Year Of Secondary School Research Articles

Does Schooling Have Lasting Effects on Cognitive Function? Evidence From Compulsory Schooling Laws.

This study assesses whether an additional year of secondary schooling has lasting causal effects on cognitive function. I use data from Understanding Society, the largest longitudinal household study in the United Kingdom, and exploit quasi-experimental variation in schooling from the 1972 raising of the school-leaving age in England and Wales. This reform increased the minimum secondary school‒leaving age from 15 to 16 years. Cognitive function outcomes were measured when participants were aged 48 to 60. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, I show that remaining in school until age 16 improved working memory by one third to one half of a standard deviation. I find limited evidence for causal effects on verbal fluency and measures of numeric ability. Analyses of potential mechanisms showed statistically significant effects of remaining in school until age 16 on the type of occupation entered immediately after leaving school and at older ages. These patterns are consistent with basic education improving cognitive outcomes through occupation choice. The findings are robust to sensitivity analyses.

Comparative Analysis of Three Data Mining Tools in the Allocation of Senior Secondary Students into Departments for Career Path

Abstract: Choosing a career path in life begins with studying the right subject combination at the secondary school level. The Nigerian educational system of 6-3-3-4 which makes a student to spend 6 years in pry education, 3 years in junior secondary school, 3 years in senior secondary school and 4 years in the university makes it mandatory for such a student to choose a department of study at the point of entry into the senior secondary school (SSS). It is at this point that a decision is made consciously or unconsciously by the students about life career as the choice of department determines the choice of course of study at the university level later. Students and their parents/guardians often take this decision without any scientific guide which in most cases leads to a wrong choice of career path. In this study, three data mining tools, WEKA, RapidMiner and Orange were employed with three algorithms each to determine the most appropriate tool with the best result in the allocation of senior secondary school (SSS) students to various departments of study. The best algorithm methodology that classified the dataset in WEKA was Random Forest with an accuracy of 100% predicting 308 students correctly. In RapidMiner the best algorithm methodology was Naïve Bayes with an accuracy of 82.9% correctly predicting 73 students. Thereafter, Orange gave the best algorithm methodology to be Random Forest at 98.7333% predicting 304 students accurately. Our study shows that the optimum algorithm suited for the application software implementation to allocate SS1 Students into Department was Random Forest, having highest rates in the Accuracy. Though Orange has additional feature of being able to visualize the output of all the three results in one interface at a glance, and also shows outcome visualizations in various plots and graphs, WEKA’s highest predictive measure of 100% places it above all and makes it the tool of choice with Random Forest being the best algorithm.

The Impact of Typical School Provision of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sports on Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing: A Systematic Literature Review

AbstractTypical school provision of physical education, physical activity and sports, which is reflective of the school’s response to the national curriculum, available resources and school ethos, may impact adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Systematic literature reviews have not yet considered this impact. The Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, PsychINFO, ERIC and MEDLINE databases were searched for relevant literature (2000–2022) pertaining to adolescents aged 12–18 years in secondary schools. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria, including thirteen interventions, five cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies. Included studies contributed 108 reported effects, that examined depression, anxiety, self-esteem, self-efficacy, wellbeing, life satisfaction and positive mental health. Anxiety was the most frequently reported outcome, with 59% of the reported findings found to be non-significant, 24% significantly positive, 12% significantly negative and 6% reporting a negative trend but with no test of significance. Evidence supported the impact of physical education on adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Significantly positive effects were linked to interventions with minor modifications to typical provision such as the integration of teacher workshops and/or implementation of curriculum models. This suggests the importance of supplementing typical school provision of physical education to positively influence future impact.

Economic complexity and income inequality in EU countries

The article studies the relationship between economic complexity and income inequality across EU countries from 1995 to 2020. The analysed period characterises high globalisation in which “new” EU countries experienced a high transformation of their productive structure. Production structure largely determines income distribution and, thus, income inequality. We employed panel data methodology to assess the relationship between economic complexity and income inequality. To control for economic activity and education, GDP per capita and average years of secondary schooling are also included in the analysis. Expectedly, our findings point to the correlation between economic complexity and income inequality in EU countries. However, the results also indicate an opposite effect between the “old” EU member states and a group of “new” EU member states. This finding suggests that “new” EU members needed more economic complexity in the observed period to reduce income inequality.

