English School Research Articles

‘I get in before they do’: the impact of voice and visibility on girls’ experience of being at risk of permanent exclusion from School

ABSTRACT This paper explores the experiences of a small sample of girls in English schools at risk of permanent exclusion. A range of visual methods were used to collect data from girls in mainstream secondary schools and an alternative provision setting which formed the basis of subsequent interviews. Through an examination of extant research and the data from this study, it is argued that issues of visibility and voice continue to be prevalent for girls at the margins of education. This paper contends that within the current educational climate in England, girls’ experiences appear to have remained the same as, or deteriorated compared to their contemporaries 20 years ago. It concludes by suggesting some possible next steps and implications for schools and those supporting girls in educational settings.

An ecosystemic perspective of the factors affecting the learning experiences of learners with dyslexia in mainstream schools in England

A systematic literature review (SLR) of seven papers written between 2015 and 2021 explored the educational experiences of learners with dyslexia in mainstream schools in England from an ecosystemic perspective and how to improve the situation. The analysis employed keywords for database searches and followed the PRISMA flow protocol. It synthesised evidence using thematic analysis and identified seven themes: dyslexia challenges; differential treatment; negative stereotypes; early intervention; teachers' training; power dynamics; and collaboration. The results suggest that several factors can influence the learning experiences of learners with dyslexia in English mainstream schools. Similarly, such factors can, in turn, be dependent on education policies. On that premise, this systematic literature review recommends that to promote positive learning experiences for learners with dyslexia, classroom strategies targeting interventions should be supported with broader environmental strategies shaping individuals' learning experience and offer support from different perspectives. A whole‐school approach to providing intervention, teachers' training, parents and school partnerships, and professional collaboration can improve learners' educational experiences. A further recommendation is for learning interventions to target all learners, to prevent differential treatment of learners with dyslexia and to avoid them standing out from their peers and creating a negative experience.

‘We fear the repercussions from parents’: primary school parents and teachers’ perspectives on the inclusion of LGBTQ+ issues in the English primary school curriculum

ABSTRACT This paper reports on findings from a survey conducted within a larger collaborative project, working with primary school teachers and parents to normalise conversations about LGBTQ+ issues in four English primary schools. Survey data from 96 teachers and parents highlight different perspectives on the inclusion of LGBTQ+ issues. Existing research shows teachers are often reluctant to address such issues, signalling various concerns, including fear of a negative parental reaction. Using quantitative analysis of Likert items combined with a qualitative analysis of open-ended comments, the study shows differences in perceptions between teachers and parents, and among participating parents. The findings show teachers are willing to address LGBTQ+ issues within the primary school curriculum with support from the majority of parents. Parental opposition to teaching about LGBTQ+ issues appears to be associated with some parents’ religious views and limited engagement with members of the LGBTQ+ community. Parents’ concerns largely focused on notions of childhood innocence and perceptions of age-appropriateness for teaching about/engagement with LGBTQ+ issues.

Teacher educators as knowledge brokers: reframing knowledge co-construction with school partners

ABSTRACT This paper explores the contention that teacher educators are especially well placed to help teachers bridge between practical experience and wider forms of knowledge. In its focus on issues derived from practice, knowledge co-construction and professional judgement, the paper articulates an alternative, but complementary, vision of evidence-informed practice to set alongside prevailing ‘What Works’ approaches. The paper uses the concept of knowledge brokering to analyse the ways that teachers collaborated with one English school of education’s teacher educators in five different projects in the course of a single academic year. Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews, common brokering mechanisms are identified, yielding a set of principles for creating conditions, boundary crossing and reciprocal working which cut across subjects and age phases. Four distinctive attributes of teacher educators are proposed as part of reframing such collaborative relationships. The paper adds to debates about the need to reconfigure university-school partnerships for professional learning in order to identify more clearly the distinctive contribution of the university teacher educator, respond to the role tensions of teacher educators and support teachers’ critical professionalism.

Community English School

Community English School

‘Gaming’ in the English primary school: ‘do whatever you need to do to make your data look good’

ABSTRACT In an international policy environment of intensified high-stakes accountability, pupil assessment data are an invaluable commodity and critical indicator of both school and teacher effectiveness. Teachers’ engagement with pupil data and the associated experiences of increased accountability are of great consequence, and highly contentious for perceptions and experiences of policy. In the context of the English primary school, this paper explores the progressively tactical nature of teachers’ enactment of assessment policy, and the impetus to ‘make the data look good’. It draws upon an empirical study of rich qualitative data from 42 interviews with 22 primary teachers employed in the South-East of England. The findings add to an evolving field about ‘gaming’, and particular consequences for teacher identity are discussed. The paper further advances insights about teachers’ experiences of ‘in-school assessment’ as pertinent for understanding gaming. It locates the pupil progress meeting as an iteration of teacher accountability and performativity, and particular site of contestation, and a specific contribution to knowledge in this regard.

