School Problems Research Articles

The special education profession in four Nordic countries in light of evolving policies on inclusion and special needs education

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore the role of special education professionals in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden in light of educational policies and reforms. The study places emphasis on (a) the policy context of inclusion and special needs education, (b) the formal qualifications required of special education professionals, and (c) the position of these professionals in compulsory education. Our approach involved a comparative analysis of how legislation and policies interact with the field of special education as a ‘professional jurisdiction’ in each of the four countries. We find that the major thrust of reforms has been aimed at reducing the number of students who receive special needs education and their placement in segregated settings. The introduction of early intervention, multi-tiered systems of support, and collaborative approaches are seen as means of reaching this goal. In addition, findings reveal that the special education profession is weaker in Denmark and Norway compared to Sweden and Finland. We argue that a lack of a consensus regarding the role and qualifications of special education professionals creates problems for schools and limits the availability of diverse forms of expertise which are necessary for inclusion.

Characteristics of Japanese teenage suicide attempters: a retrospective study comparing suicide attempters with young adults

BackgroundTeenage suicide-related behaviors have been highlighted in Japan in recent years, but the background factors and characteristics of these behaviors have not been clarified. Therefore, we investigated the characteristics of teenage suicide attempters who were admitted to an emergency room.MethodsThe subjects were suicide attempters in their teens and twenties who were admitted to the Critical Care Medical Center of Nippon Medical School Hospital between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2021. The means of suicide attempt, sociodemographic data, psychiatric diagnoses, and causes and motives for suicide attempts were retrospectively examined from medical records. Teenage suicide attempters were compared to those in their twenties in regard to the acquired data, and logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence on teenage suicide attempts by the aspects that have been shown to be closely associated with teenage suicides.ResultsAmong 860 suicide attempters between 2010 and 2021, 59 (6.9%) were teenage suicide attempters and 216 (25.1%) were suicide attempters in their twenties. The large number of females, the history of self-harm, the great number of drug overdoses as a means of attempting suicide, and the large number of individuals with psychiatric disorders, especially with mood disorders and personality disorders, were commonly shared by suicide attempters both in their teens and twenties. On the other hand, family problems, school problems and autism spectrum disorder significantly influenced mostly teenage suicide attempters.ConclusionsIt was suggested that teenage suicide attempters may have attempted suicide due to environmental difficulties and conflicts about not being able to escape from them. It has become clear that teenage suicide attempters have unique characteristics and background factors, and that it is important to take these into account when taking measures to prevent teenage suicides.

Characteristics of Fatalities Among Sexual- and Gender-Diverse Youth in the United States: 2015-2020.

Sexual- and gender-diverse youth face unique stressors that negatively impact their health. The objective of this study was to use National Fatality Review-Case Reporting System data to epidemiologically describe fatalities among identified sexual- and gender-diverse youth to inform future prevention efforts. We used 2015 to 2020 data from the National Fatality Review-Case Reporting System to identify deaths among sexual- and gender-diverse youth and compare their characteristics to a matched sample of youth from these same data who were not known to be sexual- and gender-diverse. Demographic, injury, death, history, and life stressor characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. During the study period, 176 fatalities were identified among sexual- and gender-diverse youth. Decedents' mean age was 15.3 years. A greater proportion of deaths was attributed to suicide among sexual- and gender-diverse youth (81%) compared with nonsexual- and gender-diverse youth (54%). Receiving prior (69%) and/or current (49%) mental health services was more common among sexual- and gender-diverse youth, compared with nonsexual- and gender-diverse youth (50% and 31%, respectively). Sexual- and gender-diverse youth were significantly more likely to experience problems in school or be victims of bullying, compared with nonsexual- and gender-diverse youth (63% versus 47% and 28% versus 15%, respectively). Suicide was the most common manner of death for sexual- and gender-diverse youth, despite many decedents receiving current or prior mental health services. These findings indicate the need to improve and diversify interventions to prevent these deaths.

