Migrant Children Schools Research Articles

Kompetencja leksykalna nastoletnich użytkowników języka polskiego jako odziedziczonego i ojczystego w ujęciu komparatywnym

Lexical competence of teenage heritage and native users of Polish has never been the subject of a comprehensive comparison. The first extensive empirical data were gathered by the Jagiellonian University research team in the project Heritage and native language – a comparison of language competences of teenage Polish and heritage learners. In the first stage of the present study, vocabulary tests of the two groups were analyzed. The results showed few differences in receptive knowledge, but in productive knowledge heritage users lagged behind. Therefore, in the second stage, selected essays were compared in terms of their vocabulary profiles. It was found that native and heritage language users’ lexical profiles differ markedly, to the considerable disadvantage of heritage users. Polish educators responsible for the schooling of migrant children must be aware of this, as too often heritage speakers who enter home schools after (re)immigration are treated as if there were native users. This however, as this research has clearly shown, is by no means the case.

Effects of Mindfulness and Life-Skills Training on Emotion Regulation and Anxiety Symptoms in Chinese Migrant Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PurposeChina’s rapid urbanization has been associated with increased mental health challenges, especially in rural-to-urban migrant children. This study evaluates the effects of mindfulness and life-skills (LS) training on emotional regulation and anxiety symptoms from a randomized controlled trial aimed at improving the mental health of Chinese migrant children. MethodsTwo intervention arms—mindfulness training (MT) and MT plus LS mentorship (MT + LS)—were compared to a waitlist control group of 368 migrant children aged 9–17 years. Volunteers were trained to deliver interventions to 285 migrant children in small groups of 15 for eight weeks weekly. Social integration varied: migrant children mixed with local children at public schools were considered highly integrated, those in migrant-only classrooms at public schools had intermediate levels of integration, and children in private migrant schools had low integration. Emotion regulation and anxiety symptoms were assessed preintervention, postintervention, and three months postintervention. ResultsPostintervention and compared to the control group, children with high social integration in the MT arm showed increased cognitive reappraisal ability (p < .05) but higher physical anxiety (p < .01). Children with high social integration in the MT + LS arm had lower anxiety symptoms of harm avoidance (p < .01) and physical anxiety (p < .05). Children with low social integration in the MT + LS arm showed lower cognitive reappraisal (p < .01) and poorer overall emotion regulation abilities (p < .01). Three months later, children with intermediate integration in the MT + LS arm had lower separation anxiety (p < .05) and harm avoidance anxiety (p < .05). No other groups showed significant improvements in emotion regulation or reducing in anxiety symptoms three months postintervention. DiscussionMindfulness and LS training may benefit Chinese migrant children who have higher levels of social integration but increase anxiety in those with lower social integration. Future research should consider the sociocultural context in which a treatment is implemented.

Elevated levels of loneliness in migrant children compared to nonmigrant children in urban China: a systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies.

About one in four children in China is a migrant child. This population has a higher risk of experiencing loneliness. However, existing studies present conflicting findings regarding the levels of loneliness among migrant children as compared to local urban children in urban China. This review performs a meta-analysis of studies comparing loneliness levels between these two groups. A literature search of major Chinese- and English-language databases revealed 27 eligible comparative studies. These studies reported the means and standardized deviations of loneliness scores for both migrant and nonmigrant children in urban China. Meta-analysis results showed that migrant children experienced significantly higher levels of loneliness than their urban nonmigrant counterparts [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.21, P < 0.001]. Subgroup analysis revealed that studies enrolling migrant children from migrant children's schools had significantly higher pooled SMDs than those enrolling children from public schools (0.346 vs. 0.120, P = 0.047). Migrant children in urban China experience higher levels of loneliness compared to their local urban peers. Efforts to create a socially inclusive, migrant-friendly environment and reduce social isolation among migrant children are crucial to help alleviate their feelings of loneliness.

Prospects for English medium education of Indian migrant children: Multilingualism of the unequals

ABSTRACT This article sets out to analyse the lingua-educational vulnerabilities of Indian migrant school children (henceforth IMC) and the nonchalant educational policies which neglect the cultural and linguistic resources of migrant children’s ‘mother tongue(s)’ in school settings. The study analyses IMC’s educational marginalisation and monolingualisation, and the state’s exclusive non-inclusive language policy. The study argues that Indian multilingual education does not cater to the needs of the migrant stakeholders. It highlights that IMC want English-medium education which would help IMC’s socio-economic advancement and achievement. Hence, the study is a proposal to the state policymakers that an exclusionary language policy is a mandate alongside the non-materialisable inclusive rhetoric of ‘education for all'.

