School Placement Research Articles

Making the case for local strategic coordination? An investigation of fair access protocols and their role in the reintegration of pupils from alternative provision to mainstream school

ABSTRACT Fair access protocols (FAPs) are intended to ensure all schools in a local authority (LA) area take collective responsibility for ensuring pupils struggling to access an in-year school place are quickly admitted to a school. Every LA must have a FAP which, once agreed, can be used to direct schools to admit pupils. This is somewhat against the fragmentation of local education systems seen in the academies agenda. This paper considers the role of FAPs in facilitating inclusive local education systems by exploring the reintegration of students from alternative provision (AP) to mainstream school. The data on which this paper draws were collected as part of an England-wide research project which drew on nationally published datasets, administrative data from freedom of information (FOI) requests, and survey data from 64 professionals working in AP. The extent of FAP use varies widely as do rates of reintegration. Likewise, there is both evidence suggesting that FAPs can play a significant role in facilitating strategic coordination, and that they have limited power/influence to ensure reintegration. These findings suggest that achieving inclusive local practice requires a shift towards an underlying logic of cooperation in the education system.

Collective learning in pre-service teacher education: exploring challenges, negotiations, and co-constructed solutions towards continuing professional learning and development

ABSTRACT Despite extensive research on professional learning and development in education, there is a significant gap in adopting action research methods as a localised approach to explore professional learning, especially in the pre-service domain. This article delves into the process of collective experiences, joint negotiations, co-constructed solutions, and reflective practices among pre-service teachers, cooperating teachers, and the university mentor throughout the five-phase teaching practicum, driven by action research methods. Through first- and second-person inquiries, observations, reflective notes and sharing sessions as research instruments, findings reveal that joint reflective discourse among stakeholders led to a deeper understanding of unvoiced challenges in teaching practicum, including teaching approaches, classroom management, diversity, learner differences, multiple roles, and heavy workloads. Findings explore how interactive processes within and among individuals facilitate ongoing negotiation and the development of shared solutions, fostering a dynamic and transformative professional learning environment for both pre-service teachers and in-service educators. Creating a platform for the recursive sharing of perspectives is crucial for promoting continuous professional learning during a teaching practicum. This entails promoting active dialogues among school placements, universities, and local authorities, facilitating the exchange of critical reflections, and ultimately supporting continuing professional learning and development in education.

Venezuelan migration to Brazil: teachers and students co-constructing multicultural education inside classrooms

PurposeThis study aims to show the complexities of engagement between students - Venezuelan and Brazilian - and their teachers. This qualitative ethnographic study documents the everyday pedagogies and practices that take place in elementary schools with high levels of refugee and immigrant children. While Brazilian law ensures the basic right to public education, forbidding discrimination based on nationality or immigration status (Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação, 1996), the barriers remain. Through the frameworks of multicultural (USA) and intercultural (Brazil) education, this paper shows how Brazilian teachers and students of Venezuelan and Brazilian backgrounds engage, learn from one another and build welcoming spaces, but also how stereotypes are reinforced inside classrooms and schools.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study uses ethnography to understand how recent Venezuelan migratory flow influences Brazilian and Venezuelan children’s educational experiences in elementary education. Participants were Venezuelan (N = 57) and Brazilian (N = 76) children in two elementary schools in the city of Boa Vista. Data sources for the study are school observations in four elementary classrooms (1st and 2nd grade) and semi-structured interviews with caregivers, teachers, administrators and other educators. This paper also collected children’s drawings and writings and documents like curricula, strategic planning, guidelines, policies, grades, reports and any other textual or photographic material made available at the city level.FindingsIn the field of education, there is a critical need for understanding children’s education experiences. This paper focuses on the experiences of teachers and students in two elementary schools in Brazil. This paper focus on two findings: first that teachers promote the learning of Portuguese to show care toward their Venezuelan students. Second, children in the classroom show solidarity with one another and resist some of the more rigid Portuguese-only practices enacted by teachers. This work uses the frameworks of intercultural (more commonly used in Brazil) and multicultural education to inform the analysis.Research limitations/implicationsIn this study, this paper puts these frameworks of interculturalism, multiculturalism, language use and solidarity into conversation to understand the dynamics of two elementary classrooms in the city of Boa Vista, Brazil. While this paper shows the shortcomings of a seemingly multicultural and multilanguage classroom, it also shows how children actively resist the rigidity of teaching and learning in elementary schooling.Originality/valueThis study is a response both to the increasing South–South migration trend in Latin America and its consequences on public education systems. Through multicultural and intercultural lenses, this research highlighted the complexity of interactions within multicultural classrooms by delving into a two-year ethnographic study conducted in Boa Vista, Brazil, focusing on Venezuelan and Brazilian children in two local elementary schools. This paper focused on two main observations this paper refers to as “Teaching Portuguese as a Way of Caring” and “Children's Solidarity Work.” Teachers primarily centered their instruction on teaching Portuguese to migrant children, believing it to lead to quicker integration in the classroom and beyond – thus as a way of caring for their migrant students.

