Belgian Schools Research Articles

Representativeness of disadvantaged pupils in a trial to improve beverage consumption in Belgium

Abstract Background The cluster-randomized controlled trial DRINK was implemented in 2021 to evaluate the effect of interventions aimed at reducing sweetened beverages and increasing tap water consumption among children in French-speaking primary schools in Belgium. Multiple participation issues related to the implementation in the school setting were encountered. Our aim was to describe the individual characteristics of pupils at baseline and their participation in the data collection. Methods In 2021, out of a sample of 168 schools stratified by region and socioeconomic index (SEI), 46 were included. Children in grades 3 to 5 were asked to complete a 4-day diary to record all beverages consumed. Questionnaires were completed by children and parents, from which individual characteristics were summarised, such as the Family Affluence Scale (FAS; in three groups). Results School participation (overall: 29.0%) was higher in Wallonia (33.0%) than in Brussels (22.0%), and in schools with an intermediate SEI (33.0%). At baseline, a total of 3,631 children participated in the data collection, either through the 4-day diary, the child questionnaire, or the parent questionnaire; 2,013 completed all three instruments. Participating children were more likely to be girls, to have an intermediate FAS, to be born in Belgium, and to have two working parents. The proportion of children attending schools in the Brussels region was 27.9% of the total participating children and dropped to 11.5% for those who returned three valid questionnaires. The proportions of low FAS (14.4% to 11.8%), birth outside Belgium (11.8% to 8.7%), and low parents’ schooling (35.3% to 33.8%) were lower among children who completed the three instruments. Conclusions The low participation of Brussels schools, possibly exacerbated by the Covid-19 impact, may explain why disadvantaged children were less represented in the baseline sample. Such knowledge is valuable for interpreting the findings of such a trial. Key messages • Participation issues may have affected the representativeness of less advantaged children. • Documenting such disparities is key to understanding the context in which interventions were implemented.

How to promote mobile phone recovery? Evaluation of a collection campaign in Belgian schools

Mobile phone recycling is crucial to recover valuable resources and mitigate environmental health risks. Collection campaigns may help to retrieve unused phones, but empirical evidence on the factors contributing to the effectiveness of such campaigns is rare. In the present study, we assessed how one and the same collection campaign was implemented in N = 124 Belgian schools with over 30,000 students and related between-school variations in implementation characteristics to the number of collected phones (8,931 in total). More phones were collected in schools that assigned a higher priority to the collection campaign (rs = .42) and in schools that reported a higher degree of teacher involvement (rs = .36). All schools also received collection-contingent rewards and we randomly offered some schools the opportunity to donate this reward, but this manipulation did not lead to significant between-school differences. These results support the effectiveness of the evaluated collection campaign and can inform the design of future efforts to collect unused mobile phones.

Trajectories of ethnic discrimination and school adjustment of ethnically minoritized adolescents: The role of school diversity climate.

This study investigated trajectories of ethnic discrimination experiences in school, diversity climates as contextual antecedents, and school adjustment as outcome. Latent-Growth-Mixture-Models of repeated self-reported discrimination over 3 years (2012-2015) by 1445 ethnically-minoritized adolescents of Turkish and Moroccan background in 70 Belgian schools (52.6% boys, Mage = 15.07) revealed four trajectories: low (72.5%), moderate (16.6%), initially-high (6.5%), or increasingly high discrimination (4.4%). Adolescents who attended schools with more minoritized peers, or schools that valued cultural diversity and equality, were more often in low-discrimination trajectories, which predicted better academic outcomes. Overall, school diversity climates can protect minoritized adolescents from experiencing persistent or initially high discrimination over time. Moreover, high discrimination at any point in schooling-initially or later-is harmful to adolescents' school adjustment.

Cycle safe or cycle cool? Adolescents’ views on bicycle helmet use and injury prevention campaigns in Belgium

ObjectivesAlthough cycling is a healthy, ecological and practical way of transportation, it is not without risk. The effect of bicycle helmets to prevent head injuries on crashing has been extensively...

National Identity Development Among Minority Youth: Longitudinal Relations with National Fit Perceptions and School Belonging.

