First Year Of Secondary Education Research Articles

What motivates early adolescents for school? A longitudinal analysis of associations between observed teaching and motivation

For many early adolescent students, motivation for school declines after their transition to secondary education. Increasingly, the decisive importance of teachers in shaping early adolescents' motivation is stressed; thus far, however, both longitudinal and observational studies on this topic have been scarce. The present study investigated how early adolescents' interactions with their maths teachers were associated with the development of their motivation for maths. In line with self-determination theory, videotaped teacher–student interactions were coded in terms of their being supportive or thwarting of the three fundamental human needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, i.e. in terms of their providing autonomy support, structure, and involvement. To assess need-supportive teaching, at four measurement time-points equally spread over the first year of secondary education, video analysis was conducted of, in total, 137 complete maths lessons in 20 maths classes (40% female teachers). To assess developments in motivation at each of the four measurement time-points, questionnaires were distributed to the 489 students (aged 12–13; 49.9% girls) in the 20 maths classes. Multilevel analysis did not indicate associations of autonomy-supportive teaching with any of the four motivational constructs incorporated in the study (autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, amotivation, and performance avoidance). For structure, associations in expected directions were found with autonomous motivation (positive) and amotivation (negative), but not with the other two motivational constructs. For teacher involvement, associations in the expected direction were found with all four motivational constructs. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for research and educational practice.

Within-year changes of lesson structure: an exploration of pedagogical functions of lessons by means of multilevel growth curve modelling in Indonesia

Teaching is undoubtedly complex and the complexity of classroom practice implies that the structure of lessons making up teaching may differ and subject to change over time. The aims of this study were to investigate changes in observed lesson structure, and explore the effects of several teacher and contextual characteristics on differences in lesson structure during the first year of secondary education in Indonesia. Fifteen mathematics and English as Foreign Language teachers teaching 32 classes were videotaped four times (32 × 4) across the entire school year. A coding protocol to assess lesson structure focusing on the pedagogical functions of lessons was used. Six lesson components characterizing the general structure of the lessons were observed: introduction, review, introducing new content, student work time, closing and other. Multilevel growth curve modelling was used. Results revealed the six elements of lesson structure to be present, with student work time as the most frequent element. Relatively large class differences in lesson structure were visible. Evidence for changes over time in the components of lesson structure was evident as well. Teaching subject, class type and teaching experience explained differences in lesson structure. This study provides a global discussion about what matters in teaching from the perspective of lesson structure.

PROTOCOL: Small Class Sizes for Improving Student Achievement in Primary and Secondary Schools: A Systematic Review

PROTOCOL: Small Class Sizes for Improving Student Achievement in Primary and Secondary Schools: A Systematic Review

The subjective well-being of adolescents in residential care compared to that of the general population

The aim of this research is to study the subjective well-being of adolescents in residential care and compare it with that of the general population of the same age in Catalonia. Two samples were used: one from the general population in the first year of secondary education (n=491; 50% boys; mean age=12.1years) and another from the residential care population aged 12–13years (n=226; 56% boys; mean age 12.5). The questionnaire of the International Survey of Children's Well-Being (ISCWeB) was used. It includes two psychometric scales: the Personal Well-Being Index—School Children (PWI-SC7) and the Overall Life Satisfaction (OLS); the former being adapted for the in-care population. To test the validity of the factorial structure of data for the two groups, a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the PWI-SC7 and different multi-group structural equation models (SEMs) were conducted. The CFA of the PWI-SC7 showed a good fit with the pooled sample and good comparability of correlations and regressions between the two groups. The SEM with constrained loadings allowed us to compare the contribution of the different items on the PWI-SC7 latent variable which was higher in all cases for adolescents in care. Likewise it showed a high correlation between OLS and PWI-SC7 in both populations, being it more intense among adolescents in care. Scores on the OLS and on the PWI-SC7 are significantly lower among adolescents in care. However, according SEM results mean scores of the PWI-SC7 are not strictly comparable between groups. Results challenge public policy concerning children by increasing efforts to promote equal opportunities for the in-care community and improve satisfaction with particular life domains, such as school and residential homes.