Reproductive health of female students in Islamic boarding school culture: A literature review

Reproductive health in Islamic boarding schools is still a special concern, because female students in Islamic boarding schools are teenagers, namely 12-19 years old. This article aims to discuss adolescent reproductive health in relation to the culture in Islamic boarding schools. One model of education in Indonesia is Islamic boarding schools which prioritises religious education and are supported by dormitories as a place to live, where they interact with their peers 24 hours a day. Islamic boarding schools prioritize a simple way of life, independence, discipline and cooperation. ,using the literature review method, This methodology involves a comprehensive database search in Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and ResearchGate. The main search terms used were ‘adolescent reproductive health’ and ‘Islamic boarding school culture'. Eight articles were obtained for analysis of topic relevance, objectives, methods used, sample size, and results in each article. We evaluated the relevance of the selected articles to the topic.. However, health problems in Islamic boarding schools still require attention, such as access to health services, healthy behavior and environmental health which can affect reproductive health. Students gain knowledge about reproductive health from classical books. Reproductive health education in Islamic boarding schools tends to be normative with culture obtained from classical books.

Teachers’ Research Characteristics, Competencies, Motivation, and Challenges: Basis for Research Manual

The study aimed to investigate the teachers' research characteristics, competencies, motivation, and challenges in conducting research, which served as a basis for developing a research manual. Explanatory sequential design was employed to elicit quantitative and qualitative data. Nine hundred teacher respondents using convenience sampling and twenty-five master teachers using purposive sampling voluntarily participated. Findings reveal that teachers were interested in teaching and learning research themes but produced less research based on the number of completed, presented, and published research papers. Also, they were moderately competent in conceptual, methodological, data analysis and interpretation, and dissemination and utilization aspects but more competent in technical aspects. However, they were extrinsically motivated to do research work to get promoted someday to get higher salaries. On the other hand, they were intrinsically motivated to do research work to improve their knowledge and skills and solve school problems. Meanwhile, teachers’ challenges arose, like low-level competence, limited time, financial problems, and low parental and learner support. Hence, a research manual was based on the teachers’ competencies, motivation, and challenges that must be created locally. So, school administrators may implement research-capability programs to upgrade the teachers’ research competencies, provide technical assistance, and finance the teachers’ research projects to motivate them.

How do fathers' educational level contribute to children's school problems? Overparenting and children's gender and surgency in a moderated mediation model.

This study aims to investigate (a) the mediating role of overparenting between father's educational level and children's school problems, and (b) the joint moderating role of children's gender and surgency in the indirect relationship between father's educational level and school problems. Participants were 203 school children, 96 boys (47.3%) and 107 girls (52.7%), aged 7-8 years (M = 92.42 months, SD = 3.52). Fathers reported their educational level, age and employment status and their children's gender and number of siblings, as well as their overparenting behaviors by Anticipatory Problem Solving (APS) scale. Teachers informed children's school problems by the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC T-2). Parents together informed their children's surgency levels by a subscale of Children's Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ). Results showed that, in girls, the father's educational level was negatively related to the child's school problems via overparenting behaviors, controlling the number of siblings and father's age and employment status. However, among boys, fathers' overparenting protect their shy sons from the risk of a low educational level for school problems. These findings highlight the relevance of considering the gender and surgency to a better understanding of the effects of contextual factors on children's outcomes.

An Analysis of the Relationships between Reading Abilities and Socio-emotional Behaviors of School-aged Children: The Mediation Effect of Pragmatic Language Abilities

