Socioeconomic School Research Articles

Different Patterns of Relationships Between Principal Leadership and 15-Year-Old Students' Science Learning: How School Resources, Teacher Quality, and School Socioeconomic Status Make a Difference.

The present study critically evaluates whether school leadership influences student learning homogenously regardless of school contexts. It examined relationships between four principal leadership variables (envisioning, instructional management, promoting professional development, empowerment) and two types of student outcomes (enjoyment in learning science, science achievement) in different school contexts [in terms of the availability of science resources, quality of science teachers, and school socioeconomic status (SES)]. The sample comprised 248,620 students and 9,370 principals in 35 developed countries who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015. Latent profile analysis (LPA) showed that schools operated in three types of school contexts with different levels of science resources, proportion of quality science teachers, and school SES. There were also differences in the pattern of leadership practices across the three types of school contexts. Three-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) showed that among the four leadership variables, only instructional management was positively associated with students’ enjoyment of science in schools with less science resources and quality science teachers. Therefore, instructional management had compensatory effects for students in less-endowed schools. In contrast, principal leadership related to envisioning, teacher professional development, and empowerment was not positively related to students’ science learning in all three school contexts.

The delivery of primary school physical education in South African public schools: The perceptions of educators

Background: Physical Education (PE) is a fundamental cornerstone for childhood development as it promotes lifelong participation in physical activities for holistic health. School educators play a key role in creating school environments that lead to developmentally appropriate and high-quality PE lessons.Aim: The aim of this study was to determine educators’ perceptions on the state and status of PE in selected public primary schools in all nine provinces of South Africa.Setting: Data were collected on the campus of the selected primary schools within 150 km of a university. In the absence of a university within the stated radius, an airport was used as an initiated point of departure.Methods: The mixed-methods approach (quantitative: questionnaires and qualitative: semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions) was used to collect data. The purposive sampling method was used to select the participants. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics in the form of percentages, and presented using graphs and tables. Qualitative data were analysed using themes.Results: The findings revealed that the educators from quintile 4 and 5 schools especially are of the opinion that challenges, such as a lack of resources, qualified PE specialist educators, and facilities and equipment negatively affected the delivery of PE at their schools.Conclusion: Participants perceived that there are varying contextual and socio-economic school settings affecting the delivery of PE in the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) curriculum. The researcher recommends that all learners have access to the adequate provision of PE programmes.

Family environment and emotional quotient in primary school 3rd grade students

In this research, Emotional Quotient levels of 3rd grade primary school students are investigated with respect to a number of psycho-social variables. Whether its environment makes a significant difference on eq when these variables are limited is examined.
 Target population of the study consists of 3rd grade students who are registered to five middle socio-economic status schools in the center and two townships’ schools in the countryside within Izmir city borders in the 2015-2016 academic term. Sample group consists of randomly selected 167 students who are 3rd graders studying in the same classes in mentioned schools. Research is designed in relational screening model. In this research, personal information form and EQ scale for children both developed by researcher are used as data collection tools. For the statistical analysis of the collected data, independent samples t test, one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal Wallis, Mann Whitney U tests are used. According to the search results, EQ levels of 3rd grade students vary significantly with respect to family income, mother’s and father’s occupation, mother’s and father’s education, number of family members and whether students continue their pre-school education.. The results are discussed on the basis of the literature and suggestions are presented.
 
 Keywords: emotional quotient, psyco-social variables, family environment;

Segregación escolar por nivel socioeconómico en educación secundaria en Perú y sus regiones

Diferentes estudios internacionales han evidenciado que Perú es uno de los países de América Latina con mayor segregación escolar. El objetivo de este estudio es profundizar en esa afirmación y estimar la magnitud de la segregación de las escuelas de secundaria por nivel socioeconómico en el total de Perú y en sus regiones con una mirada específica en las escuelas situadas en contextos urbanos. Para ello, se realiza una explotación especial de los datos de la Evaluación Censal de Estudiantes del 2016 del Ministerio de Educación. Se utilizan los índices de Gorard y de aislamiento, y la variable criterio es el índice socioeconómico. La muestra estuvo conformada por 489.161 estudiantes de 25 regiones. Los resultados confirman que la magnitud de la segregación escolar en las escuelas de secundaria es alta y se encuentra una tendencia a una mayor segregación en los grupos de menor nivel socioeconómico, así como diferencias entre las regiones y entre cada grupo minoritario. El estudio muestra la necesidad de seguir profundizando en este tipo de estudios, puesto que permite contar con evidencia para atender, de manera urgente y diferenciada, a los grupos con mayor segregación escolar. De este modo, es posible garantizar la igualdad de oportunidades a todos los estudiantes del país.