Aprender lengua o no aprender lengua. La adquisición de la competencia comunicativa en Educación Secundaria en un entorno altamente tecnológico. Un estudio desde Cataluña (España)

En los últimos tres años, España ha implementado un modelo educativo one-to-one, basado en una presencia constante y permanente de la tecnología en las aulas a lo largo de los últimos cursos de Educación Primaria o los primeros de Educación Secundaria. Sin embargo, todavía no hemos empezado a analizar los efectos de esos cambios. En ese contexto, el objetivo de este artículo es investigar que resultados de los estudiantes podemos esperar en este entorno tecnológico en la asignatura de Lengua Castellana y Literatura durante el 1.er curso de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria en Cataluña (España). Para ello, hemos diseñado una investigación quasi-experimental con un pretest y un postest de competencia comunicativa administrados al inicio y al final de un mismo curso académico, y hemos registrado las metodologías de enseñanza-aprendizaje utilizadas durante dicho curso. Los resultados nos ofrecen un panorama no muy alentador, pues el alumnado mejora poco su competencia comunicativa en español después de todo un curso. Todo ello nos lleva a dos conclusiones: la primera de ellas es la detección de un problema curricular, pues la mayoría de las actividades de enseñanza-aprendizaje no se orientan a la adquisición de la competencia comunicativa, sino a contenidos específicamente gramaticales o literarios; la segunda es acerca del uso de la tecnología, pues no esta no parece contribuir en exceso a mejorar esta destreza en su uso actual.

School Career of One-sided Talented Students in Secondary Education in the Netherlands

Dutch mainstream education is a selective school system. Students are selected for different ability tracks at the age of 12. They are grouped to perform at the same level in all subjects, even though the students differ significantly in proficiency in mathematics and languages. Analysis of the streaming of 598 students in the first years of secondary education shows that, compared to other students, significantly more one-side-talented students with proficiency in either mathematics or languages attended the lowest ability level. In life-world interviews, ten former students with high proficiency in either mathematics or language, reflected on their school careers and crucial time moments during their school career. They report that they did not experience these moments as disappointing. Even so, following the lower ability track was not a solution to their problems as their stronger domains were not sufficiently challenged. Future research should focus on how students’ different proficiencies can be addressed and further developed within the ability tracking system of Dutch secondary education.

Enhancing Student Motivation: A Longitudinal Intervention Study Based on Future Time Perspective Theory

ABSTRACTThe authors investigated the effects of an intervention developed to enhance student motivation in the first years of secondary education. The intervention, based on future time perspective (FTP) theory, has been found to be effective in prevocational secondary education (T. T. D. Peetsma & I. Van der Veen, 2008, 2009). The authors extend the previous studies by focusing on all levels of secondary education and investigating the effects of the intervention over a longer period. In addition, they investigated the feasibility of teachers performing the intervention. A total of 766 students completed questionnaires 5 times during the first 2 years in secondary education, measuring FTP, goal orientation, and self-regulated learning. The authors randomly selected 65 students for the interventions. The results showed positive effects of the intervention on self-regulated learning and performance-approach in all levels of secondary education. Interventions performed by trained teachers were equally effective as those performed by the researchers.

Researching the competence‐based curriculum: preface to a case study of four urban secondary schools

This introductory article accompanies three further articles forming a case study research project undertaken to describe the experience of four urban secondary schools implementing a competence‐based curriculum for students in their first year of secondary education. The nature of such competence‐based curricula is discussed in the context of secondary schools before providing an outline of the context of each of the case study schools. A democratic and emancipatory view of education provides the rationale for the development of transferable competencies, and this is considered with respect to the challenges of engaging in a cross‐disciplinary approach to the curriculum. These challenges are viewed through the lens of Bernstein%s concepts of strong and weak framing and horizontal and vertical discourses. Each of the accompanying articles takes up a different aspect of education, focusing on curriculum planning, teaching and learning, and leadership and management respectively. Further challenges with regard to changes in the English curriculum are briefly reflected upon. Finally an outline of the case study methodology which was employed in the study is provided.

