School System Research Articles

School staff perceptions of the impact of school counselling on young people, the school and integration into the school system

AbstractIntroductionThis research explored the views of staff in secondary schools on school counselling for young people. Data were drawn from the Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness Trial of Humanistic Counselling in Schools (ETHOS) study, an RCT of school counselling across 18 state‐funded secondary schools in London.MethodsQualitative semi‐structured interviews were held with school staff (n = 16) from a sub‐sample of 10 participating schools from the RCT. The interviews explored the perceived impact of school counselling on the school and students. Thematic analysis was conducted using the NVivo qualitative data analysis software.ResultsThree key themes were identified: (1) school context: rising mental health need and varying provision for mental health; (2) school staff perspectives on the impact of counselling: increased openness and improvements in mood, dedicated space to open up, putting skills into practice, one size does not fit all, and role of personal connection; and (3) long‐term impact of counselling in schools: integration as central to success and counselling as a stepping stone for further support.ConclusionThis research provides insights into school staff views of secondary school counselling in the context of delivery through a research trial. Effective ways of integrating counselling services into schools are identified.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and Substance Misuse in Secondary Schools

Amid a proliferation of highly potent opioids, school systems have sought to invest in programs for preventing substance misuse. School teams often prioritize early screening and intervention to prevent student substance misuse; however, given the limited resources of many schools, it is crucial to understand the extent to which commonly available data and existing frameworks are relevant for prevention efforts. In this study, we examined (a) how commonly available data on substance misuse (office discipline referrals [ODRs]) relate to self-reported substance misuse and (b) how positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) implementation across tiers relates to these substance-related outcomes. We found that self-reported substance misuse is significantly related to substance-related ODRs, but that self-report rates are much higher than ODR rates. We also found that Tier 2 PBIS implementation was associated with significantly lower rates of both self-reported substance misuse and substance-related ODRs. These findings suggest that aspects of PBIS implementation could be beneficial in preventing substance misuse, but more research is needed to understand what specific school-based practices best address these student behavioral health needs.

Improving sense of school belonging in Indian schools: Student perspectives

AbstractStudents’ sense of school belonging is associated with healthier psychological functioning and improved academic outcomes. Currently, most research on school belonging has been conducted in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, resulting in school belonging practices and interventions largely biased towards Western school systems and cultures. This study sought to identify Indian students' perceptions of teacher‐level and school‐level factors that could contribute to a sense of school belonging. Open‐ended survey questions were used to qualitatively explore how teacher‐ and school‐level practices contributed to the school belonging of 93 Indian students aged 12–19. Data analysis followed manifest content analysis, identifying themes within teacher‐level and school‐level domains of enquiry. Results reveal valuable insights into factors influencing school belonging from the students’ perspective. These findings can inform the development of targeted interventions to support Indian students in rebuilding their sense of school belonging, improving their wellbeing, and enhancing their academic success. The research also contributes to a broader understanding of school belonging practices and their cultural sensitivity, benefiting educators, policymakers, and researchers worldwide.

Pluralism and the Culture of Education in the United States

ABSTRACT This article describes educational pluralism as a common approach to schooling in which the government funds a wide variety of schools and holds all of them academically accountable. Educational pluralism implies a diverse structure (i.e., schools that differ from one another in meaningful ways) and a common academic content (i.e., all schools teach many domains of knowledge). Second, the article outlines the philosophical premises of educational pluralism, the history of educational uniformity and curricular diversity in the United States, and the risks and potential benefits of educational pluralism for social cohesion. Finally, it highlights current tensions that pertain to both the structure and the content of education in the United States, and offers potential resolutions based on the successes and failures of school systems around the world.

Impact of School Gardens on Nutrition Education Among Limited-Income Communities in Alabama.

We sought to determine the impact of school gardens and nutrition education on student fruit and vegetable consumption from limited-income communities in Alabama. Third grade students at 99 Alabama schools with and without gardens on-site were randomized to receive either nutrition education or to a wait-list control group. Multi-level models were used to assess the effects of treatment and control with and without school gardens. Students attending schools with gardens demonstrated highest consumption of fruits and vegetables prior to treatment. Nutrition education alone translated into significant dietary improvements. Both gardens and education translated into greatest dietary improvements. Devising financially accessible, practical, and culturally relevant ways to improve student health through garden and nutrition education may help improve student diet. Forming comprehensive Extension, SNAP-Ed, and school collaboration to support gardens, nutrition education, and healthy school policies and systems can be a way to support and sustain healthy student learning environments. Combined gardening and nutrition education is associated with increases in fruit and vegetable consumption among majority rural, Southern students from limited-resource communities.