Differential effects of a reading strategy intervention program for migrant children in migrant schools in China

BackgroundThere are over 14 million migrant children in the compulsory education system in China and the number has been increasing rapidly. However, the quality of education in schools for migrant children is often poor. Meanwhile, numerous studies indicated the importance of reading skills developed by the end of third grade. Few studies, however, have investigated the early reading development of migrant children in migrant schools in China. In the current study, we examined, with a randomized control trial design, the effects of reading strategy instruction via teacher professional development for migrant children in migrant schools.MethodA total of 1,679 students from 47 third-grade classes in 13 migrant schools for migrant children in Beijing, China, participated in the study. The intervention was composed of teacher professional development on reading strategy. Students in both treatment and control conditions received books for independent reading.ResultsThe program resulted in a higher overall reading performance for students in the treatment classes than those in the control classes, with the difference larger in inferential comprehension and for students who did not live in Beijing before starting elementary school (which we speculate captures the degree of family mobility and the rural–urban gap in the access to educational resources).ConclusionThe results suggest that a reading strategy instruction via teacher professional development may promote the reading development of migrant children in migrant schools in China.

Does mental health mediate the effect of deviant peer affiliation on school adaptation in migrant children: evidence from a nationally representative survey in China

ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the impact of deviant peer affiliation on migrant children's school adaptation in China and explore the mediating role of mental health in the relationship between deviant peer affiliation and school adaptation among migrant children. Study designThis was a cross-sectional study based on secondary data. MethodsThis study was based on the nationally representative China Education Panel Survey. Multiple linear regression models were used to quantify the relationship between deviant peer affiliation and school adaptation among 1,012 migrant children aged 12–17 years. Bootstrap test was used to evaluate the mediating effect of children's mental health. ResultsDeviant peer affiliation showed a significant negative impact on the school adaptation of migrant children (β = −0.41, 95% confidence interval = −0.56 to −0.26). The relationship between deviant peer affiliation and school adaptation was partially mediated by children's mental health, resulting in an indirect effect of deviant peer affiliation on their school adaptation through their mental health (β = −0.05, 95% confidence interval = −0.09 to −0.03). The mediating role of mental health could explain 11.4% of the relationship between deviant peer affiliation and school adaptation. ConclusionsAmong migrant children, deviant peer affiliation showed unique effects on their school adaptation. Taking care of their mental health might help improve their school adaptation.

Being a migrant learner in a South African primary school: recognition and racialisation

ABSTRACT This article is an exploration of racialised understandings of migrant learners within the educational space of primary school and the social context of xenophobia in South Africa. These understandings draw from small-scale creative visual research that focused on migrant learners’ perspectives on their school experiences. Framed by the concepts of ‘recognition’ and ‘White privilege’, it uses the spatial encounter between two learners – one racialised as White and one as Black – and draws on elements of storytelling to present their fragmentary, mosaic-like narratives, highlighting two facets of racialisation: the prizing of White migrant identities and the erasure of Black migrant identities. This study contributes to the field of children’s geographies in terms of revealing how migrant primary school children experience the school space differently as differently racialised individuals, as well as how research approaches common in education (picturebooks) and Critical Race Theory (storytelling) can enable such stories to emerge in migration research.

Educational Disadvantages During COVID-19 Pandemic Faced by Migrant Schoolchildren in Poland.

Experiencing migration in childhood affects social, educational, and psychological aspects of child development. Migrant children are prone to educational setbacks, which may be further exacerbated by concurrent crises. This study examines the so-called transnational transitions of migrant schoolchildren in Poland by treating distance learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a new vulnerability factor. This study adopts Merton’s concept of cumulative (dis)advantages (the “Matthew effect”) and combines it with the modern framing of the digital divide developed by Ragnedda and Ruiu. The data are drawn from a qualitative study with migrant children, their parents, and teachers, in which interviews were conducted during the initial COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. The findings demonstrate that migration experience, distance learning, and the digital divide overlap in producing educational inequalities among migrant schoolchildren in Poland.

Teachers' Burnout and Primary Schools for Migrant Children

Teaching in migrant children schools is anxious and overwhelmed. Teachers deserve more social attention and should be provided with appropriate care to ensure their welfare and mental health. Although previous teacher burnout studies focused on several variables (e.g. age, gender and experience), studies on migrant children schools are limited. Teachers in these schools face many unusual challenges in other schools. This article aims to explore how school climate, students, parents, and professional development lead to teachers' burnout in migrant children schools. It began with discussing the current situation of migrant children schools with reference to previous studies and reports. Then the findings showed a) that governmental support is limited; b) students are taught under the unified standard; c) the absent role of parents widens the gap of communication in the family and d) teachers in such schools see little hope in the future careers and might even want to resign. In addition, the mental status of the teachers is usually neglected, so that many teachers feel chronic helplessness.