Across Western Europe, immigrant-origin minority youth often struggle to belong socially and to develop national self-identification. Yet, almost no research to-date has asked how these youth perceive the cultural contents of the national identity in their residence country-or rather, to what extent they perceive youth like them to (mis)fit the national identity. The present study addressed this research gap by centering schools as developmental contexts of evolving belonging and national self-identification and newly inquiring into minority youth's perceptions of national (mis)fit as critical levers of their national identity development. Drawing on data from two annual waves of the Leuven-Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (Leuven-CILS), a sample of 942 Moroccan- and Turkish-origin youth (Mage-T1 = 14.98, SD = 1.22; 52% female) in 62 Belgian schools was used. Cross-lagged analysis combined repeated measures of school belonging and national self-identification with vignette measures of the perceived national fit of (imagined) culturally different peers. While school belonging and national self-identification were unrelated over time, earlier perceived national fit uniquely enabled more national self-identification one year later, over and above evolving school belonging. These findings suggest that experiencing belonging in school does not suffice for minority youth to develop national self-identification. Schools may, however, promote national identity development through redefining national identities to include cultural diversity-thereby signaling to minority youth that they can fit the national identity.

Community-based learning in medical education: A starting guide and lessons learned

Community-based medical education (CBME) addresses real-world health problems and is characterized by its emphasis on reciprocity and collaboration with community stakeholders. Limited evidence shows that CBME is an effective learning strategy to care for underserved communities. However, medical schools and nursing schools struggle to implement CBME in their curriculum. In this article, we present four practical examples of CBME from medical and nursing schools in Belgium and the Netherlands. By taking the lessons learned derived from these practical examples into account, all students can have an authentic learning experience within the community, which empowers community members and increases their health.

Including drawings in future dementia research: identification and modification of negative stereotyping

AbstractBackgroundMost countries in Western civilization are segregated societies with little or no contact between generations. Elementary schools and nursing homes are separated worlds in proximity. Children alienate further from the elderly and rely on indirect experiences with old age and dementia. The elderly can embody negative stereotypes from media and society leading to disparities in health care, social isolation and loss of functional ability.MethodIn this study we collected 796 drawings from 98 children in 4 elementary schools in Belgium and The Netherlands. The 10‐y‐old pupils made portraits of grandparents and the elderly in neutral, happy and unhappy conditions. The standardized drawing assignments were repeated after a psychosocial intervention program of 16 weeks to connect generations. The effects of non‐pharmacological interventions in Alzheimer’s research are mostly studied with classical questionnaires. These tools are insufficient to detect unconscious motives and subtle mental representations of old age and dementia. Before and after drawings are an added value to the field of research. The implicit measurements circumvent social desirability, go beyond the level of awareness and give a clearer picture of negative stereotypes of old age and dementia.ResultThe content analysis of the drawings demonstrated that children represent ‘happy elderly people’ as: outdoors, active, and surrounded by others, while ‘unhappy elderly people’ are generally portrayed indoors, sedentary and lonely.ConclusionChildren’s drawings as implicit measurement are an added value for non‐pharmacological interventions. The act of drawing is pleasant, easy and effective for the identification and modification negative stereotyping of old age and dementia.

The role of school-based creative expression interventions in the aftermath of migration: A qualitative exploration of parents' and teachers' perspectives

This study explored supportive relational processes for immigrant children's well-being between peers, teachers, and parents in the development of school-based creative interventions in European multi-ethnic societies. Within the present study, we integrated the perspectives of teachers and parents to broaden the dominant focus on the assessment of individual symptomatology within the existing body of studies of school-based interventions studies. As a part of a larger multi-method study on the implementation of a creative expression program for immigrant children ages 8–12 years in three schools in Belgium, we conducted focus group discussions to learn parents' and teachers' perspectives on the role of school-based creative interventions in children's coping with histories of migration and life in exile. Parents and teachers identified the need for the intervention to foster emotional expression impacting children's self-esteem and social connectedness with peers and to foster emotional connections between parents, teachers, and children. Parents also stressed the importance of the intervention within society as a forum to engage with social conditions, promote cultural belonging, and social integration. Results identified the importance of school-based interventions in terms of individual benefits as well as connectedness and coherence in entire communities, thereby strengthening the development of transcultural research evidence for school-based interventions in multi-ethnic societies.

A Qualitative Study into Teacher–Student Interaction Strategies Employed to Support Primary School Children’s Working Memory

The current qualitative study examined the teacher–student interaction and its influence on children’s working memory in primary schools in Belgium and the Netherlands. Eighteen primary school teachers participated in semi-structured interviews focusing on strategies employed to support students with working memory difficulties. The study offered a comprehensive overview of the strategies, categorised into instructional support, classroom organisation, and emotional support (based on the Teaching Through Interactions framework) that teachers use when dealing with working memory-related difficulties. Additionally, it provided unique insights into teachers’ underlying beliefs and rationales about the effectiveness of these strategies. Lastly, factors influencing the use and efficacy of these strategies (based on the Multilevel Supply–Use model) were explored. By integrating teachers’ voices and experiences, this research provides a unique opportunity to bridge theory and practice, and enrich the current understanding and interpretation of the teacher–student interaction and its implications for improving working memory performance in primary school students. Overall, the holistic approach, taking into account both direct and indirect approaches, offered a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted challenges faced by students with working memory difficulties and the diverse strategies teachers can employ to address them, which can further inform classroom practices, professional development, and policy-making.