Objectives: School-aged children with poor reading abilities face a variety of challenges in their lives. They may be at risk of having learning difficulties and behavioral or emotional problems in school. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationships among reading abilities, pragmatic language abilities, and socio-emotional behaviors and the mediation effect of pragmatic language abilities in the relations between reading abilities and socio-emotional behaviors of school-aged children. Methods: The participants in this study are 124 elementary school children (from 2nd to 6th grade). To examine the relationships among reading abilities, pragmatic language abilities, and socio-emotional behaviors, correlations were used. To analyze the mediation effect of pragmatic language abilities in the relations between reading abilities and socio-emotional behaviors, SPSS PROCESS Macro (ver. 3.5) analysis method was used in Model 4. Results: The main findings of this study are as follows. First, reading abilities were significantly correlated with pragmatic language abilities and socio-emotional behaviors. Also, the pragmatic language abilities were significantly correlated with socio-emotional behaviors. Second, pragmatic language abilities mediated the relations between reading abilities and socio-emotional behaviors (emotional difficulties and strengths). Conclusion: The significance of this study lies in verifying that reading abilities and pragmatic language abilities play an important role in alleviating socio-emotional problems and in increasing emotional strengths. These results can be used as important basic data for reading and practical language intervention to reduce emotional difficulties and to increase emotional strengths.

Village Education in The Journal of Eğitim Hareketleri (1955-1960)

Since the first years of the Republic, various policies have been developed to enable citizens to contribute to the economic, social, and cultural life of the country. Education was seen as the most important means for the success of these policies and projects were designed to educate the villagers, who constitute most of the population. Policies developed for village education during the single-party period continued during the Democratic Party period. However, the new government produced new projects in line with its own policies and made radical changes in the institutions and organizations within the old policy. This change was felt especially in primary education, religious education, and village institutes. In the first years of the Democratic Party's rule, various media outlets emerged thanks to the freedom it provided to the press. One of these publications is The Journal of Eğitim Hareketleri, which started its publication life in 1955 by Hıfzırrahman Raşit Öymen. The Journal has tried to produce solution suggestions by addressing the problems that the Turkish education system has encountered since the first years of the Republican Era. The journal includes articles by foreign and local educators, as well as literary experts, theologians, historians, and sociologists who are experts in their fields. It is seen that The Journal of Eğitim Hareketleri also attaches importance to villages and education in villages. The Journal includes the policies implemented during the Single Party and Democrat Party periods regarding the enlightenment of the villagers and the education of the village children. In this context, the problems of village schools and village teachers and the place of village children and villagers in the Turkish education system are discussed. In this study, it was tried to reveal how the issue of education in the village was managed in The Journal of Eğitim Hareketleri during the Democratic Party period

Social workers’ core components for mitigating problematic school absenteeism: the case of school social teams in Sweden

ABSTRACT Problematic school absenteeism is increasing in most advanced welfare countries. As school success is a well-established factor for improving children’s social, mental, and physical development, it represents a fundamental challenge for welfare states. To counteract this development, a variety of different methods and interprofessional collaborations have been developed recently. Despite this, there is little research to date on the roles social workers adopt in mitigating problematic absenteeism. This article presents a study that explored the roles of social workers in a newly developed and rapidly spreading Swedish method, School Social Teams. This study aimed to explore the roles adopted by school social workers in these teams and the core components associated with decreased problematic school absenteeism. The study found empirical evidence for three roles and six associated core components: the mediator (creating a communicative space and fostering an understanding of underlying problems); the advocate (establishing a student perspective and advocate at meetings); and the available adult (being available and having endurance). Compared with the existing literature, the mediator and advocate are more theoretically anchored in the literature, whereas the available adult role are related to stronger evidence for mitigating problematic school absenteeism. One conclusion is the importance of deliberate choices of various roles associated with school social work roles as its core components are related to different outcomes.

Implementation Takes Time: Reduction of Literacy Problems in Schools Implementing an Early-Literacy Intervention

Early-literacy interventions might prevent reading problems in the long term, but effects are rarely examined at scale. In this study, we examined whether the large-scale implementation of the Dutch early-literacy intervention Build! reduced the percentage of readers with difficulties and improved mean reading skills at the school level. Transfer effects to spelling and reading comprehension were also examined. Over the course of 6 years, schools not implementing Build! (61–126 schools, depending on the outcome measure) were compared to 72 to 145 schools that introduced Build! during the project. Per year, intervention schools were modeled as using or not using the intervention. Using difference-in-difference models, we examined changes in literacy skills from the moment the intervention was introduced. Findings indicated that there was no immediate effect of the intervention. However, after the intervention had been used for 2 years, the percentage of children with difficulties in reading, spelling, and reading comprehension started to decrease and the mean reading and spelling ability increased. Results suggest that large-scale evaluations of interventions should be continued for several years, as effects might show several years after the implementation of the intervention.

