School Success Research Articles

The The Effect of Teacher-Student Reciprocal Relationships on Academic Performance in Bangladeshi Primary Schools

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of teacher-student interactions on academic success in Bangladeshi primary schools. The study employed a mixed-methods methodology and gathered data from 320 primary students and 64 instructors/teachers across sixteen elementary schools. The data collection involved the administration of survey questionnaires for both teachers and students, and focused group interviews of students and conducting semi-structured interviews with teachers. The results revealed a strong association between positive teacher-student connections and enhanced academic performance, improved student behaviour, and increased motivation. Students who reported having positive relationships with their instructors exhibited higher levels of academic success compared to those who reported negative or neutral relationships. Moreover, instructors who fostered excellent rapport with their students demonstrated higher levels of engagement and motivation, leading to improved academic achievements among their students. These findings carry significant implications for education policy and practice, emphasizing the importance of investing in teacher training and providing support to develop positive relationships with students in Bangladeshi primary schools. By prioritizing the cultivation of teacher-student bonds, educational stakeholders can potentially yield substantial improvements in student academic achievement and overall educational outcomes. Teacher’s World: Journal of Education and Res arch, 50(1): 43-60

Centering reciprocity: lessons learned from a university–school partnership

PurposeSchool–university partnerships are important in teacher education to ensure PK-12 preservice teachers gain teaching experience prior to becoming teachers of record. Drawing on Ball and Cohen’s (1999) concept of “practice-based teacher education,” this three-year qualitative study examines the results of an intentionally reciprocal school–university partnership centered on a practice-based learning, field-based course. The following question guided this research: Having designed and facilitated a school–university partnership centered on reciprocity, what factors contributed to and/or took away from this commitment?Design/methodology/approachThe current study examined three data sources, namely: (1) seven semi-structured focus group interviews with a teacher educator, sixth-grade teachers (n = 4) and a principal; (2) eight question/answer sessions between preservice teachers and partnering secondary teachers and (3)one focus group between the two authors. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.FindingsThis study’s findings highlight the reciprocal nature of the school–university partnership, showcasing the positive outcomes and challenges faced by stakeholders. Clear communication and ongoing dialogue were identified as key elements to establishing and maintaining a reciprocal relationship. Additionally, emphasis on shared learning experiences between partners were found valuable and important to maintaining benefit to all partners. Relationship development also remained an important and positive outcome of this partnership. Additionally, there were challenges related to time, and schedule constraints were evident in the partnership. Moreover, ongoing reflection and a willingness to adjust and change based on experiences and lessons learned ensured participants recognized the importance of ongoing iteration and calibration to address challenges and enhance the partnership.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability.Originality/valueThe paper includes implications for the development of other school–university partnerships that prioritize reciprocity, highlighting an often assumed, but not always examined, component necessary to the success of school–university partnerships.

Successful School Principals Balancing Ethical, Personal and Collective—A Norwegian Case

Over the past two decades, there has been extensive research into what constitutes successful school principal leadership under the assumption that leaders’ practices are significant and context-dependent on their school organization. By investigating how successful principals balance their personal ethical leadership dispositions and their intention of sharing leadership, this paper aims to contribute to the knowledge of how school principals need to balance the ethical, personal, and collective as the top leader of the school. Findings from the interviews suggested that a central aspect in the Norwegian school principals’ characteristics of their leadership practices is student wellbeing and collaborative effort for school quality and student learning. Norwegian successful school principals seem to be relatively unaware of aspects of power use in their leadership practices. Dilemmas arise in the complexity of ensuring individual and collective effort and responsibility for the school to function in accordance with the societal mandate.