Swimming and water safety delivery for newly arrived Australians.

In Victoria, Australia, culturally and linguistically diverse communities are more than twice as likely to drown than their Australian-born counterparts. One explanation is the lack of feasible, community-led approaches to water safety and swimming education. A community engagement framework was used to develop and implement a 5-day pool program to teach swimming and water safety to newly arrived migrant children attending an English language school in Victoria. Socio-cultural needs of the predominantly Afghan cohort were incorporated through in-language consultation with parents who requested males and females be educated separately. Participants were assessed against Victorian aquatic competency benchmark standards at pre- and post-program, however, there was no expectation to achieve these competencies within the 5 days due to a lack of prior aquatic exposure. Independent and paired samples t-tests determined changes in skills, including by sex and number of lessons attended. Forty-one participants completed all assessments. Excluding lifesaving skills, there was a significant increase in total competency attainment overall from pre- to post-program (p < 0.001), and for each competency (p's ≤ 0.002)-predominantly knowledge and rescue skills. Improvements were mostly recorded among males, demonstrating that females may require more specialized support to achieve similar outcomes. Improvements in rescue skills and knowledge indicate the program's effectiveness in increasing newly arrived migrant children's awareness of, and exposure to, foundations of safe aquatic behaviours. Future programs tailored to newly arrived migrant communities should consider implementing water familiarization activities as a stepping stone to engagement with structured swimming and water safety education.

A Study of Influence of Yoga on the Mental Health of Adolescents

Mental health refers to an individual’s overlall adjustment in behaviour which is socially desirable to achieve a maximum of satisfaction and happiness, enabling ability to face and deal with the daily life situations effectively. The present research paper explored to comparative study the level of mental health among adolescents who are routinely performing Yoga. The present study consisted sample of 120 subjects divided in two groups (Boys and Girls), each group has 60 subjects, considered for six different parameters. These all subjects came from class IX from four local english medium schools. No group was further subdivided. Mental Health Battery (ISBN 93-87452-59-X) authered by Dr. Arun Kumar Singh &amp; Dr Alpana Sen Gupta of National Psychological Corporation, Agra, was used as tool for the assessment of mental health. For statistical analysis and hypothesis testing, mean score and t-test were applied. The findings show that there was no significant difference in the influence on the mental health of adolescent of both sexes. On the basis of the findings in the presented study, it may be concluded that in adolescents who were performing Yoga routinely, gender has no influential factor in mental health.

Predictors of Chinese reading in Chinese monolingual and Chinese–English bilingual children in Mainland China

AbstractThere is a growing number of children learning to read in bilingual environments, yet research on the uniqueness of reading acquisition in these bilingual children, particularly L1 majority bilinguals, is limited. With a sample size of 690 4th-grade students, this study investigated predictors influencing L1 Chinese reading in Chinese–English bilingual children (n = 345) attending Chinese–English bilingual schools in mainland China and made comparisons with their monolingual counterparts (n = 345). The results of a multi-group path analysis revealed both similarities and differences between the two groups. In terms of Chinese reading comprehension, word reading and linguistic comprehension were significant predictors for both groups, but their relative importance differed. While there was no difference in the predictive power between the two predictors in the monolingual group, word reading held a greater contribution in the bilingual group. Regarding Chinese word reading, both morphological and orthographic awareness emerged as significant predictors in the monolingual group, whereas in the bilingual group, only morphological awareness was significant, and the contribution of phonological awareness was insignificant in either group. These findings underscore the distinct relationship between reading and its predictive constituents in bilingual students when compared to their monolingual counterparts.

Senior High School Students’ Motivation to Enroll in English Language Schools

This research aims to find out what students' motivations are when enroll an English Language Schools. This research used a qualitative research method with a qualitative descriptive design involving 7 grade 3 students at SMA Negeri 3 Makassar. Data collection techniques include observation, interviews and documentation. The result of this research reveals that several students’ motivations when enrolling for an English Language schools experienced intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. But the most dominant motivation is extrinsic motivation.Keywords: Motivation, Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation, English Language Schools.

