Educational Trajectories Research Articles

Juvenile Justice Contact, Educational Trajectories, and Recidivism: A Mixed Method Evaluation

Juvenile Justice Contact, Educational Trajectories, and Recidivism: A Mixed Method Evaluation

Solidarity in ethnically diverse contexts: Supportive relations of first generation Roma graduates social mobility in Hungary

<p>The relationship between Roma and non-Roma in Central and Eastern European countries is determined by growing socio-economic inequalities, racism based on structural inequalities and far-right policies of scapegoating. This trend is reinforced by the generally low level of social mobility. However, parallel to the main trend, a less visible process enables the social mobility of people of Roma origin born into marginalised, socio-economically low-status families. In this paper we aim to link issues of solidarity and diversity through exploring the support networks of educational and social mobility trajectories of Roma in Hungary. Based on 102 narrative, life story interviews with first-generation Roma graduates we explore the helping relations - along with hindering ones - and solidarity relations that enabled their social uplift through education.</p><p>The article answers the following questions: What types of supportive relations facilitate upward social mobility? What kind of mobility trajectories do these supportive (and hindering) relations engender? What happens to those who experience dislocation of social class and change of status? How do they navigate attachment to community of origin and the attained middle-class? Through analysing narratives, we aim to highlight personal experiences of (educational) mobility and belonging by identifying different mobility trajectory ideal types and their accompanying supportive relations.</p><p>Scholars of solidarity usually research the helpers. Here we shift perspective and research those lived experiences of solidarity who come from a racialised minority and who received help through their social mobility paths. Our research finding demonstrates that initial solidarity towards the vulnerable can have a spill-over effect: the helped ones can become helpers. In our case, first generation Roma professionals who have firsthand experience with social and economic inequalities, become drivers of social change, partly through building bridges across communities, partly by fulfilling jobs in the mainstream economy, and also, by creating new narratives and advocating for social justice.</p>

Retaining a focus on absolute change: a generational shift in the working-class transitions to university in the UK

ABSTRACT This article explores the impact of absolute changes in the opportunity structure on the experiences of education and social mobility among working-class students in the UK. Existing approaches to social mobility often overlook absolute changes or adopt limited timeframes, focusing on continuity within change. Based on 28 life-history interviews with working-class students, this study compared three cohorts’ educational trajectories to analyse how absolute shifts in educational and occupational opportunities shape working-class students’ experiences of education and social mobility. The research findings reveal a generational shift in reduced positional advantage of HE attendance, with the shifting meaning of social location for working-class students who attend university in different contexts. By retaining a focus on absolute change, this article challenges the standard working-class narratives of social mobility based on shared class inequality and contributes to a nuanced understanding of the historically contextualised nature of social mobility processes and experiences.

Propuesta tecnológica para la inclusión y transición de estudiantes sordos de la educación media a la educación superior en la ciudad de Montería-Colombia

The educational trajectories of deaf students are always complex, as there are many additional factors that can interfere with a correct transition, entry, permanence and graduation at different levels of the educational system. In the particular case of Colombia, different studies show that a low number of deaf students continue their studies at the university or employment education level. However, the origin of the problem is unclear, although some reasons can be recognized, such as the number of interpreters in educational institutions, the material and emotional support provided by the environment, and accessibility barriers. In this framework, this research was proposed with the main objective of determining the contributions that technological tools can offer in the process of transition of the deaf population, from basic and secondary education to higher education or training for work and human development, in the city of Monteria - Colombia. In order to fulfill this proposal, a qualitative research was carried out under a naturalistic design and a phenomenological paradigm, in which deaf students from different educational levels were interviewed, as well as parents and family tutors of deaf students in different situations and educational trajectories. The results were analyzed through thematic content analysis and emerging categories, and it was found that, although the experiences are diverse, there are common factors such as family support and access to technology that were present in the case of subjects with more complete educational trajectories. This allows us to conclude that the promotion of digital inclusion is a relevant factor to take into account in order to generate public educational policies.

