Secondary Schools In Shanghai Research Articles

Facilitating content learning through translanguaging in secondary EMI science classrooms

AbstractDespite the rigorous efforts made to promote the use of English as a medium of instruction (EMI), EMI teachers still face linguistic and pedagogical challenges in effectively delivering subject content in English. Previous research has revealed that, faced with such challenges, teachers employ various strategies to make subject knowledge accessible to students, including pedagogical translanguaging. However, there is little empirical evidence of how EMI teachers deploy pedagogical translanguaging to facilitate content learning in secondary science classrooms, particularly in countries or regions where English is not widely used outside schools. Against this backdrop, the current study adopts a qualitative approach to examine the pedagogical translanguaging practices of two EMI science teachers, as well as the factors contributing to their practices at an international secondary school in Shanghai, China. The methods used were video‐assisted classroom observation and semi‐structured interviews. These were subjected to multimodal conversation analysis and thematic analysis, respectively. The findings reveal that teachers’ pedagogical translanguaging practices involve strategically incorporating and orchestrating all multilingual, multimodal, and multisemiotic resources available to facilitate meaning‐making and enhance students’ comprehension of subject knowledge. Meanwhile, personal, social, and contextual factors play an important role in shaping teachers’ pedagogical translanguaging practices. This study showcases pedagogical translanguaging as a strategic means to create space for teaching and learning in EMI contexts, and provides useful insights into potential improvements to EMI pedagogy.

Associations between joint lifestyle behaviors and depression among children and adolescents: A large cross-sectional study in China

BackgroundLifestyles in children and adolescents are associated with mental health, yet the combined effects of diet-related joint lifestyles on depression are unclear. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2020 in primary and secondary schools in Shanghai, China, with 6478 participants in the analysis. Lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, sleep duration, screen time, and diet quality) and depressive symptoms were measured using validated questionnaires. A series of multivariable logistic regressions were performed to examine the associations between lifestyle behaviors and their combinations and depression. ResultsThe prevalence of depressive symptoms 12.2 % (n = 788). Compared to those considered physically active, physically inactive individuals showed higher odds of depression (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.206). Similarly, insufficient sleep duration (aOR = 1.449), long screen time (aOR = 1.457) and poor diet quality (aOR = 1.892) were all associated with higher odds of depression. Compared to participants with behaviors meeting all guidelines, the odds of depression increased as the number of behaviors not meeting guidelines increased in a dose-response relationship, with an average increase in depression odds of 49 % on average for each additional unhealthy behavior. Moreover, different combinations of behaviors not meeting guidelines showed varied odds of depression. ConclusionsOur research suggests that lifestyle behaviors not meeting guidelines in children and adolescents are associated with poorer mental health, and the risk varies with the number and specific combination of behaviors not meeting guidelines. Diet-related joint behaviors may be overlooked, and practical measures targeting joint lifestyles are needed to prevent and alleviate mental health problems among children and adolescents.

Teachers’ perceptions of less successfully organized professional development practices in mathematics: A study of nine secondary schools in Shanghai, China

Professional development (PD) for mathematics teachers in China, especially in Shanghai, has received growing international attention. However, most of available research concerning Chinese PD has focused on successful practices, and far too little attention has been paid to less successfully organized PD practices, particularly for mathematics teachers in Shanghai. This study aims to examine key aspects and underlying reasons for less successfully organized PD practices in Shanghai from teachers’ perspectives. The data were collected from 132 mathematics teachers in 9 randomly selected secondary schools in Shanghai through a questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews. The results show that Shanghai mathematics teachers perceived “time, duration and frequency”, “assessment and management” and “objective” as the three most unsatisfactory aspects in less successfully organized PD they attended, and they considered that organized PD practices were less successful mainly due to lack of assessment for the PD organizers and of necessary coordination between PD organizers at different levels. In addition, there were statistically significant differences in teachers’ perceptions of various specific problems in different aspects about less successfully organized PD between teachers with different demographic features, such as length of teaching experience and gender. Implications of the findings of the study to Chinese educational settings and beyond are discussed at the end of the paper.

