School Practices Research Articles

Peer-to-peer leadership of physical activity in the New Zealand school-based setting: an exploration of student leader perspectives

ABSTRACT This study explored the perceptions of peer leaders participating in a peer-led physical activity (PA) initiative where student leaders conduct fitness classes for their peers. Thirty-eight participants aged 9–13 from four New Zealand elementary and middle schools were surveyed using an online questionnaire gathering both qualitative and quantitative data. Student leaders viewed the experience positively, despite the physical challenges involved, and many reported increased fitness or PA levels. Provision of regular school practice time, teacher input, and resources from the outside provider were key. The task of leading their peers placed the leaders in a supportive yet anxiety-provoking environment, which presented valuable opportunities to teach them resilience-building skills. To fully leverage the programme’s potential impact, connections to a range of curriculum learning objectives could offer more meaningful learning experiences, including resilience building, generating understanding of the benefits of PA, and developing the skills involved in group work and leadership.

Reshaping school discipline with metrics: an examination of teachers’ disciplinary practices with ClassDojo

Education is increasingly infiltrated by technology and datafication. This techno-data amplification is entangled with neoliberalism and the emphasis on calculation and measurement it brings, often through metrics. This article critically examines how metrics are shaping discipline practices in schools through ClassDojo, a popular platform for managing student behaviour. Little is known about how ClassDojo is implemented in schools, and how its dependence on metrics is impacting school discipline practices. Through a critical qualitative inquiry, we examined teachers’ practices with ClassDojo, and found they operate via techniques of control, and that metrics are central to these techniques. We draw on the concept of ‘metric power’ to understand how these school discipline practices manifest as forms of power. We argue ClassDojo’s metrics operate as powerful narrowing pedagogical devices that fixate on measurement and lead to practices which operate via neoliberal governing rationalities that reshape school discipline.

Empowering through feedback: Economics teachers' motivations for assessment practices in public schools

Research on assessment feedback practices in economics education within South African public schools has been limited, particularly in terms of teachers' motivations and approaches. This study addresses this gap by exploring the reasons and motivations behind Grade 10-12 Economics teachers' use of assessment feedback in three public schools in South Africa. A qualitative case study design was employed, involving three teachers at different career stages. Data was collected through semi-structured individual interviews and document analysis of feedback samples. Thematic analysis, informed by the concept of feedback literacy, was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed two primary motivations: using assessment feedback for academic growth and providing feedback for real-world application. Teachers viewed feedback as a crucial tool for enhancing students' understanding of economic concepts and preparing them for future academic and professional challenges. The study concludes that teachers' feedback practices align with contemporary educational theories and demonstrate a commitment to contextualising economics education within the South African environment. Recommendations include implementing targeted professional development programs to enhance feedback literacy, revising curricula to incorporate opportunities for meaningful feedback, and conducting further research across diverse educational contexts. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of assessment practices in Economics education and has implications for teacher professional development and curriculum design in South African public schools, ultimately aiming to develop economically literate and critically engaged citizens.

Non-inclusive teaching of students with special educational needs in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhood

ABSTRACT Despite inclusive educational policies, inclusive teaching of diverse students with special educational needs (SEN) presents a professional challenge for many teachers and schools. To better understand how and why educators sometimes teach students with SEN non-inclusively, this study mapped non-inclusive teaching along with justifications for these practices in a primary school in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhood. Within this qualitative study, a one-month ethnographic observation of teacher-student and student-student interactions in a single second-grade classroom (with 22 students) was conducted. Additionally, eight teachers from the school and the principal were interviewed on teaching students with SEN. A stepwise-deductive inductive analysis of observations and a thematic analysis of interviews documented how some teachers excluded students with SEN from learning activities and groups by inappropriate space arrangements, reduced teacher-student interactions, and negative expectations. Paradoxically, teachers justified these non-inclusive teaching practices by efforts to address the special educational needs. The findings also documented that the socioeconomically disadvantaged context increased demands on teachers in the school, which possibly contributed to the limited inclusive teaching. The findings underscore the need to increase structural support for socioeconomically disadvantaged schools and show the necessity to systematically foster inclusive attitudes and teaching skills in teacher education.

“They are aware; they choose to ignore it”: The state of culturally responsive school practices through the lens of parents.

“They are aware; they choose to ignore it”: The state of culturally responsive school practices through the lens of parents.