A contemporary examination of instructional leadership activities and distributed leadership practices in elementary education

While the success of schools is often attributed to the efforts of principals, it is important to determine how schools can embrace distributed instructional leadership to enhance academic performance among learners. It is evident that instructional leadership alone is inadequate and necessitates complementation with a distributed leadership model. This study exclusively focuses on how instructional leadership aligns with distributed leadership, paying special attention to distributed instructional leadership implementation in primary schools in Zimbabwe. In this particular qualitative study, the interpretivist theory served as the guiding framework. The study involved observation and conducting interviews with school teachers and principals to gain insight into the instructional and distributive leadership activities that were taking place within their respective schools. The analysis of the data was approached through the lens of Hallinger and Murphy’s model of instructional leadership. The findings of the study highlighted the importance of active involvement from all members within a school for effective leadership. Furthermore, it was revealed that a holistic approach to school leadership styles is essential, emphasizing the interconnected nature of instructional and distributive leadership activities (distributed instructional leadership). The study ultimately determined that distributed instructional leadership is achieved through collaborative efforts in formulating school visions and embracing shared supervision practices among the members of staff. It was also identified that creating opportunities for staff development in the schools plays a pivotal role in reaching the goals of distributed instructional leadership.

What makes a successful whole-school mental health intervention? A comparison of stakeholders’ perspectives and implications for schools and the future of English education

ABSTRACT This small-scale study compares stakeholders’ perspectives regarding what makes a successful whole-school Mental Health Intervention. Four study groups were included from an all-ability coeducational secondary school in south-east England: Students (n = 8), Teachers (n = 5), School-Leaders (n = 3), and YMCA Youth Workers (n = 3). Students took part in a focus group whereas the adult groups participated in semi-structured interviews. Subsequently, all participants ranked potential aspects of what might make a successful whole school Mental Health Intervention. No theme was mentioned consistently across the four groups, suggesting a diversity of perspectives regarding the benefits of Mental Health Interventions. All participants, except teachers, valued student involvement, a feature confirmed by the literature. Teachers occasionally adopted misinformed perspectives – arguably a result of insufficient training. Generally, participants’ job roles informed their responses. However, a loose trend existed whereby School-Leaders’ results were more aligned to an external charity association – the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) – than Teachers’ despite the fact that the Teachers and School Leaders worked in the same context. Although the single context and small sample sizes for this research compromise generalisability, there are clear recommendations to inform future studies and for those who are leading and providing whole-school Mental Health Interventions. This study is set within the political and policy contexts of a competitive, market drive English education system and can comment on the wider system within which this intervention nests.

Principal Leadership of Pre-K Programs in Elementary Schools: Evidence from North Carolina

Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) programs are becoming increasingly common in elementary schools across the United States—in fact, a recent analysis of federal data revealed that 57% of public schools have a Pre-K grade. Despite the prevalence of Pre-K programs in schools, principals—known to be among the most important factors in school success—often lack the knowledge and professional supports to effectively lead Pre-K programs. In this study, guided by sensemaking theory, we work to advance knowledge on Pre-K principal leadership through a sequential mixed-methods analysis of elementary school principals in the state of North Carolina. Our study includes a statewide survey of all lead and assistant principals in the state ( N = 520) as well as follow-up interviews with 27 of the surveyed principals. Our findings reveal that while they report strong conceptual support for the Pre-K programs in their schools, principals demonstrate limited engagement with them. We also find that principal background and preparation in early education and the proportion of students from a Pre-K program that ultimately enroll in the school for kindergarten are important factors that help explain variation in principal orientations to Pre-K leadership.

The Role of School Leaders on Students’ Academic Achievement in Secondary Schools of Wolisso Town

School leaders are the primary figures in school settings. And, the success of schools is largely ascertained by the efforts of their school leaders. Therefore, the main objective is to reveal the role of school leaders in students’ academic achievements in secondary schools of Woliso town. A mixed approach and descriptive design that was accompanied by survey method has been utilized. Three primary schools in the town were selected using purposive sampling. From a total of 200 staff in the designated primary schools, 142 participants were recruited using a proportional simple random sampling and availability method in 2023. Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews. The numerical statistics were examined using expressive statistical methods. Mean, ratio and standard deviation are supported by SPSS version 26. The findings show that school leaders’ roles should be considered and taken into account. Developing parents' participation and community involvement, communicating with parents about students' result, facilitating communication between the school and parents regarding academic matters, assigning properties on behalf of appropriate operation and success of school visualization and aims, fulfilling facilities like text books, table, chairs, black boards and other materials to improve academic achievement of students’, facilitate teachers’ adequate workspace for preparation such as library and staff. The government and other interested parties should set priority to work strongly toward improving school leaders’ role and other aforementioned factors sequentially for the success of the students’ academic achievement.