Heterogeneous Treatment Effects in the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Programme - A Latent Profile Approach.

Heterogeneous effects from interventions often remain hidden in between-group analyses, risking overgeneralized conclusions of treatment effects. In this exploratory study, we performed latent profile analysis to unveil differential treatment effects among children in The Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Programme (IY TCMP). This program has previously been shown to reduce behavioral problems in preschools and schools in total samples and subgroups. A total of 726 children (48.7% girls; Mage = 4.21 years; SDage = 0.86) from 92 childcare centers in Norway participated in either the intervention (n = 338) or the matched control condition (n = 388). First, by conducting latent profile analysis on baseline levels of child-teacher relationship (closeness, conflict), behavioral problems, and social competence, three distinct profiles were identified: High Risk (26.4%), Moderate Risk (42.8%), and Low Risk (30.7%) - each profile with unique characteristics. Second, we tested for within-profile, condition-by-time interactions following the intervention, showing distinct treatment responses for each profile. High-risk profiles profited most from the IY TCMP, with a substantial decrease in externalizing problems, more teacher closeness, and less teacher conflict. Moderate-risk profiles also gained better teacher-child relationships and improved social competence. The Low-Risk profiles showed no effects from the intervention. It is argued that latent profile analysis presents a feasible approach for examining within-sample heterogeneity in intervention research. It also reveals crucial information on treatment variability, as demonstrated in the Incredible Years Programme.

Becoming propaganda: critical race theory and the effect of fiction on education

ABSTRACT How does a social cause like race in public education get revived and reinvented? How do political interest groups mount a campaign that flows internationally from the United States to Australia and leads to the political exclusion of Critical Race Theory from the Australian Curriculum? This article addresses these questions by examining how social media has been used to distribute propaganda that infers racial literacy education is a problem for Australian schools. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s theories of propaganda and using artefacts from multiple Internet websites, including social media, this article examines how conservative lobbyists in education have adjusted claims from the United States to suit the highly mediated political culture of Australia in 2021. These conservative groups worked to gain political ground by deliberately subverting Critical Race Theory, turning it into a political weapon that has been deployed by political actors across the US, UK and Australia. This article traces the subversion of CRT and efforts by social media creators, editors and academics to control the meaning of the Law School concept. It concludes by discussing the consequences the use of CRT as a political weapon has had on Australian education.

Family communication and bi‐dimensional student mental health in adolescents: A serial mediation through digital game addiction and school belongingness

AbstractThe presence of communication within the family can be considered as a protective factor in preventing the development of mental health problems in school by acting as a buffer against mental health problems in adolescents. Thus, this study, which was designed to reveal the potential mechanisms between family communication and bi‐dimensional student mental health (psychological well‐being/distress) in Turkish adolescents, examined the serial mediator role of digital game addiction and school belongingness. The study sample consists of a total of 397 volunteering Turkish adolescents, including 206 girls (51.9%) and 191 boys (48.1%). The participants' ages range from 14 to 17 (M = 14.63 years, SD = 0.60). In this study, a cross‐sectional and explanatory design based on structural equation modeling was used. The main findings of the study are as follows: (1) digital game addiction mediated the relationship between family communication and psychological well‐being/distress, (2) school belongingness mediated the relationship between family communication and psychological well‐being/distress, and (3) the relationship between family communication and psychological well‐being/distress was serially mediated by both digital game addiction and school belongingness.

