Everyday School Practice Research Articles

‘A damn sight more sensitivity’: gender and parent-school engagement during post-separation family transitions

ABSTRACT This paper considers the importance parents place on engaging with children’s schools following the dissolution of parental intimate partner relationships. These periods of family transition typically involve many changes to everyday life, and can be complicated by tensions, disputes and competing agendas between parties. During such times, school staff may be unaware of family circumstances, uncomfortable about being privy to what many consider private matters, or unsure of their responsibilities based on the information available to them. For parents, however, the link between home and school can be a critical aspect of maintaining community connections and supporting children’s learning and wellbeing during a time of personal and family upheaval. Here we draw on in-depth interviews with four Australian parents, whose experiences highlight how gendered norms and assumptions that underpin everyday school activities and practices can create exclusions and additional demands for families in need of sensitivity, safety and support.

MEDICALIZAÇÃO E DISCURSO UNIVERSITÁRIO

Pretendemos discutir a prevalência do discurso médico na educação – da escola à universidade – como dispositivo de controle e exclusão do sujeito - presente nas demandas de medicalização de transtornos mentais e de aprendizagem, bem como os condicionantes econômicos e políticos determinantes desse fenômeno. Para tanto, trataremos da intervenção do discurso médico e da naturalização e medicalização dos fenômenos psíquicos, movidos pelo objetivo de problematizar o sofrimento psíquico na escola. A questão central de nossa discussão diz respeito à dimensão política do sofrimento na escola, esse que encontra como via principal de sustentação a medicalização. Nossa argumentação pontua que, na contramão desse modo de gozar, o sofrimento faz pensar sempre numa história e num enquadramento social e político que precisa ser tematizado no enfrentamento das práticas escolares cotidianas.

ANALYSIS OF THE EDUCATION PROCESS IN CATEGORIES OF COMMUNICATION ACTS

In the article, I undertake an analysis of the education process carried out at the level of early school education, taking into account the assessment criteria of acts of communication in the form of interrogative statements. In my considerations, I refer to the results of research conducted over a period of over twenty years, limiting myself to one, but at the same time the basic aspect of the given problem – the frequency of questions formulated by teachers and students of grades 1–3. Furthermore, I am trying to answer the question whether the curriculum reforms of the Polish education system, carried out since 1999, had or still have an impact on the implementation of the educational process in everyday school practice.

General Pedagogical Knowledge of Austrian Teachers

General pedagogical knowledge (GPK), as teachers' basic professional knowledge, has a significant influence on sustainable learning and teaching. Rapidly accelerated processes of change encourage teachers to reflect on their GPK. The aim of this paper is to discuss the current understanding of Austrian teachers' GPK in their everyday school practices and point out the challenges they experience. The study is based on a qualitative reconstructive approach that involves interviews and observations. Previous findings have shown that a reconstructive approach provides an understanding that complements existing studies and conceptualizations of GPK. The study also presents further outcomes in terms of the central meaning of interactional processes, a student orientation, and factors and challenges that influence GPK. The challenges involve in particular the requirements raised by current transformation processes and emphasize the necessity of a continuous process of professional learning.

Sted, trivsel og skoleavbrudd - individuelle og strukturelle mekanismer i skolen synliggjort gjennom ungdoms fortellinger

The aim of this article is to examine young people’s narratives about place in the dropout process and how they make sense of everyday practices in social places. Studying young people’s experiences about place can provide insight of how change and continuity can influence decisions and practices. This article is based on preliminary findings from the longitudinal ethnographic study [Name of project] in which 71 youths from the county of Telemark are regularly interviewed. The article presents excerpts from the stories, which give us insight into everyday practices, relationships and experiences from school activities. The French professor, philosopher and sociologist Henri Lefebvre, known to city planners and architects, was also engaged in education and teaching. However, in the Nordic countries, his work has largely been ignored by the pedagogical and educational science. In this article, we want to highlight his critical thinking on education where he introduces pedagogical concepts, principles and mind-sets that might have a significant importance when analyzing the young people’s narratives, trying to understand their everyday practice. The results in this study indicate that young people struggle in different ways with their everyday school practice, social space and the place they grow up, which again influence their endeavors in completing their education. Hence, it is imperative for educators to comprehend the influence the extended meaning of place, space and relationships have on young people’s opportunities to succeed in completing school.