Black/White disparities in low birth weight across maternal trajectories of social mobility in South Carolina.

Persistent racial disparities in low birth weight (LBW) in the United States may be better understood through the adoption of a life course perspective that considers differential exposure and vulnerability of Black and White women to socioeconomic position across generations. Using a multigenerational dataset of singleton birth certificates from South Carolina from 1989 to 2020 linked along the maternal line, we constructed intergenerational social mobility trajectories of grandmaternal and maternal education and compared unadjusted and adjusted associations between trajectories and LBW among Black and White women. We found that White women were more likely to be upwardly mobile, and Black women to be downwardly mobile. We found a protective association between upward mobility and LBW for all White women, but only for the most highly educated Black women, consistent with the theory of marginalization-related diminished returns. We also observed a difference by race in the association between downward mobility and LBW, such that high childhood socioeconomic position better buffered low adulthood socioeconomic position for White women than Black women, consistent with theories of compensatory advantage. Finally, we observed racial disparities in the prevalence of LBW even at the highest levels of maternal education, highlighting the inability of even high socioeconomic position across two generations to reduce Black/White disparities in LBW.

Program Design to Ease Administrative Burden in Times of Crisis: An Evaluation of Two Emergency Aid Programs in Los Angeles

ABSTRACTWith students increasingly struggling to afford basic needs, emergency aid (EA) programs seek to prevent crises from derailing college students' educational trajectories. To do so, they provide small grants to help students overcome short‐term financial hardships and improve longer‐term academic success. However, EA programs often face trade‐offs between streamlining application processes and targeting limited resources to the highest‐need students. Drawing on the theoretical framing of administrative burden, we analyse the nuances of these trade‐offs by investigating the learning, psychological, and compliance costs that students can face when applying for EA. Using data from two EA programs drawn from 85 interviews, 893 applications, and 153 survey responses, we find that the programs were able to ease burdens, especially compliance costs. Further, the vast majority of EA went to high‐need students, although nearly 20% of recipients had family incomes above $100,000 K.

Academic Achievement, Externalizing Problems, and Close Friends in Middle School: Testing a Developmental Cascade Model Leading to Educational Attainment in the Late Twenties.

Because educational attainment is associated with well-being in the long term, it is important to understand the developmental processes that enhance academic outcomes during adolescence. Also, although the importance of friends is well documented in adolescence, little is known about how close friends' characteristics work together with youth's own characteristics to shape adolescents' educational trajectories. This study fills an important gap in knowledge by focusing on how middle school students' academic achievement and externalizing problems are associated with their friends' achievement and externalizing problems over time, and how these variables predict educational attainment in adulthood. This study innovates by examining developmental cascades involving adolescents' academic achievement, externalizing problems, and these characteristics in their close friends in the context of random-intercept cross-lagged panel modeling (RI-CLPM), which disentangles within-person changes and between-person differences during the three years of middle school. The sample included 998 middle school students (Mage at recruitment: 12.21 years old; SD = 0.37 years), 42.3% of whom were European Americans, 29.0% African Americans, 6.8% Latinos, 5.2%, Asian Americans, 16.2% youth of other ethnicities, including mixed ethnicity, and 47.3% were female. At the within-person level, only one type of interdomain cascade was corroborated, as youth displaying high levels of externalizing problems reported close friendships with low-achieving friends in the next year. At the between-person level, only the random intercept representing the stability of adolescents' academic achievement throughout middle school predicted educational attainment in adulthood (average of 28 years old). In essence, this study clarifies that the etiological mechanisms leading up to adult educational attainment involve only adolescents' own stable academic achievement, and not their externalizing behaviors or friends' academic achievement and externalizing behaviors.