Environmental design as a component of block‐based programming

AbstractThe research purpose is to analyze how block‐based programming, introduced in parallel with classical school education, will be an effective tool for developing environmental awareness among students. The research proposes a well‐developed theoretical program on environmental literacy and a practical Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) project creating an eco‐house model with a weather station and alternative energy sources in a regular secondary school in Shanghai. The sample involved school students of the seventh grade, equally divided into two groups: the control group (learnt only a theoretical program) and the experimental group (learnt both a theoretical program and a practical STEM project). At the end of the school year, students passed an environmental literacy test. The differences between the control and experimental groups were statistically significant. The experimental group has the advantage in all parameters: it has the highest scores and a large number of students who showed a high and very high level of knowledge. The results prove the methodology effectiveness of the experimental group in terms of developing sensitivity to the environment, cognitive abilities, ecological analysis, and preserving the environment. It was found that overall academic performance correlates significantly with both test scores and project scores. The highest scores were for the project, which indicates the effectiveness of block‐based programming in the learning of the experimental group, their implementation of new ideas based on the acquired knowledge, success in decision‐making, and experience that went beyond previous achievements.

Facilitating teacher learning in professional learning communities through action research: A qualitative case study in China

The study investigated teachers’ learning experiences in a subject-based professional learning community by conducting collaborative action research in a junior secondary school in Shanghai, China. Drawing on observations, documents, and interviews with nine teachers, the findings revealed that teachers developed new understandings and practices during the research process, despite the imposed task design. By integrating action research and professional learning communities, the findings suggest that the tension between bottom-up needs and top-down mandates can be balanced for teacher learning in communities through collective endeavours of external support, school leaders, and teachers in the Chinese context.

Chinese students’ access, use and perceptions of ICTs in learning mathematics: findings from an investigation of Shanghai secondary schools

Due to rapid social and economic development in China over the last three decades, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become increasingly available in Chinese classrooms and families. However, there is a lack of research regarding Chinese students’ use of ICTs in mathematics learning. In this study, we examined how Chinese students access, use, and perceive ICTs in learning mathematics. To this end, a conceptual framework for ICTs and the role of ICTs in students’ learning of mathematics was established. Using a mixed-methods approach, we collected data from 223 students in four randomly selected secondary schools in Shanghai through a questionnaire survey, followed by classroom observations and interviews with students and teachers. The results revealed that various ICTs are widely accessible in Shanghai classrooms and students overall have a positive view about the role of ICTs in their mathematics learning, especially in problem solving and in learning geometry. When learning mathematics at home, students used handheld technological devices more frequently than non-portable devices. Furthermore, there were significant differences between different students in terms of school performance levels, grade levels, and genders in their use of ICTs in learning mathematics. In particular, students from high-performing schools had more access to various ICTs but used them less frequently than their peers from ordinary schools. Suggestions and implications of the findings are discussed at the end of the paper.

Psychological needs satisfaction, self-determined motivation, and physical activity of students in physical education: Comparison across gender and school levels

ABSTRACT This study applies self-determination theory (SDT) to test the hypothesised relationships amongst three basic psychological needs, level of self-determined motivation (i.e. self-determination index, SDI) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of Chinese elementary and secondary school students during their physical education (PE) in Shanghai, China. Gender and school-level differences in these relationships are also explored. The participants comprise 1829 students from three elementary and secondary schools in Shanghai, China. Accelerometers are used to measure the MVPA duration of the participants in PE. The Self-regulation Questionnaire and the Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale are completed by the participants to assess PE motivation and the three psychological needs of students. The structural equation modelling (SEM) results show that the hypothesised model has a good fit with our data. Autonomy, competence, and relatedness are positively associated with SDI for MVPA. The SDI is positively related to the time spent by students in MVPA in PE. The multi-group path analysis results reveal that the relationship between SDI and MVPA is stronger for secondary school students than elementary students. Overall, our findings support the applicability of SDT in understanding and promoting the physical activities amongst Chinese school students in PE. Accordingly, intervention should be conducted to develop autonomy, competence and social relatedness of elementary and secondary school students. Additional efforts are required to encourage elementary school students to be more self-determinant in PE classes. Highlights Findings support the applicability of SDT in understanding and promoting the physical activities amongst Chinese school students in PE SDI was positively related to school students’ MVPA level. The satisfaction of autonomy, competence and relatedness towards PE was positively associated with students’ SDI. The proposed motivational sequence for adolescent MVPA in PE were similar for male and female students. The relationship between SDI and MVPA of secondary school students was significantly stronger than elementary school students

The Association between Gender Role Attitudes and Alcohol Use among Early Adolescents in Shanghai, China