Voices of Elementary Computer Science Teachers: Computer Science Integration Rationales and Practices

Objectives . Computer Science (CS) education has become increasingly prevalent in elementary schools because of multiple rationales, such as the importance of computational literacy and the growing demand for CS-related workforce preparation. As elementary CS standards continue to be adopted by many states, more examples and voices from the field may help educators understand what effective computational thinking (CT)/CS integration looks like in practice. Method . We employed a descriptive qualitative approach to study eight award-winning K-8 CS teachers and aimed to answer three research questions: (1) What were elementary CS teachers’ rationales for CT/CS integration? (2) How do elementary CS teachers integrate CT/CS into their classroom practices? (3) What are the needs of CS teachers for meaningful CT/CS integration in elementary schools? Data were collected through interviews, a questionnaire, and artifacts and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings . Our findings of elementary CS teachers’ rationales for CT/CS integration encompassed its essential nature as a literacy skill, its potential to promote equity in education, and its alignment with standards across various disciplines. To support CT/CS integration at the elementary level, CS teachers described important aspects with examples from their instructional practices: (a) Real-world applications; (b) hands-on activities; (c) strategies to scaffold and guide student learning; (d) collaboration with classroom teachers; and (e) support from professional development (PD). Conclusion . The study results shared CS teachers’ voices from practice and shed light on the urgent need for more support and PD opportunities for both homeroom teachers and CS teachers in elementary schools, as well as the crucial need for multiple levels of support within K-12 school systems. Continuous efforts in creating systematic and sustainable PD plans and supporting collaborative professional communities for teachers within the instructional context are a must to help prepare our elementary students with the essential CS knowledge and skills they need to thrive in this technology-rich society.

The Impact of Lockdown in Cyberbullying in Primary Education: Transitions of Cyberbullying and Bullying.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a worldwide socio-sanitary crisis, continuing to impact societies worldwide. With many school systems shifted to online education, the current study presents a unique opportunity to investigate relevant phenomena related to serious health issues during the schooling and later in life, cyberbullying and bullying. This study began just before the COVID-19 lockdown was declared and resumed 5 months later allowing to explore 2 main objectives: first, to explore whether cyberbullying increased during the lockdown, and second, to analyze transitions from to time of bullying and cyberbullying. The participants included 792 students from sixth and seventh years of Primary Education (Meanage = 10.81, SD = 0.85) in Ecuador. This is a quantitative longitudinal study. Cyberbullying and bullying scales were used for data collection before the lockdown in January and February 2020 (T1), and after 5 months of lockdown, at the end of the same academic year in July 2020 (T2). Descriptive, comparative and predictive analyses, a latent transition analysis was used to identify latent status of cyberbullying and bullying behavior at T1 and T2. The results revealed a significant increase of cyberbullying after 5 months of the lockdown. Interestingly, only a small percentage of students who were uninvolved in cyberbullying and bullying in T1 remained uninvolved in T2. The discussion explores the dynamics of cyberbullying involvement and examines changes in the roles and groups of bullying and cyberbullying after 5 months of lockdown. The political- and school-related implications of these findings are thoroughly discussed.

Controversial issues in social study subjects: conveying values and facilitating critical thinking

ABSTRACT This study explores the practical implications of the paradox of moral education, focusing on how Swedish social study teachers (civics, geography, history, and religious education) navigate conflicting responsibilities to convey values and facilitate critical thinking when addressing controversial issues in their classrooms. Through qualitative interviews and observations, teachers were found to often lead by example, maintaining neutrality and presenting diverse perspectives. This approach appears to foster students towards embracing liberal values, promoting independent decision-making and personal responsibility, but it may come at the cost of critically evaluating these very ideals, norms, and values. The absence of official guidelines in the Swedish school system underscores the significance of understanding how teachers balance these conflicting responsibilities in their pedagogical practices. The study sheds light on the practical strategies employed by teachers, contributing valuable insights to a discourse traditionally centred on theoretical solutions to the paradox of moral education.

