School Identity Research Articles

Construction of followership identity among Kenyan teachers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a discussion on the construction of followership identity among teachers in Kenya which has had less attention. Further, as Kenya is currently implementing a new education curriculum (competency-based curriculum) which requires teachers to be more proactive in their work, an understanding of how they construct their followership identity in schools is paramount, as this is linked to the attainment of learning outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Symbolic interactionism theory, which suggests that individuals respond to phenomena based on the meaning they give such phenomena and through interactions with others, has been used to support arguments in this paper. This theory is relevant to this paper, as it helps in understanding the meaning that teachers give to ‘followership’ through interactions with others in their schools. Findings The arguments in the current paper suggest that as Kenyan teachers interact with colleagues, their meaning of ‘followership’ is defined and refined. The resulting identity is important for these teachers, especially as they embrace the new curriculum in the country which requires them to be more proactive, unlike the previous one. Research limitations/implications As this is a conceptual paper, there is no empirical data to ground validate the arguments given. Originality/value The use of symbolic interactionism in the discussion of this paper adds another dimension to the followership and identity construction among followers. Much of the literature has focused on followership in general but not from the lens of symbolic interactionism.

Sorting Schools: A Computational Analysis of Charter School Identities and Stratification

Research shows charter schools are more segregated by race and class than are traditional public schools. I investigate an underexamined mechanism for this segregation: Charter schools project identities corresponding to parents’ race- and class-specific parenting styles and educational values. I use computational text analysis to detect the emphasis on inquiry-based learning in the websites of all charter schools operating in 2015–16. I then estimate mixed linear regression models to test the relationships between ideological emphasis and school- and district-level poverty and ethnicity. I thereby transcend methodological problems in scholarship on charter school identities by collecting contemporary, populationwide data and by blending text analysis with hypothesis testing. Findings suggest charter school identities are both race and class specific, outlining a new mechanism by which school choice may consolidate parents by race and class—and paving the way for behavioral and longitudinal studies. This project contributes to literatures on school choice and educational stratification.

Frequency and quality of first aid offered by older adolescents: a cluster randomised crossover trial of school-based first aid courses.

BackgroundResearch indicates that school-based first aid programmes appear to improve students’ knowledge and skills. However, evidence for their effectiveness is limited by a lack of rigorously designed studies. This research used a cluster randomised crossover trial to assess the effects of two different types of first aid training on the frequency and appropriateness of older adolescents’ first aid behaviours towards their peers 12 months after training.MethodsSchools eligible to participate were government funded and able to accommodate first aid training and survey time for two consecutive Year 10 student cohorts. Four Australian public schools were matched in two pairs and randomly assigned to receive either physical first aid (PFA) or teen mental health first aid (tMHFA) training for their Year 10 student cohort (mean age 16 years). In the second year, the new Year 10 cohort received the other intervention. Four cohorts were randomised to receive PFA and four were randomised to receive tMHFA. Online surveys were administered at baseline and 12 months after training, measuring whether students had encountered a peer needing PFA, whether they had provided PFA, what actions they performed and, if applicable, why they had been unable to help the person. Only research staff analysing the data could be blinded to measurement occasion, school identity and condition.ResultsFour cohorts received PFA and four received tMHFA. The results indicated that there were no differences between groups regarding the frequency of appropriate first aid actions performed 12 months after training. The most common types of PFA provided to a peer were sending for help and wound care. Students most commonly mentioned someone else attending to their peer or lacking skills or experience as reasons for not performing PFA actions.ConclusionsMore research that examines first aid behaviours using rigorous, longitudinal study designs is needed to establish the effectiveness of school-based first aid training for older adolescents.

Student, Teacher, and School Counselor Perceptions of National School Uniforms in Malaysia.

