State-funded Primary Schools Research Articles

‘…we don’t bring religion into school’: issues of religious inclusion and social cohesion

This paper examines the approaches of cultural and religious inclusion at one small state-funded primary school situated in suburban Australia. The school community is experiencing high levels of racialised, gendered and religious conflict. Through case study data from leaders and teachers, we illustrate the potential and limitations of these approaches and consider their location within the notions of secularity and Christian privilege that characterise Australia’s public education system. The paper is situated within the context of current anxieties around social conflict and unrest especially in relation to religious racism or Islamophobia and amid calls for the introduction of a multi-faith education in Australian public schools. Against this backdrop, we highlight key tensions and difficulties confronting schools in their efforts to be inclusive towards creating a climate of social cohesion.

“I can’t cope seeing my kids … hearing these kinds of prayers.” Parents’ rationale for choosing state-funded Muslim schools in the Republic of Ireland: an ethnographic study

ABSTRACTThe population of Muslims living in the Republic of Ireland has increased significantly in recent years. Despite Muslims being one of the fastest growing minorities in the country, there is a paucity of research on the educational choices of Muslim parents. This study draws on ethnographic fieldwork conducted between 2013 and 2014. Based on semi-structured interviews, this article focuses on the views of Muslim parents and teachers from two Muslim state-funded primary schools in Ireland. The interviews revealed that, for most parents, the schools’ Islamic ethos was an underlying motivation for enrolling their children at Muslim schools. The findings also demonstrate the negative reasons of their choices, such as the lack of accommodation and the feelings of isolation they and their children experienced in non-Muslim schools, which further heightens the perception that Muslim schools in Ireland act as safe environments that protect the cultural and religious identities of Muslim children. The article concludes with some considerations for future research.

Marathon Kids UK: study design and protocol for a mixed methods evaluation of a school-based running programme

IntroductionSchools are promising settings for physical activity promotion; however, they are complex and adaptive systems that can influence the quality of programme implementation. This paper presents an evaluation of a...

Savouring our mistakes: Learning from the FitQuest project

Abstract Although serious games for children can potentially have important social, educational and health benefits, the research process from initial game design to a robust evaluation is lengthy and complex. This paper describes the design and evaluation process of an exergame for children. It reports on the inconclusive results of a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) conducted among children aged 10–11 years attending 10 state-funded primary schools in Scotland. One class in each school was randomly allocated to intervention ( n = 5 , 111 children) or control ( n = 5 , 104 children). Intervention schools were given FitQuest, a smartphone game for the Android platform, and were requested to play the game during at least one hour of mandated Physical Education (PE) lessons per week for 5 weeks. Participants in the control arm took part in standard mandated PE lessons. Primary outcome measures were step count, minutes spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and exercise self-efficacy. None of the children spent the recommended time per week playing FitQuest. There were no significant differences in step count, MVPA or self-efficacy by intervention group. The paper reflects on possible flaws during the design and evaluation process which could have led to the disappointing results, and presents some proposals for improving the research process for developing serious games for children. These include: deepening the ways in which we interact with domain expert colleagues, developing a shared understanding of the expectations for different phases of evaluation, closing the gap between game design knowledge and domain theories, raising the standards of evidence for design guidelines, encouraging synthesis across studies by evaluating mid-range theories rather than individual games, and developing guidelines for monitoring intervention fidelity in this domain.

Study design and protocol for a mixed methods evaluation of an intervention to reduce and break up sitting time in primary school classrooms in the UK: The CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning) Programme

IntroductionChildren engage in a high volume of sitting in school, particularly in the classroom. A number of strategies, such as physically active lessons (termed movement integration (MI)), have been developed...

Associations between participation in organised physical activity in the school or community outside school hours and neighbourhood play with child physical activity and sedentary time: a cross-sectional analysis of primary school-aged children from the UK

ObjectivesTo assess the extent to which participation in organised physical activity in the school or community outside school hours and neighbourhood play was associated with children’s physical activity and sedentary...