Construction and Validation of Academic Support Scale in Middle School (ASSMS)

Research on social support in China has been relatively comprehensive as psychological development cannot be separated from the social environment. Family, teachers, and friends are the main sources of social support for middle school students. If we can fully utilize the academic support provided by families, teachers, and classmates in daily life, improve students’ personal efficacy, stimulate their learning motivation and desire, and provide corresponding emotional, resource, behavioral, and willingness support for middle school students, it will help them better enhance their learning adaptability, increase their investment in learning, and then improve their learning consciousness, ultimately promoting the enhancement of academic achievement and the development of their abilities. Therefore, based on the existing scales of social support and academic support, this study determined the academic support scale for middle school students, exploring the source of academic support from four dimensions: willingness support, resource support, emotional support, and behavioral support. Based on a literature review and questionnaire, a formal scale was formed to measure the academic support of middle school students. In total, 762 students from two middle schools in Shijiazhuang and Hengshui were selected as subjects for data analysis. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the scale was composed of four factors: willingness support, resource support, emotional support, and behavioral support, with a cumulative contribution rate of 54.15%. The factor loadings of the items ranged from 0.423 to 0.783. The indicators obtained by confirmatory factor analysis were χ2/df of 2.98, RMSEA of 0.072, GFI of 0.841, IFI of 0.902, TLI of 0.891, and CFI of 0.901. The Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.955, the Spearman–Brown coefficient was 0.939, and the correlation coefficients between each dimension and the total scale were 0.892–0.945. The results show that the reliability and validity of the scale are within the acceptable range, in line with the standards of measurement, and can be used as a tool to measure the academic support of middle school students. This measurement can be used to evaluate the multidimensional academic support systems in middle schools and inform the development of targeted interventions to promote student success and well-being.

Success Stories of Multilingual Literacy: A Case Study of Ife 1970 Nigeria’s Project and the 2002 Western Cape’s LOITASA’s Project in South Africa

In a progressively interrelated world, the advancement of strong multilingual literacy skills among learners is of great importance. This article showcases successful multilingual literacy initiatives, analyzing their implementation and impact. The study revealed a great positive influence on communities and individuals after the initiatives. The predominant aim is to give extra weight to the indispensable importance of appreciating and paying attention to linguistic diversity through effective multilingual/translanguaging literacy opening moves. Using a survey design, this study paid attention to documenting instances of multilingualism implementation in educational settings, purposefully selecting South Africa and Nigeria as central points. Using a qualitative approach, the research examined success stories by analyzing reports, publications, archival materials, and scholarly articles associated with the projects. Special attention was paid to the Ife 1970 Nigeria’s Project and the 2002 Western Cape LOITASA’s project and the findings were presented in a descriptive narrative format. The study elaborated on the objectives, strategies, and results of these projects, presenting findings in a descriptive narrative format. Moreover, the study contributes valuable insights to the debates surrounding effective literacy practices in multilingual contexts. By presenting success stories from these African nations, the study provided practical guideposts for policymakers, educators, and practitioners who want to develop or improve multilingual literacy programs. Lastly, the findings stressed the significance of culturally responsive and context-specific approaches to literacy, proposing the adoption of multilingual/translanguaging pedagogies within school systems. Through these, the study will promote inclusive and efficient educational practices that honor and celebrate linguistic diversity. Keywords: Educational Outcomes, Language Diversity, Multilingual Education, Multilingual Literacy, Repertoire Knowledge

Quality Competency of Teachers in the Developing Quality Culture in Public Secondary Schools in a Developing Country

Quality culture has been mentioned as a tool to help improve quality standards and promote the development of educational institutions. Recently, quality culture has begun to be recognized as an interesting research trend in Vietnam, mainly focusing on higher education. Several studies have applied models/types of building and developing quality culture to educational activities and institutions, but not in the national school system. The purpose of this study is to understand the quality capacity of administrators and teachers of public secondary schools in the Southeast region, of Vietnam through the aspect of quality awareness during education. General education implements educational quality accreditation activities. The research uses quantitative research methods combined with qualitative research methods. The survey sample was conveniently selected randomly, information was collected by questionnaire with 749 managers and 3831 teachers, and by interviews with 22 managers and 40 teachers. Quantitative data were calculated by Cronbach's Alpha to eliminate inappropriate variables. Descriptive statistics calculate percentages, mean values, and standard deviations, and inferential statistics test differences using ANOVA and t-test with 2 independent samples. Data analysis results show differences in quality awareness between the three provinces and between managers and teachers, and the results also show that managers and teachers do not have positive views. teacher on educational quality accreditation activities in secondary schools through two contents "Education quality accreditation takes time and resources" and "Education quality accreditation increases achievement problems in education”. Therefore, the study recommends that leaders at all levels research and promulgate quality policies and create conditions for secondary schools to develop quality; Secondary schools build a set of tools and principles for forming and developing a quality culture to improve quality capacity and develop internal quality resources.