Preventing Loneliness and Reducing Dropout: Results from the COMPLETE Intervention Study in Upper Secondary Schools in Norway.

This study examines the impact of interventions aimed at improving psychosocial health on students' perception of a caring school climate, their feelings of loneliness, and school completion in Norwegian upper secondary education. Two intervention conditions were tested: a universal single-tier intervention focused on improving the psychosocial school climate: the Dream School Program, and a multi-tier intervention combining the Dream School Program with a targeted measure, the Mental Health Support Team. The direct and indirect effects of these interventions on school completion were analyzed using structural equation models (SEM), with data from 1508 students (mean age at Time 1: 17.02 (SD = 0.92); 60.7% girls; 72.1% Norwegian-born). The results indicated that loneliness levels did not differ significantly between the intervention conditions. However, students in the multi-tier intervention group reported a significantly higher perception of a caring school climate compared to those in the single-tier intervention group. The multi-tier intervention group had a lower rate of school completion compared to the control group and the single-tier intervention group. The SEM analysis revealed that the multi-tier intervention reduced loneliness in the second year of upper secondary school by promoting a caring school climate in the first school year. In contrast, the single-tier intervention was associated with increased loneliness due to a decrease in the perception of a caring school climate. The implications of these findings are discussed.

“They’re coming to us and we don’t have any training” - Professional learning approaches for secondary Australian school year advisors: a call for support

ABSTRACT Secondary school year advisors fulfil an important relationship-building, middle leadership position in schools. Although responsible for supporting the wellbeing of students with a range of academic, social, and emotional needs, there is limited research into year advisor’s role and the support provided for these educators. This qualitative study provides insight into year advisors’ perceptions of professional learning that prepared them to support student wellbeing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with secondary school year advisors in New South Wales, Australia, investigating their training experiences and views on navigating the expectations of their role. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis revealed key themes capturing the limited provision of formal training for year advisors and the perception that training was insufficient for responding to students’ mental health needs. Year advisors reported relying on self-sourced informal training methods including collaborative partnerships, practice-based learning and independent investigation, to manage situations encountered when supporting students. Findings reveal a disparity in formalised professional learning opportunities across schools and year advisors’ desire for systematic, role specific, formalised training, especially for supporting students’ mental health.

Enhancing Academic Communication Skills Through Classroom Interaction: A Case Study of Secondary Schools in the Tahoua Region of Niger

Enhancing Academic Communication Skills Through Classroom Interaction: A Case Study of Secondary Schools in the Tahoua Region of Niger

P-569 Unraveling parenthood intentions of 1700 adolescents in 2022, Flanders (Belgium)

Abstract Study question What are the current attitudes in Flemish adolescents aged 15-19 towards having children? Summary answer While the majority of adolescents want to have children, 25% have ambiguous feelings about having children and 10% indicate a wish to remain childless. What is known already In the past decades, a very positive attitude towards having children has been reported in young people. In the adult population, most people desire to have children or are already parents, but the group of people who choose to remain childfree is increasingly visible and vocal. The current generation of adolescents is more concerned about environmental impacts than previous generations. Study design, size, duration An anonymous online survey of multiple choice and open-ended questions was offered to adolescents in Flanders (Belgium). Forty – four schools in Flanders participated and 1700 adolescents completed the questionnaire from February 2022 to June 2022. We performed a qualitative analysis of answers in open ended questions. Participants/materials, setting, methods Adolescents aged 15 – 19 years old, attending the last two years of secondary school in Flanders (Belgium). Most pupils had the opportunity to complete the questionnaire during class, others chose to complete the questionnaire in their own free time. Main results and the role of chance The majority of pupils would like to have children (60.2%), a considerable proportion is still undecided (24.7%) and 10.8% report they do not want children. Significantly more boys than girls would like to have children (67% versus 61.7%, p < 0.01). Having a positive representation of children and the desire to build a family in the future are the most important reasons for wanting children. Adolescents who have ambiguous feelings or who do not want children are rather pragmatic in their decision-making. They may consider factors such as financial stability, career goals and personal development before deciding to have children. Other reasons for having an ambiguous or negative attitude towards parenthood reflect the sense of uncertainty in association with the current global situation and socio-political situation. Our data do not allow us to conclude whether the observed decline in the desire for parenthood is a temporary phenomenon closely linked to current events, or a more permanent one. Limitations, reasons for caution Participants were predominantly girls and attended general secondary education. The questionnaire has only been distributed in schools in Flanders and not in the entire country of Belgium due to administrative constraints. Pupils with a positive attitude towards having children may have been more likely to participate in the study. Wider implications of the findings Although reproductive intentions can change over the course of a lifetime, our results suggest that the future fertility rate may decline due to an increasing segment of voluntarily childfree people. A balance may be necessary between removing practical barriers toward parenthood, while acknowledging the legitimacy of other life plans. Trial registration number not applicable

