Secondary Schools In Cyprus Research Articles

The dynamic approach to school improvement: investigating duration and sustainability effects on student achievement in mathematics

ABSTRACT This paper argues for establishing stronger links between educational effectiveness research and school improvement. It presents the results of a 3-year study investigating the impact of the dynamic approach (DA) to school improvement on promoting student achievement in mathematics. It explores duration (offering the DA for more than 1 year) and sustainability effects of the DA. A sample of 18 secondary schools in Cyprus participated in this study. Two experimental groups used the DA to develop their school improvement strategies. The first group employed the DA for the first 2 intervention years and was more effective than the control group in promoting mathematics achievement at the end of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year. Schools that made use of the DA for all 3 years were found to be the most effective at the end of the 3rd year. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Carers as mentors in inclusion: The case of Cyprus

Abstract Despite the progress in education in recent years, the marginalization of students identified as having special educational needs (SEN) persists. Students characterized as having SEN is one of the factors that could change the status quo and lead to greater inclusion. The current research project adopted a mixed methodology to investigate this possibility. The research was conducted in five secondary schools in Cyprus, and 138 people participated. As the research is now complete, we can conclude that carers of students characterized as having SEN can act as mentors of both SEN children and non-SEN childrens

Adolescents’ positive attitudes towards school: a reflection on the spatial configuration of school buildings

Evidence connecting the socio-spatial properties of a school building with adolescents’ positive attitudes towards school is rare. This study examines whether the socio-spatial context of school along with individual parameters of adolescents (such as gender and perception of attainment) influence their positive attitudes towards school. It harnesses spatial data by implementing analytical approaches to the understanding of the school layout, observational data, qualitative insights, and adolescents’ perception surveys in two finger-plan secondary schools in Cyprus. Two statistical models have been developed explaining 32% and 41% of the variation of students’ positive attitudes. The most important factors contributing to the models include the visibility potential of students’ classrooms and their perceptions of academic performance. Thus, the findings of this study are expected to help designers to understand the impacts of their design interventions and leaders in education to appreciate the role of the school building in adolescents’ positive attitudes towards school.

Learners' Perceptions of Peer Assessment

In the past two decades, several researchers have expressed their concern regarding students’ attitudes towards writing (Hyland, 2018). To address the effects of peer assessment (PA) on 100 young intermediate EFL learners’ writing performance, this study examined whether the use of anonymous reciprocal PA in 4 public secondary schools in Cyprus would result in considerable improvement in students’ motivation towards PA of writing and their willingness to write. The analysis of the data from the pre-PA questionnaires indicated that students’ attitudes were positive before experimenting with PA but improved even more after the implementation. This was also confirmed by the focus group discussions in which shortcomings of PA were also highlighted. Students expressed their wish to use multiple forms of assessment, receive more training and increase their exposure to PA. All in all, students’ positive attitude towards PA seemed to have affected their writing performance and vice versa.

Examining the legislative and institutional framework for special units in Cyprus

Abstract This paper aims at examining the institutional framework within which Special Units (SUs) in Cypriot secondary education operate. The establishment of SU targets to facilitate the education of pupils defined as having special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools, and their operation is governed by the 1999 law and subsequent amending acts and circulars. Neither the operation of the SUs and the institutional framework that guides their operation have yet been investigated. The main aim of our research was to investigate teachers’ and parents’ views of the way in which SUs function, as well as their opinions of the legislative sections relating to the special units. This process led to the creation of a critical approach called the Institutional Framework for Special Units in Cyprus. Lastly, the participants were asked to propose ways in which the SUs could operate an inclusive environment. This paper presents qualitative research conducted in three secondary schools in Cyprus. Our sample consisted of 52 participants (heads, special education associate administrators, assistant heads, teachers, parents) over a five month timespan (September 2017-February 2018). The results lead to the conclusion that immediate action for further improvement and change is imperative, primarily for the benefit of pupils defined as having SEN.

Moral disengagement and bullying at school: Is there a gender issue?

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between moral disengagement, emotion regulation and bullying behavior at school. Participants were 512 adolescents (281 males and 231 females) attending secondary schools in Cyprus. They completed a questionnaire package two times, with a five months period between them. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to investigate the relationships among the variables under study. Moderation analyses were used to examine the moderating role of emotion regulation strategies on the effect of moral disengagement on bullying activity and multi-group analyses were further employed to examine the role of gender as a potential moderator. In line with earlier research, a positive association between moral disengagement and bullying behavior was found. Further, it was found that emotion regulation serves as a moderator of the effect of moral disengagement on bullying behavior. However, such moderation was found only for girls who use maladaptive emotion regulation strategies.