Background Adolescent alcohol use was a major social and public health concern given its negative impacts. Previous studies indicated gender role attitudes (GRA) were associated with alcohol use; however, few studies focused on early adolescents (10 to 14 years) and similar researches were not found in China. Objective: This study sought to explore the association between GRA and alcohol use among early adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students in grades six to eight across three public secondary schools in Shanghai, China. Data were collected by Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (CASI) questionnaire on mobile tablets. Alcohol use was measured by self-report, and six items with 5-point Likert-type options assessed the attitude toward traditional gender roles. The logistic regression model was adopted to examine the associations between GAR and alcohol use. Results: Totally 1,631 adolescents aged 10 to 14 years with 50.33% of boys included in this study. The mean score of GRA in drinkers was significantly higher than nondrinkers among boys (3.03 vs. 2.78, p  < 0.001) but not girls (2.15 vs. 2.18, p   =  0.499). After controlling the covariates of age, depression, peers’ substance use, social cohesion, etc., we found that more traditional GRA was associated with a higher risk of alcohol use among boys (OR = 1.39, 95%CI: 1.11–1.75), whereas the association was not significant among girls (OR = 0.96, 95%CI: 0.74–1.24). Conclusions: Traditional GRA may increase the risk of alcohol use among early adolescent boys, suggesting that altering traditional GRA among this population group may help to prevent alcohol use.

How do the leadership strategies of middle leaders affect teachers’ learning in schools? A case study from China

ABSTRACT Research on how to support school-based teacher learning has largely focused on the role of leaders at the top of the school organisation. It has paid little attention to middle leaders, who directly initiate and are deeply involved in teachers’ learning processes. Linking leadership constructs with organisational learning, we examined how middle leaders practise leadership to support teachers’ learning and professional development in school-based settings. Taking a qualitative case-comparison approach, we recruited 22 teachers and middle leaders from two school-based communities in a secondary school in Shanghai, China. We found that two combinations of leadership approaches were enacted by middle leaders to motivate various forms of learning for change. A bureaucratic leadership approach, supplemented by professional strategies, supported teachers’ performance-oriented learning; and a coordinated bureaucratic and professional leadership approach supported teachers’ meaning-oriented learning. Different interpretations of the role of middle leaders and the goals of school-based teacher learning and professional development resulted in various combinations of leadership strategies, which shaped the form and quality of learning. We further suggest ways to promote teachers’ sustainable learning and professional development in school settings.

Motivational climate, need satisfaction, self-determined motivation, and physical activity of students in secondary school physical education in China

BackgroundOn the basis of the integration constructs from self-determination theory (SDT) and achievement goal theory (AGT), this study aims to investigate the relationship among classroom motivational climate from four perspectives (i.e. autonomy support, relatedness support, task-involving climate and ego-involving climate), three psychological needs (i.e. autonomy, competence and relatedness), self-determined motivation and physical activity (PA) in secondary physical education (PE).MethodsParticipants consisted of 1186 Chinese students aged 11 to 16 years from three secondary schools in Shanghai. Accelerometers were utilized to measure moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Questionnaires were used to measure SDT variables (i.e. classroom motivational climate, perceived competence, autonomy, relatedness and self-determined motivation). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was adopted to analyse the hypothesised relationship.ResultsSEM analysis revealed that task-involving climate and autonomy support were positively associated with autonomy, relatedness and competence. Relatedness support was positively related with autonomy and relatedness, whereas ego-involving climate was only associated with competence. The three psychological needs positively affected self-determined motivation, and self-determined motivation positively affected the MVPA time of secondary school students in PE lessons.ConclusionThese findings support a model of motivation that integrates SDT and AGT, provides new insight into understanding MVPA in Chinese PE, and establishes a solid basis for intervention research.

Investigating Teacher Perceptions of Integrating Engineering into Science Education in Mainland China

In many countries, integrating engineering into science education is regarded as the best means of improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. In Mainland China, some efforts have been made to integrate engineering into science, but problems regarding teacher factors hinder its effective implementation. To address these problems, we conducted a survey together with classroom observations and interviews to explore science teachers’ perceptions of the integration of engineering into science (IEIS) with aims of exposing the problems and the status of IEIS implementation. The study involved 1185 science teachers from junior secondary schools in Shanghai. Ten teachers were interviewed, and 5 teachers’ classrooms were observed. The findings of mixed research methods revealed the science teachers generally established good understanding of engineering and engineering education; however, the problems are (1) science teachers failed to identify engineering practices and scientific practices, (2) they designed and implemented IEIS in low integration levels with low cognition level of engineering education, and (3) there was a lack of high-quality IEIS training programme for STEM education. The results of this study will inform science teacher education and STEM implementation.

