Influence Of School Environment Research Articles

A study on the educational philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore and its influence on elementary education with special reference to Assam.

Education is considered as the dynamic side of philosophy. According to Rabindra Nath Tagore, the aim of education is self-realization and this realization is the goal of education. Self-realization, according to him implies the realization of the universal soul in one’s self. Individual’s aim of life is to achieve this status. It is a process which cannot be realized without education. Factors which influence Tagore’s educational philosophy are - influence of home environment, love for nature, love for nation, his extensive visits abroad and influence of school environment. In this study ,the researchers try to find out the educational philosophy of Tagore and its impact on present system of education.

Influence of School Environment on Adjustment of Form one Students To Secondary School In Uasin Gishu County, Kenya.

Influence of School Environment on Adjustment of Form one Students To Secondary School In Uasin Gishu County, Kenya.

Influence of School Environment on Vocational Interest among Adolescents

Influence of School Environment on Vocational Interest among Adolescents

The school environment and adolescent physical activity and sedentary behaviour: a mixed-studies systematic review.

SummaryThere is increasing academic and policy interest in interventions aiming to promote young people's health by ensuring that the school environment supports healthy behaviours. The purpose of this review was to summarize the current evidence on school‐based policy, physical and social‐environmental influences on adolescent physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Electronic databases were searched to identify studies that (1) involved healthy adolescents (11–18 years old), (2) investigated school‐environmental influences and (3) reported a physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour outcome or theme. Findings were synthesized using a non‐quantitative synthesis and thematic analysis. Ninety‐three papers of mixed methodological quality were included. A range of school‐based policy (e.g. break time length), physical (e.g. facilities) and social‐environmental (e.g. teacher behaviours) factors were associated with adolescent physical activity, with limited research on sedentary behaviour. The mixed‐studies synthesis revealed the importance of specific activity settings (type and location) and intramural sport opportunities for all students. Important physical education‐related factors were a mastery‐oriented motivational climate and autonomy supportive teaching behaviours. Qualitative evidence highlighted the influence of the wider school climate and shed light on complexities of the associations observed in the quantitative literature. This review identifies future research needs and discusses potential intervention approaches to be considered.

Influence of school environment on adolescents' creative potential, motivation and well-being

It is increasingly acknowledged that creativity has become essential in daily life. Each individual has the potential to be creative and the level of creativity actualization results from different factors that can be cognitive, conative and environmental. In particular, educational methods may impact creativity directly or indirectly through motivation and well-being. We hypothesized that the type of pedagogy influences levels of creativity, motivation and well-being. Furthermore, we hypothesized that creativity was linked to motivation and well-being. This study was conducted on 131 French adolescents attending a Waldorf school (alternative educational method) or a traditional school. Our results highlight differences in well-being and type of motivation when comparing both educational methods. Moreover, our results showed significant correlations between the different types of motivation and creativity scores.

Individual and school level correlates of moderate to vigorous physical activity among school-children in Germany--a multi-level analysis.

BackgroundYoung people spend half of their days in school, but evidence concerning the influence of school environment on the physical activity (PA) of pupils is still inconsistent. A better understanding of potential correlates of PA on the school-level and their possible interaction with individual aspects is needed to improve the development of more effective interventions.MethodsWe used data from the 2009/10 German Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (HBSC)-sample (n=5,005 students aged 11–15 years) including self-reported moderate to vigorous intensity PA as well as a variety of biological, demographic and behavioral correlates and matched them with school-level data from the national school principals’ HBSC questionnaire. We analyzed the associations of individual- and school-level correlates with MVPA by gender-specific multi-level regression.ResultsOnly a small share of the overall variation in student’s PA was attributable to the school-level. Consequently, the associations of individual-level correlates with PA were stronger than those of the school-level. Our analysis revealed significant associations of individual-level (i.e. age, consumption of softdrinks, overweight) as well as school-level correlates (i.e. the availability of a football ground and a swimming pool) with MVPA. We also observed some gender-specific findings especially for the school level correlates. Cross-level interactions between individual- and school-level were not apparent.ConclusionsOur findings indicate the usefulness of applying an ecological framework to understand and explain complex health behaviors like PA. As we found gender-specific association it might be important to acknowledge that boys and girls have specific needs to be more physically active. Further research should also take other features/elements of the school environment and neighborhood as well as socio-cognitive correlates into account to advance the field.