Ortaokul Öğrencilerinin Bilimsel Sorgulama Görüşleri: Cinsiyet, Sınıf Düzeyi ve Okul Türü Değişkenlerinin İncelenmesi

Bilimsel sorgulama (BS), bilim okuryazarı öğrencilerin hedefine ulaşmada en önemli bileşenlerden birisidir. Öğretim programında ‘anlayış’ ve ‘beceri’ olarak farklı ifade edilmiş olsa da BS hakkında bilinçli düzeyde görüşlere sahip olan öğrencilerin bu konudaki becerilerinin de daha fazla gelişeceği açıktır. Sorgulama becerilerinin ve anlayışının geliştirilmesi, sorgulamaya dayalı stratejilerin ve sınıf içi uygulamalarının dikkatli bir şekilde planlanmasını ve uygulanmasını gerektirir. Ancak, sorgulamaya dayalı stratejileri planlama ve uygulama öncesinde, uygulamaların kalitesini ve içeriğini planlama adına öğrencilerin bu konudaki hazırbulunuşluluklarını ve görüşlerini inceleyen betimleyici çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır. Bu nedenle bu çalışmanın amacı, sosyo ekonomik düzeyleri farklı beş okulda öğrenim gören toplam n = 599 5, 6 ve 7. sınıf öğrencilerinin bilimsel sorgulama hakkındaki görüşlerinin betimsel olarak ortaya konulmasıdır. Çalışmanın birincil veri kaynağı, Lederman vd. (2014) tarafından geliştirilen, açık uçlu Bilimsel Sorgulama Hakkında Görüşler Anketi’ne (VASI) verilen öğrencileri yanıtlarıdır. Çalışma sonuçları, ortaokul öğrencilerinin bilimsel sorgulamanın tüm bileşenleri hakkında görüşlerinin yetersiz düzeyde olduğunu göstermiştir. Çalışmanın s onuçları derinlemesine incelendiğinde ise, bilinçli düzeyde görüşlere sahip olan ortaokul öğrencilerinin büyük bir kısmını, özellikle üst-orta sosyoekonomik düzey okulların 6. sınıflarında öğrenim gören öğrencilerin oluşturduğu görülmüştür.

Critiques of socio-economic school compositional effects: are they valid?

School socio-economic compositional (SEC) effects have been influential in educational research predicting a range of outcomes and influencing public policy. However, some recent studies have challenged the veracity of SEC effects when applying residualised-change and fixed effects models and simulating potential measurement errors in hierarchical regression models. We review the residualised change and fixed effects methods in critical studies and find limitations in their capacity to demonstrate null compositional effects. We show this with an adjusted residualised change model finding significant SEC effects. We show structural equation models can address concerns that measurement errors inflate SEC effects by comparing hierarchical regression models to structural equation models. We find that structural equation models can detect SEC effects free from measurement error. We conclude that the reviewed critiques of SEC effects were due to methods unlikely to detect compositional effects. Future research would benefit from the identification of mediators of SEC effects.

Development of Creative Thinking Skills with Aesthetic Creativity Teaching Activities in Social Studies Course

This research is qualitative research that examined the effects of aesthetic creativity practices on students' creative- thinking skills in a Social Studies course. The research was designed according to the case study design of qualitative research methods. The study group was determined by criterion sampling from purposeful sampling types. The study group comprised 12 fourth-grade students and their classroom teacher and were from a middle socioeconomic school in Hatay in the 2017-2018 academic years. In the Social Studies course, aesthetic creativity activities were implemented through performance tasks in a 17-hour period, and students' development in creative thinking skills followed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and structured observation. The interviews were conducted with the students and the classroom teacher. To evaluate students' development, the classroom teacher was interviewed at the end of the process. The students were interviewed at the end of the process, and the data were analyzed through content analysis. The data obtained from the observations were analyzed descriptively through the Creative Thinking Skills Evaluation Rubric (CTSER), structured by the researchers, and comprised creative thinking, imagination, idea production, humor, research, product creation, and problem-solving sub-dimensions. The results revealed that the students showed the most improvement in the dimensions of idea production and humor. In addition, the students demonstrated a distinguishable development in their research, problem-solving, and image dimensions. Although the students developed product building skills, none attained the level of creating unique products. Another result is that the aesthetic creativity teaching practices achieved the objectives in terms of sense-making and affective skills (e.g., providing a pleasant classroom environment, expressing emotions).

Training of early childhood teachers for the use of successful shared reading strategies.