Educators’ perspectives on harmful sexual behaviour

ABSTRACT Child sexual abuse is an epidemic, yet many are unaware that a significant proportion of sexual abuse is perpetrated by children and adolescents. Research indicates that professionals can hold unhelpful views of those engaging in Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB) and lack confidence when handling cases. Given educators' proximity to young people, their experiences could shed light on the current picture within schools. The study aimed to contribute to the growing evidence-base, by exploring educators’ perspectives on HSB. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 educators working in English schools. Thematic analysis elicited three key themes: Awareness of HSB in education; Responses to fictitious and real-life cases; and perceptions of HSB. Educators demonstrated some knowledge of HSB and understood the processes for responding to cases. Real and fictional cases of HSB elicited strong, negative emotion in the sample. Recommendations included specialist training and support for educators and systemic change to minimise harm. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT The findings of the study provide valuable insight regarding the first-hand experiences of teaching staff in relation to Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB); and the emotional impact of working with young people affected by sexual harm. It also takes into account systemic issues which perpetuate HSB. Recommendations seek to improve educators' confidence and competency, promote best practice, and tackle the prevalence of sexual harm in schools through “whole school” approaches.

SELF-IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM IN CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA

Children with dyslexia often face challenges beyond academic performance, which can lead to negative self-perceptions and reduced self-esteem. The association between self-image and self-esteem was assessed in the current study of sixty children with dyslexia (boys = 36, girls = 24). It was assumed that the self-image and self-esteem of children with dyslexia were directly associated with dyslexia. It was also hypothesized that children with dyslexia would have a negative self-image and low self-esteem. Children of 7-12 years (M = 9.7 SD = 1.66) were recruited from English medium schools of Faisalabad for the study. The Bangor Dyslexia Test was used as a quick screening device for finding out whether the subject’s difficulties were or were not typically dyslexic. Urdu version of Self Image Profile (Butler, 1998) was administered to children to find their self-image (positive and negative) and self-esteem (low and high). The results suggested that most children with dyslexia had a negative self-image and low self-esteem. Results depicted that 63 % of the sample had a negative self-image and 60 % of the sample had low self-esteem. Boys showed more negative self-image than girls; on the contrary, girls showed lower self-esteem than boys. It was concluded that children with dyslexia showed a negative self-image and low self-esteem. The findings of the current study might be helpful for the parents and the school teachers to get acquainted with the issue of dyslexia in the school population and its impact on their academic performance.

WILLIAM GELL'S ENCOUNTERS WITH ISLAMIC SPAIN, 1808–36

The British antiquary William Gell (1777–1836) is known for his work on ancient Greece and Rome, which he based on a lifetime of Mediterranean travel and two decades of residence in Italy. This article uses a remarkable notebook held at the British School at Rome to explore his unheralded interest in Islamic Spain (al-Andalus), which emerged from his Iberian travels of 1808–11 and took up much of his energy in the early 1830s, the final years of his life. As such, the notebook shows how engagement with other cultures might continue well beyond an initial encounter through travel. It brings together Gell's on-the-spot sketches and descriptions of the Alhambra, his copious later reading on the Emirate of Granada and evidence that he was teaching himself Arabic, offering a case study of early nineteenth-century scholarship that straddles the transition between eighteenth-century antiquarianism and Romantic, Orientalist approaches. The materiality and the contents of Gell's notebook chart the changing ways in which British travellers and writers incorporated al-Andalus into their understandings of Europe and the Mediterranean.

An exploration into the nature and extent of diversity within history classrooms in Kent

AbstractEver since the 1970s, politicised debates have raged over the teaching of history, dubbed the ‘history wars’. These debates continue to impact primary and secondary teachers' choices of history curriculum foci to this day. This research aimed to discover history teachers' understanding of how to develop diversity within their history curricula and to discuss the possible pitfalls of their decision making. We set out to answer the following questions: (1) How do history teachers and subject leads understand the concept of diversification within the history curriculum? (2) How are schools approaching the diversification of their history curriculum? We carried out this project collaboratively with 10 history teachers and subject leads from four primary and three secondary schools in Kent, South‐East England. As a result, we have developed a model of ‘school diversification’ and make several recommendations to support the development and teaching of increasingly diverse history lessons, within the confines of the current National Curriculum. This project adds to the literature by privileging the voice of teachers within classrooms and including collaboration between teachers of all phases within history education in English schools to support the development of diversity within their practice.

Revisiting English attitudes of Japanese students in residential English schools in the Philippines after COVID-19

ABSTRACT This study examines Japanese students’ attitudes toward English learning in residential schools in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on their language learning experiences. The study conducted in-depth interviews with eight Japanese students studying in the Philippines in December 2022. Despite the pandemic, the students remained motivated to pursue their studies in the Philippines. Their responses were consistent with pre-pandemic times, as they had chosen the Philippines for its affordability, good-quality education, and diverse range of accents and cultures, allowing them to experience English as a lingua franca and World Englishes. Moreover, this trend was accelerated by the pandemic and the depreciation of the yen in 2022, increasing their cost consciousness. Personal motivations, such as utilitarian reasons and cultural exchange, played a vital role in driving students to study in the Philippines, emphasizing the importance of considering personal motivations and cultural exchange in designing effective language programs.