A Study on the Admission System of Foreign Students in Chinese Public Schools —Focus on Chinese Language Education

Under the policy “reform admission and management for foreign students” promoted by Chinese government from 1990s, the admission system construction for foreign students of primary and secondary schools becomes an unneglectable issue. At present, there is a discrepancy existing between regulation and facts that the “international students’ division” was established noncompliance with the principle “learning in regular class”. The main reason is that it is more convenient to do necessary Chinese language instruction at “international students’ division”. In view of the above, this paper clarifies the problems on Chinese language education through analysis of relative policies and regulations at national and local level as well as investigating on 6 typical primary and secondary schools in Shanghai. According to the empirical research, the actual situation of Chinese language education for foreign students in primary and secondary schools has been revealed, such as the shortage of TCFL teacher, no amiable teaching materials and insufficient financial support etc. In conclusion, this paper proposed some suggestions to improve Chinese language education like training and allocation of TCFL teachers or development of professional TCFL materials adaptive to students in primary and secondary schools under the educational administration financial supports and so on.

Propensity Score Analysis of the Impacts of Junior Secondary Students’ Participation in Engineering Practices on their Attitudes toward Engineering

The demand for engineering talent is increasing with economic and societal developments. Along with this, nations worldwide are attaching increasing importance to engineering education under international science, technology, engineering and mathematics initiatives. In China, engineering education at university levels is dominant. Corresponding systemic engineering education at the K-12 level has yet to be established. With the aim of determining the status of K-12 engineering education, this study investigates the impacts of students’ participation in engineering practice on their attitudes toward engineering. Survey responses from a sample of 2,193 students from junior secondary schools in Shanghai, China, are used. Sample selection bias is mitigated using propensity score methods based on weight hierarchy. The findings indicate the status of student participation in engineering practice and reveal the significant effect of the level of student participation in engineering practice on students’ attitudes toward engineering at junior secondary schools in China.

Perspectives of Students With Special Needs on Inclusion in General Physical Education: A Social-Relational Model of Disability.

This study aims to explore the perception of students with special needs on inclusion in physical education and identify the factors that facilitate or inhibit their inclusion. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 students with various special needs from five secondary schools in Shanghai. Content analysis was utilized to analyze the interview data. Interview results indicated that the majority of students with special needs are negative on their inclusion, and restricted participation in physical education activities was common. Using a social relational model of disability as a theoretical framework, this study identified personal factors (i.e.,impairment and self-efficacy), physical context (architectural barriers and provision of modified facilities), and social context (i.e.,teacher support, peer support, and modification) that facilitated or inhibited the inclusion level of these students. The study concluded that intervention is necessary to eliminate architectural barriers, grant financial support, and offer adapted training programs by the government and schools.

English language teacher learning in professional learning communities: a case study of a Chinese secondary school

ABSTRACTThrough a discourse analysis of the qualitative data collected in an ethnographic approach, this study investigates learning emerging in an English teachers’ professional learning community (PLC) at a Chinese secondary school in Shanghai. It explores the discourse features of situated interactions in two types of typical events occurring regularly in this PLC, participant roles in the interactions, and how learning occurs in the community. This study reveals that different foci and functions of the meetings largely determined the discourse features, and that community members tended to take different roles and demonstrate different aspects of their identity. Despite the differences, the two meetings both had a high percentage of episodes of pedagogical reasoning(EPRs) and low rate of distributed participation per episode. It is implied that both meetings were conducive to teacher learning, but the learning foci (topics covered in the two meetings) were different. More distributed participation may be needed to encourage collaborative learning.

