Educational Experiences Of Young People Research Articles

Educational experiences of young people with ADHD in the UK: Secondary analysis of qualitative data from the CATCh-uS mixed-methods study.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and/or impulsivity. Young people with ADHD have poorer educational and social outcomes than their peers. We aimed to better understand educational experiences of young people with ADHD in the UK, and make actionable recommendations for schools. In this secondary analysis of qualitative data, we used Thematic Analysis to analyse information relating to experiences of education from 64 young people with ADHD and 28 parents who participated in the Children and adolescents with ADHD in Transition between Children's services and adult Services (CATCh-uS) study. Emerging patterns within and across codes led to organization of the data into themes and subthemes through an iterative process. Two main themes were generated. The first described young people's early experiences of education, often within a mainstream setting; we labelled this the problematic provision loop, as this was a negative cycle that was repeated several times for some participants. The second theme described young people's more positive progression through education once they progressed out of the problematic loop. Educational experiences for young people with ADHD are often negative and fraught with complication. Young people with ADHD often found themselves on a more positive trajectory after they were placed in an alternative form of education provision (mainstream or otherwise), or where they were able to study topics that interest them and play to their strengths. We make recommendations that commissioners, local authorities and schools could consider in order to better support those with ADHD.

Partnership building for student access in online spaces: an evaluative exploration of the Higher Education Progression Partnership South Yorkshire

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to the educational experiences of young people and to educational institutions. This article will examine the opportunities and challenges of the 'emergency' move to online spaces for the universities, schools and colleges in the Higher Education Progression Partnership South Yorkshire (HeppSY). Within the article, there is a particular focus on stakeholder groups and their relationships, which were vital for accessing and engaging the target students for activities and initiatives, but they are often not explicitly discussed when evaluating the impact of widening participation activities. This article will present the findings of 16 interviews and focus groups and the opportunities and challenges of moving into an online space will be outlined from the perspective of two stakeholder groups, as well as issues around digital poverty, capability and funding. The discussion section will focus on the implications of the online environment for widening participation and partnerships and how it can be moved beyond emergency online delivery to be planned and sustainable. It concludes by outlining the role of the online in widening participation and partnership working that will help drive the diversification of access post-pandemic.

Identificación de necesidades de apoyo para el aprendizaje y la participación de estudiantes universitarios con discapacidad visual: un estudio biográfico narrativo

This article explores the educational experiences of young people with a visual disability, to identify the needs for learning assistance and the participation they experienced during their university years. A biographical narrative approach was used to explore the students’ voices with the intention of having their perspectives and insights contribute to improvements in inclusive education processes in higher education. There was a total of four participants, two current students and two graduates from two Chilean universities and two biographical interviews were conducted with each participant. The students’ needs for support include greater accessibility to the areas designated for social interaction, better assistance with mobility within the campus, better accessibility to study materials and class content, and diversification of the assessment instruments. The results are discussed considering the concepts of "participation” and "universal design for learning”, and the implications for the institutional inclusion policies in higher education.

Experiencias educativas de jóvenes mixtecos de familias de jornaleros agrícolas migrantes: estudio fenomenológico del derecho a la educación

Con base en los cuatro indicadores del derecho a la educación propuestos por Tomasevski (2001, 2004), se analizan las experiencias educativas de jóvenes de familias de jornaleros agrícolas migrantes desde el método fenomenológico, a través de los significados que surgen del paso de estudiantes de origen indígena por las escuelas públicas. Se recuperan los significados de once jóvenes de origen mixteco que temporalmente migran al estado de Hidalgo. La investigación analiza las experiencias educativas en torno al proceso de aprendizaje, las relaciones con docentes y la docencia, así como la convivencia escolar y la discriminación por parte de otros alumnos. A través de las relaciones se identifican distintas prácticas que dan cuenta de una estructura social que ejerce discriminación institucional a este grupo social. Estas prácticas vulneran el pleno ejercicio el derecho a y en la educación, así como el derecho a la no discriminación. La investigación aporta a la comprensión de diversos fenómenos educativos desde la perspectiva de los estudiantes. También se realiza un acercamiento a los estudios con hijos de familias de jornaleros agrícolas con una perspectiva de derechos humanos, haciendo uso de los indicadores de derecho a la educación.

Helping hand: The role of career guidance in finding the right career pathway for at-risk students in three European contexts

This paper explores the educational experiences of young people who had been at risk of dropping out and gained a qualification at a second chance provision. It is based on comparative fieldwork in England, Denmark and Hungary with empirical data collected from observations; and 28 interviews with former students. By listening to the voices of students, the analysis focused on the relevance of different sources of support. The findings revealed that individual study pathways and intensified guidance effort led stu dents to pursue their career in higher education and/or in the labour market.