The Landless Workers Movement’s itinerant schools: occupying and transforming public education in Brazil

This article explores how social movement co-governance of public education offers an alternative to neoliberal educational models. The Brazilian Landless Workers Movement (MST) is one of the largest social movements in Latin America. We describe one of the many schools that the MST co-governs, the Itinerant School Paths of Knowledge (Caminhos do Saber), located in an occupied encampment in the state of Paraná. We analyze three of the most unique pedagogical innovations in the school: the teacher’s incorporation of ‘portions of reality’ into classroom teaching, the student work collectives, and the participatory student evaluation process. Although these pedagogies are seemingly mundane changes to everyday school practice, we argue that they represent a challenge to the neoliberal educational model being implemented globally. These movement pedagogies are likely to continue, despite recent conservative attacks, and they offer several concrete lessons for how to effectively contest neoliberal educational practices in other global contexts.

Teacher Identities as Key to Environmental Education for Sustainability Implementation: A Study From Australia

AbstractThis article presents findings from a study that evaluated the impact of an Australian sustainability initiative, with a view to unravelling the realities of teachers’ implementation approaches. The paper outlines a study that reviews a government initiative in early years, primary and secondary educational settings that uses the Data Collection, Storage and Visualisations System (DCSVS) aimed at enhancing sustainability awareness and embedding sustainability as part of everyday practice in schools and early childhood services. It was also intended to offer school leaders, teachers and students avenues to engage with their consumption of natural resources. This in turn was anticipated to increase awareness about conservation, with the long-term aim to engage with the broader themes of sustainability. This article focuses on the role of teachers’ identities in enacting these policy initiatives. It highlights teachers’ enactment of the policies, the crucial role of school leaders in the process, as well as the deeper connections between curriculum and pedagogy.

Schools, psychosocial well‐being and agency: From fragmentation to coherence

AbstractThis article is about the relationship between everyday practice in schools and the development of agency. It examines two areas of current concern in which agency is seen to play a key role: young people's mental health or human flourishing and their development as citizens. The argument is made that the foundation stone of agency is self‐efficacy and that related crucial attitudes and beliefs are learned in school. The role of agency in learning and its importance in young people's psychosocial development are discussed. The latter part of the article focuses upon how schools can become effectively agency orientated.

Freedom of religion and secular education: Teachers define the meaning of religious freedom in everyday school practice

Questions about freedom of religion versus secular values have increased as a controversial topic in European public debate during the last decades. The aim of this article is to shed light on these issues by focusing on the definition of “freedom of religion as a human right” among teachers working with younger pupils in the Swedish school system. From a holistic perspective on religion and children’s education, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with teachers working in primary school, as well as teachers in the leisure-time center, examined through discourse analysis. This study provides insights into how two different groups of teachers interpret and apply these potentially conflicting values in everyday school practice. At the end of the article, I reflect upon the consequences of the Swedish, secular and individualistic values that were dominant in the teachers understanding of freedom of religion, in relation to the challenges of a multi-religious school and society.

Why Is Implementation Science Important for Intervention Design and Evaluation Within Educational Settings?

