High School Setting Research Articles

An Evaluation of Voice Hygiene in High School Choir Singers

Voice hygiene, including proper hydration and limiting phonotraumatic behaviors and refluxogenic foods when appropriate, is essential to voice care for singers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate voice care practices, knowledge, and factors correlating with improved voice hygiene and knowledge in adolescents, an understudied demographic within the singing population. 214 high school choir singers, ages 14 through 18, responded to a voice health questionnaire, which included questions about phonotraumatic behaviors and other lifestyle measures regarding voice care, perceived knowledge of the voice, and potential correlational factors such as past singing experience, having a friend or family member when is a professional voice user or possesses an in-depth knowledge of the voice, use of the Internet to sing better or improve understanding of the voice, and other factors. These data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regressions. Results showed poor voice hygiene. Phonotraumatic behaviors were frequent and the mean daily water intake was only 5.24 cups. However, 94.4% of the respondents warmed up their voices before rehearsals or performances. The mean total knowledge score, from 0 to 6, was only 2.09. In addition, feeling that one took care of his/her voice well, and use of Internet to sing better or advance knowledge of the voice, were correlated with improved knowledge or measures of voice health. Data suggest that improved instruction regarding voice health in the high school setting is necessary and that the Internet or social media may be valuable resources for reaching adolescent singers.

Effects of an Environmental Intervention on High School Students’ Expanded Physical Activity Programming Participation and Activity Levels

Partial Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming (CSPAP) has been studied extensively in recent years. However, there is little evidence on the efficacy and feasibility of such interventions in high school settings. Physical education teacher education (PETE) programs have been slow in preparing future physical educators for CSPAP implementation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effects of PETE interns implementing a partial CSPAP intervention in high schools. Methods: Data were collected at three high schools during before- and during-school time periods using a direct observation instrument. The intervention consisted of PETE interns providing access to physical activity areas, equipment, and supervision with assistance from the schools’ resident teachers. A hybrid multiple baseline research design was used to assess the effects of the intervention on high school students’ participation and moderate to vigorous physical activity levels during the partial CSPAP sessions. Data were analyzed using both standard visual analysis of graphically plotted data and supplementary statistical treatments. Data were deemed credible based on interobserver agreement data collected across experimental phases and schools; the data were deemed trustworthy. Results: Experimental control was established as the total number of students engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity during the partial CSPAP sessions increased substantially upon the start of the intervention. Compared with girls, boys demonstrated higher amounts of moderate to vigorous physical activity. Discussion/Conclusion: High school students respond similarly to a partial CSPAP intervention as do elementary and middle school-aged students, thereby strengthening the generalization of CSPAP-type interventions. Moreover, PETE interns can be successful in implementing a partial CSPAP in high school settings.

Content teachers’ and lecturers’ corrective feedback in EMI classes in high school and university settings

To date, very limited research interest has been given to the strategies English-medium instruction (EMI) teachers or lecturers deploy to provide corrective feedback (CF) on the language use to their students during class interaction. In other words, when EMI teachers incidentally focus on students’ problematic language use, how do they correct it – providing explicit correction or using recast or elicitation? This article reports on a study that examined CF types EMI teachers and lecturers used during classroom discourse, drawing on data collected from classroom observations and recordings of six different EMI classes in high school and university settings in Korea. The frequency and types of CF used in reactive language-related episodes (LREs) were identified in the EMI classes and compared between the two settings and across disciplines (social science, mathematics, and computer science). Findings showed that all the EMI teachers and lecturers offered CF to their students but with different frequency; the schoolteachers offered CF more frequently than the university lecturers. Also, the schoolteachers used more various types of CF than the lecturers. In both settings, CF occurred most frequently in mathematics compared to the other two disciplines. This article ends with suggestions for ways the findings of this study can be used to raise EMI teachers’ awareness of various options for providing CF on students’ linguistic errors during their incidental teaching practices.