Verify the effects of a training program held with pre-school teachers to carry out specific strategies in shared reading and generalize these strategies in other daily activities of oral language motivation. A total of 14 teachers from low socioeconomic level schools participated in the study. The teachers were randomly distributed in an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group attended training on how to use five strategies during shared reading in the classroom and discuss how to motivate their students towards oral language. To evaluate the effectiveness of training, two instruments were applied pre- and post-intervention. The Assessment Scale of Oral Language Teaching in School (EVALOE) was applied to analyze the teaching of oral language and the Checklist was used to characterize the behavioral changes of the teachers during shared reading. Overall, EVALOE data were higher at post-intervention analysis for 11 of the 13 participants. Checklist showed that 10 of the 13 teachers presented higher post-intervention total scores compared with their respective pre-intervention scores. The training program provided improvement in teacher behavior during shared reading activities and demonstrated to have a positive impact on the increase of interactions, previously identified in the literature as important for oral language motivation.

School Socioeconomic Composition as a Factor of Educational Inequality Reproduction

It can be inferred from international findings that school socioeconomic composition (SEC) is a major factor of educational inequality in secondary education at the school level. SEC is believed to have a positive relationship with student achievement along with individual student characteristics. However, a review of research methods used in most studies calls the existence of an influence into question.A study was carried out to evaluate causal relations between school SEC and student achievement. Multilevel regression analysis and propensity score matching (PSM) methods were applied to the panel study Trajectories in Education and Careers data in order to measure the effects of one year of study at schools with low vs. high socioeconomic composition. Correlational and quasi-experimental effect sizes were compared.Analysis results confirm that school SEC is a key factor of educational inequality in Russian secondary education, the inequality effects of school composition overlapping only partially with those of school location. Within a year of schooling, ninth-graders with similar individual characteristics may lose up to a quarter of standard error in PISA‑2012 scores if attending a school with low socioeconomic composition, while attending a high-SEC school would improve their educational outcomes by the end of the ninth grade. Negative effects were observed for two subject areas, which allows suggesting a systematic impact of SEC on student achievement. The final part of the article describes the theoretical and practical significance of the findings and presents the main directions of further research in this field.

Strength and conditioning practices of high school rugby coaches: A South African context

Although rugby union as a sport is well established, the strength and conditioning practices of high school level players are not well known. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to examine the current strength and conditioning practices that coaches implement at South African high school level rugby. A secondary purpose was to compare practices between high schools of different socio-economic status in South Africa. An online survey or in person interview (depending on the school) was conducted and 43 responses were received: from 28 coaches at schools among the top 100 rugby schools in South Africa for 2016 and from 15 coaches at no-fee public schools in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Most coaches (72%) performed some form of physical testing, with the most common parameter tested being ‘speed’. The most common strength and conditioning practices utilised included flexibility (stretching), speed (free sprinting), agility (cone drills), plyometric (box drills) and resistance (weight lifting) training. Unlike the no-fee schools, the top 100 rugby schools implemented conditioning practices similar to best-known international practices. Furthermore, no-fee school coaches did not have the qualifications necessary to administer the correct training techniques. Education and upskilling on the best strength and conditioning practices for school level coaches need to be improved, particularly in less privileged schools. Such improvement is crucial to the transformation goals set out by the South African Rugby Union, which would benefit from player development in lower socio-economic schools.
 Significance:
 
 The top 100 rugby playing schools in the country implement similar strength and conditioning practices to the best known international practices.
 Education of coaches is key to the implementation of correct strength and conditioning practices, specifically at underprivileged schools.

A Multilevel Model for Examining Perceptions of School Climate, Socioeconomic Status, and Academic Achievement for Secondary School Students

This multilevel study examined the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) and student perceptions of school climate on academic achievement at the student and school levels. Data used were from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002. The sample included 9,518 students enrolled in 584 public high schools. The results revealed that student-level predictors, such as gender, race, SES, academic risk factors, high school programming, and student perceptions of school climate, play a significant role in math achievement scores. A school-level variable (e.g., school SES) was also a significant predictor in math achievement scores. The findings have important implications, specifically, they point to a need for measuring school climate at the student level and using data to inform climate improvement strategies and interventions at the student level, especially for those living in poverty and exposed to multiple risks.

“My child would never do that”: Caregiver-child relationships regarding openness and communication about sexuality education in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The study focuses on caregivers’ personal reasons for not having openness in communication regarding sexuality education messages with their children. Qualitative semi-structured focus group discussions with six caregivers per school from four different socio-economic status schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, were conducted and analyzed using Thematic Content Analysis. Caregivers’ lack of self-confidence as a credible source of sexuality education, the powerlessness they feel and denial that their children could be sexually active; prevent them from talking to their children regarding this. The school should include caregivers in the sexuality education program to increase caregivers’ knowledge and skill in caregiver-child communication.