The relationship between perceived discrimination and Chinese migrant children's school adjustment: A moderated mediation model of identity conflict and grit

Research has revealed that perceived discrimination may be a risk factor against school adjustment among Chinese migrant children. However, few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms that may mediate or moderate this association. To fill this gap, this study examined the mediating role of identity conflict and moderating role of grit in the association between perceived discrimination and school adjustment. A sample of 732 Chinese migrant children completed measures of perceived discrimination, school adjustment, identity conflict, and grit. Results showed that identity conflict mediated the relationship between perceived discrimination and school adjustment among Chinese migrant children. Moreover, this mediating effect of identity conflict between perceived discrimination and school adjustment was moderated by grit, with the effect being weaker for Chinese migrant children with higher grit. These findings illuminate the underlying influence of identity conflict and grit in the link between perceived discrimination and school adjustment of Chinese migrant children. Limitations and implications of this study were discussed.

IMPLEMENTATION OF INCLUSION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

The authors consider the ways and means of implementing the idea of inclusion in the university educational process. The researchers have included information on the history of inclusion, on various models of inclusive education, and on the specifics of a family with a child with special educational needs in the content of psychological and pedagogical disciplines, as well as elective courses. The authors have introduced new tasks of teaching practice, with students describing conflicts, bullying, mobbing, and school violence in traditional and inclusive classrooms. Stu-dents have been asked to justify their intended actions, which could prevent potential risks and find a competent way out of a difficult situation. Plot-role-playing games and group discussions held in student groups on the problems of "special" children and migrant schoolchildren have also facilitated implementation of the idea of inclusion. Discussion teaches future teachers to coordinate positions, values, to make decisions, and helps them see new personal meanings. Students' daily communication at the university with physically or mentally challenged mates with students of different cultures, faiths, and languages has played a significant role in their acceptance of inclusion.

The Continuity of Adhocracy: Formal Practices of Segregated Schooling of Immigrant Students as a Mirror for German Migration Politics

This article shows the historical continuities of segregated schooling of migrant children in Berlin from the 1960s to the present. My main argument is that segregated schooling can be understood as a result of an administrative denial of the fact of immigration. Instead of changing the system for the needs of a diverse student body, schools and school administrations develop instable adhoc regulatory practices of segregated schooling.

The Narratives of Local Children and Newly Arriving Forced Migrant Children about Their Mutual Contacts and Friendships in German Primary Schools

Even though almost half of the forced migrant population that entered Germany during the last several years are minors, research about the perspective of children on forced migration is very scarce. Drawing on childhood studies, which regard children as being capable of social thinking and acting, and generational theories, which scrutinize how childhood constitutes a common “social space,” this article aims to analyze narratives of local and forced migrant primary school children on flight and integration. Current regulations of the German educational system insert forced migrant children into the regular school system. Within the restrictive framework of schools, which disadvantage newly arriving migrant children by focusing on their German language skills as the primary marker of their educational potential and success, friendship making is the sphere where children can have agency. Children construct the school as their common generational space and discuss flight as the experience of “being new in school.” This allows children to acknowledge their different biographical backgrounds but empathize with each other and identify as generational members through their subjection to the educational system. Local and forced migrant children bridge language differences by performing their friendships through language-learning rituals. Hence, the public primary school system sets preconditions for the structural integration of local and migrant children, but the most important actors who “do integration” as a social process are children themselves. Article in English DOI: 10.25285/2078-1938-2020-12-3-52-69

The effects of a summer reading program for migrant children in migrant schools: First-year results from a randomized experiment

Thanks to urbanization, some developing countries have a large migrant population. Academic performance of migrant children is usually far from satisfactory, much to the concern of educators and legislators. Meanwhile, research has attested to the importance of reading skill development by the end of third grade for later academic achievement. Against this background, we evaluated the effects of providing self-selected, developmentally appropriate books on the reading performance and summer reading amount of students in migrant schools in China, employing a randomized controlled trial. The intervention program improved rising second-graders’ word reading scores and summer reading amount. It proved particularly beneficial to low-performing children and children from disadvantaged families. The findings have implications for improving the academic achievement of migrant children in migrant schools in China and similar developing countries, especially where parental support may not be expected for the academic development of children.

The impact of distance learning on the social practices of schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic: reconstructing values of migrant children in Poland

ABSTRACT In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Polish government decided to shut down all public and private institutions, including schools, from 12 March 2020. Since then, 4.58 million students from 24,000 schools have remained in their homes and practiced distance learning. Distance learning has greatly affected children’s social practices, including domestic, everyday, specialist, and cultural practices. This paper applies social practice theory, rooted in Schatzki’s ontological theory of practices, and Shove, Pantzar, and Watson’s structure of social practices to study the changes to migrant primary school children’s social practices during distance learning in Poland. The data are derived from a subsample of a larger qualitative study of the transnational transition processes of migrant children in Poland. This paper investigates how the COVID-19 lockdown and distance learning have prompted migrant primary school children to reflect on the transformation of traditional social practices and the value of school.