The Influence of Soviet State Policy on School Everyday Life in Kazakhstan (1945–1955)

Introduction. The work reconstructs the ideological component of Soviet children’s everyday school life in Kazakhstan, which had a huge impact on their socialization. Methods and materials. The methodological basis of the study is the theory of the sociologist P. Sztompka about the significance of “cultural trauma” in the biography of any generation of people – social tension associated with changes in society, the transformation of its values. The method of narrative interview was used in the work. Interviews were conducted with over 20 respondents whose childhood was spent in Kazakhstan in 1945–1965. Analysis. Archival data and recollections of respondents show that the school, which traditionally carried out a certain order of society, was the main mechanism in the formation of the “new Soviet person.” During the period under study, the “order” was to form a Soviet identity, with which the Soviet school and socio-political organizations represented by the pioneers and the Komsomol in Kazakhstan successfully coped. Everyday school practice reflected the ideological component of school education – all respondents, assessing their childhood from today’s standpoint, are aware of the degree of this influence. Results. A number of mechanisms were analyzed through which the official Soviet authorities formed the consciousness of the future “builders of communism”: the school, ideologized and, in fact, obligatory children’s organizations, and propaganda. The identified correspondence between the propaganda ideal and the real image of a Soviet schoolchild indicates the acceptance and assimilation of socialist values by children in Kazakhstan. The data obtained open up prospects for new research on the history of Soviet children’s everyday lives. Authors contribution. A.A. Bimoldanova proposed the idea and concept of the article and wrote the final text. M.J. Bekmagambetova prepared a historiographic review, was engaged in the identification and analysis of documentary sources from the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and R.K. Bekmagambetov carried out the transcription and interpretation of the interview materials and the technical design of the text of the article. All three authors interviewed respondents.

A handbook for Rhythmic Relating in autism: supporting social timing in play, learning and therapy.

We present a handbook for Rhythmic Relating, an approach developed to support play, learning and therapy with young autistic children, unconventional communicators, and autistic people who have additional learning needs. Rhythmic Relating is based on the Movement Sensing perspective, a growing body of research that recognizes that autistic social difficulties stem from more basic sensory and motor differences. These sensorimotor differences directly affect embodied experience and social timing in communication. The Rhythmic Relating approach acknowledges that autistic/non-autistic interactive mismatch goes both ways and offers bidirectional support for social timing and expressive action in play. This handbook is presented in an accessible fashion, allowing the reader to develop at their own pace through three skill-levels and encouraging time out to practice. We begin with the basics of building rapport (seeing, copying, and celebrating interactional behaviors), introduce the basic foundations of sensory stability, and then move on to developing reciprocal play (using mirroring, matching, looping, and "Yes…and" techniques), and further to understanding sensory impetus (using sensory contours, accents and flows) and its potential in support of social timing. Rhythmic Relating is offered in support of each practitioner's creative practice and personal sense of fun and humor in play. The model is offered as a foundation for interaction and learning, as a base practice in schools, for Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists and Physiotherapists, and can also provide a basis for tailoring creative arts therapies when working with autistic clients.

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming in Dubai International Schools: A Mixed Methods Study

The purpose of this study was to examine comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) policies and practices in interna-tional schools in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Following an ex-planatory-sequential mixed-methods research design, the researchers employed the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program Policies and Practices Questionnaire (CSPAP-Q) and follow-up interviews to describe CSPAP implementation and explore implementation enablers and challenges. A convenience sample of physical education teachers (N=18) participated in the questionnaire, and seven of these teachers participated in individual interviews. Teachers’ responses to the ques-tionnaire indicated considerable heterogeneity and numerous gaps in existing school-based physical activity opportunities and promotion O'Reilly and Websterefforts. Interviews revealed three themes related to CSPAP implemen-tation: (a) time constraints in secondary schools, (b) facilities, and (c) location. This study provides an initial glimpse into whole-of-school physical activity programming in Dubai international schools.

Integrating technology into school-wide adoption of flipped learning: Perceptions of a school principal

Integrating technology into teaching and learning is important for effective education in the 21st Century. School instructional leadership plays a crucial role in determining the success of school technological transformation. This paper focuses on the instructional leadership practice in a school-wide flipped learning adoption process. It examines a school principal’s instructional leadership practice in a middle-high boarding school in China. In-depth interviews and document analysis were used as tools for data collection. The findings reveal that involving teachers as researchers is a powerful technique for managing successful instructional reform when integrating technology into classroom practice. The school principal’s lived experiences and philosophy of education contribute to the commitment of the transformation process, which in turn motivated the principal to initiate and conduct instructional reform. Moreover, the school principal is expected to be a critical actor for the overall management when mobilising teacher engagement and other available resources in the school context. The implications for practitioners are discussed.