Influence of school environment in the teaching and learning of physical education

This study discusses the level of constraint factors in school environment in the implementation of the teaching of Physical Education in primary schools. To determine the level of factors, this study employed survey method on 310 respondents who teach Physical Education for Year 6 pupils in Perak, Malaysia. The collected data has been analysed by utilising descriptive statistics developed with SPSS version 13.0. Based on the findings, generally all statements showed high mean values of between 4.17 and 4.55. The statement that implied unsafe field conditions showed the highest mean value of M=4.55, SD=0.886. While, the statement that implied unpredictable weather condition during Physical Education showed the lowest mean value of M=4.17, SD=1.109. As implication, the teaching and learning of Physical Education cannot be implemented effectively. Conclusively, the constraint factors in school environment have direct relationship with the field condition, Physical Education equipments, funding and administration system.

Influence of school environment in the teaching and learning of physical education

Influence of school environment in the teaching and learning of physical education

School environment and physical activity in children and adolescents: systematic review

The aim of this study was to identify, discuss and summarize findings from articles on the association between characteristics of the school environment and physical activity in children and adolescents. We followed the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews. Articles were identified in PubMed. The main inclusion criteria were: (a) studies with children and adolescents – studies with preschool children only were excluded because they were covered in a recent review; (b) physical activity as the outcome; (c) school environment characteristics as the exposure variable. Outcome variables were heterogeneous across the 13 studies, including recess physical activity practice, extracurricular sports practice, Physical Education classes and total physical activity. Half of the studies used objective physical activity measures. The evaluation of school environments was again heterogeneous, ranging from checklists of spaces, satellite photos and interviews with school teachers and principals comprising sociocultural dimensions of the environment, policies and PE classes, but mainly measures of the built environment. No definitive conclusion about the influence of school environment on physical activity can be drawn due to the heterogeneity across studies, settings dimension assessed and the lack of prospective data. However, several features such as improvements in playgrounds, health promotion policies at school, and positive perceptions of the school environment seem to be associated with increased physical activity among children and adolescents.

Socioeconomic Inequalities in Adolescent Depression in South Korea: A Multilevel Analysis

BackgroundIn recent years, South Korea has witnessed a sustained rise in the prevalence of adolescent depression. In the present study, we sought to investigate family and school environmental influences on adolescent depression.Methods and FindingsMiddle and high school students (N = 75,066) were randomly selected respondents to a web-based survey and answered questions on their academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, parental support, parental education level, physical activities, lifestyle habits and their experience of depression in the past one year. Two-level multilevel analysis was used to investigate the relationship between depression and individual (level 1) and school (level 2) factors. Girls reported having experienced depression in greater numbers than boys (43.96% vs. 32.03%). A significant association was found between adolescent depression experience and gender, grade, self-rated academic achievement, family affluence scale, parental support, parental education level, lifestyle habits, physical activity and sleep dissatisfaction. The students living with rich parents were more likely to be depressive, and maternal higher education was significantly associated with higher probability of boys’ depression experience. Low academic achievement was highly associated with the experience of depression. In school level contexts, girls were found to be less likely to be depressive in girls-only schools.ConclusionThe adolescent depression experience is not only an individual phenomenon but is highly associated with other factors such as parents, peers, academic achievement, and even gender mix in the school. Thus, prevention measures on youth depression need to focus on emphasizing less pressure from parents on academic performance, and establishing healthy inter-gender relationships within co-education schools.

Urban Students' Perceptions of the School Environment's Influence on School Violence.