Leading and managing the competence‐based curriculum: conscripts, volunteers and champions at work within the departmentalised environment of the secondary school

This article presents a sub‐set of findings from a research project describing the experience of four case study schools which have implemented a competence‐based curriculum (CBC) for students in their first year of secondary education. Secondary schools are highly departmentalised environments with organisational structures based primarily around subject departments and this can present a considerable challenge to such a multidisciplinary curriculum initiative. School leaders and teachers involved in the implementation and development of a CBC speak in terms of championing and legitimising the curriculum to their subject specialist colleagues. Teachers recruited to the competence‐based approach were sometimes described as a mix of volunteers and conscripts and overcoming any initial scepticism toward the approach required the position and status of the curriculum initiative to be established within the departmentalised organisational structure of the secondary school, and required continuing advocacy for the competence‐based approach.

Dropout from Secondary Education: all's well that begins well

Despite the increased attention to students leaving secondary education without a diploma numerous students still dropout yearly. This paper makes a distinction between the ‘individual perspective’ and the ‘institutional perspective’ of dropping out. The former is explored by multinominal logit models. We observe that particularly motivation of the student and interest in schooling of his/her parents are crucial predictors of the individual dropout decision. The institutional perspective is examined by ordered logit models. In particular, we discuss the influence of the first year of secondary education by analyzing the large differences in the number of dropouts in Dutch first year classes. We observe that, more than motivation, the first year of secondary education is crucial in shaping the dropping out decision.

Changes in Teachers’ Involvement Versus Rejection and Links with Academic Motivation During the First Year of Secondary Education: A Multilevel Growth Curve Analysis

Research consistently shows that the learning environment plays an important role for early adolescents' learning and outcomes and suggests that good teacher-student relationships can serve as a protective factor for maintaining young adolescents' interest and active engagement in learning. However, less is known about the dynamic nature of teacher-student relationships and how they link with academic motivation development. Furthermore, little is known about the nature and the effects of teacher-student relationships in a cross-national context. The present study investigated changes in two components of teacher-student relationships (teachers' involvement vs. rejection) and examined links with students' academic motivation during the first grade of secondary school. Ten Dutch and ten Indonesian teachers (65% female) from 24 classes were videoed 12 times across the school year, and four videos for each class were selected randomly and coded on teachers' involvement versus rejection. A total of 713 students (52% girls) completed four-wave measures of their academic motivation after each video observation. Multilevel growth curve modeling revealed that the teacher's involvement changed in a curvilinear way and decreased across the first year of secondary education, while changes in the teacher's rejection did not follow a linear time function. Academic motivation changed in an undesirable way: controlled motivation increased, while autonomous motivation decreased over time. Teachers' involvement had a unique contribution in preventing high levels of controlled motivation in both countries. Findings suggest that teacher-student relationships (teachers' involvement) play an essential role in early adolescents' motivation regardless of the nations and should be a priority for schools.

How does emotional wellbeing relate to underachievement in a general population sample of young adolescents: a neurocognitive perspective

Underachievement in school during early adolescence predicts future economic and personal difficulties. Particular neurocognitive skills on the domain of executive functions start to mature during adolescence. This fact and the physical and psychological changes typical for the transition from childhood to adulthood make adolescents vulnerable to emotional problems. The current study investigated the relationship between mild emotional problems which are highly prevalent among adolescents and underachievement in school, and the role of neurocognitive functioning in this relation. This study was conducted in a substantial sample of typical developing young adolescents who just made the transition to secondary education. Pupils were on average 12.5 years old (standard deviation 0.5), and 45% of the included sample were girls. Emotional wellbeing was associated with underachievement [Odds ratio (OR) 5.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.06–8.68] after adjusting for background variables. Self-reported neurocognitive functioning partly explained the relation between emotional wellbeing and underachievement (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.23–3.99), yet, emotional wellbeing remained statistically associated with underachievement after correcting for additional confounders (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.08–3.66). The observed findings suggest that emotional wellbeing plays an essential role in underachievement during the first year of secondary education.