Mindfulness, impulsivity, and moral disengagement as parameters of bullying and victimization at school.

The aim of the present study was to examine the existing association between mindfulness, impulsivity, moral disengagement, and bullying experiences at school. Longitudinal data were collected in three points in time (T1, T2, T3) with 6 months interval between them. Participants were 558 adolescents attending secondary schools in Cyprus, with their ages ranging from 14 to 17 years (M = 15.3; standard deviation = 0.69). Through structural equation modeling, it was found that mindfulness at T1 had a significant negative effect on both impulsivity and moral disengagement at T2 and these, in turn, had a positive effect on bullying and victimization at T3. Thus, mindfulness had an indirect effect on both bullying and victimization, fully mediated by impulsivity and moral disengagement.

Longitudinal associations between parental rejection and bullying/victimization

ABSTRACTThe present study investigated the direction of the relationship between parental rejection and children’s engagement in bullying and victimization. Using a cross-lagged design, we examined whether (a) bullying and victimization predict an increase in parental rejection six months later, (b) parental rejection predicts an increase in bullying and victimization six months later, and (c) there is a reciprocal association between bullying/victimization and parental rejection. The participants were 846 early adolescents (mean age = 12.63 years) randomly selected from primary and secondary schools in Cyprus and Greece (375 Cypriots, 471 Greek students) and their parents. Children completed a translated version of the Personal Experiences Checklist – (PECK) and the Rejection subscale of the Parental Acceptance/Rejection Questionnaire. The results showed that parental rejection at Time 1 predicted significantly victimization at Time 2. Parental rejection however, was not a significant predictor of bullying. Moreover, bullying and victimization at Time 1 predicted significantly parental rejection at Time 2. These results provide further insight at the theoretical level in as far our understanding of the familial dynamics in bullying victimization and may provide clinical implications in relation to counselling of victimized children and their parents.

Peer Assessment of Adolescent Learners’ Writing Performance

Peer assessment (PA), a process by which students' work (oral or written) is assessed by other students of equal status, has received a lot of attention recently (Assessment Reform Group, 1999, 2002). Using data collected from secondary schools in Cyprus, the current study investigates whether PA can improve the writing skills of adolescent students of English as a foreign language (EFL). The results showed that PA did have a positive impact on students’ writing performance, especially for students who provided peer assessment. The article discusses the important role of PA in the development of students’ writing skills and offers recommendations for the implementation of PA in EFL contexts.

Analysis of structural elements and energy consumption of school building stock in Cyprus: Energy simulations and upgrade scenarios of a typical school

Structural and energy consumption details from the secondary school buildings of Cyprus are presented in this paper. The study identifies the prevailing building practices in schools’ construction in the three climatic zones of Cyprus, coastal, inland and mountainous. Furthermore the construction details of schools are compared with their energy consumption. In this questionnaire survey 24 schools were responded with a completed profile and represent the 15% of schools and through further interviews and in situ visits more data are collected from a percentage of 60% of the secondary schools in Cyprus. The analysis through questionnaire results conclude to significant findings which are very revealing and may be used as a preliminary study on energy upgrading of schools.Furthermore through a statistical study the construction details of the mean typical secondary school building in Cyprus are also derived. A case study with simulations for the energy performance of a representative typical school building is also developed. Variables of the building elements are examined through parametric simulations using the software iSBEMcy. This is the official governmental software used for the categorization of energy efficiency in buildings and the calculation of CO2 emissions according to the European Directive 2002/91/EC. Based on the energy categorization of the building six retrofitting scenarios are studied in simulations.

Attainment gap and responsible factors: a quantitative study in secondary schools in Cyprus

The population in Cyprus, a recent European Union member, has become much more heterogeneous during the past decade. Here, we examine the attainment patterns of minority and native students enrolled in six secondary schools from different cities in Cyprus, and identify factors responsible for these patterns. The combination of examined factors has not, to our knowledge, taken place in previous studies. Findings confirm that ethnic minority groups perform significantly lower than native students. In terms of aetiology, we show that ethnic background, gender, parental education, parental occupation, generation status, absenteeism and school minority concentration have a significant effect on student attainment.