Epidemiology of self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS): A population study using primary care records

Background and objectiveInformation on self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS) epidemiology is limited. We aimed to determine the incidence of SeLECTS in children, its association with socioeconomic deprivation and the prevalence of neurodevelopmental comorbidities. MethodWe performed a retrospective cohort study (2004–2017) using anonymised, linked, routinely collected, primary care and demographic data for children in Wales. We used primary care diagnosis codes to identify children (aged 0–16 years) with SeLECTS and other epilepsies and to record antiseizure medication (ASM) prescriptions and neurodevelopmental comorbidities. We used a mixed effects Poisson regression model to determine temporal trends of SeLECTS incidence and its association with socioeconomic deprivation. ResultsWe identified 6,732 children with epilepsy, 186 (3%) with SeLECTS. In 2017, epilepsy and SeLECTS prevalence was 0.55% and 0.02% respectively with corresponding crude incidence of 51.2/100,000/year and 1.1/100,000/year. The incidence of epilepsy in children decreased with decreasing deprivation with an adjusted incidence rate ratio (AIRR) of 0.72 (95% CI 0.64–0.82) in the least deprived compared with the most deprived quintile. The corresponding AIRR for children with SeLECTS was 1.35 (95% CI 0.46–1.99). 34% of children with epilepsy, 18% of children with SeLECTS and 3% of all children in Wales had a neurodevelopmental disorder and or school problems. Half of children with SeLECTS were treated with ASM. ConclusionsWe identified a lower than previously reported incidence of SeLECTS, which may be due to under-recording of SeLECTS. There was no change in the incidence of SeLECTS over time, whilst the incidence of childhood epilepsy overall was decreasing. There was no significant association between incidence of SeLECTS and deprivation but the modest sample size needs to be considered. Children with SeLECTS should be screened for neurodevelopmental and or learning comorbidities. Treatment for SeLECTS remains debatable.

Adolescent Emotional Reactivity in Family and School Contexts: Prospective Links to Adolescent Psychopathology.

Emotional reactivity has been linked to adolescent psychopathology and mental health problems. However, limited research has investigated the distinct associations between emotional reactivity in multiple interpersonal contexts and the development of adolescent psychopathology. The current study examined emotional reactivity to interparental conflict, parent-adolescent conflict, and school problems as predictors of adolescent internalizing problems, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms six months later. The sample included 139 adolescents (54% girls; Mage = 13.30, SDage = 0.73) and their parents who completed 10-day daily reports and 6-month follow-up assessments in Taiwan. Results showed that negative emotional reactivity to interparental conflict was associated with increased internalizing problems, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms, after controlling for emotional reactivity to parent-adolescent conflict and school problems, outcomes at baseline, mean negative emotions, and sex. Furthermore, the associations between both positive and negative emotional reactivity to interparental conflict and adolescent anxiety symptoms was stronger for girls than boys. Findings suggested that heightened emotional reactivity to interparental conflict is a risk factor for predicting adolescent psychopathology, especially for girls' anxiety symptoms. Results highlight the importance of emotional reactivity across multiple interpersonal contexts in adolescence.

Secondary School – Higher Education Institution Continuity on the Example of Teaching Computer Science and Information Technology

The problem of continuity at different levels of education is not new for pedagogy, teaching individual disciplines, including computer science and information technology. It is impossible not to take into account that information technologies are an independent discipline, a means through which the transformation of school and university education has been taking place in recent decades. The content of informatics at school and university should to a certain extent correspond to the level of science development and the requirements of society. The variety of digital tools and the ubiquitous availability of information create huge opportunities for their creative use within their discipline, related natural science subjects, and in various other spheres of human activity. Based on a comparative analysis, the article draws conclusions about the problems faced by both domestic and foreign specialists in the field of education. The article analyzes the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and problems of the school and university education systems in Russia and abroad, and considers their relationship. It is substantiated that the lack of consistency and discreteness in the process of teaching computer science and information technology at school lead to a discrepancy between the training of school graduates and the requirements for the basic knowledge of first-year university students. The article presents the results of the analysis of basic curricula at school (in the field of computer science) and curricula in the preparation of future computer science teachers at the university (using the Transbaikal State University as an example). The authors analyze the results of diagnostic testing, which was conducted with first-year students of the Transbaikal State University in September 2023/2024, in order to monitor their existing knowledge and skills in the field of computer science. The article suggests ways to solve the problem of secondary school – higher education institution continuity in the field of computer science. The results of the study can be used in the preparation of future computer science teachers in higher educational institutions. Keywords: continuity of education, lifelong education, computer science and educational technologies, information competence, computer literacy