Evolving Professional Identities: A Narrative Exploration of a Chinese Preservice EFL Teacher’s Practicum Experience

This paper presents a narrative study on the professional identity development of a Chinese preservice EFL teacher, examining her experiences before, during, and after the teaching practicum. The data for this research were gathered through in-depth interviews, documents, and observations. By offering a comprehensive narrative of Yang’s practicum journey, this study sheds light on the evolving nature of professional identity among Chinese preservice EFL teachers. Through the framework of teacher socialization, the findings reveal distinct phases in Yang’s professional identity. Yang’s stories highlight the dynamic and evolving process of professional identity development, characterized by continuous negotiation, adjustment, and reflection at each stage of the practicum. Additionally, this paper offers practical recommendations for educational institutions, placement schools, and preservice teachers. By integrating these findings, future teacher education programs can better prepare aspiring educators to navigate the complexities of professional identity development, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of EFL teacher training in China.

Deep mapping in geography education: learning about a distant place and people in a summer school as a ‘committed outlier’

ABSTRACT This article discusses Deep Mapping in Geography teaching and learning by drawing on a case study of a summer school organised during the COVID-19 pandemic. Deep Mapping was used to foster deep learning among the students and teach them about a distant place and people. The exercise tasked the students to work on the creation of layered maps representing the fieldwork site, the city of Vancouver, Canada. Critical student reflections about the Deep Mapping process are used to address some of the benefits and challenges. The Deep Mapping exercise stimulated the students to critically engage with the diverse summer school materials, move beyond a superficial view of the city, maps and mapping, and reflect on their positionality. The method is promising in light of making deep engagement with other places more accessible to those who might not have or be inclined to access such international educational experience and also offers another opportunity for blended learning. In conclusion, we argue that Deep Mapping offers a timely and highly engaging approach to learn about a place and people from another part of the world – be it on location or at a distance.

Health and education needs of primary school children with Down Syndrome in England: What can we learn from linked administrative data?

ObjectiveChildren with Down syndrome (DS) have high rates of chronic health conditions (CHCs) which can affect special education needs and primary school placement (mainstream or special). We assessed timing and type of CHC by year-specific primary school placement (ages 5 to 11 years). ApproachWe followed two cohorts: first, a birth cohort of all children with DS born from 2003 to 2020 in England using hospital administrative data; second, a sub-cohort with linked hospital and education records who enrolled in state-funded primary schools in England at age 5 from 2009/10 to 2013/14. We calculated the cumulative incidence of CHCs and multimorbidity (defined as distinct CHCs affecting two or more body systems) from birth through age 11, accounting for variable follow-up and the competing risk of death. We assessed multimorbidity by school placement over time. ResultsThe birth cohort included 11,478 children with DS (prevalence: 0.11%). By age 5, 6.2% of children had died, 80.8% had at least one recorded CHC, and 53.4% had multiple CHCs. Corresponding figures by age 11 were 6.9%, 87.4% and 65.9%, respectively. 85% of children with DS alive at school entry linked to a school record. 72% were enrolled in mainstream primary school at age 5, decreasing to 62% by age 7, and 54% by age 11. ConclusionsMost children with DS have multiple hospital-recorded CHCs. Nearly three-quarters start mainstream primary school, but just over half remain by age 11. ImplicationsParents, clinicians, and educators will benefit from understanding relationships between multimorbidity and school placement.