The status of culturally relevant teacher education in the European context: A systematic review of research

AbstractIn this systematic literature review spanning 2000 to 2024, we examine the landscape of culturally relevant education (CRE) in Europe. Our goal is to present a clear picture of how in‐service and pre‐service teachers perceive, practice and experience CRE in the evolving European context. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, we analysed 48 empirical studies from European countries. In a multiphase process, we utilised qualitative methods to iteratively identify key features to categorise study purposes and outcomes for meaningful reporting. Included studies primarily consisted of self‐reported data on perspectives, practices and experiences of in‐service or pre‐service educators working with learners that are culturally and linguistically diverse compared to the dominant culture of the studies' locations. The aim was to reveal the state of CRE research in the context of Europe by identifying the reviewed studies' goals, key findings and suggestions to move forward. Our findings highlight well‐intentioned educators, yet there is a discernible need for improved teacher education programmes and in‐service professional learning that focus on supporting educators' culturally relevant practices. The review emphasises the necessity of better preparing European educators to effectively meet the needs of their culturally and linguistically diverse student populations. We offer a series of recommendations synthesised from the examined studies, pointing towards a need for reform at multiple levels, including pre‐service teacher education, professional development, school and community practices and policy changes. As we navigate the educational landscape of Europe, our synthesis aims for a clear understanding and practical insights, fostering an environment where educators can effectively nurture the potential of every learner. Context and implicationsRationale for this study: The study aims to assess the state of culturally relevant teacher education in Europe, highlighting the gap in research through a systematic review of the literature to help inform future educational efforts.Why the new findings matter: These findings matter because they offer a structured insight into current practices and challenges, suggesting significant opportunities for enhancing teacher preparation in culturally diverse settings across the continent of Europe.Implications for practitioners, policy makers and researchers: Policy makers may use these insights to better support and develop policies that enhance teacher training, aiming for inclusivity and diversity in classrooms. Researchers are provided with a detailed analysis of existing works and trends, highlighting challenges and unexplored areas, thus offering the potential to push the boundaries of educational research in culturally relevant pedagogy. Overall, these implications aim to foster an educational environment where diversity is not only recognised but actively embraced and integrated into teaching practices.

ABCs unravelled: The time and timing in calls for behavioural change

District School Boards across the Global North (which includes my own school board in Toronto, Canada) implement behaviour management policies that remain situated within discourses and practices of developmental and behavioural psychology. The ABC chart (Antecedent, Behaviour and Consequence) is one key aspect of these behaviour management policies as it aims to document the timing, frequency, intensity and duration of behaviour characterized as problematic or troublesome. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the ABC chart utilized by classroom teachers across K-12 school settings in order to document behaviour. Understood as a socio-cultural artifact and phenomenon of current neoliberal schooling practices, I seek to investigate the role of ABC charts in sustaining practices of conditional inclusion/exclusion for children and youth labeled as ‘problems.’ Using an interpretive methodology situated within critical disability studies and anti-colonial theories and practices, this paper will engage in the application of concepts such as being “out of sync” ( Knight, 2019 : p. 74) and “misfitting” ( Garland-Thomson, 2011 : p. 592) as they intersect with concepts such as “the ability line” ( Broderick and Leonardo, 2016 : p. 66). A key aim of this paper is to question the taken for granted assumptions regarding conceptions of linear time, developmental progress and, achieving the performance of normative behaviour. In examining the implicit power imbalances in practices of documenting behaviour, this paper also invites educators to engage in a critical dialogue in order to facilitate a transformation into more interdependent and socially just teaching and learning practices.