Effects of a positive education programme on secondary school students’ mental health and wellbeing; challenges of the school context

ABSTRACT Previous research has demonstrated wellbeing benefits for positive education programmes (PEPs) facilitated by clinicians or experts or outside the school context. The current study explored the effects of a Year 10 PEP led by teachers trained in positive education and embedded within the Australian secondary school context. A mixed-methods design compared students receiving PEP (n = 119) with a wellbeing-as-usual comparison group (n = 34) matched on age and socioeconomic status. Depression, anxiety, autonomy, gratitude and mindfulness levels did not differ between groups. Levels of satisfaction with life and relatedness were significantly higher for the intervention than for the comparison students at the post-intervention time point. Qualitative analyses revealed that students valued having engaging and relatable teachers, brief interactive sessions and personally relevant applied content. School-based PEPs may therefore provide some limited ongoing support as students transition into their senior years of secondary school. Delivering positive education within the school context, however, raises challenges relating to levels of teacher training and availability. Capturing the student voice in the current study was valuable and indicated that both teacher and programme factors were central to student engagement in PEPs.

Student access to higher education through alternative pathways and differences by equity group and discipline

ABSTRACT Widening participation in higher education for under-represented groups is a priority internationally. In Australia, the most common entry pathway for domestic undergraduate students is by obtaining an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) in the final year of secondary school. The ATAR system, however, has been criticised as disadvantaging certain equity groups. Consequently, widening participation policy has encouraged alternative entry pathways into university, including enabling/bridging courses, vocational education qualifications, or portfolio entry based on demonstrated skills and experience. There is, however, relatively scarce evidence of student use of these pathways, including those from equity groups. Drawing on national enrolment data and institution-specific pathway data for 16 Australian universities, this study’s examination of admission data found increasing use of alternative pathways among most student equity groups, with variations by discipline. The findings inform stakeholder understanding of the relative success of alternative entry pathways in widening participation, informing strategies for improvement and future policy.

Competence evaluation by public secondary school teachers: a panacea for students improved performance in calabar zone, nigeria

The study examined teachers’ competence in evaluating students’ learning outputs. It was a descriptive survey design whose area of coverage was 2021/2022 school year in public secondary schools across Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. Four out of seven Local Government Areas, 20 out of 100 secondary schools and 496 out of 1,502 teachers (evaluators) formed the sample of the study. Each teacher had one student to examine on; punctuality, obedience, self-control and honesty (Affective Domains); the evaluation methods considered were formative and summative evaluation. The sampling methods adopted were purposive, simple random and systematic sampling methods. Two sets of questionnaire were used for data collection in addition to students’ result sheets (first term junior secondary school two (JSS 2) and teaching staff disposition (teachers’ register). The two sets of questionnaire were Teachers’ Competence Evaluation Questionnaire (TCEQ) and Teachers’ Score on Students’ Affective Domain Questionnaire (TSSADQ). The questionnaire instruments were validated by experts in different areas of research affected. The results obtained from the test-retest pilot study were correlated using Pearson Product Moment Correlation to obtain the internal consistency of the measures whose coefficient was 0.76. Data collected were analyzed using contingency chi-square technique to test the formulated null hypotheses. It was found that evaluation methods influence students’ learning outputs and that the quality of teacher competence evaluation also influence students’ affective domain. It was recommended that teachers should intermittently evaluate students learning in the course of instruction and not forgetting the final evaluation. Also, teachers should improve their evaluation strategies by making learning a life-long affair.

Personality Traits and Aggressive Behavior in Vietnamese Adolescents.