An evaluation of a one-day pain science education event in a high school setting targeting pain related beliefs, knowledge, and behavioural intentions

BackgroundPersistent pain is a common condition affecting one in four UK adults. Public understanding of pain is limited. Delivering pain education within schools may improve public understanding in the longer term. ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of a one-day Pain Science Education (PSE) event on sixth form/high school students’ pain beliefs, knowledge and behavioural intention. MethodsExploratory, single-site, mixed-methods, single-arm study involving secondary school students ≥16 years old attending a one-day PSE event. Outcome measures included the Pain Beliefs Questionnaire (PBQ), Concepts of Pain Inventory (COPI-ADULT), a vignette to assess pain behaviours; and thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. ResultsNinety (mean age 16.5 years, 74% female) of the 114 attendees, agreed to participate in the evaluation. PBQ scores improved on the Organic beliefs subscale [mean difference −5.9 (95% CI -6.8, −5.0), P < 0.01] and Psychosocial Beliefs subscale [1.6 (1.0, 2.2) P < 0.01]. The COPI-Adult revealed an improvement [7.1 (6.0–8.1) points, P < 0.01] between baseline and post intervention. Pain behavioural intentions improved post education for work, exercise, and bed rest related activities (p < 0.05). Thematic analysis of interviews (n = 3) identified increased awareness of chronic pain and its underpinning biology, beliefs that pain education should be widely available, and that pain management should be holistic. ConclusionsA one-day PSE public health event can improve pain beliefs, knowledge and behavioural intentions in high school students and increase openness to holistic management. Future controlled studies are needed to confirm these results and investigate potential long-term impacts.

In the In-Between: Low-Income Latinx Students Sensemaking of Paradoxes of Independence and Interdependence.

Low-income, Latinx students navigate independent norms in U.S. educational systems and interdependent norms in their familial dynamics. Yet, their everyday interactions with important others (e.g., peers, parents, instructors) reveal more complexity in between these contexts, often communicating paradoxes of independence and interdependence. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 35 low-income, Latinx high school graduates before they entered college to examine how their daily interactions in home and school contexts facilitated dynamic and paradoxical engagement with interdependence and independence. Using constructivist grounded theory, we constructed five types of paradoxes. For example, strong practices of interdependence in their college-preparatory high school setting (e.g., extensive academic support) undermined students' desires to be independent. These contradictions reflect an in-between space, referred to as nepantla, where students give voice to and make sense of past, present, and future understandings of how to be a self.

Differences in concussion knowledge between parents and their children in a multidisciplinary concussion clinic sample.

This study assessed concussion knowledge in concussed youth and parents treated at a multi-disciplinary concussion center. Youth (n = 50) and parents (n = 36) were approached at the beginning of a clinical visit. Participants completed a 22-item, previously published concussion knowledge survey before the visit. Responses were compared with previously collected, published data from adolescents in a high school setting (n = 500). The patient group was divided into those with one (n = 23) vs. two or more concussions (n = 27). Chi-square analyses compared total correct responses between youth, parents, and the high school sample. T-tests assessed differences in knowledge based on prior concussions, age, and gender. All groups showed high accuracy for return-to-play guidelines (>90%) and similar knowledge of concussion-related symptoms (72.3% vs. 68.6%). Significant knowledge gaps about diagnosis, neurological consequences, and long-term risks were present across groups (19% to 68% accuracy). The patient group more often misattributed neck symptoms to concussion (X2 < 0.005). Prior concussion and gender were not significant predictors of concussion knowledge (p > 0.5). Community and clinically-based educational techniques may not be effectively communicating knowledge about concussion diagnosis, symptoms, long-term risks, and neurological implications of concussion. Educational tools need to be tailored to specific settings and populations.