중국 청소년의 의복 동조성과 한국 연예인에 대한 관심이 한국 패션제품에 대한 평가와 구매의도에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to verify that clothing conformity is a psychological variable that explains the consumption behaviors of adolescent Chinese consumers, who are rapidly emerging as a new consumer group in the fashion market. Their interest in Korean entertainers as a result the influence of the Korean Wave has had a positive effect of their evaluation and purchase intention towards Korean fashion products as like K-fashion. Data analysis was conducted with 282 female Chinese students attending secondary school in Shanghai. The empirical results are as follows: First, the students were actively using marketer-led information sources and consumer-led information sources, and they were especially sensitive to online word of mouth by internet advertisement, fashion blogs, and SNS. Second, they used internet shopping sites as both information channels and purchase channels. Third, three factors were extracted as a result of the factors analysis on clothing conformity: informational conformity, style conformity, and social conformity. Fourth, the students

How do teachers learn together? A study of school-based teacher learning in China from the perspective of organisational learning

Studies of professional development have examined the influence of school-based approaches on in-service teacher learning and change but have seldom investigated teachers’ job-embedded learning processes. This paper explores the dynamic processes of teacher learning in school-based settings. A qualitative comparative case study based on the framework of organisational learning was conducted to analyse the ways that 17 teachers from two school-based communities in a secondary school in Shanghai, China, experienced learning through various learning activities. The findings showed that the two group teachers had actively developed implementation-oriented and experimentation-oriented processes of learning. The former process is referred to as exploitation learning. Exploitation learning helps teachers by creating a stable environment to learn the existing knowledge and norms of practice of a school organisation. The latter process is referred to as exploration learning. Exploration or exploratory learning provides a platform for new knowledge construction aimed at improving existing practices in a more radical way. Teachers’ perceptions of and participation in school-based learning activities shape their learning experiences in different ways. Specifically, the support of school leaders is necessary to promote teachers’ exploratory learning in school-based settings. However, the leadership strategies that best support teachers’ learning require further investigation.

Shyness and school adjustment in Chinese children: The roles of teachers and peers.

Although childhood shyness has been associated with school-adjustment difficulties in contemporary research in China, the conceptual mechanisms that may underlie these relations remain underinvestigated. The goal of this study was to examine a complex theoretical model that explicates the roles of both peer preference and teacher-child relationships in the links between shyness and school adjustment in Chinese children. Participants were N = 1,275 3rd- through 7th-grade students (637 boys, 638 girls; Mage = 10.78 years, SD = 1.55) attending public primary and secondary schools in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Measures of shyness, peer preference, teacher-child relationships, and aspects of school adjustment were obtained from multiple source, including peer nominations, child self-reports, teacher ratings, and school records. Results from mediation and moderated mediation analyses demonstrated that (a) shyness indirectly predicted greater internalizing problems and poorer academic achievement through its negative association with peer preference and (b) these indirect effects were moderated by teacher-child relationships, such that the negative association between shyness and peer reference was attenuated among children with higher quality of teacher-child relationships. Results are discussed in terms of the roles of peers and teachers in the links between shyness and school adjustment and their educational implications. (PsycINFO Database Record

How Much Progress Do Children in Shanghai Make Over One Academic Year? Evidence From PISA

Since its entry into the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2009, the Chinese province of Shanghai has been the top-performing economy within these international rankings. Many have interpreted this as demonstrating how Shanghai has a “world class” education system, the most effective teaching methods, and the best schools. This article questions such interpretations of the PISA results. Specifically, we argue that statements about school and school system quality require information on the progress that children make during their time at school, which the PISA rankings do not provide (at least not directly). Our empirical analysis then uses a “fuzzy” regression discontinuity design approach to demonstrate how a rather different perspective of Shanghai’s performance in PISA emerges once pupils’ academic progress over one particular school year is considered. Our key finding is that the first year of upper secondary school in Shanghai adds essentially no value (on average) to children’s PISA reading, science, and mathematics test scores.

Teachers’ Interpretations of the Ethical Dimensions of Teaching on the Chinese Mainland: A Case Study of Two Secondary Schools in Shanghai

This paper highlights Chinese teachers’ ethical concerns in their relationships with students, colleagues, and students’ parents. Through a qualitative study of 26 teachers, it was found that the teachers were often trapped in a dilemma between teaching to students’ real development and teaching to the test. The ethics of professional collaboration were compromised by the dominant norms, including interpersonal harmony and respect for older teachers, and by competition among individual teachers to demonstrate good performance. Moreover, in a situation where parents’ trust was diminishing, teachers assumed certain teaching and caring responsibilities for children from disadvantaged families. It is suggested that the professionalization of teachers should provide them with more professional space to transform their ethical considerations into practice.