The national school uniform remained a requirement for all primary and secondary school students in Malaysia since its first introduction by the British missionaries in the nineteenth century. Although it is commonly thought that wearing uniforms improve cohesion among students, little research has been done to investigate the perception of national school uniforms and perceived cohesion among Malaysian students. The aim of the current study is to explore the experiences of former students, teachers and school counselors in relation to Malaysia’s national school uniform policy, their influence on student life, and their relationship to school and national cohesion. Three studies were conducted. In Study 1, Malaysian secondary school graduates (N = 192) completed a self-report questionnaire with close and open-ended questions. In Study 2 and study 3, secondary school teachers (N = 10) and school counselors (N = 6) participated in semi-structured interviews, respectively. Although students felt the uniforms were unattractive, they had neutral to somewhat positive feelings about them overall. They did not report greater school cohesion or national identity related to uniforms but did report that uniforms lessened the importance of socioeconomic and other differences. Teachers and counselors reported similar views; they did not perceive much influence on national or school identity but did see advantages in terms of discipline and the lessening of student inequality. Generally, teachers and counselors were in favor of school uniforms but some suggested that uniform designs could be more culturally inclusive, particularly in regard to Muslim and non-Muslim students. Limitations of using non-representative sampling and future direction for Malaysian school uniforms were discussed. This study highlights the important characteristics that should be taken into consideration by educators and policymakers for future improvement of the national school uniform policy in Malaysia.

Multiple Identities

This article reports findings from a study of students' identity in a Coptic school in Australia. A mixed methodology approach of quantitative and qualitative data was used to examine students' beliefs and attitudes. The study shows that students have diverse multiple identity structures that include complex national, ethnic and religious identities. The study illustrates how children from ethnic communities in diaspora adopt and embrace multiple values. The study highlights the importance of supporting and maintaining many aspects of heritage as part of an evolving student identity that negotiates multiple roles and memberships in society.

Why LGBT Teachers May Make Exceptional School Leaders.

The recent school gate protests about the inclusion of LGBT identities in the curriculum suggest that sexual identity remains an issue of moral panic in UK schools. Given this current climate, and the legacy of Section 28, schools have rarely been easy workplaces for LGBT teachers. For LGBT teachers, significant energy and vigilance is required then to navigate the heteronormative and cis-normative staffroom and classroom. There is evidence that LGBT teachers try to remain as invisible as possible in their schools so as to not draw attention to themselves (Lee, 2019a). Some avoid promotion to school leadership roles fearing that the status will necessitate greater personal scrutiny by school stakeholders. Based on key attributes including, reading people, compassion, and commitment to the inclusion of others, making connections managing uncertainty, courage, and risk-taking, this perspective piece argues that some of the strategies LGBT teachers deploy to manage the intersection of personal and professional identities in school equip them with an array of particular skills that are conducive to excellent school leadership.

Associations between ethnic identity and motivational beliefs in internationally adopted youth and the mediating role of school belonging

Prior work has documented that internationally adopted youth can experience learning difficulties, yet research exploring academic motivation in this population is scant. Moreover, no prior international adoption studies have investigated precursors to motivation. Guided by expectancy-value theory, we attempted to address this gap in the literature by examining the role of two antecedents: ethnic identity (search and affirmation) and sense of school belonging. In doing so, we explored (1) the role of ethnic identity in predicting internationally adopted adolescents' (N = 251) expectancies for success and task values and (2) the extent to which school belonging mediated these relations. Path analysis results revealed that feelings of affirmation towards one's ethnic group positively predicted expectancies and values. Sense of school belonging also mediated many of these associations: ethnic identity affirmation predicted a stronger sense of school belonging, which in turn predicted more favorable expectancies for success and intrinsic value. Moreover, ethnic identity search was negatively related to school belonging. Implications for theory, parents, and education practice are discussed.