The journey from concealment to disclosure of an obsessive-compulsive disorder diagnosis in the high school setting: A qualitative study exploring youth perspectives

Disclosure of an OCD diagnosis in the high school setting could allow for timely provision of individualized school-based supports. As few studies have examined adolescent perspectives on the disclosure process in schools, we adopted a qualitative approach to explore this, and to gather recommendations for making disclosure of OCD at school safer and more helpful. Twelve participants, ranging from 13 to 17 years old, were recruited using maximum variance-based heterogeneous purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed inductively through Interpretive Description. From participants’ stories, we generated a theoretical model describing the journey from concealment of an OCD diagnosis to disclosure. Four phases of youth disclosure were identified: managing enacted and perceived stigma related to the diagnosis, internal bargaining to determine their individualized disclosure boundaries, trust building with school members, and empowerment by being treated as a person first. Participants’ recommendations for the school setting included meaningful education, safe spaces, deep reciprocal connections, and confidential personalized support. The model we developed can help inform school disclosure strategies and optimize support to promote best outcomes for youth with OCD.

Student teachers’ perspectives of learning to enact an inclusive pedagogy: insights for working in high poverty school environments

ABSTRACT Preparing new teachers to support all learners and to mitigate the impact of poverty on school learning experiences and outcomes is challenging. Many student teachers are concerned about how to respond to the needs of increasingly diverse groups of learners. While inclusive pedagogy offers a possible solution to the problem, there is still much to be learned about how to prepare and support teachers for inclusion. This study investigates the perspectives of student teachers in enacting an inclusive pedagogy in high poverty school settings. It considers the professional knowledge and skills the student teachers focus on during their initial teacher education. The paper draws on qualitative data from student teachers enrolled on a one-year Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in Scotland. The findings highlight the importance of student teachers: (i) developing professional knowledge for connecting to the lives and experiences of children and young people, and (ii) developing professional and interpersonal skills for inclusion. Implications for initial teacher education are discussed.

A qualitative exploration of participants’ preferred elements of the 4-week, youth-led, youth-focused, group-based Shamiri intervention: A brief overview

Introduction: Adolescent mental health challenges have been identified as a public health concern globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), due to the scarcity of services, where help-seeking is often hampered by social stigma. A strategy to increase the availability of services is to implement, brief, stigma-free, and scalable interventions. The Shamiri Intervention (the Kiswahili word for “thrive”) is an example of a 4-week, group-based intervention which is implemented via 1-hour sessions within high school settings. Purpose: The present study employed qualitative methods to explore participant feedback on their preferred elements of Shamiri Intervention. The aim is to use the feedback to help to guide and improve intervention effectiveness, acceptability, and appropriateness. The results have the potential to understand better lay-provided mental health service delivery and design among high school students in LMICs, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Methodology: The project employed a qualitative phenomenological design to collect participant feedback, and reflective thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The researchers constructed the following themes to summarize the participants’ responses: learning (acquiring new knowledge related to the core components of the Shamiri Intervention, i.e., growth mindset, values affirmation, and gratitude); rewards (e.g., prizes award that encouraged participation); positive interaction (i.e., the peer-lead delivery); and solutions-oriented (e.g., the practicality of the Shamiri Intervention). Conclusion: The preferred components of the Shamiri Intervention were learning, rewards for participation, positive interactions with other people, and the solution-oriented nature of the sessions. The mentioning of the features of the Shamiri Intervention could also suggest that, indeed, they are appropriate for the target population. Additionally, the support for the lay providers is critical in Shamiri intervention cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and scalability

Implementation of a Hardware-Assisted Bluetooth-Based COVID-19 Tracking Device in a High School: Mixed Methods Study.