Exploring a Synchronous Hybrid Observation Approach for Supporting Student Teachers during School Placements

This article presents findings from an international study examining a synchronous hybrid approach for observing and supporting student teachers on their school placement. This novel approach emerged from previous studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and involves university tutors synchronously supervising student teachers from two locations: one tutor face-to-face in a school-based classroom and another virtually, from a remote setting such as a university campus. The qualitative case study adopts a focus group method to explore the views of participating school placement tutors from universities in Ireland and Australia about the benefits and challenges of this approach. Findings suggest that this new approach enhances supervisors’ observation and feedback practices and enables enriched collaboration and professional dialogue between student teachers and their tutors. Future research directions are also shared to advance the field.

Racial microaggressions on the initial teacher education programmes: implications for minority ethnic teacher retention

ABSTRACT The representation and retention in the teaching profession are lower for people from all minority ethnic groups in England. The most significant ethnic disparities were found to occur in the early career stages (Worth et al., 2022). This article draws on critical race theory to investigate how racism, in the form of racial microaggressions, contributes to these disparities. It shares the findings from a small-scale research project on student teachers’ experiences of racial microaggressions while learning to teach and discusses the implications for retention in the profession. It draws on a pilot survey (N = 42) and interview data from 14 pre-service teachers from a variety of ethnic and subject backgrounds to explore participants’ racialised experiences on school placements, as well as university elements of the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme in England. The findings suggest that microaggressions were more common on school placements than at universities. There is evidence to suggest that experiences of racial microaggressions may negatively affect minority ethnic student teachers’ thoughts on viability in the teaching profession.

The Impediments in Implementing Inclusive Education in Two Special Schools in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Impediments and Recommendations

Background: The implementation of successful inclusive education our special schools is still a challenge as there are numerous impediments that hinders such implementation.  Objectives: To explore impediments in the implementation of inclusive education in two special schools in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District.  Method: To archive stipulated objectives, a qualitative research approach was employed. The population of the study was made up of two special schools in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District. Data was collected using semi- structured interviewed. Data was collected through interviews that were collected from learners who are identified with learning barriers and request for placement in special schools. The data was gathered from the participants and analysed in thematic manner.  Results: The study revealed that there are numerous impediments that hinders the implementation of inclusive education, inter alia, safety and security in schools, lack of parental involvement, learner’s drug abuse, shortage of therapists, teacher’s qualification, overage learners and shortage of special schools. The study also outlined factors curbing the implementation of inclusive education.  Conclusion: The study concluded that indeed the stipulated impediments hinders the successful implementation inclusive education.  Contribution: The suggested strategies will enhance the successful implementation of inclusive education in schools.