Building, coding and programming 3D models via a visual programming environment

This paper presents the findings of a study conducted in the state-funded Infant, Primary and Secondary School Santisima Trinidad in Salamanca. The main objectives of the research were, to evaluate the use of the visual programming environment, Lego Education WeDo, in natural science and to know the benefits of the use of this tool to teach abstract concepts, solve problems and motivate students. In order to achieve these objectives, we used the case study method since we focused on individuals who represented the phenomenon of our interest, and explored and investigated in depth the phenomenon in its natural context bounded by time and space. In the research were involved a teacher and fifty-two students of 4th grade of primary education. The study found that the project developed was effective to help students to achieve the learning objectives of the unit, and also to begin building, coding and programming 3D models. The research showed the teacher’ fundamental role as a guide and students’ active role as builders, programmers, or presenters. There were evidences of the possibilities offered to acquire the skills of critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, reflection, collaboration, communication, and time management. Due to the positive results obtained in this study, it is recommended to incorporate computational thinking in primary education and in core content areas since it is fundamental in the current society.

Investigating provision and impact of the primary Physical Education and Sport Premium: a West Midlands case study

ABSTRACTIn March 2013, the UK government announced that it was to award the Primary Physical Education and Sport Premium funding to all English state-funded primary schools to improve provision of Physical Education and sport following the London 2012 Olympic Games. This study reports on seven schools in close geographical proximity to each other within the West Midlands region of England to find out about the provision and impact of the Physical Education and sport premium funding so far.

Teachers’ use of research evidence in practice: a pilot study of feedback to enhance learning

Background: There is worldwide interest in improving the effectiveness of teachers and teaching. This paper considers two strands of that interest. It revisits the impact of using enhanced feedback from teachers to pupils as a way of improving attainment, and it looks at the feasibility of teachers using research evidence to create their own interventions. Current evidence on the causal impact of effective feedback on learning is unclear: many studies have mixed results, are small in scale, lack randomisation or are not conducted in real classroom conditions. Purpose: The aim of this paper is to describe the experience of schools as they engage with research evidence to support their own enquiry into the effectiveness of feedback in the classroom. Research design: This study took place over one academic year, involving nine treatment schools in one local authority. The study involved teachers themselves using research findings to create an intervention, which took, as its focus, enhanced feedback in the classroom. Test results from these schools were compared to the results in 5 participating comparator schools, to the 49 other schools in the borough and to all state-funded primary schools in England. Results: Although teachers showed that they could engage with research evidence, the study indicated that the process was complex in practice. In addition, the independent impact evaluation suggested that enhanced feedback in itself does not necessarily lead to improved pupil test performance. Discussion and conclusions: The paper considers some of the challenges faced by teachers as they attempted to use research evidence, and discusses implications for schools wishing to use research evidence in practice. The findings of the study suggest that it may be feasible for practitioners to use research evidence to inform their own practice. However, to do it well would require clearer guidance, professional development and modelling of any strategies suggested. These findings have implications for policy on teacher development, and for the research community to make research outputs more comprehensible and accessible to research users.

A qualitative study exploring pupil and school staff perceptions of school meal provision in England.

Despite recent attempts to improve the quality of school meals in England through the introduction of school meal standards, uptake remains low. Since the introduction of the universal infant free school meal (UIFSM) scheme in September 2014 all pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 in English state-funded primary schools are eligible to receive a free lunch. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of pupils, catering managers and head teachers concerning school meal provision in eight primary schools in North England and provides a unique insight into each school's preparation for implementation of UIFSM. A total of thirty-two focus groups were conducted with sixty-four pupils aged 7-8 years (Year 3) and sixty-four pupils aged 9-10 years (Year 5) in June-July 2014, to explore perceptions of school meals. Interviews were carried out with six catering managers and five head teachers concerning catering and the impending implementation of UIFSM. Increasing acceptance of school meals could lead to improved uptake. Pupils desired increased choice and menu variety, including greater variety of vegetables and fruit. Caterers can influence the quantity and types of foods offered to pupils, and there are opportunities for them to promote healthy eating behaviours in the dining room. The important roles of school meal providers, caterers, pupils and parents need to be recognised to improve delivery and acceptability of school meals and ultimately school meal uptake. There were practical challenges to implementation of UIFSM, with some concerns expressed over its feasibility. Head teachers were mainly positive about the potential beneficial impacts of the scheme.