Contact tracing is a vital public health tool used to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. However, traditional interview-format contact tracing (TCT) is labor-intensive and time-consuming and may be unsustainable for large-scale pandemics such as COVID-19. In this study, we aimed to address the limitations of TCT. The Yale School of Engineering developed a Hardware-Assisted Bluetooth-based Infection Tracking (HABIT) device. Following the successful implementation of HABIT in a university setting, this study sought to evaluate the performance and implementation of HABIT in a high school setting using an embedded mixed methods design. In this pilot implementation study, we first assessed the performance of HABIT using mock case simulations in which we compared contact tracing data collected from mock case interviews (TCT) versus Bluetooth devices (HABIT). For each method, we compared the number of close contacts identified and identification of unique contacts. We then conducted an embedded mixed methods evaluation of the implementation outcomes of HABIT devices using pre- and postimplementation quantitative surveys and qualitative focus group discussions with users and implementers according to the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework. In total, 17 students and staff completed mock case simulations in which 161 close contact interactions were detected by interview or Bluetooth devices. We detected significant differences in the number of close contacts detected by interview versus Bluetooth devices (P<.001), with most (127/161, 78.9%) contacts being reported by interview only. However, a significant number (26/161, 16.1%; P<.001) of contacts were uniquely identified by Bluetooth devices. The interface, ease of use, coherence, and appropriateness were highly rated by both faculty and students. HABIT provided emotional security to users. However, the prototype design and technical difficulties presented barriers to the uptake and sustained use of HABIT. Implementation of HABIT in a high school was impeded by technical difficulties leading to decreased engagement and adherence. Nonetheless, HABIT identified a significant number of unique contacts not reported by interview, indicating that electronic technologies may augment traditional contact tracing once user preferences are accommodated and technical glitches are overcome. Participants indicated a high degree of acceptance, citing emotional reassurance and a sense of security with the device.

Building beginners� self-confidence in speaking at private high school in Makassar

Teaching spoken English has been a critical issue in the EFL context. The researchers are focusing on how to improve students' public speaking abilities. Several studies, however, have focused on how teachers build EFL learners' self-confidence before focusing on their speaking skills. Lack of self-confidence makes it difficult for beginners to speak, and it also makes it difficult for teachers to design activities that foster students' self-confidence. In response to this growing demand, this article provides an empirical account of how scripted role-plays are used as an innovative learning design in a private high school setting with a majority of students who are beginners. This research applied the Classroom Action Research study. The scripted role-play intervention was carried out for eight meetings following an action research protocol. Classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with students and the teacher were used to collect data. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyze these data. According to the study's findings, the students had finally gained confidence in public speaking. Being confident allowed students to practice more, which improved their speaking skills. The study's findings have three practical implications. First, increasing opportunities for students to practice speaking should be prioritized in EFL classes. Second, providing scripted role-play for beginner students allows them to easily use the language. Finally, before asking students to improve their speaking skills, teachers should focus on developing their students' self-confidence.

Shadowing technique to teach Listening to A1 level EFL students

Shadowing is a listening technique that develops the bottom-up process (the understanding of the smallest units of the audio input such as individual sounds) of the listening skill by training the learners’ ears to recognize phonemes, words, and thus phrases. It is said this is a useful technique for the development of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ listening skills. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effect of the shadowing technique on the listening skill of A1-level EFL learners from Luisa de Jesús Cordero High School. An explanatory sequential mixed method design will be carried out by using the listening part of the A2 Key for Schools from Cambridge Language Assessment exam and a close-ended survey to assess the impact of shadowing on the students’ listening performance and their perception of shadowing. For this purpose, experimental and control groups were carried out. The study outcomes provide information about how shadowing, as a technique to teach listening, has influenced English learners’ listening skill and their perspectives in an Ecuadorian high school setting.

Exploring Trauma-Informed Teaching through the Voices of Female Youth

Trauma-exposed, female students experience distinct challenges that impact their academic well-being. This study qualitatively explores female students’ school experiences from two high school settings—one trauma-informed school and one comparison school that did not utilize a trauma-informed approach. This study examines how students describe emotional experiences in their academic environment and suggestions for school improvement; as well as how their descriptions differ from comparison school students. Trauma-informed school participants experienced their education environment as emotionally supportive, but were triggered by other students. They also suggest that teachers recognize their unique circumstances, but describe stronger connections to school staff than students at the non-trauma-informed school. Implications are addressed.

Students' perceptions of the rules and restrictions of gender at school: A psychometric evaluation of the Gender Climate Scale (GCS).