Biophilia and Adolescents’ Sense of Place in Australian Vertical Schools

This article describes the place relationships adolescents have with natural elements in recently developed ‘vertical schools’ in Australia: a relatively new school typology in the country, generally considered to be over four storeys high. Vertical schools are being built in Australia’s largest cities in response to the need for new schools where land is scarce. Drawing on qualitative research into the place relationships that adolescents have with their learning environments in two Australian vertical schools, this article explores the ways young people seek closer associations with nature in multi-storey educational settings. The research adopted a phenomenological approach to ‘place research’, asking what makes a place a place? Further, it recognised that places have the capacity to shape the ‘becoming’ of a person, that ‘becoming’ happens when there is a certain resonance between a place’s cycles, and that identity is created out of difference. As such, ‘place as complex adaptive assemblage theory’ was employed to study the interplay between location and experience in selected vertical schools, also drawing on the earlier theoretical work of Relph (1976), who suggested that the essence of a place lies in the unselfconscious intentionality that defines places as profound centres of human existence. Photovoice was employed as a method to elicit insights into the relationships adolescents have with their school as place. Students created photo essays to document their place relationships, revealing deeply insightful personal reflections on their school as place and the meanings they associate with it. Specifically, the article reports on what thirteen adolescent students communicated about the biophilic experiences afforded by their vertical school, including how it influenced their ‘becoming’. The findings demonstrated that the participating students not only valued relationships with natural elements, but actively sought biophilic experiences on a regular basis. The desire for more frequent and more significant interactions with natural materials and cycles was common across most students, indicating that the relatively limited biophilic experiences available to students in vertical schools is a challenge that should be addressed in future multi-level educational environments.

“America fractured?“ The present and future of democracy, ideology and party system in the United States

The politics of the United States, both internal and external, and the analysis of its historiosophic foundations, topical subjects, trends and prospects of development have occupied a special place in the Russian school of international relations. On the one hand, interest in this topic has always been determined by its applied nature: for most of the 20th century, the USA was the main adversary of the USSR, and today the relations between the two countries are in a state of systemic confrontation, albeit of a different kind. On the other hand, with its history, economics, culture, ideology and politics, the USA as an experimental state and laboratory society has always been a field of scientific research and an object of intellectual reflection for researchers of all socio-humanitarian disciplines. All these works reveal different facets of American reality, but for Russian Americanists among historians and political scientists, those that allow them to find a key to understanding the driving forces of American politics and to forecast its development are especially valuable. The interview with leading Russian Historian-Americanist Dr. V.O. Pechatnov is an attempt to understand these key issues.

Low Vision Among Students Attending Schools for Blind Students in Two States of North-Central Nigeria

Introduction: Surveys conducted in schools for blind students have become useful alternatives to population-based surveys in generating data on childhood blindness and low vision. This survey determined the prevalence of low vision, causes of visual impairment, and the proportion of students requiring low vision devices and provided the low vision devices required. Methods: The study was conducted in three schools for blind students in two states of north-central Nigeria. The standard examination protocol of the World Health Organization’s Prevention of Blindness and Low Vision for Children (WHO, 2005) was used to interview and assess participants. The causes of visual impairment were categorized using the definitions in the coding instruments (WHO, 1988). Results: The study examined 170 eyes of 85 students between 7 and 49 years of age with a male-to-female ratio of 1.4:1. Of the 83 (97.6%) students with visual impairments, 59 (69.4%) of them had low vision. The major anatomical sites of vision loss by eyes were the whole globe ( n = 84, 55.3%), followed by the lens ( n = 23, 15.1%) and the retina ( n = 21, 13.8%). Overall, the leading causes of visual impairment in eyes were glaucoma ( n = 52, 34.2%), retinitis pigmentosa ( n = 21, 13.8%), phthisis bulbi ( n = 16, 10.5%), cataract ( n = 14, 9.2%), and keratoconus ( n = 10, 6.6%). A total of 37 (43.5%) students were prescribed optical low vision devices, and 28 (32.9%) received nonoptical low vision devices. Discussion: A large number of the students in this study had low vision. They were prescribed and provided the low vision devices required. The causes of visual impairment were a mix of the patterns seen in both developing and developed countries. The finding of glaucoma as a more important cause of vision loss calls for improved efforts in screening, early detection, and treatment of glaucoma among children. Implications for Practitioners: Routine comprehensive visual assessment, refraction, and low vision assessment before enrollment will guard against improper school placements and enhance optimization of vision for those with low vision.