The current challenging economic climate demands, more than ever, value for money in service delivery. Every service is required to maximise positive outcomes in the most cost-effective ways. To date, a smorgasbord of interventions have been designed to benefit society. Those worthy of attention have solid foundations in empirical research, offering service providers reassurance that positive outcomes are assured. Many of these programmes lie within the field of education and everyday school practice, yet often even these highly supported programmes yield poor results. Therefore, teachers and school staff cast these valuable materials aside, claiming they are ineffective. The question is why. Why do these interventions, grounded in theory and research, fail to translate into positive outcomes? The answer rests within the study of implementation science. Following a brief definition of key terms and theories, this article will go on to discuss why implementation is not a straightforward process. To do so, this article will draw upon examples of poorly implemented, but evidence-based, school programmes. Having acknowledged how poor implementation affects sustainability, we will then look at the growing amount of frameworks for practice within this field. One such framework, The Core Components Model, (Fixsen, Blase, Naoom, & Wallace, 2009) will be used to facilitate discussion around the processes of successful design and evaluation. This article will continue by illustrating how the quality of implementation has directly affected sustainability of The Incredible Years programmes (Webser-Stratton, 2012) and the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) curriculum (Greenberg & Kusche, 1996). Then by analysing implementation science, some of the challenges currently faced within this field will be highlighted and areas for further research discussed. This will then link to the implications for educational psychologists (EPs) and will conclude that implementation science is crucial to the design and evaluation of interventions and the EP is in an ideal position to support sustainable positive change.

Preventing Sexual Violence in Adolescence: Comparison of a Scientist-Practitioner Program and a Practitioner Program Using a Cluster-Randomized Design.

Numerous school-based prevention programs have been developed by scientists and practitioners to address sexual violence in adolescence. However, such programs struggle with two major challenges. First, the effectiveness of many well-established practitioner programs has not been rigorously evaluated. Second, effective scientific programs may be hard to implement into everyday school practice. Combining the knowledge of scientists and practitioners in a scientist-practitioner program could be a helpful compromise. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of a scientist-practitioner program and a practitioner program using a cluster-randomized experimental design. Twenty-seven school classes were randomly assigned to either one of two programs or a control group. Outcome variables (knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and iatrogenic effects) were assessed at pretest, posttest, and a 6-month follow-up for 453 adolescents (55% female, Mage = 14.18). Short-term effects were found in both programs regarding general knowledge, knowledge of professional help, and victim-blaming attitudes. Long-term effects were found in both programs regarding general knowledge and knowledge of professional help and, in the practitioner program, in a reduction of victimization. No other effects were found on attitudes and behavior. No iatrogenic effects in the form of increased anxiety were found. Both the scientist-practitioner and the practitioner program show promise for the prevention of sexual violence in adolescence; in particular, the practitioner program may be a more cost-effective method.

A place for development education in the current Spanish and English curricula: Finding possibilities for practice

Development education has a long and well-established trajectory in terms of initiatives promoted by international organizations, national governments and civil associations, accompanied by a growing awareness of the significance of global issues. Nevertheless, an analysis of the education policy reflected in the official Spanish and English curricula supports what Bourn (2015) has described as the current decline in development education. A comparative analysis of these curricula reveals interesting similarities and suggests a need for initiatives where teachers and schools take the lead in developing educational practice committed to prepare students for global citizenship. Our research project, entitled Investigating the Global Dimension of Development Education: A Pilot Study in a Galician School, was largely inspired by the work of the Global Learning Programme – England, in supporting collaborative networks to develop and implement effective teaching practices related to global issues. This participatory action research project aimed to design and put into practice a school-wide interdisciplinary teaching plan to embed development education into everyday school practice, where the teachers served as the principle designers and developers of the educational proposals. We include a section of this teaching plan to demonstrate that, despite the limited policy support, there are possibilities for incorporating development education into the existing curriculum.

Sustainability competencies in teacher education: Making teacher education count in everyday school practice

The need for sustainable development and societal transformation is gaining more and more relevance. Social learning processes will be needed to contribute to real change which is why the 2030 Agenda (UN, 2015) and the Global Action Programme pick up on the importance of education and establish it as one of their priorities. Strengthening the competencies of multipliers is one goal on the way to ensuring inclusive, quality education for all and to empowering everyone to support sustainable development.Thus, teacher education has to be taken into account - implementing education for sustainable development will depend not least on competent and committed teachers who are motivated to act as change agents. This goes hand in hand with the question of what knowledge and abilities teachers should acquire in order to be active change agents and what is needed to make the development of appropriate competencies possible.But how can teacher education respond to this challenge? To answer this question, the authors introduce and analyze the design of an open learning environment based on the idea of living laboratories. In this setting students work on sustainability issues together with experienced practice partners from school in a transdisciplinary manner on real-world projects. As a result not only does learning occur among students but actual projects are carried out, changing educational practice as well contributing to societal transformation.