Discovering the Relationships Between Perceived Emotional Value, City and Friend Attachment, School ID, WOM and Educational Satisfaction: A Structural Research for University Students

Rapid transformations in higher education in recent years have made deeper researches about student-university relationship mandatory. Regarding the subject, Anderson, Sullivan, and Swidler (1993) stated that students who are the consumers of universities will have very important benefits for higher education institutions in determining the factors related to education satisfaction. So, the aim of this research is designed to determine the relationships between university students’ satisfaction with education, the emotional value they perceive, school identity, city attachment and positive WOM behavior. For the relevant purpose, 366 university students were reached online. The empirical data obtained were analyzed with a two-step approach (measurement and structural) in line with the basic methodological principles of SEM. Acceptance of all hypotheses created within the scope of the structural model proved empirical relationships between the related structures. The research has provided new perspectives to the ongoing discussions in the related literature by proving the direct or indirect effects of structures such as city attachment, emotional value, and school identity on university satisfaction. The results provided tips for professionals in the field to create educational satisfaction.

The Church of Ireland primary school in an expanding educational marketplace: the use of school websites to promote school identity and ethos

Church of Ireland primary schools account for 5% of the total of primary schools in the Republic of Ireland. With the growing demand for non-religious schools in the educational marketplace it is becoming more important that each one of this small cohort of schools looks at its self-identity, and what it offers in terms of a distinctive ethos to students and parents. This paper is based on desk-based research conducted in 2018, focussed on the websites of 74% of Church of Ireland primary schools. The study found that 35% of these schools do not make it clear that they are Church of Ireland schools on the home page of their websites. By using content analysis methodologies to analyse ethos statements on the school websites, it was found that schools were very dependent on a sample ethos document issued in 2003, and beyond that there was little consistency in the narrative of what the ethos of a Church of Ireland primary school might look like. The study, whilst noting that all schools are unique, recommends conversation about ethos so that schools are equipped and supported in the development of their distinct identity as Church of Ireland primary schools within a changing educational marketplace.

Role of Architectural Schools’ Trends in Enhancing Identity of Architecture Between Local and International: The Department of Architecture at Baghdad University and Universities of Technology as case studies

The architectural schools’ trends are essentially important on the life of the architectural designer, especially in the early years of graduation, as its effects appear in his/her designs since the period of study in those schools until after graduation, and contribute to the identification of architecture. This research seeks to highlight the importance of the academic identity of architectural schools in enhancing the identity of architecture associated with space and time in the era of globalization, through the nature of curricula, courses and teaching staff trends of a core substance representing the vision, mission and goals of the educational institution, which is reflected in the products of students and the qualifications of graduates within the professional practice. The research adopted the descriptive analytical approach of the previous studies and theses in identifying the various aspects for academic architectural identity. The research, therefore, investigates these aspects in the local reality through the Department of Architecture, University of Baghdad (DAUB), and the Department of Architecture, University of Technology (DAUT), as a model for architectural schools in Iraq. The research hypothesis is that the Academic Identity in any architectural department is determined by the degree of convergence/conformity of its courses and the teaching staff trends in it and the products of students with the vision, mission and goals set by that department that linked to the peculiarity of the architectural reality and its relationship to both place and time. The research found that the courses and the educational trends of the teaching staff of DAUB and DAUT were in line with the requirements of the department and the college, which gives the educational identity of both departments and matches with the vision, mission and goals of the department. The graduation projects for the fifth stage students in DAUB weren’t in line with the vision, mission and goals of the department, with a weakness of the existence of an academic architectural identity of architecture students compatible with the vision, mission and goals of the department. While most of the graduation projects of (DAUT) were in line with the vision, mission and goals of the department in the field of adopting contemporary architecture and the use of modern graphic techniques, but they miscarried in achieving a balance between the aesthetic, functional and performance aspects. The research recommends the essential increase of the courses in (DAUB) with subjects focusing on local, Arab and Islamic identity. Additionally, the focus of (DAUT) on increasing courses in the field of modern technologies in building materials and construction and architectural graphic.

