders. The results suggest that antibullying programs designed to improve the school ecology can alleviate the plight of the victimized and underscore that harm reduction should be assessed by testing risk × intervention effects when evaluating effectiveness of such programs.

The Development of School Ecology Observation Learning Program based on Elementary School Science Curriculum

The Development of School Ecology Observation Learning Program based on Elementary School Science Curriculum

Quietly sharing the load? The role of school psychologists in enabling teacher resilience

Teacher resilience is associated with positive student outcomes and plays an important role in teacher retention and well-being. School ecologies can enable the resilience of teachers, with prior research illustrating the importance of supportive colleagues, strong leadership, and positive school culture. There is limited research, however, exploring the role of school psychologists in supporting or enabling teacher resilience. Using data from experienced Australian school psychologists and teachers, this exploratory qualitative study examines the role of school psychologists in enabling teacher resilience. Findings show that school psychologists directly and indirectly support teacher resilience, although teachers perceive school psychologists’ main role as work with individual students. Issues pertaining to variations in access and particular roles of school psychologists are discussed. Although further research is needed to clarify and promote the role of school psychologists, this study points to them potentially playing an important role in school ecologies that enable teacher resilience.

Children’s positive adjustment to first grade in risk-filled communities: A case study of the role of school ecologies in South Africa and Finland

This article presents a comparative case study on the ways in which children’s school ecologies facilitate their adjusting positively to first grade in risk-filled contexts in South Africa and Finland. The insights of two children (one South African, one Finnish) from socio-economically disadvantaged communities, their teachers, parents and significant others constitute the data corpus of this study. The data were collected via semi-structured interviews, ‘Day-in-the-Life’ video-recorded observations, and Draw-and-talk and photo elicitation methods. The data were analysed deductively using the seven, commonly recurring mechanisms of resilience as documented by Ungar (2015). The results demonstrate how resilience processes are co-constructed and gain their meaning within the given social ecology of a child. They underscore the importance of school ecologies being functional enough, in the face of socio-economic adversity, to continue to facilitate everyday resilience-supporting processes for children. The article ends by considering the lessons of this study for school psychologists.

The everyday ways that school ecologies facilitate resilience: Implications for school psychologists

From a socio-ecological perspective of resilience, social ecologies are crucial to children’s functional outcomes in the face of adversity. Schools, in particular, are integral to the multiple social systems that children are embedded in. Consequently schools have a special responsibility towards meaningfully and routinely supporting children’s resilience. Drawing on a synthesis of 33 publications, I document the everyday ways that school ecologies enact this responsibility. I caution that although much of this everyday routine is potentially protective, it neglects important leverage points for supporting resilience. These include championing resilience in contextually-sensitive ways, pre-empting risk and advocating for systemic change, and being mindful of the costs of resilience. To optimize these leverage points, school psychologists need child-informed understandings of how school ecologies facilitate resilience differentially. They also need to adopt an activist stance that animates social change. The resilience-themed edition of School Psychology International, which this article introduces, develops this agenda.