Integrating pro-environmental behaviors into school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports for creating green schools

The causes of dramatic climate change mostly lie in human behavior. Humans cause climate change, for example, by creating waste. Pro-environmental behavior plays a crucial role in fighting climate change by preventing waste and conserving resources. Therefore, schools should foster pro-environmental behavior to fight climate change more effectively. Schools can foster pro-environmental behavior by organizing activities focused on both saving water, energy and managing waste through recycling and reuse. As such, one of the systems that can be used to increase the quality and efficiency of green school practices is School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS). SW-PBIS is a three-tiered approach that matches intervention intensity to student’s needs, aiming to improve all students’ social and educational outcomes through evidence-based preventive behavioral interventions. However, when SW-PBIS implementations are generally considered, the system is mainly used to prevent problem behaviors. While respect, responsibility, and safety are the most common expectations, no expectation is created or included in the system based on sustainability. So, the starting point of the idea is that while problem behaviors can be prevented with SW-PBIS, pro-environmental behaviors to promote a green school can also be taught and supported. Consequently, this article introduces a conceptual framework to integrate pro-environmental behaviors into SW-PBIS for creating green schools. We discuss the importance of SW-PBIS in fostering pro-environmental behavior and how it can help develop responsible students who contribute to green schools to fight climate change. We also discuss implications for future research and practice. This conceptual framework is expected to expand the scope of SW-PBIS and contribute to the implementation of green school initiatives.

Assessment in engineering education: pre-, during and post-pandemic

ABSTRACT The COVID pandemic forced Australian universities to move teaching and assessment from face-to-face to online. As the pandemic eased through 2021 and 2022, face-to-face teaching and assessment resumed. In this article, we ask: What effect did the COVID pandemic have on assessment practices in the engineering school at the University of New South Wales, Canberra? Were changes to assessment made during the move online retained, or did we ‘snapback’ to pre-COVID practices? Why were assessment changes retained or ‘snapped-back’? To answer these questions, we used a mixed-methods approach gathering quantitative and qualitative data. We collated the assessment plans for all subjects offered by the engineering school, from 2019 to 2022 inclusive. We also interviewed course conveners and used causality coding to establish a causal network. We found that most subjects snapped-back to pre-COVID assessment plans. Our assessment was found to depend heavily on exams, both pre- and post-COVID. The causal mapping showed that the snapback was driven by conveners’ concerns with academic integrity and workload, and a preference for face-to-face over online.

For the issue of self-regulation in school and university practice during asynchronous learning process

For the issue of self-regulation in school and university practice during asynchronous learning process

Teacher Training: (Dis)encounter between Theory and Practice

The preparation of teachers is a key process in the development of effective teachers, however, initial training always seems insufficient and outdated to produce the expected teaching profile and respond to the dynamic character of today's society. This article reports part of the research "teachers in the process of initial training" (2020-2021), developed in the context of a Faculty of Education Sciences, Chile. Based on a qualitative methodology and a case study research strategy, we worked with 120 pedagogy students in the process of training, who offered their representations regarding the theory-practice relationship in the context of the Chilean educational system. In a complementary way, 5 focus groups were administered with the intention of enriching ideas and perspectives. The criteria to choose them were to be studying a pedagogy program, with experience of practices in schools and that they accepted to participate voluntarily, after signing consent. The results show that the theory-practice relationship can be understood in various ways: dependence, disagreement and integration which influence the way teaching is understood and its exercise. In terms of projections, the need arises to think of a training that in a bidirectional way manages to theorize the practice and experience the theory.

Kewiralembagaan Kyai dalam Menginovasi Institusi Pesantren

This article seeks to explore the institutional innovation practices of Islamic boarding schools carried out by Kyai Malik, namely from being just an institution for cadre cadre of ulama to an institution that also cadres entrepreneurs. Since its inception, Islamic boarding schools have had an innovative character. This institution is the result of innovation from religious educational institutions in the Hindu-Buddhist era. As time goes by, the kyai also make institutional innovations in the Islamic boarding schools they care for, namely by adopting schools at various levels. However, on the other hand, it turns out that schools are less able to carry out their duties as educational institutions that prepare their students to become people who are able to live independently. Responding to this situation, Kyai Malik carried out institutional entrepreneurship practices by innovating his Islamic boarding school, in the form of developing learning methods based on real reality. Real reality-based learning methods are educational methods that adapt entrepreneurial practices directly into the learning process.

Relations between dimensions of self-perceptions and academic achievement in Chinese children: A cross-lagged panel analysis.