Removing the Camouflage: A Deeper Look at Military-Connected Adolescent Perception of Identity in Secondary Schools

Schools can play a key role in supporting and promoting inclusion and diversity, but one marginalized group often remains invisible in public schools: military-connected adolescents. To better support marginalized groups, we must learn more about them and their needs. Despite more than four million military-connected children in the U.S. and the understanding that they are a vital source of support for fighting forces, little is known about how military-connected adolescents define themselves or perceive their experiences as a member of the military culture. Using narrative inquiry, nine military-connected adolescents shared their insights, experiences, and thoughts on their identity development as it intersects growing up among the military culture. What emerged in the attempt to reveal the invisible lives of these military-connected adolescents is a perception of themselves as confident, empathetic, mature, and adaptable, which can help enlighten teachers and educational institutions to better inform teaching and learning among members of this invisible minority.

Effect of simulation training on students′ childbirth skills and satisfaction in Turkey

This study examined the effects of simulation training on student midwives' management skills for normal childbirth and their satisfaction. This study utilized a quantitative, quasi-experimental, comparison group research design. Students were placed into two groups according to the last digit of their school identity number (odd versus even), given by The Directorate of Student Affairs. Lots were drawn to decide which simulation model the odd and even numbers would represent. One group received simulation training for normal birth skills using a low-fidelity pelvic model (n = 37) while the other group used a high-fidelity computer-based mannequin (n = 38). After the skills training, each student midwife managed the second and third stages of a simulated normal childbirth. The skill checklists were used to evaluate the students' second and third stage labor midwifery skills. After the simulation activity, the Students’ Satisfaction and Self-confidence Scale was used to measure their levels of satisfaction with the simulation activity and their self-confidence in learning. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of childbirth management skills and satisfaction in learning (p > 0.05). Thus, both methods can be recommended for simulation training of student midwives.

Raising European Citizens? European Identity in European Schools

AbstractCitizens' identification with Europe could consolidate European integration. European Schools, created for children of EU officials, should mirror the EU's vision of citizens of member states united in (national) diversity. Instead, this study reveals that European School students construct an explicitly European in‐group and deviate from EU visions by differentiating themselves from a more national and less mobile lifestyle. The article draws on qualitative content analysis of in‐depth and focus group interviews with teachers and 101 students in European Schools in Germany, Luxembourg and England. This elucidates the relationship between European schooling and this peculiar but ultimately European identity. In a dual mechanism, by ‘doing Europe’, students actively nourish a transnational social network in school; by ‘telling Europe’, students are more passively exposed to European and diverse national narratives. Both the analysis of how their European identity emerges and descriptive underpinnings show the complexity of European identity construction even under most favourable conditions.

A LOOK BACK AT US GROUP: AN ANTI-RACIST INITIATIVE IN THE AGE OF DESEGREGATION

ABSTRACT In 1989, after an incident in which a white teacher used a derogatory word against three black students in a high school in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the school developed a program called “Understanding and Sharing Diversity” (US Group). Every two months, approximately 60 students participated in all-day forums, where they could speak freely about issues and experiences regarding race, racism, and identity in school. This research examines the origins and development of US Group as representative of a particular historical moment and space: a public high school in a progressive Midwestern town during the period of desegregation. It contributes to the literature on critical geographies of education and race through a historical analysis of desegregation policies and their impacts, while also providing a blueprint for antiracist educational initiatives. Keywords: desegregation, education policy, race, anti-racist initiatives

Genealogia como exercício de contramemória: Afrânio Peixoto e a emergência da escola (1932-1942)

Neste artigo, exploro alguns princípios narrativos contidos no manual Noções de História da Educação, objeto de três reedições sucessivas (1933, 1936 e 1942), de autoria do polígrafo, Afrânio Peixoto, resultante dos três anos de sua vida (1932-1934) dedicados ao ensino de história da educação no Instituto de Educação do Rio de Janeiro. Nesta narrativa, Peixoto oferece às futuras professoras aquilo que designa como uma “história da civilização”, capital considerado necessário para que compreendessem a “ponta extrema do passado” e outros presentes, condição para se obter uma maior profissionalização da docência. Com este investimento, trabalho no registro de uma espécie de origem da escola, de fundação primeira, operando com marcos fundamentais destinados a comprovar a substância e funções deste acontecimento. No presente exercício, procuro desfazer a perpetuação imóvel de uma suposta identidade e funcionamento da escola, suspensa no tempo, para tentar pensar nas operações historiográficas e movimento pedagógico aos quais o referido manual se filia e que ajuda a legitimar e reproduzir.