Интегративная методика формирования лексической компетенции студентов направления «Лингвистика» на основе аудиовизуальных микромодулей: технологический и лингводидактический аспекты

The aim of this research is the theoretical justification and experimental verification of the effectiveness of an integrative methodology that combines the technological principles of designing audiovisual micro-modules and the linguodidactic mechanisms for the development of lexical competence in students of the "Linguistics" program (level B2) in a digital educational environment. The article presents the results of theoretical substantiation and experimental research, within which a three-phase learning model was developed and tested, based on the principles of neurodidactics and cognitive visualization, integrating technological and methodological aspects of the formation of lexical competence. A microlearning system has been implemented on the Moodle educational platform, including an optimized combination of micro-videos (40%), animated flashcards (35%), and interactive infographics (25%), which ensures the comprehensive development of all components of lexical competence. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the development of a theoretical and methodological justification for a three-phase microlearning model, based on the principles of neurodidactics and cognitive visualization for the formation of lexical competence. Significant correlation links between the parameters of the digital footprint and the effectiveness of learning lexical material have been identified and statistically confirmed (r = 0.82, p < 0.001), which creates a scientific basis for predicting individual educational trajectories. The effectiveness of the developed model has been experimentally proven, providing a significant increase in the rate of learning lexical material (by 37.4%, p < 0.01) and the sustainability of formed skills (an increase in material retention by 42.3%) compared to traditional teaching methods.

The voices of learners with intellectual disabilities: putting their experiences on the agendas of educational professionals

Compulsory education is a reality for students in Spain, but the percentage of students referred to special education has increased in recent years, especially in secondary education. As part of an inclusive research, the aim of this article is to present the main barriers to learning and participation in secondary education reported by 30 young people with intellectual disabilities. In a first phase, the young people narrated their educational trajectories. In the second phase, the results were analysed jointly by the research team and an advisory group of young people with intellectual disabilities. The findings were discussed with educational professionals. The findings reveal some educational responses that continue to be based on segregation and special education, particularly at secondary level. The meeting with the school counselors promoted reflection on some educational practices. It also allowed the advisory group to see the scope of their approaches and how these can generate changes in others.

Influence of family socioeconomic status on academic buoyancy and adaptability: Mediating effect of parental involvement.

Prior studies highlight the importance of academic buoyancy and adaptability in educational trajectories, yet the influence of family-related factors remains less explored. Anchored in Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, this research examines how family socioeconomic status (SES) influences academic buoyancy and adaptability, the predictive relation between family SES and parental involvement, and whether parental involvement mediates the impact of family SES on academic outcomes. We surveyed 1164 junior high school students from China. Controlling for gender and attendance type, structural equation modelling revealed a positive correlation between family SES and students' academic buoyancy and cognitive-behavioural adaptability; however, this correlation did not extend to affective adaptability. Parental involvement was significantly linked to family SES and fully mediated the relation between family SES and both academic buoyancy and cognitive-behavioural adaptability. Based on these findings, practical implications are discussed.

Exploring the relationship between mental health issues and academic performance of undergraduate students in a Ghanaian tertiary institution: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundMental health associations with students’ academic outcomes are critical for students’ well-being and excellent performance, particularly among tertiary students in their educational trajectory. This study investigated the relationship between mental health incidence and academic performance among university students in a public university in Ghana. Additionally, we study students’ level of mental health awareness.MethodsThe study adopted a quantitative study with an analytical cross-sectional design. Through the multistage sampling technique, structured questionnaires were administered to 384 undergraduate students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Data management and analysis were performed using SPSS v.27. Descriptive data are presented in tables and reported as frequencies. Inferential analysis was conducted using a multilevel logistic regression model and a p-value of 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.ResultsSevere depression (p = 0.016, ϰ2 = 0.784) was significantly associated with students’ academic performance. Severe anxiety (p = 0.020, ϰ2 = 11.700), gender (p = 0.014, ϰ2 = 5.999) and self-efficacy (p = 0.015, ϰ2 = 5.939), were found to have a statistically significant association with academic performance (p < 0.05). According the multilevel analysis, females experiencing mental health had reduced likelihood of achieving high academic performance compared to male students (AOR = 0.343, 95% CI 0.144–0.813, p = 0.015). Severely depressed students (AOR = 0.264, 95% CI 0.084-0.830, p = 0.23) are significantly less likely to increase their Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA). Self-efficacious students (AOR = 3.325, 95% CI 1.421-7.784, p = 0.06) were three times more likely to increase their CWA.ConclusionSevere depression causes a reduction in students’ academic performance, while high academic self-efficacy among students serves as a protective factor by facilitating an increase in students’ CWA when they encounter mental health issues.