This study aims to reveal the relationship between personality characteristics and verbal or physical aggression in Vietnamese adolescents. We recruited 3003 participants [1498 boys (49.9%) and 1505 girls (50.1%); mean age ± SD = 13.50 ± 0.936] who we tested with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire - Brief version (EPQ-BV), and Vietnamese Aggression Scale (VAS). A multivariate analysis of variance test, Pearson Correlation, and analyzing mediating variable interaction is used to analyze data. The findings suggested a significant interaction between personality traits, specifically extraversion and neuroticism, and physical aggression, verbal aggression, and anger. Students with higher levels of personality had higher levels of verbal aggression, and students with higher levels of physical aggression and anger had stronger personality traits than others and lower levels of physical aggression and anger. Personality traits, specifically extraversion, and neuroticism, differed significantly by gender and school years in adolescence. Mediation analysis revealed a positive and statistically significant indirect correlation between personality traits and physically aggressive behavior, with anger as a mediator. Similarly, a positive and statistically significant indirect correlation between personality traits and verbally aggressive behavior through anger was found. The relationship between personality traits and physical aggression was also significant via verbal aggression and anger. This study improved our understanding of personality traits and verbal or physical aggression. Most crucially, physical and verbal aggression mediate personality traits and aggressive conduct. In secondary school, gender and school year affected extraversion and neuroticism. This discovery illuminates personality-based aggressiveness intervention.

Developing the Skill of Associating Mathematics with Real Life Through Realistic Mathematics Education: An Action Research

The purpose of this study is to investigate how to improve middle school 6th grade students' skill of associating mathematics with real life through Realistic Mathematics Education, which was reinforced with educational games, to determine the problems possible to be encountered in practice, and how to solve these problems in details. This study, designed as an action research, was carried out in mathematics lessons with totally 25 sixth grade students studying at the first and second semesters of 2018-2019 academic year in an official public secondary school in Adana-Turkey. In the analysis of quantitative data, t-test was used for dependent samples, and inductive and descriptive analysis within the scope of content analysis were performed for analyzing the qualitative data. According to the results, it was determined that Realistic Mathematics Education reinforced with educational games was efficient on increasing the skill of associating mathematics with real life.

Days after a Choice is Made: Transition to Professional and Vocational Upper Secondary Schools in Czechia

Researchers in the Czech Republic, as well as internationally, have traditionally studied the factors that contribute to the choice of upper secondary tracks and programs. Much less is known about the day-to-day experiences of the students in different tracks, particularly in professional/vocational tracks, and the possible mechanisms that produce the positive or negative outcomes of their schooling. We present the results of a prospective qualitative study of 22 students we followed from their last year of lower secondary school and through their first and second years in different tracks and schools. Data obtained in three waves of interviews were subjected to thematic analysis. Two major themes cutting across domains of daily routines, social relations, and the respondents' perception of curriculum/learning are described: school choice and professional/vocational specialization. The key findings are several important differences between the post-transitional experience of students in technical/professional and vocational programs. The study provides important insights into adolescent adjustment in various tracks of secondary schools in the post-socialist context.

The role of career adaptability resources in dual career pathways: A person-oriented longitudinal study across elite sports upper secondary school

ObjectivesObtaining education is an important milestone in athletes’ preparation for their professional career after sport. Literature indicates that combining school and sport is not an easy task for many aspiring youth athletes. It has been proposed that career adaptability, which refers to psychosocial resources enabling individuals to solve complex occupational transitions, present and anticipated vocational development tasks, and career related challenges could be a relevant concept for applied work with student-athletes. In this study, we examined whether there are distinct developmental profiles of career adaptability among adolescent athletes across the upper secondary school years. We also investigated the associations between career adaptability and sport withdrawal and academic achievement. Design and methodsA total of 391 Finnish-speaking student-athletes completed the questionnaire on career adaptability (Career Adapt-Abilities Scale – Dual Career Form; Ryba & Aunola, 2015; Ryba et al., 2017) at the beginning and end of upper secondary school. The participants’ background information about their sport participation and grade point average were collected upon completion of each grade of upper secondary school. The data were analysed using cluster analysis, cross-tabulation, and one-way analysis of variance. ResultsFour distinct adaptability profiles were identified: higher adaptability, lower adaptability, increasing adaptability, and decreasing adaptability. Higher and lower adaptability profiles showed stable levels of adaptability across time, whereas the adaptability level either increased or decreased in the other two profiles. Student-athletes with a lower career adaptability profile were overrepresented among those who withdrew from competitive sports, and they reported lower grade point averages than those with higher scores of career adaptability. ConclusionsHigh scores of career adaptability were associated with high grades, whereas low scores of career adaptability were associated with low grades and a probability to withdraw from competitive sport. Therefore, it is recommended that career adaptability be considered as important self-regulation resources for sustaining dual career pathways over time.