Adolescent Cancer Education (ACE) to increase adolescent and parent cancer awareness and communication: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

BackgroundRaising cancer awareness among adolescents has potential to increase their knowledge and confidence in identifying cancer symptoms and seeking timely medical help in adolescence and adulthood. Detecting cancer at an early stage is important because it reduces the risk of dying of some cancers and thereby contributes to improved cancer survival. Adolescents may also play an important role in increasing cancer communication within families. However, there are no randomised controlled trials (RCT) of the effectiveness of school-based educational interventions to increase adolescents’ cancer awareness, and little is known about the role of adolescents in the upward diffusion of cancer knowledge to parents/carers. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a school-based educational intervention to raise adolescent and parent cancer awareness and adolescent-parent cancer communication.MethodsThe Adolescent Cancer Education (ACE) study is a school-based, cluster RCT. Twenty secondary schools in the area covered by Glasgow City Council will be recruited. Special schools for adolescents whose additional needs cannot be met in mainstream education are excluded. Schools are randomised to receive a presentation delivered by a Teenage Cancer Trust educator in Autumn 2013 (intervention group) or Spring 2014 following completion of six-month follow-up measures (control group). Participants will be students recruited at the end of their first year of secondary education (S1) (age 12 to 13 years) and one parent/carer for each student, of the student’s choice. The primary outcome is recognition of cancer symptoms two weeks post-intervention. Secondary outcomes are parents’ cancer awareness and adolescent-parent cancer communication. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline (when adolescents are in the final term of S1), two-week, and six-month follow-up (when adolescents are in S2, age 13 to 14 years). Differences in outcomes between trial arms will be tested using multiple regression methods, adjusted for clustering by school. An audit of cancer-related and health-promotion activity within the school curriculum and environment during the RCT will be conducted at six-month follow-up to contextualise the intervention effect.DiscussionResults from the ACE study will provide evidence about the public health effectiveness of a school-based intervention designed to increase adolescent and parent cancer awareness and adolescent-parent cancer communication.Trial registrationISRCTN75542411

A longitudinal study on time perspectives: Relations with academic delay of gratification and learning environment1

AbstractAfter they start secondary school (at age 12 in the Netherlands), students' time perspectives on school and professional career and self‐regulated learning decrease, while their perspectives on leisure increase. We aimed to investigate relations in the developments in time perspectives and delay of gratification in the first years of secondary education. In addition, the dependence of these relations on students' perceptions of the extent to which teachers emphasize the relevance of what is being learned was investigated. Seven hundred and one students participated in the study. A self‐report questionnaire was administered four times. The results showed the expected decreases in time perspectives on school and professional career and on delay of gratification and increases in perspectives on leisure. Furthermore, as expected, the development in short‐term perspective on school and professional career was positively related, and the development in the long‐term perspective on leisure was negatively related, to the development in delay of gratification. Positive relations were found between emphasized relevance of learning and developments in students' perspectives on school and professional career and delay of gratification.

Observed lesson structure during the first year of secondary education: Exploration of change and link with academic engagement

This study investigates whether lesson structure (LS) matters and which components are important for academic engagement during the first grade of secondary education. Data from videoed lessons of 10 Dutch and 12 Indonesian teachers analyzed using an observation protocol show that six LS components are found, that between class and over measurement variability in LS is evident, and that on average LS change is not a linear function of time. Class differences over time do exist and several personal and contextual characteristics affect LS. Links between LS (student work time, reviewing and introducing new content) and academic engagement are evident.

Truancy in late elementary and early secondary education: The influence of social bonds and self-control— the TRAILS study

Some pupils already show unexcused, illegal, surreptitious absences in elementary education or the first years of secondary education. Are weak social bonds (see also Hirschi, 1969) and a lack of self-control (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990) indicative of truancy at an early age? Of the children in our sample, 5% were persistent truants in late elementary education and early secondary education. Using multivariate analyses the influence of various predictors on persistent truancy was examined. Lack of attachment to norm-relevant significant others (parents and teachers) and lack of prosocial orientation were indicative of truancy. Social bonds with classmates had no effect on truancy. Other risk factors for truancy were: being a boy, early pubertal development, family breakup, and low socio-economic status. The effect of self-control on truancy was partially mediated by social bonds. The impact of social bonds to norm-relevant significant others suggests that early truancy can partly be prevented by focusing on children’s relations with parents at home and with teachers at school. Prevention of truancy is desirable because the likelihood of involvement in other deviant behavior increases for truants.