Factors associated with harmful practices of rape and early marriage, legal issues, and challenges in some selected districts in the South Gondar Zone, Amhara region in Ethiopia

Harmful societal practices, like child marriage and rape, are widely prevalent in Ethiopia. The reasons for society's rules are fluid and depend on the socio-cultural orientation of the people. The research aimed to understand the factors that influence early marriage and rape and investigate challenges and legal concerns in the county's gender-based violence laws. The study used a descriptive-qualitative approach with multiple cases. As a method of data collection coupled with a guide, twelve in-depth interviews with local elders, nine key informant interviews with victim women, girls, and parents, and three focus group discussions (one in each district) with law practitioners, harmful practice prevention team members, and gender-based violence officers from the women and children's offices were employed. The study found that high unemployment, distant school placement, cultural norms and values, and economic and social insecurity are the determinants of early marriage and rape. The study recognized challenges in crime investigation, legal and law enforcement issues, corruption, insufficient administration, and information gaps. Moreover, the study recommends creating adequate target-based awareness and capacity building for stakeholders, empowering women and their families, wisely utilizing religious leaders and the elderly, amending the country’s gender-based violence law, and punishing criminals. HOW TO REFERENCE USING ASWDNET STYLE Yosef, G. & Workneh, A. (2024). Factors associated with harmful practices of rape and early marriage, legal issues, and challenges in some selected districts in the South Gondar Zone, Amhara region in Ethiopia. African Journal of Social Work, 14(4), 185-193. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i4.2 Visit journal website: https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net

Educational Administration System in Improving the Quality of Education

In the implementation of Education that takes place in schools, teachers play a very significant role. In this case, it describes the results of research in one of the educational institutions at Madrasah Aliyah Yaqin Pemondah, the importance of the educational administration system to be implemented as one of the benchmarks for the quality of education, especially in the teaching and learning process, but in its implementation it is still not optimal. This study aims to answer the problem of the educational administration system in improving the quality of education by using descriptive qualitative research. The results of this study indicate that it is necessary to organize the educational administration system to improve the quality of education, including (1) management of the teaching and learning process, (2) evaluation plans (3) curriculum management, (4) management of personnel, (5) management of facilities (6) financial management, (7) student services, (8) cooperation in relations with the community, and (9) a conducive academic climate in the madrasah.

Is Inclusive Education a Good “Fit” for ALL? Perceptions of Parents and Educators of ECD Learners with Complex Communication Needs

Providing children with complex communication needs (CCNs) with the right accommodations in a supportive schooling environment from the early childhood development (ECD) stage can significantly improve their developmental and educational outcomes. Inclusive education has been proposed as a possible framework that can promote positive educational outcomes; however, in South Africa, there has not been enough attention paid to inclusive education in ECD especially focusing on children with CCNs. The study therefore explored the perceptions of parents of children with CCNs and early childhood development teachers on inclusive education. Semi-structured interviews and a focus group were conducted with 8 ECD teachers and 8 parents of children with CCNs, who were purposively selected. Data were imported into NVivo 1.5 software and analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Findings from the study revealed the following themes: i. Perceived benefits of inclusive education; ii. Preference for special needs education; iii. Shortcomings of special needs education in addressing the needs of learners with CCNs; iv. Factors informing school placement; v. Communication as a barrier to learning, teaching and socializing; vi. The need for disability conscientization. Although both parents and teachers of learners with CCNs acknowledge the value of inclusive education in facilitating access to education, they have a mistrust of inclusive education because of fear of stigma, discrimination, exclusion, bullying and exclusionary teaching practices. While they preferred special education, they acknowledged the gaps in teacher’s knowledge on communication disorders, training of teachers, teaching aids and assistive devices. Educating a child with a disability is expensive because of other additional costs, especially transportation.

Noticing ‘them things that may have gone amiss otherwise’: exploring social work placements in schools in England

ABSTRACT Schools play a crucial in the lives of children, families and communities and are increasingly used by social work programmes in England for practice learning. This qualitative study involved in-depth semi structured interviews with ten social work students who had undertaken at least one placement in a school in England. The aim of this study was to understand social work students’ experiences of placements in schools and to explore the benefits and challenges associated with school-based placements. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, manually coded and analyzed for broad themes. The findings indicate a lack of clarity about the roles and tasks expected of student social workers in schools and highlights some benefits for children and families. Implications for social work education and practice are identified.