‘It’s the same path, just another direction’: Ghanaian newcomers’ strategic navigations of a German two-pillar model for secondary schooling

ABSTRACT The different school forms within Germany’s tracked education system have traditionally led to different diplomas and thus future education and work prospects. Tracking has persistently disadvantaged migrant youth, who are over-represented in lower tracks. Since a 2010 reform introduced a two-pillar model in city–state Hamburg, the two remaining secondary-school forms, Gymnasium and Stadtteilschule, both offer the university-entrance qualification (Abitur) but remain socioculturally segregated. Based on 14 months of multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork (Ghana and Germany), this paper explores how Ghanaian newcomers who want to obtain the Abitur strategically navigate Hamburg’s secondary-school system. The paper argues that the two-pillar model creates space for newcomers to consider factors beyond diploma accessibility in their educational trajectories, namely academic and sociocultural factors, thus leading to varied, and sometimes unexpected, pathways to reach their goal. Further, it demonstrates the value of youth-centric and transnational research approaches for revealing newcomers’ agency in strategically navigating their educational trajectories.

Cognitive trajectories and their relationships with education and diets among older adults: a network-based 10-year cohort study.

Few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms of education, diets, and cognitive function in older adults. This study analyses the relationship between cognitive trajectories, education, and different dietary patterns in older adults from a network perspective, and further explores their longitudinal associations and mediation effects. Data on cognitive trajectories were derived from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) between 2008 and 2018. Group-Based Trajectory Model (GBTM) was used to identify potential heterogeneity in the longitudinal changes in cognitive function. Multinomial logistic regression and network analysis were then applied to examine the relationships between different cognitive trajectories and years of education, food variety (FV), and plant-based dietary patterns. Cross-lagged panel model was used to examine the longitudinal associations between education, FV, and plant-based diet patterns. Furthermore, we constructed a mediation model based on categorical variables for cognitive trajectories to investigate the mediating effect of FV and plant-based diet index on education and cognitive. A total of 2,115 older adults were included in this study, revealing three distinct cognitive function trajectories. After controlling for potential confounders, education and dietary-related variables were associated with a cognitive stable decline trajectory (OR: 0.857/0.929/1.027) and a cognitive rapid decline trajectory (OR: 0.859/0.914, 95% CI: 0.775-0.882) compared to the cognitive stable trajectory. In the education, diet, and cognition network model, overall Plant-Based Diet Index (PDI) [expected influence (EI) = 1.82] and years of education (EI = 0.54) were the most central domains. There were longitudinal associations between education, FV, and plant-based dietary patterns, which were significant only in the slow decline group. FV acting as a mediator between education and cognitive trajectories. Years of education are longitudinally associated with the diet of older adults in the slow cognitive decline group. Food diversity partially mediates the relationship between years of education and cognitive trajectories. Interventions targeting education and dietary behaviors may help alleviate cognitive decline in older adults.