173 “School Saves Lives”: A gradual age-appropriate and recurrent training model in BLSAED throughout secondary schools in Belgium

173 “School Saves Lives”: A gradual age-appropriate and recurrent training model in BLSAED throughout secondary schools in Belgium

Low Back Pain Perceptions and Coping Strategies in Pre-Professional Dancers: A Qualitative Study.

Low back pain (LBP) is a common health problem in pre-professional dancers which could hamper the dancers' professional career. However, pre-professional dancers are not often studied, although they may have their own pain perceptions and coping strategies towards LBP. Considering the biopsychosocial nature of LBP, it is important to increase the understanding of these perceptions and coping strategies. The aim of this qualitative research study was to explore the dancers' perceptions about LBP and their coping strategies when they suffered from LBP. Eighteen pre-professional dancers with and without LBP from different dance schools in Belgium were included in this study. Participants were invited for an in-depth online video interview. These in-depth interviews were based on a topic list. Afterwards, the interview transcripts were analyzed thematically. Two primary themes emerged from the data: 1) perceptions of LBP and 2) coping strategies which dancers applied when they suffered from LBP. The perceptions about LBP were related to two different themes: "it's all about the body" and "it's all about the psychosocial and contextual factors." In addition, the coping strategies were divided into "active coping strategies" and "passive coping strategies," whereas the most popular coping strategies were stretching exercises and passive coping strategies such as massages or heating cream. Although LBP has clearly been shown to be a biopsychosocial phenomenon, this qualitative study showed that dancers mainly considered biomedical factors as contributing factors to LBP. Additionally, instead of relying on coping strategies aimed at directly improving pain or trying to treat LBP on the basis of a single-cause diagnosis, it is important to consider the biopsychosocial origin of LBP in the management plans.

Me, My Track and Society: How Track Identification Affects the Relationship between General Self‐Esteem and Perceived Public Track Status

Prior research has demonstrated the adverse effects of ability grouping (here tracking) on a broad range of outcomes for secondary school students, including their self‐esteem. A recent line of study focuses on the importance of track identities in understanding how ability grouping impacts students. This study builds on these findings by investigating the role of public track regard and chauvinistic track identification on the relationship between track membership and general self‐esteem. Multilevel modeling of school survey data collected from 4,540 third‐year high school students from 64 schools in Belgium shows that students' public track regard correlates positively with their general self‐esteem. In addition, while students' chauvinistic track identification does not protect against societal judgment, it does associate with general self‐esteem. The type of chauvinism, either social or cognitive, that correlates with self‐esteem is track‐dependent. The conclusions discuss the implications of these findings for research and social policy.

The impact of an interaction-based classroom program on executive function development in low-SES preschoolers: first support for effectiveness

Studies have shown that children from a low socioeconomic status (SES) family are likely to have lower academic scores, indicating an SES-achievement gap. This inequality already starts in preschool and persists throughout children’s lives. Since executive functions (EFs) have been put forward as contributing factors in this SES-achievement gap, it is crucial to target early EF development to remediate the adverse effects of poverty. In this quasi-experimental study, a classroom program delivered by teachers (i.e., “Put your EF glasses on”) was implemented to strengthen preschoolers’ EFs, consistent with the idea that well-developed EFs can foster school readiness and prevent school failure. The program aimed to boost children’s EFs through high-quality teacher-child interactions, EF-supporting activities (e.g., games), and a supportive classroom structure. Teachers (n = 24) and children (n = 224, Mage = 52.61 months) from 8 Belgian schools participated in this quasi-experimental pilot study and were divided into experimental and control groups. Teachers in the experimental group carried out the program (receiving materials and coaching to support implementation), whereas teachers in the control group practiced teaching as usual. Before and after the program, all teachers filled out the BRIEF-P, a questionnaire about daily executive problems in preschool children. We compared the effect of the classroom program in low-SES versus middle-to-high-SES children on EF problem scores. Results revealed that all low-SES children started with significantly higher EF problems (total problem score, working memory, inhibition, and planning and organizing) scores than middle-to-high-SES children. A positive effect of the program was found among low-SES children. More specifically, EF problems (total problem score, working memory, shifting, and planning and organizing) remained stable over time in the low-SES group in the experimental group, but there was no program effect on emotional control and inhibition. In the control group, these EF problems increased for low-SES children, expanding the gap between low and middle-to-high-SES children. There were no program effects for middle-to-high-SES children. These results show that a teacher-mediated classroom program can support EF development, especially in preschoolers at sociodemographic risk.

SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention and control measures in Belgian schools between December 2020 and June 2021 and their association with seroprevalence: a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study

BackgroundTo protect school-aged children from the potential consequences of a new viral infection, public health authorities recommended to implement infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in school settings. Few studies evaluated the implementation of these measures and their effect on SARS-CoV-2 infection rates among pupils and staff. The aim of this study was to describe the implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in Belgian schools and assess its relation to the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among pupils and staff.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study in a representative sample of primary and secondary schools in Belgium between December 2020 and June 2021. The implementation of IPC measures in schools was assessed using a questionnaire. Schools were classified according to their compliance with the implementation of IPC measures as ‘poor’, ‘moderate’ or ‘thorough’. Saliva samples were collected from pupils and staff to determine the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence. To assess the association between the strength of implementation of IPC measures and SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among pupils and staff, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis using the data collected in December 2020/January 2021.ResultsA variety of IPC measures (ventilation, hygiene and physical distancing) was implemented by more than 60% of schools, with most attention placed on hygiene measures. In January 2021, poor implementation of IPC measures was associated with an increase in anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence among pupils from 8.6% (95%CI: 4.5 – 16.6) to 16.7% (95%CI: 10.2 – 27.4) and staff from 11.5% (95%CI: 8.1 – 16.4) to 17.6% (95%CI: 11.5 – 27.0). This association was only statistically significant for the assessment of all IPC measures together in the population comprised of pupils and staff.ConclusionsBelgian schools were relatively compliant with recommended IPC measures at the school level.Higher SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among pupils and staff was found in schools with poor implementation of IPC measures, compared to schools with thorough implementation.Trial registrationThis trial is registered under the NCT04613817 ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier on November 3, 2020.

Validating Rating Scales for Executive Functioning across Education Levels and Informants

The goal of the study was to deliver and validate a new solution-focused instrument, the Focus Skills Questionnaire (FSQ), to assess the degree of executive functioning skills in the school context, for three different education levels (elementary, secondary, and tertiary education) and informant groups (students, teachers and parents) on a sample of 1109 students from Dutch and Belgian schools. The factor structure was evaluated by confirmative factor analysis (CFA) and the study examined how students’ self-reports of executive functioning skills related to outcomes of neuro-psychological tests of executive functions (EF). The CFA results showed a parsimonious model with a four-factor structure of the FSQ that was equivalent for all education levels and informant groups, but that does not correspond with the generally assumed executive functioning factors. There are differences in the perception of executive functioning skills by different informant groups and also differences per education level. Student perceptions of executive functioning skills do not correspond with EF test outcomes and in some subgroups clearly diverge from teacher or parent perceptions of the students’ executive functioning skills. Although the new instrument does not converge with laboratory assessments of EF’s, the new instrument could be useful in everyday school practice.

Enhancing or reducing interethnic hierarchies? Teacher diversity approaches and ethnic majority and minority students' ethnic attitudes and discrimination experiences

Diversity approaches in school may affect students' interethnic relations but are often only assessed through students' perceptions. We related teacher-reported diversity approaches (i.e., assimilationism, multiculturalism, color-evasion, and intervening with discrimination) to ethnic majority and minority students' ethnic attitudes as well as to their experiences or perceptions of ethnic discrimination. We also explored students' perceptions of teacher approaches as hypothetical mediators of teacher effects on interethnic relations. We coupled survey data from 547 teachers (Mage = 39.02 years, 70% female) in 64 schools in Belgium with large-scale longitudinal survey data from their students, including 1287 Belgian majority students (Mage = 15.52, 51% female) and 696 Turkish- or Moroccan-origin minority students (Mage = 15.92, 58% female) enrolled in the same schools (Phalet et al., 2018). Longitudinal multilevel models revealed that over time, teacher-reported assimilationism predicted (even) more positive attitudes towards Belgian majority members, and multiculturalism predicted less highly positive attitudes towards Belgian majority members among Belgian majority students. Teacher-reported intervening with discrimination predicted more perceived discrimination of ethnic minority students over time among Belgian majority students. We did not find significant longitudinal effects of teachers' diversity approaches with Turkish- or Moroccan-origin minority students' ethnic attitudes, nor with their discrimination experiences or perceptions. We conclude that teachers' multiculturalism and anti-discrimination approaches reduced interethnic bias and raised awareness of discrimination among ethnic majority students. However, different perceptions by teachers and students suggest the need for schools to better communicate inclusive diversity approaches.