This article provides information about the aspects of the school environment students perceive influence the occurrence of school violence. Concept mapping, a mixed methods methodology, was used with two groups of urban, primarily African American high school students (n=27) to create conceptual frameworks of their understanding of the school social and physical environment's influence on school violence. Each group of students identified over 50 different ways they perceived their school environment contributed to school violence. These ideas were categorized into six main topics: Student Behaviors, Norms of Behavior, Relationships with School Staff, Learning Environment, School Safety, and Neighborhood Environment. Students' perceptions supported the current conceptualization of the role of the school environment in school violence. However, this study supplements the current literature by identifying school level aspects of the social and physical environment that contribute to students perceptions of the safety of their school. At this level, differences were seen between the two school environments, indicating a need for intervention tailoring.

Prioritizing the School Environment in School Violence Prevention Efforts*

Numerous studies have demonstrated an association between characteristics of the school environment and the likelihood of school violence. However, little is known about the relative importance of various characteristics of the school environment or their differential impact on multiple violence outcomes. Primarily African-American students (n = 27) from Baltimore City high schools participated in concept mapping sessions, which produced interpretable maps of the school environment's contribution to school violence. Participants generated statements about their school environment's influence on school violence and, with the assistance of quantitative methods, grouped these statements according to their similarity. Participants provided information about the importance of each of these statements for the initiation, cessation, and severity of the violence that occurs at school. More than half of the 132 statements generated by students were rated as school environment characteristics highly important for the initiation, cessation, and/or severity of school violence. Participants identified students' own actions, expectations for disruptive behavior, and the environment outside the school as the characteristics most important for the initiation and increased severity of violence that occurs in school. Participants had a more difficult time identifying school environment characteristics important for the cessation of school violence. This study provides support from students for the role of the school environment in school violence prevention, particularly in preventing the initiation and reducing the severity of school violence. Schools can utilize the information presented in this article to begin discussions with students and staff about prioritizing school environment changes to reduce school violence.

Exploring Environmental Education for East African Youth: Do Program Contexts Matter?

Roots & Shoots and Wildlife Clubs of Uganda are two prominent environmental education programs that have encouraged East African youth to advocate for their communities and ecology. The programs promote positive attitudes and self-determination through service learning. This pedagogical approach motivates youth to solve environmental problems and champion community-centered conservation and sustainable development initiatives. Using survey-based measures, open-ended questions, and participant observation, this study investigated how youth perceived that participation in these environmental education programs impacted their social competencies, self-efficacy, civic engagement, and ecological values. Results suggest that although there are some common program experiences, contextual differences based on the type of program and school environment influence youths' choice of service projects and may be related to program effects on youth. Our findings underscore the need to further examine the interplay between programs' environmental education missions, settings, and outcomes, especially among young people from developing countries who represent the majority of the world's youth population.

Does the Racial Composition of the School Environment Influence Children's Body Mass Index?

Purpose This study investigates the degree to which the racial composition of the school environment may influence the body mass index (BMI) of children aged 10 to 18 years. This research may be viewed as extending prior work that has found that the prevalence of risk behaviors among nonwhite adolescents is influenced by exposure to white adolescents. Methods This research used data from the Survey of Adults and Youth, which was conducted as part of the evaluation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Urban Health Initiative. The study population for this analysis is comprised of parent and child respondents in the 2004 to 2005 survey wave who lived in one of the five program cities: Baltimore, Detroit, Oakland, Philadelphia, and Richmond. We constructed two-level school random effects models and added school and census tract-level variables that describe the racial composition of the residential community and the school attended. Results Black and Hispanic adolescent girls who attend schools with a mostly nonwhite student body have higher BMIs than do their white counterparts. However, black girls in predominately white schools do not have higher BMIs than white girls. Further, black and Hispanic girls whose schoolmates are predominately white have significantly lower BMIs than black and Hispanic girls in schools where fewer than half the students are white. These associations are not found among boys, and are net of a broad variety of individual, household, and group level characteristics. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the BMI of minority adolescent girls is influenced by the norms of the social environment.

Commentary: Why are we biased against bias?