Identity development across the transition from primary to secondary school: The role of personality and the social context

ABSTRACT The secondary school transition may be important for identity change. We investigated identity change and subgroups therein, and whether personal and environmental factors explain subgroup membership. Data was used from four timepoints across the last year of primary and first year of secondary school from 241 adolescents (M age = 11.6, range 10.5–12.8). Identity change was generally in the direction of higher pre-transition commitment and lower post-transition commitment and exploration, with most change as well as differences therein manifesting post-transition. Neuroticism and best friend support did not predict group membership; parental support predicted more adaptive change. These findings suggest educational identity change around the transition and especially during its runup is relatively normative, with strong expectations of how adolescents should change.

Academic Stress, Academic Self-efficacy, and Psychological Distress: A Moderated Mediation of Within-person Effects

Previous research has largely failed to separate the between- and within-person effects in the longitudinal associations between academic stress, academic self-efficacy, and psychological distress (symptoms of anxiety and depression). Filling this research gap, this study investigated if academic self-efficacy mediated the relationship between academic stress and psychological distress at the intraindividual level during 3 years of upper secondary school. Gender moderation was also examined in the hypothesised model. The present sample consisted of 1508 Norwegian adolescents (baseline M age = 16.42; 52.9% high perceived family wealth; 70.6% Norwegian-born). The random intercept cross-lagged panel model results indicated (1) positive and time-invariant direct effects from academic stress to psychological distress, (2) academic self-efficacy partially mediated these effects, and (3) psychological distress impacted later academic stress. Academic stress was more strongly related to academic self-efficacy and psychological distress at the interpersonal level for boys, while the intraindividual impact of academic stress on psychological distress was stronger for girls. The study findings might have implications for school-based implementation strategies and theoretical development.

The spatial implications of academic achievement in Year 12: Rethinking discourses of disadvantage in rural locations

Rurality is an identified point of disadvantage in measures such as the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) and school resourcing models. However, socioeconomic disadvantage is commonly used as an explanation for lower average student achievement in rural locations. Thus, policies are often directed towards reducing disadvantage associated with socioeconomic status, and rurality is overlooked. This research tests the validity of these assumptions using a matched study approach. We examine data on New South Wales (NSW) students, schools and courses to investigate how the English and Mathematics achievement levels of students in their final year of secondary school are associated with family and school characteristics across locations. The findings show that socioeconomic variation does not fully account for differences in achievement in rural locations. Instead, rurality appears to mediate other effects on student achievement in a complex interplay of factors contributing to lower average results. This highlights the need to consider the specificities of rurality in schooling, particularly the role of rural knowledges and perspectives in schooling and student achievement.

The manifestations of the policy of Arabization in Algeria and its implications for the teaching of the Arabic language

This study aims to investigate the issue of Arabization policy and the extent of its repercussions on the teaching of the Arabic language, and its positive and negative effects. Its linguistic education, and the importance of the study lies in the importance of the repercussions it deals with, as it receives great attention these days, and the policy of Arabization is one of the important issues for educational institutions, and accordingly the study seeks to clarify the importance and value of this research.
 Therefore, this study seeks to research the concept of Arabization, then discuss its importance, the motives of the Arabization policy, and its stages in the Algerian school, and then analyze some of the Arabized terms in the books of the third year of secondary school for all people, with an attempt to provide some solutions to overcome the phenomenon and exploit it positively.

COMPARATIVE DESCRIPTION OF PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN OF JUNIOR SCHOOL AGE USING BODY WEIGHT, HEIGHT AND CHEST CIRCUMFERENCE INDICATORS

In this research work, the body weight (kg), height (cm) and chest circumference (cm) values of junior high school students (7-10 years old) in secondary schools located in some districts of Andijan region of the Republic of Uzbekistan were analyzed based on comparison. Generally accepted anthropometric research methods were used in the research. In the researches, it was found that body weight (kg), height (cm) and chest circumference index value (cm) increase in the age range of 7-10 years in secondary schools located in sub-mountainous climate-geographical zones. Based on the obtained results, it was noted that it is important to take into account the influence of factors related to climate-geographical conditions in the development of a complex of medical/pedagogical corrections and preventive measures in the development of anthropometric parameters for students of junior school age (ages 7-10).