Navigating priorities: Assessing the challenges of curriculum reform in Turkish Urban and Regional Planning Schools

Planning departments in Türkiye recently witnessed a boom. In less than 20 years, the number of universities offering urban planning programs increased from a dozen to 45, most accepting students with limited resources. Urban planning education has faced many challenges over the last two decades, and offering education with limited resources carried this problem to another level, increasing concerns among scholars about the quality of the education and the learning outcomes a planner should possess at graduation. While planning schools in Türkiye deals with the issues above, global debates in planning education revolve around integrating topics such as climate change, inequality, informality, and decolonization into the curriculum. This study aimed to reveal to what extent global issues find their way into Turkish planning school agendas in an environment where more pressing matters threaten the quality of education. To look further into this issue, all documents published by TUPOB (Türkiye Planning Schools Association) since its foundation were analyzed, and seven in-depth interviews with TUPOB members were conducted. A predominantly qualitative approach was utilized. The findings suggest that the lack of resources is the most critical problem for urban planning schools, followed by insufficient teaching faculty. The curriculum updates and integration of global issues such as climate change and urban poverty come later in the priorities list. This research showed that concerns regarding resources and lack of standards take precedence over global discussions in planning curricula.

Harnessing Educational Big Data Analytics for Decision-Making in Enhancing School Teaching Quality

The application of educational big data analytics holds significant importance in enhancing decision-making processes for school teaching quality. This study explores the effective utilization of educational big data analytics technologies to support the improvement of teaching quality in schools. Initially, the challenges and needs faced by current school teaching quality decision-making were analyzed, highlighting the critical role of educational big data analytics in this context. Subsequently, the limitations and gaps in existing study were identified through a review of related studies, underscoring the study value of this study. Based on this foundation, this study progresses through an examination of the decision-making factors that influence school teaching quality, problem description and model assumptions, construction of decision models, and model solutions using genetic algorithms. By analyzing key factors and constraints in the decision-making process for school teaching quality and integrating optimization algorithms, a viable decision support model was proposed and empirically analyzed. This study aims to provide a scientific basis for school administrators and decision-makers, thereby promoting continuous improvement in school teaching quality.

Effect of growth trajectories in communication skills on juvenile recidivism

AbstractPurposeIncreasing numbers of children with behaviour problems in school are recognized as having language and communication difficulties. However, communication limitations have not been assessed adequately as a risk factor for juvenile recidivism. The aim of this study was to examine how changes in communication skills impacted subsequent engagement in crime among youth.MethodsFour waves of longitudinal data of youth who were placed in juvenile justice residential facilities were used for the study. Group‐based trajectory and multivariate regression analyses were used to investigate how the growth trajectories of communication skills impacted recidivism.ResultsGroup‐based trajectory analysis revealed heterogeneous growth in communication skills among residential youth. More interestingly, the scale of growth predicted recidivism.ConclusionsThis study extends an understanding of juvenile aggression and criminal offences by underlining communication limitation issues as a focal predictor of recidivism. Sufficient resources are needed for the development, evaluation and implementation of intervention programmes to help youth overcome limitations in communication.

School Social Work in Vietnam Theories and Practice

School social work is a profession formed and developed from very early in many countries around the world. In Vietnam, this profession is quite new, although the school problems still occur daily at schools such as school violence, sexual abuse, drug abuse, prostitution, game addiction, alcoholism, gambling, truancy, etc. To solve the emerging problems, building a network of school social work to manage the school problems is required. In addition, training of Social work in schools are rapidly developing in Vietnam and it is facing new challenges as it blends the historical, political and cultural influences. This article shows an overview of the theory and practice of school social work in general and training social work school in particular. Especially the challenges and development orientation of this sector in the process of international integration in the current period.