Editorial: Learning from failures in game design for children

Although serious games for children can potentially have important social, educational and health benefits, the research process from initial game design to a robust evaluation is lengthy and complex. This paper describes the design and evaluation process of an exergame for children. It reports on the inconclusive results of a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) conducted among children aged 10–11 years attending 10 state-funded primary schools in Scotland. One class in each school was randomly allocated to intervention (n=5, 111 children) or control (n=5, 104 children). Intervention schools were given FitQuest, a smartphone game for the Android platform, and were requested to play the game during at least one hour of mandated Physical Education (PE) lessons per week for 5 weeks. Participants in the control arm took part in standard mandated PE lessons. Primary outcome measures were step count, minutes spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and exercise self-efficacy. None of the children spent the recommended time per week playing FitQuest. There were no significant differences in step count, MVPA or self-efficacy by intervention group.The paper reflects on possible flaws during the design and evaluation process which could have led to the disappointing results, and presents some proposals for improving the research process for developing serious games for children. These include: deepening the ways in which we interact with domain expert colleagues, developing a shared understanding of the expectations for different phases of evaluation, closing the gap between game design knowledge and domain theories, raising the standards of evidence for design guidelines, encouraging synthesis across studies by evaluating mid-range theories rather than individual games, and developing guidelines for monitoring intervention fidelity in this domain.

The educational experiences of pupils with a Statement for special educational needs in mainstream primary schools: results from a systematic observation study

Findings from the Deployment and Impact of Support Staff project showed that day-to-day support for pupils with special education needs (SEN) in mainstream UK schools is often provided by teaching assistants (TAs), instead of teachers. This arrangement is the main explanation for other results from the project, which found TA support had a more profound, negative impact on the academic progress of pupils with SEN than pupils without SEN. There is, however, surprisingly little systematic information on the overall support and interactions experienced by pupils with the highest levels of SEN attending mainstream schools (e.g. those with Statements). The Making a Statement project was designed to provide such a picture in state-funded primary schools in England (e.g. schools attended by children aged between five and 11). Extensive systematic observations were conducted of 48 pupils with Statements and 151 average-attaining ‘control’ pupils. Data collected over 2011/12 involved researchers shadowing pupils in Year 5 (nine- and 10-year olds) over one week each. The results, reported here, show that the educational experiences of pupils with Statements is strongly characterised by a high degree of separation from the classroom, their teacher and peers. A clear point to emerge was the intimate connection between TAs and the locations, in and away from the classroom, in which pupils with Statements are taught. The currency of Statements – a set number of hours of TA support – is identified as key factor in why provision leads to these arrangements, and appears to get in the way of schools thinking through appropriate pedagogies for pupils with the most pronounced learning difficulties.

The Vital Program: Transforming ICT Professional Development

Developing a model for effective large-scale continuous professional development (CPD) for teachers remains a significant obstacle for many governments worldwide. This article describes the development and evolution of Vital—a CPD program designed to enhance the teaching of information communication technology in state-funded primary and secondary schools in England. The article concludes that the success of the program comes from its innovative bottom-up response and reconceptualization of CPD as being more than just externally designed courses. The program encourages and responds to teachers' reflective practice matching the teaching and learning demands of the twenty-first century.

Linguistic Diversity: A Contributory Factor to Reading Problems in Zambian Schools

A lack of familiarity with the language of teaching is blamed for illiteracy rates beyond 40% among people who live in nations in Africa or Asia in which dozens of languages are spoken. For a critical test of the importance of familiarity with the language in which initial reading is practiced, we took the Zambian situation as a natural experiment and tested effects of a fit between the local language spoken in the homes and playground and the language officially designated as language of instruction. We selected 12 state-funded primary schools from three districts likely to differ in match between children's language and language of instruction. From each school we took at random 10 high- and 10 low achievers, in all 240 pupils, and tested them after 18 months of instruction. Pupils make more progress in word reading fluency in a Zambian language and English when basic reading skills are practiced in the children's most familiar Zambian language. Research into other facets of reading instruction is required to balance various possibilities for increasing efficacy of reading instruction.

Meaningful encounters? Religion and social cohesion in the English primary school

Recent debates about state-funded faith schools in England have focused on the way in which they either promote or discourage social cohesion between different cultural, ethnic and religious groups. While one argument suggests that children must experience interfaith and intercultural encounters in order to understand each other, another insists that values of tolerance and acceptance can instead be taught as part of the curriculum. Despite this, much research to date has tended to focus on macro-processes such as selection procedures and residential segregation at the expense of micro-processes within school space itself. This article seeks to address this conspicuous lack of empirical research, by drawing on qualitative fieldwork in a state-funded Community primary school and Roman Catholic primary school located in multi-faith districts of an urban area in the North of England. It will examine a number of ways in which the two schools tried to encourage positive and meaningful encounters between children of different religious backgrounds, as well as the extent to which such attempts were successful. The article will focus particularly on the role of bodies and emotions in making sense of these processes.