Kształcenie i dokształcanie nauczycieli edukacji wczesnoszkolnej w aspekcie pracy z dziećmi zdolnymi plastycznie

<p>Artykuł przedstawia opis projektu „Nauka – Sztuka – Edukacja” realizowanego w Krakowskiej Akademii im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego w latach 2011–2013. Jego istotą było stworzenie nowej sieci współpracy w dziedzinie edukacji dzieci zdolnych plastycznie z klas I–III szkoły podstawowej na bazie doświadczeń podmiotów zagranicznych: ze Słowacji, Słowenii, z Ukrainy i Polski. Autorka przedstawia wybraną strategię kształcenia i dokształcania nauczycieli edukacji wczesnoszkolnej. Ukazuje szereg postulatów, których spełnienie może prowadzić do poprawy procesu kształcenia nauczycieli zarówno na szczeblu ministerialnym, jak i w praktyce szkolnej i we współdziałaniu uczelni oraz nauczycieli. W końcowej części artykułu autorka opisuje aktualną fazę realizacji trzyletniego programu wdrażania modelu NSE w wybranych szkołach Małopolski.</p>

Povezanost školske klime i autonomije učenika

Students' satisfaction with their school is determined by their status in the school, more precisely, their overall psychological and social status. Students can have the role of objects by participating in the activities organised by teachers, and they can participate on an equal basis, in which case their integrity is expressed. Acknowledging student autonomy and developing curricular content that matches their interests contributes to the development of motivation for learning and a positive perception of the school life. The aim of this paper is to examine the influence of school climate on the strengthening of student autonomy, particularly regarding the impact of the dimension of the class climate on the status of its students, or the relationship between teachers and students which is crucial for the realisation of the student autonomy. The concluding pages of the paper offer recommendations for the functioning of schools as systems with the aim of strengthening student autonomy in everyday school practice. The recommendations are meant to ensure a positive psychological and social school climate and they require the participation of all actors in schools (teachers, students, school principals, parents). They also imply developing broader forms of student participation which would encompass extra-curricular activities and the school life in general.

Formação profissional e cristã da juventude salesiana e a pedagogia de Dom Bosco

This article show us the inicial stages of a research about the Salesian Education History and the development of Don Bosco's pedagogy in vocational schools, specifying the research conducted in the archives of the Salesian professional schools in Juazeiro do Norte (Brazil) and Art Workshop and Craft of San Jose in Lisbon (Portugal) opened respectively in 1906 and 1942. The research seeks to analyze how different social actors, experiencing specific realities, appropriating the educational knowledge of the Salesians to make their educational stories noting scopes and limitations common in their different contexts. The Documents and other sources that served to publicize the institutionalized educational model corresponded to that particular group expected from a school institution and that is expressed in the way developed the Portuguese and Brazilian experience through the use of Don Bosco's pedagogy. We use theoretical conceptions of what concerns the development of education, from the everyday school practices in the workshops. Process which in the opinion of the authors Jean Michel Chapolie and Jean Michel Briand is a result of the institution's interaction with the local society where we can observe the intersection of social, moral and religious that define a specific population.