School placement trajectories of students with special educational needs—A longitudinal analysis of administrative data

AbstractSchool transfers may be particularly challenging for students with special educational needs (SEN), and may negatively impact academic and social outcomes for these students. In countries with multiple placement options for students with SEN, although transfers between different types of placements are plausible, studies on this phenomenon are rare. The current study investigates individual placement trajectories over 11 years of compulsory education, using administrative data from a Swiss canton (i.e. federal state) about students with intensive SEN support. We employed sequence analysis to describe individual characteristics of placement trajectories (type of placements attended, number and timing of transfers), and to identify typical placement trajectories. Findings indicate that students with SEN experience frequent placement transfers, however, high variability between individual placement trajectories exists. Four clusters representing typical placement trajectories emerged. The clusters differed in the placements predominately attended by students, the number of transfers experienced, as well as in the distribution of students' age, gender and first language. These differences may reflect variations between clusters in the type and severity of students' SEN. Our study results underscore the importance of understanding the dynamics of placement trajectories for students with SEN, contributing valuable insights into the complexities of their educational journeys.

Kurikuler Mulok Perikanan Untuk Mengembangkan Literasi Laut Siswa Melalui Program Mandiri Kampus Mengajar VII 2024

One the campus placement schools teaching class VII 2024 is UPT SD Negeri 182 Pinrang, located at jln.H. Kanebo No.1 Ujung Lero, Suppa sub-district, Pinrang district, South Sulawesi. Lero village is in the coastal area and is known as a maritime community whose source of income or livelihood is the majority of the population as fisherman and their income comes from the sea. As om of the school located at the tip of lero, the aim of this service is to increase students marine literacy who are expected to be able to understand and evaluate every from of activity or activity in the fisheries sektor by teaching basic concepts through curricular activities, namely local fisheries content. The learning media used are learning videos and the implementation of pre-test and post-tests to determine the level of students understanding of the learning outcomes. Based on the results of the pre-test and post- test, about fisheries mulok has increased their knowledge and understanding of marine literacy.

Can school placement foster professional identity formation? A multiple case study

ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to perceive how professional socialisation fostered the professional identity formation of physical education preservice teachers. For that, we intended to study the preservice teachers’ school placement and its influence on their professional identity formation. This investigation was designed using a qualitative research method, with data gathered through semi-structured interviews with six preservice teachers. Each participant was interviewed three times throughout the school year. Findings show that these individuals’ beliefs or convictions about the teaching profession were rarely influenced by the school placement and initial teacher education programme, as participants were already acquainted with the profession. The participants recognised the value of the school placement, but they emphasised that throughout this period of professional socialisation, they only learned practical teaching skills. These preservice teachers’ sense of self as professionals was based on their identification as teachers in the educational setting. We conclude that, whereas initial teacher education programme had a lasting impact on physical education preservice teachers’ performance as teachers, it had a residual influence on their professional identity.

Educational Dilemmas and Challenges for Students with Autism under the Learning in Regular Classroom Policy: A Qualitative Study Based on the Perspectives of Two Parents in Beijing

Learning in Regular Classroom（LRC）is a crucial approach for addressing the educational placement of children with special needs and implementing the philosophy of inclusive education. However, children with autism face significant challenges in inclusive settings due to difficulties in social interaction, communication, and behaviors. This study employs a qualitative research method, interviewing parents of children with autism whose children have completed compulsory education in regular schools in Beijing, to explore the practical challenges of implementing LRC policy the findings reveal conflicts between the ideal and the reality of policy implementation. Families of children with autism encounter challenges related to school placement, adaptation, and support due to incomplete policy regulations, inadequate policy execution, and insufficient educational support. To ensure the effective implementation of inclusive education, a deeper reflection and adjustment of the LRC policy are necessary. This study provides valuable insights from a parental perspective into the challenges faced by children with autism in China under the LRC policy, aiming to inform future policy development and implementation.