Geographic Differences in School Success Among Children and Adolescents in the United States.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between rurality and challenges to school success: lack of school engagement, school absenteeism, and repeated grade. Cross-sectional data from the 2020 to 2021 National Survey of Children's Health, children ages 6 to 17 (n = 42,089), was used. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between residence rurality and each outcome of interest. In bivariate analysis, rural children were more likely to have school absenteeism and repeat a school grade. In our adjusted models, there were no differences between rurality and the three measures of school success. Rural and urban children may be vulnerable to different risk factors for school failure. Findings from this study may be used by school nurses and policymakers as they design and implement programs in rural schools.

Raising the Floor or Lowering the Ceiling: Challenges to Instructional Leadership at Scale

In an effort to scale success, many schools codify various practices to replicate them across schools. While such codification and replication can help scale success, scaling success often comes with numerous negative externalities such as a reduction of autonomy and burdens on successful educators. Based on real events and educators, this case follows an instructional coach through his career at a charter school as it attempts to scale a successful small charter school to a larger Charter Management Organization (CMO).

Enhancing Student Success: Exploring Teacher Knowledge in Managing Behavior During Learning Challenges

In education, the role of teachers is one of the determining factors for student success in school. The relationship between teacher knowledge and student management with learning difficulties cannot be separated. There are still many students who do not understand the lessons given the low level of student knowledge has an impact on student independence, so research is needed to assess the current level of teacher knowledge and identify areas that need to be improved in managing the behavior of students with learning difficulties. The method used in this research is quantitative with an individual surveillance approach. The respondents were 160 people who were randomly selected at the elementary school teacher level in West Jakarta. The data collection technique uses a questionnaire containing items related to demographics and the level of knowledge of teachers as educators in managing the behavior of students with learning disabilities. All items are assessed on a Likert scale from point 1 to point 5—data analysis techniques using descriptive statistics assisted by SPSS Version 25.0. The results showed that teachers' knowledge was divided into three, namely how to manage practical behavior, positive reinforcement, and negative reinforcement, and it was found that the level of teachers' knowledge in managing practical behavior was in the high category. In conclusion, teachers' skills in managing the class can be improved by improving the management of practical behavior in the learning process to help students. The implication is that teachers who handle problematic students provide service courses and workshops related to management and provide special attention.

AKTIVIZACIA KOOPERACIE UCITELLA 1. ROCNIKA ZAKLADNEJ SKOLY S RODICMI ZACINAJUCICH SKOLAKOV PROSTREDNICTVOM AUTORSKEHO PODPORNEHO PROGRAMU

The submitted contribution is a research proposal for a dissertation. The subjects of our research are parents of beginning schoolchildren, teachers and pupils of the 1st year of primary schools. The primary goals of the intended dissertation research are the investigation of the meaning of the teacher's deliberate cooperation with the parents of beginning schoolchildren in the adaptation process, the concept and application of the author's support programme. As part of the design and application of the author's support programme, our goal is to analyze and evaluate impact and effectiveness for the achieved level of adaptation of pupils to the primary school environment, their school success in initial education and increasing the pedagogical readiness of parents. The planned research is focused on the processing and evaluation of research data obtained by the experiment method with parents of beginning schoolchildren, teachers and pupils of the 1st years of primary schools.

Effectiveness of guidance and counselling in promoting learners’ academic success in rural secondary schools, Vhembe district

Guidance and counselling is an enterprise that promotes learners’ performance globally and internationally. However, its effectiveness is not given enough attention since learners continue performing poorly in South Africa. This study investigates the effectiveness of guidance and counselling as an enterprise for promoting learner performance in rural secondary schools of Limpopo province. It used a qualitative approach. Twelve participants were purposively selected, such as ten educators’ guidance who were interviewed telephonically. The results showed that life orientation teachers agreed that guidance and counselling are an enterprise that promotes learners’ performance. It concluded that if guidance and counselling are implemented effectively, learners' performance in rural areas will improve. The study recommends that the Department of Education should promote the implementation of guidance and counselling by reviewing areas of guidance and counselling that need to be strengthened in rural areas.