Research in the field of gender and sexuality diversity and, more specifically, negative attitudes toward gender and sexuality diverse individuals, has acknowledged the relationship between individuals' endorsement of sex-differentiated, normative gender roles and their attitudes toward gender and sexuality diversity. Such work has highlighted how normative expectations of gender, drawn from binarized gender roles, sit at the heart of homophobic and transphobic attitudes. Previous research in high school settings has measured gender and sexuality diverse (GSD) students' experiences of homo/transphobic harassment as an element of 'school climate' with regard to acceptance of gender and sexuality diversity. However, to date, no research has measured GSD students' perceptions about how valued binarized, gender-normative roles are at their schools, or the ways in which these norms might impact, and potentially constrain, these students' academic and social schooling lives. The aim of the present study was to address this gap by developing and testing a new, multidimensional measure (the Gender Climate Scale; GCS) of GSD students' ideas about how gender norms function within their school. Using a convenience sample of 2,376 Australian high school students who identify as GSD, the GCS was evaluated for its reliability, construct, and criterion validity and measurement invariance using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) methods. Findings revealed that the estimates produced from the GCS were reliable, valid, and invariant across student reported gender (male/female/non-binary) and location (urban/rural). Criterion validity was supported, with GCS factors representing the promotion of traditional gender roles in the schooling environment negatively associated with perceived school belonging and inclusion and positively associated with bullying and social isolation. Future research with the GCS can inform school and curriculum policy on this important measure of school climate, not just for GSD students but for whole student cohorts.

We need to know more about CTE teachers

Over the past year, debates over the prevalence, distribution, and effects of teacher vacancy and underqualification have dominated many education narratives. Authors J. Cameron Anglum, Andrew R. Diemer, Walter G. Ecton, and Tuan D. Nguyen consider these debates in the context of growing interest in career and technical education (CTE) in high school settings. Research on secondary CTE teachers, including the quantification of teacher shortages in specific CTE content areas, remains insufficient to inform effective recruitment and retention policies. This dearth of scholarship on CTE teachers undermines the improvement of CTE programs.

Comparing the effectiveness of video and stereoscopic 360° virtual reality‐supported instruction in high school biology courses

AbstractThe promise of using immersive technologies in learning has increasingly been attracting researchers' and practitioners' attention. However, relevant empirical works are usually conducted in fully controlled Virtual Reality (VR) laboratories, as opposed to conventional settings. This quasi‐experimental study compares the effectiveness of video learning resources to that of stereoscopic 360° VR, as supplements to the traditional instructional approach. The potential of such methods was examined in high school settings, in the context of the ‘Life and Evolution’ module, with participants (n = 70) divided equally into control and experimental groups. As a point of reference (control condition), we considered the adoption of Video Learning Resources, as students are more acquainted with this instructional method. In the intervention approach (experimental condition), students adopted the use of low‐end mobile‐VR (VeeR Mini VR Goggles). The key findings indicate differences in the learning motivation, confidence and satisfaction, but no statistically significant difference was identified regarding the factual or conceptual knowledge gains. The study offers insights on the potential of the investigated technologies in the subject of secondary school Biology and further provides implications for theory and practice. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Researchers' interest over the potential of Virtual Reality on different STEM disciplines is increasing consistently. An increasing number of efforts can be identified discussing the integration of multimedia learning resources in the secondary school context. Empirical studies on the subject of Biology are focusing on students' academic performance and achievement but not on learning motivation and satisfaction. What this paper adds This quasi‐experimental study comparatively examines academic performance, with the focus being on learning motivation and satisfaction, across different modalities (stereoscopic 360° Virtual Reality applications‐VR, Video Learning Recourses‐VLR). The findings demonstrate that both instructional methods are sufficient in enhancing students' knowledge acquisition and academic performance. The adoption of stereoscopic 360° VR influences students' learning motivation and impacts long‐term memory retention. Implications for practice and policy Educators are advised to consider the systematic adoption of “immersive” multimedia tools to enhance the subject of Biology as they can greatly encourage scientific inquiry. Instructional designers are advised to adopt open educational resources aligned to the curriculum of the local context. Educational researchers are advised to integrate stereoscopic 360°‐VR solutions in the conventional classroom settings.