Evaluación en Educación Física. Análisis comparativo entre la teoría oficial y la praxis cotidiana

El objetivo de este estudio es conocer las maneras de evaluar que emplea el profesorado de Educación Física (EF) en las etapas de Educación Primaria (EP) y Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO) y conocer si el discurso actual sobre evaluación en EF se limita al ámbito teórico o realmente se da en la praxis cotidiana de los centros escolares. Para cumplimentar los objetivos del estudio, se realizó un muestreo aleatorio y se realizó una encuesta a 84 docentes de EF (hombres=57, mujeres=27) de la Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco (CAPV). Los resultados indican que los docentes han abandonado el método tradicional de evaluación y hay una evidencia de progreso hacia la evaluación alternativa, a pesar de que esta no se haya llegado a implementar totalmente en los centros educativos. En línea con estos resultados, encontramos diferencias en los aspectos de evaluación que son susceptibles de mejora en la práctica cotidiana según la etapa educativa. En lo que respecta a los docentes de la ESO, sería conveniente que incorporaran prácticas en las que sea el alumnado quien evalúe el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje, la evaluación y a los docentes mismos. Por otra parte, sería aconsejable que el profesorado de EF en la etapa de EP trabajara para entender la evaluación como un medio para diversos fines, y no principalmente como un método de calificación. Además, es aconsejable que los docentes de ambas etapas educativas incluyan la autoevaluación y la coevaluación como un método habitual de evaluación

Effects of a settings-based intervention to promote student wellbeing and reduce smoking in vocational schools: A non-randomized controlled study

RationaleSchool dropout and health risk behavior such as cigarette smoking represent major problems among students attending upper secondary vocational education. Modifications to the social environment may promote educational attainment as well as health and wellbeing of young people. However, there is a need for more evidence-based intervention programs. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an intervention targeting the socio-environmental setting at vocational schools on student wellbeing and smoking. MethodsWe conducted a non-randomized controlled trial of 5794 students (mean age 21 years; 81% male) in 10 (four intervention and six comparison) large vocational schools in Denmark. The intervention involved changes in everyday school practices focusing on four themes: (i) introduction activities, (ii) daily class meetings, (iii) scheduled breaks and (iv) pleasant non-smoking environment. Outcomes were student wellbeing (four subscales: school connectedness, student support, teacher relatedness, positive valuing of the profession) and daily smoking measured at 10-week follow-up. ResultsWe found statistically significant between-group difference in school connectedness, but not in student support, teacher relatedness and valuing the profession. The intervention had no effect on daily smoking. However, we found a statistically significant interaction between baseline smoking status and condition. This interaction suggested that baseline occasional smokers in the intervention group had significantly reduced odds ratio (OR) of becoming a daily smoker compared to baseline occasional smokers in the control group (8% versus 16%; OR = 0.44). ConclusionThe positive effects on school connectedness and in preventing occasional smokers becoming daily smokers indicate that it is possible to tackle school-related wellbeing and smoking in a high risk population through settings-based interventions.

Promoting digital competence in secondary education: are schools there? Insights from a case study

Abstract In recent years, a large number of educational systems, following the recommendations of international organisations, have introduced a competence-based emphasis into their traditionally subject-based curriculum. This move, beyond what any document can deal with, does not seem to find its way into everyday school practice easily or with instant results. This paper explores encounters and clashes between policy and practice regarding a competence-based curriculum framework. We refer firstly to the notions about information processing and digital competence held by international organisations and the Spanish and Catalan Ministry of Education, and the implications of said notions for teaching. Then, from evidence collected through class observations, interviews with students and teachers, and documents analysis in a case study, we draw on four teaching and learning scenarios where ICT is regularly used. Promoting students’ digital competence is one of the key competences prescribed in the curriculum; however, our study showed that the backgrounds and educational views of teachers, as well as the teaching culture and organisation of schools, should be deeply challenged to foster this competence.

School-based staff development in two federal states in Germany

Purpose – In Germany up until now, there has been very little research on staff development in schools. The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively assess school-based staff development and to describe the interplay between different instruments of staff development (e.g. classroom observations, development discussions) at the school level. Design/methodology/approach – Considering that different constellations of organizational management tools may be differentially effective in different contexts (see Mintzberg, 1983/1992), an approach that takes a combination of different staff development instruments into account was chosen. Data were gathered from principals of primary and secondary schools in two federal states of Germany. Using regression, cluster analysis, and analysis of variance, the authors examined different instruments and patterns of staff development used in everyday school practice and determined how these affected the professional development of teachers. Findings – Five staff develop...