The Impact of Michigan's Nonmedical Vaccine Exemption Rule Change on Philosophical Exemption Rates.

To examine school factors associated with philosophical exemption rates among kindergarteners in Michigan from 2014, before Michigan's implementation of administrative rule 325.176 (12), to 2015, after the rule change revising the process for receiving nonmedical exemptions from school entry vaccines. The study explored the extent to which the factors-school type, geographical location, and socioeconomics-were associated with philosophical exemptions among kindergarteners before and after the rule change, using negative binomial regression and Spearman's Rho correlation. Philosophical exemptions decreased from 2014 to 2015 for all school types but remained highest among rural private schools. Urban private schools had the second highest exemptions with rates 2.22 times higher than those of urban public schools. Exemption rates among rural charter schools were double those of urban public schools, while rural public schools' rates were 1.22 times higher than those of urban public schools. Free and reduced school lunch eligibility had a strong inverse association with philosophical exemptions for both 2014 and 2015, with higher philosophical exemptions being associated with higher socioeconomic schools. Philosophical exemption rates decreased in the wake of the rule change; however, high philosophical exemptions, post rule change, were still associated with private schools, rural locations, and high socioeconomic status schools.

Factors That Have an Impact on Educator Pedagogues in Teaching Sexuality Education to Secondary School Learners in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

In a bid to reduce rates of HIV and AIDS, teenage pregnancy and STIs in this high-risk age group, sexuality education, as provided via the Life Orientation (LO) curriculum, is aimed at providing standardised prevention of risky sexual behaviour to all school-going youth in South Africa. The programme is facilitated by the LO educators who strive to develop learners’ abilities to make healthy choices for their own lives. Qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews with six educators from four different socio-economic status schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, were conducted and analysed using Thematic Content Analysis. Educators were selected via random sampling which is representative of poverty quintiles 2–5 in the Umlazi district of KwaZulu-Natal. The findings of the study demonstrate that while educators were personally aware of and were practicing suitable pedagogy adapted to the needs of their learners, their school environments presented challenges which were perceived as barriers to their intentions to implement these best suited practices. LO educators, however, demonstrated the ability and skill to overcome these barriers by creating relationship-centred learning. The provision of resources by the government, curricular changes of repetitive subject content and participatory learner-educator–centred learning is required to overcome the challenges in low-resourced schools.

Teachers’ scaffolding science reading comprehension in low-income schools: how to improve achievement in science

ABSTRACTReading is a tool that promotes the learning of science across schooling. Scientific texts are conceptually and linguistically complex, especially for students from low-income contexts because they have neither the experience with the language nor the literacy skills to face the challenges of scientific knowledge. This study used a mix method approach to compare the cognitive scaffolding practiced by teachers during science reading activities in high- and low-performing schools. Three teachers and 141 fourth grade students from low socioeconomic background schools participated in 48 class sessions. Classes were video-recorded and transcribed. The data were analyzed using Sanchez’ Pedagogic Practice Analysis System. The results show that teachers from both types of schools continuously use reading as a tool for learning. The effective teacher uses reading with non-invasive scaffolding and varied verbal participation to elaborate knowledge, promoting literal and inferential comprehension and more opportunities for the students to construct knowledge. By contrast, less effective teachers use reading with invasive scaffolding and little verbal participation of the students to consolidate knowledge, promoting mainly literal comprehension. This study shed light on different approaches teachers use to foster reading comprehension for science learning.

Teachers' knowledge about language constructs related to literacy skills and student achievement in low socio-economic status schools.

Teachers' knowledge is a critical component to students learning to read proficiently. The present research sought to determine the literacy knowledge of 150 urban, elementary school teachers from 11 low socio-economic schools in one of nation's largest cities. Teachers' ability to understand concepts relating to phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle/phonics, and morphology as well as their knowledge about teaching these fundamental skills were assessed through a standardized measure. Using exploratory factor analysis to understand the latent constructs underlying the survey scores and hierarchical linear modelling on factor scores of each construct, the results revealed that teachers located in low socio-economic status schools did not have explicit knowledge needed to effectively teach struggling readers. Although the teachers possessed a high level of knowledge regarding syllable counting skills, they lacked knowledge related to morphology. Practical implications are provided to assist teachers in increasing their literacy knowledge.