Study Protocol: 6th National Survey of Australian Secondary Students and Adolescent Sexual Health, 2018.

Introduction: Since 1992 the Australian Government has funded a periodic national survey of HIV and Sexually Transmissible Infection (STI) knowledge and sexual risk behavior among secondary school students. Adolescents continue to be a priority population in public health efforts to reduce rates of STIs in Australia. The purpose of the survey is to inform progress on national strategic sexual health priorities. The results are used by federal and state/territory government agencies, youth-serving community organizations and health educators to improve knowledge, promote healthy sexual behaviors and target educational efforts aimed at communicating public health messages to young people.Materials and Equipment: The 6th survey entitled the “National Survey of Secondary Students and Adolescent Sexual Health” was conducted online in 2018 among 14–18 year olds living in Australia. The anonymous self-complete survey contained up to 286 items assessing three primary domains of knowledge, behaviors and education experiences. Factual knowledge measures covered HIV transmission and STI knowledge around transmission and prevention covering gonorrhea, Chlamydia, syphilis, hepatitis, herpes, and HPV. Behavioral measures examined perceived susceptibility, peer norms, protective behaviors, age of onset for various behaviors, reasons for not being sexually active yet, and/or sexual histories with additional detail on most recent sexual event. The 6th survey was completed by 8,400 Australian adolescents a represents a broad cross-section by age, gender, year in school, type of school (e.g., government, Catholic), and state/territory which closely matched census data on these strata. The one-of-a-kind survey instrument, grounded in public health theories, may prove valuable for public health researchers.Expected Impact of the Study on Public Health: Findings from the 6th National Survey of Secondary Students and Adolescent Sexual Health will contribute important insights into current knowledge, behaviors and educational experiences of young people. Results, similar to previous iterations of the survey, will inform public health practitioners, policymakers, educators, and advocates for the sexual health and well-being of young Australians. Results may assist sexual health services to align with broader public health goals articulated in the national HIV and STI strategies aimed to reduce the burden of disease and improve the quality of sexual lives of young Australians.

Falling off the ladder: Using focal theory to understand and improve the educational experiences of young people in transition from public care

Coleman's focal theory, developed in relation to adolescents in the general population, appears to offer some explanation for the poor educational achievement and social exclusion of care leavers, but has been little tested empirically. This paper revisits data from two studies of care-experienced young people aged 18–25, drawing on qualitative interviews in the UK and four other European countries, to see if focal theory would have helped to predict their educational progression or otherwise. The lives of research participants were found to be characterised by disruptions and uncertainty, with multiple challenges confronting them in quick succession, making it hard for them to pace their transitions as, according to focal theory, other young people do. Findings suggest that the theory could be used to inform policy designed to improve educational outcomes and should be incorporated into training for those responsible for supporting care leavers through their transition to adulthood.

Participación ciudadana de jóvenes en contextos de inclusión y exclusión: reflexiones desde los aportes del pensamiento de Alberto Melucci

El presente artículo de reflexión crítica aborda la participación ciudadana juvenil en unas sociedades globales, tecnificadas e interconectadas virtualmente. La discusión estará orientada por el pensamiento del teórico social Alberto Melucci, quien desde una perspectiva crítica, discute sobre las nuevas fronteras para reflexionar la ciudadanía, integradas por la diferencia y la solidaridad; la inclusión y la exclusión; y los espacios reales para vivir la democracia; todas ellas distribuidas de manera desigual. Estas ideas hacen parte constitutiva de las interconexiones que guardan con las experiencias educativas de los jóvenes y con las formas como ellas y ellos están viviendo la ciudadanía en un mundo complejo y diferenciado, poniendo en evidencia las posibilidades reales de la participación ciudadana juvenil en Colombia.

Pupil voice: listening to and hearing the educational experiences of young people with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD)

This paper provides an overview of a PhD pilot study which aimed to develop innovative, exploratory research strategies for harnessing the pupil voice of children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD). The paper highlights how a PhD pilot study engaged young people in novel data collection methods. The main aim of this paper is to locate the pupil at the heart of the data collection and to examine how specific turning points can impact upon the educational experiences of young people with BESD. An overview of the methods employed in the research are offered here; these included activity sessions that involved role play and games in order to facilitate an exploration of pupils' responses to their different experiences of BESD provision. Following on from the activity sessions, interviews were conducted to gain a more detailed insight into pupils' educational experiences. The methods employed throughout this paper were interactive, with emphasis placed on engaging and involving the young people in the research process. The paper ends by offering a discussion of the preliminary findings from the pilot study and the researcher's experiences of engaging young people with BESD in research.