The Adverse Effect of Dehumanizing Practices on Student Engagement and Learning in English Language Teaching Classroom

Knowingly or unknowingly, forgetting our multilingual and multicultural scenario, teachers’ behaviors may create social inequalities and injustices in the classroom; in the name of the dominant language of the school and power relation. Our classroom context is multilingual, multicultural and bilingual where students come from different economic and linguistic background. To some extent, our school system, including textbooks, instruction, curriculum, teaching practices seem to have influenced by the dominant ‘English/Nepali only’ approach. Furthermore, some teachers may not motivate minority students looking their low economic status, uncombed hair, roughly managed shirt-paint, unpolished shoes and low proficiency in English language. In this context, this paper aims to analyze the difficulties and struggle of demotivated (due to teachers’ bias behaviors and friends’ insult upon their appearance and language) Nepali language speaking children’s experiences as they feel insulted in school environment. To fulfill this objective, I adopted narrative research design in line with the qualitative research method. Discussing on the basis of classroom observation and unstructured interviews with the student, this paper analyzes that how the learners are marginalized and forbidden equal access to participate in the mainstream of social and political life that enhances their better learning opportunity and participation in classroom and society to what Bourdieu’s word symbolic violence with some examples of how such social inequalities and injustices are seen in school’s teaching-learning practices. Specially, given the problematic nature of schooling for such learners in some of the schools in Nepal, this paper highlights the need for socially responsive school policies and critical pedagogy, aiming at challenging and changing certain practices having identified a problem; originally propounded by Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator; understanding the difficulties of living in poverty, local context entertaining the linguistic and cultural diversity of students. This study contributes to all the educational stakeholders to update and change themselves as human- friendly behaviours with the learners that can maintain social equalities and justice.

The potential of intersectional and reciprocal approaches in the education of newcomer students

ABSTRACT This study addresses the challenges faced by newcomer students in the host country’s education system. It emphasizes the importance of creating learning communities around these learners. To achieve this goal, we assisted various stakeholders including parents and educators in transcending language differences by examining each other’s educational system. Our approach aimed to cultivate positive identities within the context of transnational experiences, highlighting mobility as an asset in the host school system, challenging the prevailing deficit-oriented view of migration. Grounded in critical interculturalism and social justice principles, we studied STEM curricula from students’ home countries and created resources to encourage dialogue among school stakeholders. We proposed workshops for teachers and parents, emphasizing the recognition of intersectional identities and promoting reciprocal knowledge. Results show the effectiveness of intersectionality in understanding the complexities of individual trajectories while reciprocal knowledge revealed essential in fostering mutual understanding between families and teachers. Ultimately, the research seeks to revitalize literacy engagement for English Language Learners in STEM, promoting inclusivity and equity in education.

Educational Pluralism and Social Cohesion: A Themed Issue of the Peabody Journal of Education

ABSTRACT This introduction defines educational pluralism as a structure for school systems in which the state funds and regulates, but does not exclusively deliver, education. Many of the world’s school systems have been educationally plural for more than 200 years; others have only recently expanded funding for non-state schools. Educational pluralism may be common across the globe, but how effectively does it solve the key dilemmas of public education and democratic education, in particular? Specifically, does educational pluralism support or diminish social cohesion—a fundamental goal of school systems? Under which conditions?

Defining the Effect of Teachers’ Medical History on their Inclusive Teaching Practice: Analyzing Feelings of Competence and Knowledge in Inclusive Physical Education

Background. The process of including special students in the school system has prompted a comprehensive examination of strategies to ensure equity in school justice, the quality of learning, and the harmonious development of students’ potential. The efficacy of these strategies is contingent upon the life experiences and medical backgrounds of the educators in question. Objectives. The study aimed to evaluate the extent to which personal and family medical histories impact teachers’ sense of pedagogical competence (TSPC) and their knowledge (TK) of students’ physical activity management. Materials and Methods. The methodology entailed the distribution of an online questionnaire to 339 physical education and sports (PE) teachers, comprising 159 females and 180 males over the age of 21, employed in public schools at the high school and middle school levels. The measurement instrument consisted of four sections: socio-demographic characteristics, personal and family background, sense of pedagogical competence, and teacher knowledge. Results. The findings indicate a notable prevalence of diseases such as obesity and diabetes in males compared to females, with a significant predominance in older people. It is demonstrated that gender has a particular influence on TSPC and TK in managing hypertensive students. Furthermore, older teachers and those employed in urban settings tend to exhibit greater self-efficacy, despite the absence of a statistically significant association between their initial PES training and TSPC and knowledge outcomes. There is a positive correlation between TSPC and teacher knowledge. Conclusions. To sum it up, older teachers are more susceptible to developing illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. This medical history has a significant impact on the development of inclusive skills and knowledge of school-related pathologies.