Impact of spectacles wear on uncorrected visual acuity among urban migrant primary school children in China: a cluster-randomised clinical trial

ObjectiveTo estimate the effect of providing free spectacles on uncorrected visual acuity (VA) among urban migrant Chinese school children.DesignExploratory analysis from a parallel cluster-randomised clinical trial.MethodsAfter baseline survey and VA...

Choices or Constraints: Education of Migrant Children in Urban China

China’s monumental volume of labor migration has led to a rise in the migrant children population in urban China. In this study, we examine school choices for migrant children (ages 6–12) using data from a nationally representative survey. We focus on two important decisions related to migrant children’s education: whether parents enroll their children in public schools versus special migrant schools and if they pay fees for children’s enrollment in local public schools. We find that the majority of migrant children are enrolled in local public schools but a non-negligible proportion of migrant children is enrolled in special migrant schools. Despite official government policy that prohibits public schools from charging enrollment fees, about 20% of migrant children’s parents paid fees in 2012. We also reveal that migrant children whose parents possess more local social capital are able to navigate through the public school system. A significant regional difference emerges from our analysis: compared to other parts of China, migrant children in Eastern China are less likely to be enrolled in public schools and their parents are more likely to pay for children’s education in public schools. These findings present new evidence that migrant children continue to face significant obstacles in access to public education, which is not consistent with Chinese government’s plan to promote a people-centered urbanization.

A Resilience-Based Intervention Programme to Enhance Psychological Well-Being and Protective Factors for Rural-to-Urban Migrant Children in China.

The current study evaluated the preliminary efficacy of a pilot trial of a resilience-based intervention programme designed to decrease depression symptoms and improve protective factors (e.g. personal assets, social resources, cultural adaptation self-efficacy, interpreting adversity, and self-esteem) among rural-to-urban migrant children in China. Participants were 285 fourth and fifth graders from two migrant children schools in Beijing. One school was cluster-randomly assigned as the intervention group (n=127) and the other was assigned as the wait-list control group (n=158). Data were collected at baseline and post-intervention with a follow-up rate of 96.8 per cent. Multivariate analyses found significantly greater increases in social resources, cultural adaptation self-efficacy, and making positive sense of adversity in the intervention group than in the control group. In the intervention group, migrant children who had moved more often reported a higher increase in personal assets than those who had fewer mobility experience. The findings suggest that the resilience-based intervention can be efficacious in improving resilience among migrant children in China.

Probing the Psychosocial Correlates of Unintentional Injuries Among Grade-School Children: A Comparison of Urban and Migrant Students in China

ObjectiveTo assess the prevalence and characteristics of unintentional injuries among 5 to 9 grades students for both urban and migrant children groups, and probe the major socio-demographic and psychosocial risk factors.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to June in 2013 with 2266 urban and 1770 migrant children among 5 to 9 grades from 13 schools in Yinzhou, Southeast China. Unintentional injuries and psychosocial factors were measured via self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were employed in data analysis.ResultsThe annual prevalence of unintentional injury in the past year was 38%. Compared with urban children, migrant children reported lower prevalence of sprains/fractures (15.5 vs. 18.7%), but higher in animal bites (15.7 vs. 9.6%), burns (20.7 vs. 16%), nonfatal drowning (6 vs. 2.7%), and unintentional injury (40.9 vs. 35.7%). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that male, young age, attending migrant children school, scoring high in emotional symptoms, conduct problems or hyperactivity, with suicide ideation, and experiencing verbal maltreatment were associated with unintentional injury incidence in the past 12 months.ConclusionsThe annual prevalence of unintentional injury among 5 to 9 grades schoolchildren in Yinzhou was high. Child unintentional injuries were associated with multi-level psychosocial factors. Although the direct correlation between migrant status and unintentional injuries was unobserved, migration could have an indirect relationship with injury. The findings could inform some implications for prevention strategies in urban area.

Infancia haitiana migrante en Chile: barreras y oportunidades en el proceso de escolarización

This article aims to identify the social factors influencing the exercise of the right to schooling of Haitian migrant children in Chile. It seeks to analyze how variables such as socio-economic level, gender, age, phenotype, nationality or language are related to these children’s schooling trajectories. The methodology employed partakes a qualitative approach through the use of semi-structured interviews applied to 6-17-year-old migrants from Haiti who have lived in Chile for one year at least. The results show that there are barriers concerning language, racism, socioeconomic level and gender violence.