Asian Australia and Asian America: Making Transnational Connections

As this special issue of Amerasia Journal is being finalized, President Obama's office is still planning his first official visit to Australia and Indonesia, after two previously postponed trips. The planned visit to Jakarta has been portrayed as a homecoming of sorts for the President, who spent four years in the world's largest Muslim country as a boy when his mother married an Indonesian man, Lolo Soetoro. The young Barry Soetoro, as he was then called, did not have the typical expatriate experience but rather lived among local children and attended a state-funded primary school. This perception of his cultural affiliation with Indonesia/ns and his openness to cross-cultural dialogue as the result of his multiracial and multicultural heritage contributed to Obama's transnational appeal, as indicated by his popularity in the Asian media in the lead up to his historic election. According to his former primary school classmate and now Indonesian Member of Parliament, Dewi Asmara Oetojo, Obama can be a br...

State liability for abuse in primary schools: systemic failure and O'Keeffe v. Hickey

Due to the historical arrangement between Church and State, the Irish State has always discharged its duty to provide for free primary education exclusively through the provision of funding to privately owned and managed schools. Consequently, in O'Keeffe v. Hickey, where a woman sued the State in respect of sex abuse she suffered when in school, the Supreme Court held that on ordinary tort law principles of vicarious liability, primary school teachers are employed by the individual school and not by the State. Consequently, the State bears no liability for torts committed by teachers in the course of their employment. Moreover, the court expressed doubt as to whether such abuse could be considered to occur within the course of employment for the purposes of vicarious liability. This article examines this case from the perspective of the obligations of the State under the Irish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. It argues that viewed globally, these obligations do not allow the State to insulate itself from liability for what occurs in state-funded primary schools; on the contrary, in cases of systemic failure to protect children from sex abuse, there are compelling legal grounds to impose liability on the State.

To measure and improve motor skills in practice

The purpose is to validate and discuss the possibilities to use the Motorisk Utveckling som Grund för Inlärning (Motor skills Development as Basis for Learning, MUGI) observation checklist as a measurement instrument for gross motor skills and to introduce the MUGI model for motor training as an alternative to improve children's motor skills in practice. Motor skills observations were carried out on all pupils in the first three school years at a state-funded primary school in Sweden (n = 251). Pupils in an intervention group (n = 152) had one lesson of physical activity and motor training every school day and also, when needed, an extra motor training lesson per week. The MUGI observation checklist, which includes 16 items that measure static and dynamic balance, bilateral coordination, and eye-hand coordination, was validated and tested for reliability. After one year of intervention, the pupils in the intervention group had significantly better (p < 0.05) motor skills than pupils in the control group. Results of factor analysis, reliability tests, and evaluator agreement show that the MUGI observation checklist fulfills requirements at an acceptable level of validity and reliability. The MUGI model was found to function well in practice for improving children's motor skills. The MUGI observation checklist could be an alternative to current measurement instruments in studies of children's gross motor skills, and also function as planning documentation for individual intervention programs. The MUGI model could be used to improve children's motor skills in practice.

Racial and religious discrimination: The inexorable relationship between schools and the individual

Institutional racism remains a difficult and nebulous practice to analyse. This is due, in part, to the sophisticated and complex discriminatory mechanisms that operate through and between institutions. Furthermore, this is affected by the inequity that is experienced by both those who are employed and those who are serviced by the organisation. It is argued in this paper that a false dichotomy has existed in earlier constructions of institutions, whereby the individual and their conscious (or unconscious) actions can be separated from practices and procedures. In many respects, this has served to absolve the perpetrators of discriminatory practices. This paper claims that racisms actually operate in multiple ways and include other forms of discrimination. Religion, for example, has been ignored in most discussions about institutional racism. To exemplify this, data are drawn from a case study about the educational experiences of Muslim pupils in an anonymous state-funded primary school in the north-west of Britain. Evidence suggests that powerful prejudicial discourse, immersed in unequal power relationships, was maintained by teachers and school procedures, where pupils were, at best, misunderstood and, at worst, deliberately discriminated against.