Better Together: Interprofessional Collaborations between Music Educators and Music Therapists

This paper provides an overview of the potential benefits of interprofessional collaboration between music educators and music therapists in elementary and high school settings. An overview of the role of interprofessional collaboration is shared, followed by a discussion of potential gains specific to collaboration between music educators and music therapists. Examples of various interprofessional programs implemented in the school system are noted alongside suggestions for developing future collaborations between these fields.

Association Between School Victimization and Substance Use Among Hispanic/Latinx Adolescents: An Intersectionality Analysis of Social–Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies, Immigration Status, and Gender in Predominantly Hispanic/Latinx High Schools

Guided by coping theory, the social–ecological diathesis-stress model, and the theory of intersectionality, this study examined how social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies, gender, and immigrant status contributed to the heterogeneity of the association between school victimization and substance use among 2,795 Hispanic/Latinx adolescents from four predominantly Hispanic/Latinx high schools in central California. After controlling for students’ demographics, SEL competencies were found to mitigate the magnitude of the positive association between school victimization on substance use. Moreover, a higher level of school victimization was associated with an increased risk of substance use in all four subgroups, with immigrant males having a stronger positive association between school victimization and substance use than three other groups (immigrant females, U.S.-born males, and U.S.-born females). The buffering effect of SEL was significant for three subgroups (i.e., immigrant males, immigrant females, U.S.-born females) but not for U.S.-born males, with immigrant males having the strongest buffering effect. The findings highlight the importance of promoting social and emotional resilience and understanding the intersection of multiple marginalized and stigmatized identities in school violence and substance use prevention and intervention; it also provides implications for implementing transformative SEL in diverse school settings. Impact Statement This is one of the first empirical studies integrating both the social–ecological diathesis-stress model and intersectionality theory to examine how SEL competencies, gender, and immigrant status influence the direction and magnitude of the association between school victimization and substance use among Hispanic/Latinx adolescents in a high school setting where they were the numerical majority. It highlights the importance of promoting social and emotional resilience in mitigating the negative influence of school victimization on substance use; it also emphasizes the importance of understanding the intersection of adolescents’ multiple marginalized and stigmatized identities in preventing school violence and substance use and implementing transformative SEL in diverse school settings.

An Interactive and Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach to Communication Supports for Autistic Students Through Videogaming.

Videogaming offers an interactive, enjoyable, and socially valid context for interaction between autistic and non-autistic students in schools. In this tutorial, I describe an approach that supports communication and peer interaction through group-based videogaming. This approach creates an opportunity for autistic and non-autistic students to engage in a meaningful and enjoyable activity and to promote acceptance and appreciation of communication differences. This tutorial includes development, planning, essential components, goal writing, and a list of resources and directions to implement the videogaming-based group intervention in middle and high school settings. This tutorial is grounded in a supports-based, anti-ableist, neurodiversity framework that embraces a difference-based view of autistic communication. Cost-effectiveness and ease of implementation make this intervention feasible for school settings. Ableist practices are pervasive in academic and clinical settings. There is an urgency within the field of speech-language pathology to address misconceptions regarding autism and autistic individuals, increase the understanding and appreciation of diversity in autistic communication, and eliminate practices that may promote autistic masking. These can be achieved by developing supports that value the preferences and experiences of autistic individuals and honor their strengths. Videogaming is one context that supports social communication. It does not hinge upon normative communication as a benchmark. Increased contact and exposure to autistic peers through fun and engaging game-based interactions help reduce stigma and prejudice toward autistic students.

Harmonizing Stress: Using Music Medicine to Reduce Stress in the High School Setting

Harmonizing Stress: Using Music Medicine to Reduce Stress in the High School Setting