El rol de los saberes previos, la mediación y el intercambio en la lectura de un álbum

This paper describes a reading project conducted with two groups of children in their first year of secondary education (ESO) at a state-run school in Sant Joan Despí: one group of six Catalan children and another of six first-generation immigrant children from different parts of the world. Both groups carried out a shared reading of the picture book "Emigrantes" ("The Arrival") by Australian illustrator Shaun Tan, together with discussion sessions, interviews and activities to select illustrations and produce texts. Using data collection tools, this study analyses the different features that the children pointed out when reading the images: mainly the use of light, colour, movement and perspective, and the materiality of the book and its production process. Analysis of the elements recognised by the children, of the functions they ascribe to each of these, and of the widening and changes in perspective generated in interaction situations, leads us to reflect on the importance of the previous knowledge that readers bring into play when approaching a picture book, and on the importance of mediation and exchange in the reading of complex picture books.

Mobile game‐based learning in secondary education: engagement, motivation and learning in a mobile city game

AbstractUsing mobile games in education combines situated and active learning with fun in a potentially excellent manner. The effects of a mobile city game called Frequency 1550, which was developed by The Waag Society to help pupils in their first year of secondary education playfully acquire historical knowledge of medieval Amsterdam, were investigated in terms of pupil engagement in the game, historical knowledge, and motivation for History in general and the topic of the Middle Ages in particular. A quasi‐experimental design was used with 458 pupils from 20 classes from five schools. The pupils in 10 of the classes played the mobile history game whereas the pupils in the other 10 classes received a regular, project‐based lesson series. The results showed those pupils who played the game to be engaged and to gain significantly more knowledge about medieval Amsterdam than those pupils who received regular project‐based instruction. No significant differences were found between the two groups with respect to motivation for History or the Middle Ages. The impact of location‐based technology and game‐based learning on pupil knowledge and motivation are discussed along with suggestions for future research.

Self-Control and Early Adolescent Antisocial Behavior

The article discusses a three-wave longitudinal study that investigates the relationship between self-control and aggressive and delinquent behavior of early adolescent boys and girls. The sample consists of 1,012 Dutch adolescents (mean age = 12.3) in their first year of secondary education. Structural equation modeling analyses reveal that high levels of self-control consistently decrease aggressive and delinquent behavior in the subsequent 6 months follow-up intervals. Results for the total sample do not support the hypothesis that self-control is influenced by previous levels of aggression or delinquency. For boys, the partial evidence found indicates reciprocal effects of self-control and delinquency.

Variabilidad en la experimentación tabáquica y en sus factores de riesgo en 4 centros educativos de la Región de Murcia

Objective To identify patterns of tobacco experimentation and consumption in 4 geographically close groups of students in the first year of secondary education, as well as attitudes and consumption in their social environments. To identify the factors associated with tobacco experimentation and consumption in each of the student groups. Material and method An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted in 4 secondary schools in the region of Murcia (Spain). The study population consisted of first graders in secondary education, recruited in January 2005. The study variables were collected using a modified version of the FRISC questionnaire. Results The study population was composed of 377 students (190 boys) with a mean age of 12.6 years (standard deviation [SD] = 0.6). Between 15.3% and 42.1% of the students had smoked at some time. Between 2% and 6.9% smoked regularly. These differences were related to socioeconomic characteristics (“living with the mother”, p = 0.049; “living with the father”, p = 0.015) and consumption in the environment (“mother”, p = 0.013; “friends”, p < 0.001; “teachers”, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed an association between experimentation and receiving more than 6€ per week pocket money, consumption among friends, experimenting with alcohol and not living in one of the towns studied. Conclusions Significant differences were found among the towns studied. Application of standard preventive programs may prove ineffective unless they are adapted to the characteristics of the specific school.