Exploring educational interactions: a lesson for the development of interdisciplinary working?

This paper reports a small‐scale study exploring the communicative interactions of secondary teachers and community educators with colleagues and learners in educational environments. This research is conducted in a changing educational landscape where there is a more holistic approach to education being adopted and where an extended Scottish curriculum is encompassing students from age 3 to 18. In this study, the reported incidents of communication relate to developing and maintaining relationships, and attending to issues of power and status. While there were clear similarities in the themes uncovered in both sectors, there were major differences concerning power and status. In the formal sector, educators reported matters regarding their status and position within the organisation, whereas informal educators were more concerned with aspects of power relating to the young people. These differences may reflect a disparity in cultural and organisational values that, if recognised and acted upon, could help to nourish aspects of interdisciplinary working to further enhance the educational experiences of young people.

Visual impairment: The educational experiences of young people in Northern Ireland

During the last 30 years there has been an increasing commitment in many countries to inclusive education. This has yielded a substantial evidence base that addresses various aspects of inclusive education including its impact on teacher attitudes and on pupil experiences. In contrast, few studies have been undertaken to examine these issues from the perspective of pupils with a visual impairment (VI). To extend the evidence base this paper examines the mainstream and special education experiences of young people with a VI. Focus group discussions and one to one in-depth interviews were conducted with 19 young people age 15 to 23. All of the participants were educated in Northern Ireland. Findings demonstrate that those who experienced a mainstream education disliked school more and had fewer friends at school than their peers at special school. Teachers in both school sectors were perceived as discouraging and thought to hold low expectations for pupils with a VI. In the main, neither group enjoyed an active social life nor did they report having many friends at home.

Generation X-pendable

Many small communities across the vast interior of Australia are under pressure from ongoing rural restructuring and a long-running drought. Socioeconomic indicators suggest that rural people are significantly disadvantaged by comparison with their urban counterparts. While these factors are evident, less well understood are the circumstances of rural and remote young people. In this article we draw on research conducted in 2001 and 2004 on the employment and educational experiences of young people in these communities. Using Reimer's typology of relations associated with social exclusion — market, bureaucratic, associative and communal — we indicate that rural and remote young people are experiencing rising levels of social exclusion. Their access to education and employment is restricted through no fault of their own, and is in fact, obstructed by government policy. The need for sensitive policy to increase the social inclusion of young people in rural and remote areas is evident.

The educational experiences of young people with sickle cell disorder: a commentary on the existing literature

Sickle cell disorder (SCD) is a chronic illness that in England disproportionately affects marginalized ethnic groups, but has yet to feature extensively within educational or disability research. This review of existing literature makes the case for a sustained developmental research programme around SCD, disability and education. There are potentially life‐saving decisions that could be made by teachers in caring for a child with SCD. The place of the school as a venue for health screening with respect to vision, hearing and dental care is also complicated by SCD. The lack of a formal school policy to address the combined episodic and longer term school absences correlated with SCD clearly disadvantages a group of pupils whose academic potential may already have been curtailed by teacher expectations based on their ethnicity. Both the physical and social milieu of the school could be adapted so that the environmental triggers of severe painful episodes associated with SCD are greatly reduced. Systems of pastoral care and health education elements of the school curriculum need to be attuned to the challenges and opportunities for learning that SCD raises. SCD may be considered as a resource for education across a range of national curriculum subjects, could bring an anti‐racist dimension to subjects such as mathematics, biology, history and geography and could challenge a number of prevailing disabling and racist discourses in wider society. In short, SCD could be one bridge to more inclusive education for pupils of marginalized ethnic groups.

Looking after learning: making a difference for young people in care

This paper reports on one initiative, the Looking After Learning Project, led by an LEA educational psychologist, to investigate and assist with the promotion of the educational experiences of young people being ‘looked after’ by a large local authority in England. The project has highlighted many issues, also reflected in national concern and research on the education of young people in care, including: available educational information; the importance of working with carers e.g. foster parents and residential social workers; the involvement of schools; and inter-agency liaison. These issues are discussed with the author suggesting recommendations which could make a difference to the educational experiences of these young people at both an individual and a policy level. However, it is noted that implementing research findings and influencing service planning and practice is not always easy, requiring commitment, especially of personnel and finance.