‘If I play I won’t learn’: Children’s perceptions and experiences of transition and school readiness from Maternelle to Year 1

How children experience the major transition from pre-school to compulsory schooling influences their immediate and future success and wellbeing. This complex process of change and adaptation is impacted by school readiness policy drivers, which prioritise children’s performance and achievement. Pedagogic and curriculum progression shifts from play to work, with structured and adult-led activities. These factors contribute to the schoolification of early childhood education, and construct school readiness as an attribute of the child. This paper reports findings on how six children experienced transition and school readiness as they move from Maternelle to Year 1 in an International school in Belgium. Multimodal and multivocal methods of data collection were used to provide child participants with accessible ways of expressing their perspectives of the lived experience of transition. The children perceived the major transition being from play to work and understood that they were expected to be ready for this change. From a socio-cultural perspective, this paper argues that school readiness cannot be assessed at a specific point in time, but should instead be viewed as the lived experience of children that begins before, and continues well beyond the transition. Children are expected to adapt to multiple changes in curriculum and pedagogical practices, as well as changes in cultural, temporal and material contexts. It is recommended that critical questions about how school readiness is constructed should take account of children’s perspectives and experiences of transitions.

Exploring Late Adolescents’ Experiences with Career-Related Messages on Entertainment TV and in Social Media in Belgium: A Focus Group Study

Media is an important socialization actor through which adolescents can learn about careers. Nine focus group interviews were conducted with 44 late adolescents ( Mage = 16.27; SDage= 0.54; 56.82% female) in high schools in Belgium to explore how youth in this age group receive career-related messages, the work tasks, skills, values, and ethics that are cultivated, and the ways adolescents experience and judge the perceived realism of career-related messages received via entertainment TV/social media. A combined inductive and deductive thematic analysis of the data revealed various pathways through which adolescents intentionally and unintentionally received career-related messages. Moreover, the adolescents had been cultivated to value specific work tasks/skills (e.g., social skills) and intrinsic and extrinsic work values and work ethics (e.g., working hard to succeed, centrality of work) when consuming career-related messages through TV/social media. Lastly, the perceived realism of such messages depended on content elements (e.g., a balanced portrayal of work values). Differences related to career-related messages on social media versus entertainment TV were observed. Practical implications for various groups (e.g., career counselors, media content producers) are discussed.

Track prejudice in Belgian secondary schools: examining the influence of social-psychological and structural school features

ABSTRACT While considerable research in education has established objective and subjective status differences between tracks and focused on the outcomes of ability grouping on students’ educational and broader outcomes, there is virtually no research that explains students’ variability in track valuation. This study relies on theoretical insights from social psychology, ethnic studies and school effects research to develop hypotheses about the influence of individual and school level features on students’ track valuation. Data from The School, Identity and Society survey, involving 4,540 adolescents from 64 Belgian schools is utilised, using multilevel modelling. The findings show the relevance of social identity theory and social norms in students judging all tracks; and track chauvinism, patriotism and cross-track friendships in explaining variability in students’ prejudice towards other tracks. However, these relationships vary according to the track position of the student. The conclusions discuss the implications of this study for future research and social policy.

SHUMEN CITIZENS IN BELGIAN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (END OF XIX - EARLY XX CENTURY)

The historical narrative depicts young people of Shumen who were educated in Belgian schools in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They studied in today's cities of Brussels, Liege, Ghent, Gembloux and Antwerp. In the period from 1879 to 1912, 39 young people born in Shumen studied in Belgian schools. Among them were the girls Hristina Velichkova and Elena Vitanova. Several of them studied at two or more universities. For example, Stefan Kurtev studied at the New and Old Universities in Brussels, as well as in Ghent, Boris L. Velev studied in Liege and Brussels. A significant number of these people later worked in various spheres of life – as military, officials, bankers, directors of institutions. Irrespective of the fact that some of them hadn’t graduated from the respective institutions, they returned to their homeland with a good knowledge of European languages and familiarity with the achievements of the Western European civilization. Their large number, as well as the specialties chosen by them, are a vivid testimony to the aspiration of the young people of Shumen to receive better education and to contribute to the modernization of the Third Bulgarian State and their native Shumen.