Reform dynamiReform Dynamics and the Professionalisation of Principals in Sweden and Finland. A Study of Articles in Union Journals Since the 1990’scs and the professionalization of principals in the North of Europe since the 1990’s.

This article analyses union journals in Sweden and Finland since 1990. In doing so, the article recognises the journals as principals’ collective professional voice regarding major education reform dynamics. Our findings suggest that principals in both Nordic countries, as collective actors, have clearly influenced reforms of the school system significantly. The unions serve as a strong voice with major influence in both professional and reform ambitions. However, the main arguments for the respective professional projects were similar, although professional ambitions were different in both cases: discretion for more educational leadership, without explaining what educational leadership means in detail.

School middle leadership: aspirations, identification, appointment, development and advancement

PurposeWhile current research is reporting on a crisis in school leadership aspirations and appointments, this research sheds light on the mediating factors that school middle leaders (MLs) attribute to their appointment as a leader and their aspirations to senior leadership positions.Design/methodology/approachQualitative data from a larger, mixed-method, research project were collected using an online survey completed by 2,608 MLs in a large public school system in Australia and is analysed using an inductive thematic process.FindingsThe findings suggest that MLs experience varying and non-linear career progressions and that a range of personal and professional factors impact their career aspirations. The support of an “experienced other” such as a principal, mentor or coach and strategic career planning are all important in the identification, support, development and advancement of MLs.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the scarce body of research on middle leadership identification and aspirations. The study recommends a system approach drawn from the empirical data and associated literature that may be useful to inform policymakers, school systems and school leaders in efforts towards middle leadership identification, development and advancement.

The importance of mathematics self-concept and self-efficacy for mathematics achievement: A comparison between public and independent schools in Sweden

This study investigates the relationships between students’ self-concept, self-efficacy, and achievement in mathematics, considering contextual factors such as socioeconomic status, gender, and immigration background, by using Swedish data from PISA 2003 and 2012. Additionally, these relationships between the two types of schools in Sweden are compared. In Sweden, the school system generally includes municipally-run schools (public) and independent schools (also funded by the state but run privately). Findings indicate a positive correlation between robust mathematics self-concept and self-efficacy and enhanced mathematics performance. Notably, students with better socioeconomic status exhibit heightened levels of mathematical self-concept and self-efficacy, corresponding to superior mathematics outcomes. Gender nuances reveal that, despite superior mathematical performance, girls report less positive self-concept and self-efficacy in mathematics than boys. Surprisingly, mathematics self-concept tends to have a closer association with achievement in independent schools than in public schools, while mathematics self-efficacy influences achievement more in public schools than in independent schools. Besides, independent school students’ mathematics achievement is more associated with socioeconomic status and gender compared to their public-school peers. Immigration background seems to play a more important role in predicting mathematics achievement in public schools than in independent schools.

Transforming Cambodian Education: Full-Time Learning, Technology, and Language Integration for Public Schools

The Cambodian government has announced a significant educational reform to transition public schools to full-time learning by integrating computer and English or Chinese language classes. This initiative is designed to enhance the quality of education and better prepare students for the demands of the modern world. This paper compares these proposed changes by examining practices in five private schools already implementing full-time education and advanced technological and multilingual programs. By evaluating the academic performance, resource availability, and overall educational outcomes of these private schools, this study aims to provide actionable recommendations for successfully adopting these strategies in public schools. The research involved surveys of 565 respondents, including students, teachers, school administrators, parents, and policymakers, and in-depth interviews with 50 key stakeholders. Key findings include strong support for full-time education, higher levels of technology integration, and better multilingual education in private schools. These findings will inform policymakers, educators, and stakeholders about the potential impacts and necessary steps to ensure the successful implementation of these educational reforms in Cambodia's public school system.

Inside de- and re-centralisation: the formation of governance in Swedish local education authorities during education reform

ABSTRACT This article concerns the professional work of Swedish heads of local educational authority [LEA] school administrations) with a particular focus on their relationships with local politicians since the 1990s. In recent decades, Sweden has undergone foundational educational reforms, radically de-centralising - and then re-centralising - the school system. Thus, Sweden represents an interesting case for understanding both de-centralisation and re-centralisation processes. We cover seven empirical studies of superintendents to understand how municipal governance and the role of superintendents have changed over time in response to these large-scale reforms. We show that the de-centralisation reforms of the 1990s destabilised municipal administrative structures and superintendents' roles and duties with regard to politicians. However, during the 2000s, the municipal administrative structures and the role and duties of superintendents stabilised significantly. In the mid-2010s, reforms institutionalised superintendents' roles and bound them more closely to the state administration.