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Teacher collaboration in the context of the Responsive Classroom approach

This mixed‐method study examined characteristics and predictors of teacher collaboration. Limited research exists that describes the characteristics of teacher collaboration, and surprisingly little work explains the ways in which teaching experience and teachers’ perceptions of the school environment influence teacher collaboration. Questionnaire data were collected from a sample of 118 elementary school teachers in six schools in a northeast urban school district, and interviews were conducted with administrators in each school. Three schools were in their second year implementing the Responsive Classroom ® (RC) approach, and three schools were comparison schools. Teachers reported collaborating approximately once or twice per month, generally with fellow grade‐level teachers about student‐centered topics. Teachers in RC schools reported more frequent formal collaboration than comparison school teachers. In regards to predicting teacher collaboration, teachers who used more RC practices and/or resources reported collaborating more, valuing collaboration to a higher degree, and perceiving greater involvement in school decision‐making, controlling for whether they taught at a RC school. Also, teachers’ perceptions of the school environment related positively to teacher collaboration. The current study adds to the understanding of teacher collaboration and its antecedents, contributing uniquely to the literature on how a school‐wide educational initiative is associated with teachers’ perceptions of their school environment as well as their collaborative behaviors and beliefs.

Do changes in the psychosocial school environment influence pupils' health development? Results from a three-year follow-up study.

This study analysed the effects of psychosocial factors at school on pupils' health and self-worth from a longitudinal perspective. A three-year prospective study was started in 1994, including 533 pupils (261 girls, 272 boys) from 25 different classes in grades 3 and 6. With age-adjusted questionnaires the changes in self-perceived health were compared with changes in psychosocial school environmental factors. The girls in the older cohort reported a negative health development with decreased self-worth and increased somatic and psychological symptoms. Significant gender differences in ill health, but not in self-worth, developed, especially in the older cohort. A multiple regression analysis showed that a negative development of psychosocial factors at school, measured as control, demand, and classmate problems, was associated with poorer health and self-worth among the pupils. A trichotomization of the psychosocial variables at school indicated a possible causal relationship between psychosocial factors and ill health and self-worth. The negative development in pupils' health and self-worth could partly be explained by the more unfavourable psychosocial environment that prevails at school at the senior level. The public health implications of our study can be summarized as the need for schools to improve pupils' social situation at school in relation to their work situation as well as to pay special attention to the school situation of girls at senior level.

The influence of school environment and self-regulation on transitions between stages of cigarette smoking: A multilevel analysis.

In this research, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to address how school context influences the likelihood of transitioning between stages of cigarette smoking as well as modifies the individual-level risk factor of self-regulation. Survey data were collected from 25,186 middle and high school students attending 38 public schools in Kentucky. Results show that students are less likely to increase use in schools with higher levels of teacher discipline and faculty involvement. The analyses of the multi-level interactions between self-regulation and school context reveal that students possessing low emotional regulation are more likely to initiate experimental smoking in schools with poor levels of discipline and involvement than similar types of students in schools with higher levels of these characteristics. This study illustrates how psychological risk factors for substance use may vary across social environments.

The influence of school environment and self-regulation on transitions between stages of cigarette smoking: A multilevel analysis.

The influence of school environment and self-regulation on transitions between stages of cigarette smoking: A multilevel analysis.

Assessment of science practical skills in Omani 12th‐grade students

A study of science practical skills in Omani 12th‐grade students was carried out using two test modes: paper and pencil and circus. A random selection of science‐stream students was made in schools across Oman. From the national population of 1606 science‐stream students, an 11% sample took part in the circus mode and a 23#lb5% sample in the paper‐and‐pencil test. Three questions were addressed, one concerning science practical skill performance and gender, another on performance in the Omani Secondary School Certificate examinations, while a third question probed the influence of school environment on practical skill performance. Girls outperformed boys in the observation skill in both test modes while boys showed a superior performance in measurement skills. No substantive relationships were found between the practical skill tests and written science examinations. It was found that school factors have a more important influence on practical skill performance than does gender.