Impacts of a Summer Transition Program on Kindergarten Readiness for Children from Disadvantaged Backgrounds

ABSTRACT Kindergarten transition programs support successful school transitions for families and may reduce disparities in academic readiness upon school entry. Yet, access and participation in high-quality summer transition programs are lower among children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This study examined the impact of a summer kindergarten transition program on children’s readiness in language and literacy, mathematical thinking, and social foundations and the strength of their home-school relationships. Assessment scores of 416 kindergartners within 30 classrooms in 28 elementary schools in one southeastern state were analyzed. Children who participated demonstrated significantly more readiness in their language and literacy, mathematical thinking, and social foundation skills compared with children who were eligible but did not participate in the program. Further, children who participated in the program had significantly stronger home-school relationships compared to children who were eligible but did not participate and those who were not eligible to participate in the program. The findings provide preliminary evidence that summer transition programs are an equitable strategy to reduce achievement gaps upon kindergarten entry. School administrators should consider implementing summer transition programs to support academic readiness and develop strong home-school relationships in communities with a high population of children who are at risk for later school difficulties.

CREATION OF A SITUATION OF SUCCESS AS A MODERN PEDAGOGICAL PROBLEM IN PRIMARY SCHOOL

The article is devoted to the study of one of the most important problems of modern pedagogy — creating a situation of success in primary school which in today’s changing life is considered an important and pressing issue, as it is the basis for the correct and effective organization of the educational process. Success is associated with joy and positive emotions that a person experiences during and as a result of the work done. Having positive emotions in the corner of the memory makes the work perform in a pleasant way. Consequently, if a student has achieved a positive result and felt the joy of success, then he is involved in further educational activities with pleasure and interest. Success in educational activities is directly related to subsequent success in various areas of life, since at school students acquire not only knowledge, but also life experience that accompanies them throughout their lives. Creating a situation of success in elementary school depends on the cooperation and mutually agreed upon work of the primary school student, parent and teacher. The teacher’s task is to create conditions for students to feel the joy of success, realize their capabilities and believe in themselves. Summarizing the outcomes of the research, the article substantiates the creation of a situation of success in primary school as a modern pedagogical problem. The paper serves as a guideline for teachers aimed at creating a situation of success in the pedagogical process of primary school and increasing the effectiveness of teaching activities.

Effects of socio-demographical characteristics of high school students on smartphone addiction and depression

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine the smartphone addiction and severity of depressive symptoms of high school students. In this descriptive cross-sectional and correlational study, the sample consisted of 1744 high school students. In the study, data were collected using a Descriptive Questionnaire, the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form, and the Depression Scale for Children. Data were analyzed in independent groups Student’s t test, One-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and a multiple regression model. It was determined that the students’ mean smartphone addiction score was affected by gender, grade level, school success, having problems with the family, relationship with family, relationship with friends, and social self-evaluation. The mean depression score was affected by family type, economic status, social self-evaluation. According to the multiple regression analysis, effects of socio-demographic variables on smartphone addiction were 25%. It was concluded that the socio-demographic characteristics of high school students have an effect on smartphone addiction and depression.

The Role of Informatics Teaching in Developing Critical Thinking and Computational Skills in High Schools

This study summarizes studies on the effects of informatics instruction on students' critical thinking and computational skills. The study used a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative analysis of teacher interviews, student surveys, and case studies of successful schools, as well as quantitative analysis of student learning outcomes. Findings indicate that the integration of project-based learning, problem-solving, and computational thinking into informatics curricula positively impacts students' critical thinking and computational skills. The study also identified key challenges in informatics instruction, such as resource constraints and the need for more in-depth teacher training. Recommendations are provided for the development of curricula, teaching strategies, and educational policies to support the effectiveness of informatics instruction

Successful School Principalship: A Meta-Synthesis of 20 Years of International Case Studies

This meta-synthesis crosses international borders by analyzing successful principalship across nine countries. With careful, detailed, systematic, and analytic synthesis, it critically explores research-informed understandings of successful principal leadership over the last 20 years. The paper is an interim report of reviews of the 85 articles and 23 chapters produced by the International Successful School Principal Project (ISSPP), the largest, longest-running international research project in this field. In that project, success is defined as the principal’s ability to grow and sustain students’ academic, personal, and social developments and achievements over time. The results add to existing knowledge of how successful school principals achieve success by examining high-quality, published case study evidence from Australia, Cyprus, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Spain, the UK, and the US. Results suggest common sets of core values, qualities, and practices among school principals, regardless of national contexts, conditions, or cultures. Because the research design is multi-perspective and multi-layered, the case studies also show significant, context-informed differences in timing, pace, and extent of application of improvement strategies. Thus, the findings of this synthesis paint a thorough and cohesive picture of who successful principals are and what they do over time at the global level to achieve success, as they navigate values-led school success in different contexts and improvement phases within complex internal and external ecological chrono-, macro-, exo-, meso-, and microsystems.