Racial capitalism and the ordinary extractivism of British elite schools overseas

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the relationship between elite British boarding schools and the overseas branches (‘satellites’) that they have established around the world. While British schools are categorised as charities, the satellites are operated as commercial ventures through subsidiaries. The UK-based schools can thus profit from the export of their ‘brands’, extracting capital from their satellites overseas and channelling it back to the UK. Drawing on interviews with staff of these satellite schools and on documentary analysis (including Charity Commission reports), we use the lens of racial capitalism to analyse the relationships between British elite schools and their overseas branches. We argue that through their overseas operations, British elite schools engage in extractive practices and are complicit in processes of enclosure and dispossession. These processes are premised along racialised lines and ultimately ensure that the promised ‘British eliteness’ remains out of reach for those who subsidise its social reproduction.

Selling world-class education: British private schools, whiteness and the soft-sell technique

ABSTRACT Education-UK and British private schools more specifically are often framed as a global brand of ‘world-class’ quality. However, the increased competition within the international education market has meant British private schools cannot rest on their laurels but instead must continue to project their ‘world-classness’ in a way that does not diminish their brand image. Drawing on interviews of parents and key gatekeepers, this paper examines how British private schools in Nigeria (BPS-NIG) and British private boarding schools in the UK (BPBS-UK) evoked and projected their supposed world-classness through the strategic use of white symbolism and the expensive admission process. The paper contends that the latter are types of soft-sell marketing techniques utilised by BPS-NIG and BPBS-UK to sell British schools without imperilling their brand image. The paper concludes by drawing attention to the racial implication of framing whiteness and white British specifically as synonymous with high-quality, ‘world-class’ education.

Blocked out: reflections on the potential of intensive modes of teaching to enhance post-COVID-19 graduate employability in large-scale educational settings

PurposeThis paper explores the potential that block teaching offers to enhance employability in the context of large-scale classes. It suggests that block teaching, with its condensed structure, necessitates curriculum innovation, fosters participatory learning and peer-to-peer networking, and has been shown to increase student focus and enhance engagement and attainment, especially amongst diverse learners. As these are the same challenges that large-scale teaching faces, it is proposed that intensive modes of delivery could be scaled up in a way that may help to mitigate such problems as cohorts in business schools continue to increase in size.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on secondary research and provides an overview of literature that looks at block teaching, followed by that which explores the challenges of large-scale teaching contexts. It compares and contrasts the gaps in both to suggest a way that they could be combined.FindingsThe paper provides key insights into changes in the contemporary landscape of teaching within UK business schools, which have seen increasingly large cohorts and draws out the key strengths of intensive modes of delivery, which include helping students to time manage effectively, encouraging curriculum innovation and the creation of participatory learning opportunities as well as providing closer personal relationships between students and staff. Outlining some of the well-documented issues that can arise when teaching larger cohorts, the paper suggests that scaling up blocked delivery may offer a new way help to overcome them.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the chosen research approach, the research results are subject to generalisation. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions in large-scale teaching scenarios.Practical implicationsThis paper includes implications for the development of innovative modes of teaching in the context of large cohorts, an experience that is increasingly common amongst British business schools and beyond.Originality/valueThis paper brings together two bodies of literature for the first time – that of intensive modes of teaching and that focuses on large-scale teaching contexts – for the first time to show how the former may help to overcome some of the key issues arising in the latter.

Elite schools and slavery in the UK – capital, violence and extractivism

ABSTRACT Elite schools in the UK are bound to the history of British colonialism. This paper examines the material ties between these schools and the transatlantic slave trade. We combine multiple sources to examine which schools and their alumni accrued substantial economic capital derived from the enslavement of Black people. We find two principal connections: first, in donations and foundations of schools from those who made their fortune in the slave trade; and second, through income of boys attending these schools. Drawing on the Legacies of British Slavery dataset, we show that schools with alumni benefitting from the slave trade include the most prestigious British private schools. Moreover, this paper traces the histories of several secondary schools founded by, or in receipt of, substantial donations from slave-owning families. We argue that extractive, violent forms of colonial capital accumulation have been central to, the formation and maintenance of these elite educational institutions.

The threat of three-fold failure: ‘low attainers’ in English primary schools

Recent education research raises concerns about the damage low attainment designation can do to pupils’ self-worth but there has been little detailed exploration of the dynamics of this. Using in-depth interview data, this article explores how four pupils experience and respond to their low attainment, and their struggles to maintain their self-worth. It identifies three pressures they experience: the pressure to perform academically, to assume full responsibility for this performance and to maintain a positive mental attitude. I suggest that these can usefully be seen as forming a triangle of mutually reinforcing pressures that can put ‘low attainers’ in an impossible position where they feel shamed, blamed and stigmatised for their low attainment while expected to deny or overcome the distress this can cause them.