The goal of the present study was to examine the associations between different dimensions of self-perceptions and academic achievement in Chinese children. Participants were 604 children in Grades 4-7 attending primary and middle schools in mainland China (342 boys, 262 girls; Mage = 11.25 years). Measures of children's self-perceptions and academic achievement were collected via self-reports and school records at two time points over one academic year. Results from cross-lagged panel analysis indicated that after controlling for the effects of gender, grade, and stabilities, Time 1 perceived scholastic competence positively predicted Time 2 academic achievement (β = .08, p < .05), and Time 1 academic achievement predicted Time 2 perceived scholastic competence (β = .10, p < .05). Time 1 perceived athletic competence negatively predicted Time 2 academic achievement (β = -.08, p < .01). The findings provide evidence that self-perceptions have different facets and are differently associated with academic achievement and emphasize the reciprocal predictive relations between perceived scholastic competence and academic achievement and the negative impact of perceived athletic competence self-perception on academic achievement. The implications of these results are discussed in the context of self-development and academic performance within Chinese culture, as well as their educational implications for school practices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The level of implementation of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices among the public basic schools in Ghana

ABSTRACT Water, sanitation and hygiene practices (WASH) have been a major challenge facing many basic schools in Ghana for many decades. The school authority have made a number of complaints to the Ghana government through the Ministry of Education in relation to the inadequate potable water, sanitation facilities and hygiene practices in basic schools which the government has remained silent on. The aim of this study was to assess the level of implementation of Water, sanitation and hygiene practices in basic schools in the Sunyani East Education Directorate. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected using questionnaires and interviews. The results indicate that hygiene and sanitation facilities available in schools under study included urinals, toilets, handwashing materials and solid waste disposal facilities. It was revealed that wooden slap pit latrine toilet was present in all schools except Methodist school which has cemented slaps. There were absence of toilet rolls, tap facilities and hand washing soap in all schools visited. The pupils fetched water from neighbouring houses and used it. The study recommends that the Parent-Teacher Association, School Management Committee, District Education Directorate and Ghana Education Service should team up to provide these essential facilities to basic schools in Sunyani East.

Home Literacy Environment of Young Children in Xinjiang, China

This study used qualitative descriptive research methods in order to explore the home literacy environment (HLE) of young children within the Chinese sociocultural context, aiming to identify its key components. Thirty parents of children aged 3 to 6 residing in the capital city of Xinjiang, China, were purposefully sampled for this study. In-depth interviews were conducted to explore several key areas: the home physical literacy environment, parental beliefs and practices regarding literacy learning, specific parent-child literacy activities and interactions, and parental literacy habits. The results revealed that Chinese parents predominantly perceive literacy as the acquisition of reading and writing skills. They frequently engaged in informal activities that supported emergent literacy, often without fully recognising the benefits of these practices. Parents claimed a relatively rich resources that promoted language and literacy learning, and the quality of parent-child interactions was closely linked to family SES and adult’s responsiveness. Technology plays a significant role in the Home Literacy Environment (HLE), but its optimal use for promoting literacy is still not well understood, highlighting the need to incorporate digital aspects of HLE into future research. The study also uncovered distinctive family structures in China, where extended family members and neighbourhood peers contribute to children's HLE. Additionally, parents often grapple with academic pressures and a lack of knowledge about child development, which leads them to reinforce school practices while simultaneously questioning traditional methods. This study advocates for a broader framework of HLE in future research, particularly focusing on children under 6 years old.

Content and effectiveness of TVET teacher CPD in Kenya

AbstractContinuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers can improve teaching and wider school practices. However, within developing country contexts, research on the CPD practices of vocational teachers remains limited. This study therefore investigated the CPD practices of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teachers in Kenya, focusing on the content, outcomes and effectiveness of their CPD practices. Adopting a questionnaire survey approach, data was collected from 170 TVET teachers drawn from six TVET institutes in Kenya's Nairobi Metropolitan Area.TVET teachers in Kenya were found to more frequently focus their CPD on subject content knowledge and less frequently on pedagogical knowledge. Their CPD activities are not always effective as the CPD activities often do not involve active learning and collaboration, and are not always of sufficient duration. Cluster analysis showed that for some teachers, CPD activities are rarely effective and result in limited impact on practice. However, Initial Teacher Education was found to encourage teachers to focus on broader content and to adopt more effective CPD practices.To improve the effectiveness of TVET teacher CPD practices in Kenya, it is recommended that TVET teachers in Kenya are supported to adopt active and collaborative learning activities that are spread over extended time durations.