Factors affecting ethnic minority students’ attainment in secondary schools in Cyprus: a focus group study

This is the first study in Cyprus aiming to gain insight into the factors responsible for the low attainment of ethnic minority students observed in earlier studies. Teachers from different schools and cities on the island participated in a focus group discussion. Identified factors related to the child, parents, home environment, teachers, school, and society. Examination of these factors revealed that the socio‐economic status of the family and the character of the current educational system were the main reasons for the disparity in attainment.

Evaluation of the Support Services Provided to Deaf Children Attending Secondary General Schools in Cyprus

Deaf children have been integrated into secondary schools in Cyprus since 1990. This article reports the results of a major study carried out in Cyprus, the aim of which was to evaluate for the first time the support services available for deaf children receiving their education in secondary general schools. For the purposes of our study, four types of questionnaires were designed and administered to all deaf children integrated into secondary general schools, as well as to their parents, teachers, and head teachers. All participants stressed that the support services are vital for the children's academic success and social integration. The main support services identified by the participants in our study were: one-to-one and group sessions; presence of co-coordinators (special teachers of the deaf); "acoustical treatment" of the classrooms; provision and management of personal amplification, psychological support, and counseling; and in-service training for designated teachers. The majority of the participants expressed satisfaction with the support services offered to them. They also made some suggestions for the improvement of the integration of deaf children into secondary schools in Cyprus.

Using DEA to evaluate the efficiency of secondary schools: the case of Cyprus

This study utilizes the methodology of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to assess the efficiency of secondary schools in Cyprus. Apart from evaluating the relative efficiency of schools, the study provides recommendations for improvement to inefficient schools and discusses managerial implications. Furthermore, empirical findings based on an approach to estimate efficiency environmental effects suggest that no efficiency differences exist between schools operating in rural areas compared to those operating in urban areas.

The effect of age‐position and sex on academic performance: a study of secondary schools in Cyprus

Summary The present study examined one aspect of the ‘season of birth’ phenomenon, the variations in educational achievement effected by a child's age‐position within the class. Sex differences in achievement were also examined. An analysis based on a sample of nearly 4,000 high school examination results was conducted. The research analysed the Greek language grade, mathematics grade and the overall ‘high school’ grade, obtained by 17+ year old students who graduated at the end of the 1992/93 and 1993/94 academic years. The presence of an age‐position related effect was found, but in contrast to similar research studies the youngest students, in most instances, outperformed the oldest students. Nevertheless, this finding is consistent with research studies related to the age‐position effect when framed within the context of the Cypriot educational policy of promotion by examination. It was found that the youngest‐born pupils in a year group made up the highest percentage of repeating, i.e. non‐promoted students. However, the findings do suggest a need for a re‐evaluation of the nature of the age‐position effect. It was also found that, in general, female students attained significantly higher grades than their male counterparts.

Cognitive Abilities among Twelfth‐grade Students: Implications for Science Teaching*

ABSTRACT The study investigated the differences related to formal reasoning abilities among students attending different sections of the upper cycle of secondary schools in Cyprus. The subjects of the study were twelfth‐grade students from 21 intact classes (227 boys and 242 girls). These classes were randomly selected among the 36 twelfth‐grade classes of four schools in a town of Cyprus. The sample of students represented the science section, the economic section and the “unified” section consisting of sections following common curricula in science and mathematics. Students’ performance on a standardized Test of Logical Thinking (TOLT) was used as a measure of their cognitive abilities related to control of variables, proportional, probabilistic, correlational and combinatorial reasoning. The students of the “unified” section had lower performance than the students of both the science and the economic section on all cognitive measures, and female students had lower performance than male students on cognitive measures related to control of variables and probabilistic reasoning. Multiple regression analysis between performance on TOLT and gender, section of study, and measures of school achievement showed that gender, section of study, achievement in mathematics, and grade point average, but not achievement in science and Greek language, contributed significantly to predicting performance on TOLT. Observed differences related to measures of school achievement either among the subjects of the three sections or between male and female students did not correspond to differences related to cognitive measures. Factor analysis of performance on the ten TOLT items (two items from each reasoning mode) produced a two‐factor solution. There were also significant differences in students’ performance between items related to the same or different reasoning mode. The results of the study cast doubt on the appropriateness of the existing curricula or their implementation and indicate that different theoretical perspectives should be considered when evaluating cognitive development. *Psychology is the official journal of the Greek Psychological Society.