Essential Conditions for Partnership Collaboration within a School-Community Model of Wraparound Support

Children and youth often face barriers that hinder their ability to engage in school, such as poverty, family challenges, and maltreatment. For this reason, children require additional supports if they are to be set up for success in school and life. Collaborative school-community models of wraparound support have been demonstrated as effective approaches for supporting vulnerable children and families to foster positive outcomes. Such models rely on collaborative partnerships between schools and community agencies to coordinate services for children and families. Accordingly, there is a need to understand factors that influence this collaboration in school settings. This study explores partnership collaboration between school and community partners through the case of All in for Youth, a school-based wraparound model of support in western Canada. Focus groups of n = 79 partners across eight schools were analysed, guided by qualitative description methodology. Five essential conditions were identified for partnership collaboration, including value-based training, mutual recognition of expertise, school leadership, established and flexible communication channels, and appropriate staff resources. These conditions can be used to help inform the implementation of similar school-community models of support to foster collaborative partner processes and promote positive outcomes among children, youth, and families.

Moort dandjoo kaadadjiny: Growing up aboriginal kids strong in their culture and identity

Community Elders in Boorloo (Perth) identified early childhood education (ECE) as a priority area for Aboriginal children’s research. This is due to a lower number of Aboriginal children attending ECE programs compared to non-Aboriginal children. Attending ECE programs sets children up for school success and is an indicator for positive life outcomes in later life. Therefore, we sought to co-design and implement a program that encourages Aboriginal children and families to attend ECE programs, known as Moort Dandjoo Kaadadjiny. Since 2021, 57 children have attended, and 27 participants yarned about their experience with the program. These yarns revealed the importance of building trust, being Aboriginal led, and holistic engagement in Aboriginal culture as essential in co-designing culturally safe ECE programs. This program serves as a foundation for developing culturally appropriate ECE programs for Aboriginal children and families to ensure Aboriginal kids grow up strong in their culture and identity.

Medical school origins of award-winning anaesthetists; analysis of a complete national dataset

BackgroundThe ultimate aim of medical education is to produce successful practitioners, which is a goal that educators, students and stakeholders support. These groups consider success to comprise optimum patient care with consequently positive career progression. Accordingly, identification of the common educational features of such high-achieving doctors will facilitate the generation of clinical excellence amongst future medical trainees. In our study we source data from British clinical merit award schemes and subsequently identify the medical school origins of anaesthetists who have achieved at least national distinction.MethodsBritain operates Distinction Award/Clinical Excellence Award schemes which honour National Health Service doctors in Scotland, Wales and England who are identified as high achievers. This quantitative observational study used these awards as an outcome measure in an analysis of the 2019–20 dataset of all 901 national award-winning doctors. Where appropriate, Pearson's Chi-Square test was applied.ResultsThe top five medical schools (London university medical schools, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Glasgow) were responsible for 56.4% of the anaesthetist award-winners, despite the dataset representing 85 medical schools. 93.6% of the anaesthetist merit award-winners were from European medical schools. 8.06% of the anaesthetist award-winners were international medical graduates compared with 11.5% non-anaesthetist award-winners being international medical graduates.ConclusionsThe majority of anaesthetists who were national merit award-winners originated from only five, apparently overrepresented, UK university medical schools. In contrast, there was a greater diversity of medical school origins among the lower grade national award-winners; tier 3 award-winners represented 20 different medical schools from three continents. As well as ranking educationally successful university medical schools, this study assists UK and international students, by providing a roadmap for rational decision making when selecting anaesthetist and non-anaesthetist medical education pathways that are more likely to fulfil their career ambitions.