Working conditions for Catholic teachers in the archdiocese of Glasgow in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century

The Education (Scotland) Act, 1918, was a key point in the process towards full state funding for Catholic schools in Scotland. There has been important research on the political and ecclesial negotiations that led to the Act and into the conditions of the Act that preserved the denominational identity of the Catholic schools. This article examines the working conditions of Catholic teachers leading up to the Act and focuses on several themes, primarily in relation to the Archdiocese of Glasgow: school accommodation, the roll, and class sizes; the impact of disease, sickness and death; the working conditions for pupil-teachers; and, the major focus of the article, the remuneration for Catholic teachers.

Exploring links between national education and students’ militaristic national identity constructions – a case study of Pakistani state schools in Islamabad

ABSTRACT This qualitative study problematizes the interplay between Pakistan’s national curriculum textbooks and students’ militaristic national identity constructions in six state-schools. Drawing on field-data collected employing interviews with twelve teachers and focus-groups and participatory tools with four-hundred and twenty-four students, it also analyses study-participants’ interaction with these discourses and students’ reactions vis-à-vis their teacher-mediated textbook positioning. Taking insights from Synder’s and Johnston’s concept of ‘strategic culture’ and Foucault’s ‘technologies of power and self’, the findings suggest Pakistani students’ militaristic national identity constructions in schools, portraying India as an existentialist threat to Pakistan. The textbooks glorify the India/Pakistan wars, heighten the feeling of insecurity amongst schoolchildren, and through that, build a heroic image of the Pakistan Army. The teachers reinforce these images in classrooms. Constituted under the influence of these technologies of power, students exude strong hostility towards India and adoration for the Pakistan Army, hence functioning as vehicles to further the militaristic approach of Pakistan’s ‘regime of truth’. The study illustrates how Pakistan’s increasingly strengthening strategic culture has subverted Pakistan’s civil institutions and served the vested interests of the military’s high command. Similarly, it highlights the dangers/implications involved in using national education for shaping vulnerable schoolchildren’s militaristic national identities in schools.

Diversidade pedagógica de formação humana no ideário democrático em escolas confessionais

Este artigo analisa o estabelecimento de três escolas protestantes e seus projetos educacionais estabelecidos no final do século XIX e nos meados do século XX. Têm-se o intuito de percebê-los como norteadores de práticas pedagógicas plurais, quando a identidade protestante estava em construção no Brasil. Utilizou-se de uma revisão bibliográfica com um referencial teórico diversificado de acordo com as pesquisas realizadas. Conclui-se que houve a abertura e o estabelecimento de um solo fértil de projetos educacionais o que favoreceu a atuação de intelectuais vinculados a uma religião específica.

Teaching identity in schools: Learning to be Sikh in India

ABSTRACT The paper looks at Sikh educational thought along with the development of the religion since 15th century. The emphasis on distinct Sikh identity and its diversity has been written about in detail. The paper argues that the Sikhs viewed education as a key source of marking a distinct identity for the community. In carving their identity as ‘Sikhs’ during colonial times and a minority after Independence, the community imagined its educational institutions as serving the purpose of schooling ‘Sikh’ children into adopting the ‘ideal’ identity. This emphasis has been revived in the post-modern era under changing socio-political circumstances in India.

Verbal aspects of China’s vocal art system

Verbal aspects of China’s vocal art system