Drinking patterns and attitudes about alcohol among New Zealand adolescents

ABSTRACTQuestionnaires about alcohol use were administered to consenting Year 10 students at 10 secondary schools located in regions of Southland, Otago and Hawkes Bay (n = 579) to examine drinking patterns and attitudes about alcohol of 14–15-year-olds. The average age of first drink was 12.6 years, two years younger than previously reported, with no difference in age of first drink for different socioeconomic statuses or ethnicities. Fifty-four per cent self-reported having consumed alcohol, and 23% had done so at least once within the last four weeks, with 13% reported regularly drinking more than five drinks in one session. While almost half of the 14–15-year-olds in this study reported never drinking alcohol, 75 individuals reported regular binge drinking. This was more common for students in lower socioeconomic schools; almost a third of students in the lowest socioeconomic group reported drinking five or more drinks every time they drink. There may be benefits of alcohol education resources for children as young as 12 years.

The importance of principal leadership and context for school success: insights from ‘(in)visible school’

ABSTRACT The aim of the research is to pinpoint which leadership-related factors affect school success, specifically focusing on features and strategies used by the principals. The work follows the International Successful School Principalship Project methodology in two case studies in Andalusia (Spain). Both schools (with differentiated environments) are classed by the research as ‘invisible or visible school’, depending on the evolution and recognition of their success. Case A is a high-performing and declining school (invisible) and Case B is a low-performing and rising school (visible). The results emphasise the importance of the socioeconomic and cultural school context and the characteristics and type of leadership exercised by principals in their relationships with the environment, academic outcomes of the pupils and the school’s innovation process. The principal’s leadership is also crucial for acknowledgement of school results.

The Effect of School Socioeconomic Status and Sport on Adolescent Athletes’ Baseline Concussion Assessment

PURPOSE:The purpose is to examine the effect of school socioeconomic status (SES) and sport on the baseline performance of adolescent athletes on the King-Devick test (KD), modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS), and Post Concussive Symptom Inventory (PCSI). METHODS:A retrospective cohort study was conducted on athletes’ baseline concussion assessments completed as part of a concussion surveillance program. Testing included a history and risk factor questionnaire, KD, mBESS, and PCSI. Schools and sports clubs were classified as high SES (private or <50% free/reduced lunches) vs. low SES (public, > 75% free/reduced lunches). Sports were categorized as collision, contact, and non-contact. An ANCOVA was performed for each outcome while controlling for age RESULTS:Analysis was conducted on 377 athletes (63% M), average age 15.9+1.5 years (range 12.1-19.2). Two schools and 1 club were classified as high SES (n=162); 5 schools (n=215) were classified as low SES. For KD score, only a significant school × sport interaction was observed (p=0.01), with age as a significant co-variate (p=0.01). Only a significant main effect of school was observed for the mBESS (p=0.02), while a significant main effect of school (p=0.001) and school × sport interaction (p=0.02) was observed for PCSI. Age was not significant for either mBESS or PCSI (p>0.47). CONCLUSIONS: This study examines the influence of school SES and sport on baseline KD, mBESS, and PCSI. KD scores were slower in contact and non-contact athletes of high SES schools compared to low SES school athletes. Additionly, low SES school contact and non-contact athletes reported higher baseline PCSI scores compared to their high SES school counterparts. These findings have implications for how baseline scores are considered as comparisons for concussion surveillance; however, more studies are necessary to examine other confounding factors and the utility of these measures in managing injury recovery.

Association between school-level attributes and weight status of Ghanaian primary school children

BackgroundLittle is known about the impact of the school environmental context on the emerging trend of childhood obesity in Africa. We examined the association of the schools’ contextual factors with body mass index (BMI), abdominal obesity and overweight (including obesity) in urban Ghana.MethodUsing cross-sectional data from 543 school children aged 8–11 years attending 14 primary schools, we applied multilevel logistic regressions and linear regression models to investigate the association of child- and school level attributes with overweight, abdominal obesity, and BMI.ResultsWe observed significant variance of the random effects of schools in BMI (2.65, p < 0.05), abdominal obesity (0.85, p < 0.05), and overweight (1.41, p < 0.05), with school contextual levels accounting for 19.7, 20.6, and 30.0% of the total variability observed in BMI, abdominal obesity and overweight respectively. Attending high socioeconomic (SES) level school, private school and school with increased after-school recreational facilities were associated with higher BMI. Children were more likely to be overweight if they attended a high SES level school, had access to healthful foods at school, and after-school recreational facilities. With regards to abdominal obesity, attending a school with increased physical activity facilities decreased the odds of abdominal obesity; however the odds increased if they attended a school with access to after-school recreational facilities.ConclusionA number of school-level factors were associated with BMI, overweight and abdominal obesity of children in the present study. Our results provide support for improved school environment to reduce overweight.