The study of applicants' preferences in the context of the modern labor market and the education system desynchronization

Subject. The article considers the effectiveness of interaction between universities and applicants. Objectives. The aim is to investigate applicants’ preferences of in the context of desynchronization of the modern labor market and the education market. Methods. As part of the study, we conducted 46 personal interviews and interviewed 1,562 respondents, using an online questionnaire (51.9% from Moscow, 22.2% from the Moscow Oblast, 21.8% from Russian regions, 2.8% from CIS countries, 1.3% from other countries). Results. The study of applicants' preferences when choosing a university is an integral part of analyzing the effectiveness of educational institutions and training areas. The factors that influence the choice of a university by an applicant are correlated with the current and projected in the near future requirements of the labor market. Based on the study of current educational practices and preferences of applicants, we formulated recommendations aimed at transforming educational processes in universities, increasing the effectiveness of educational services promotion programs during the admission campaign. Conclusions. The emergence of programs or individual faculties using the model of free education with the application of an individual educational trajectory is an effective tool for detaching from competitors and, in the future, will help such universities move from the category of universities of mass professions to the category of regional level universities or research universities.

Development of Career Centers of Russian Universities: Challenges and Opportunities

Placement training of students for employment is a serious challenge for modern Russian universities. University graduates are faced with solving the problem of employment in the face of continuous transformation of the labor market. As a result, the issue of training highly professional specialists capable of adapting to the dynamically changing requirements of employers and willing to build a successful career throughout their lives is on the agenda. As the university practice of career centers shows, the job search assistance and employment support is usually carried out within its framework. Meanwhile, the issue of training students for career development should become a key one in the philosophy of university education. In modern conditions, universities are designed to prepare a student who is potentially capable of acting independently to develop his career to meet the challenges of the labor market and his own vision of an individual educational trajectory and professional interests. Thus, university training programs for specialists in a context of ever-changing technologies in the professional sphere need to be adjusted accordingly. It assumes restructuring the system of relations between all the subjects of the educational process, when it is necessary to take into account the importance of readiness for employability and building a career of a university graduate and his life self-determination. Despite the importance of the employability problem and career development readiness to achieve the sustainable development of the Russian economy, this topic has been little studied by domestic scientists. At the same time, Russia's higher education development agenda began to see the problem of graduate employment as a special one especially during the pandemic. In particular, the topic on developing career centers of universities has gained momentum in the large-scale program of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation on the development of Russian universities Priority-2030. Thus, this study will be useful to the stakeholders of systemic changes in processes related to building employment conditions for students and graduates. Also, this study can contribute to analytical basis development for the expansion of career centers of Russian universities.

The View from the Top: The Relationship Between Parental Education and Graduate Enrollment

ABSTRACT Given the dramatic risks and rewards to different graduate pathways, it is imperative to understand disparities in access to the highest levels of education. This paper responds to a tension between the traditional understanding that parents’ education ceases to influence children’s educational trajectories after college and the more recent reemergence of family background as a predictor of children’s socioeconomic attainment. This paper asks two questions: to what extent is parental educational background associated with (1) graduate enrollment overall and (2) enrollment into particular credentials (e.g. master’s, professional, and research doctoral degrees)? Drawing on data from the 2008–18 Baccalaureate and Beyond study, findings reveal that parental educational background, especially parental graduate degrees, are associated with enrollment into graduate school. By using two measures of parental education and disaggregating the outcome into different credentials, this paper shows that highly educated parents are associated with a greater advantage for doctoral enrollment than for master’s enrollment. Due to the close ties between doctoral credentials and elite, high-paying occupations, this study has implications for inequality in higher education and economic inequality more broadly.

Correction of clip thinking among pedagogical students in the process of solving practice-oriented tasks

Introduction. One of the characteristics of modern society is the emergence of a phenomenon known as clip thinking. The presence of clip thinking in a future teacher may hinder the development of competencies that are essential for professional success. Aim. The aim of this paper is to present a scheme for addressing a practice-oriented task, specifically designed to correct clip thinking in future teachers. Methodology and research methods. The methodological foundation of the study was based on system-activity, systemic, and practice-oriented approaches, which facilitated the identification of the characteristics of clip thinking. The study involved 250 undergraduate students from Nizhny Tagil Branch of the Russian State Vocational Pedagogical University. The authors employed the method described by S. D. Polyakov, L. A. Belozerova, and V. V. Vershinina, along with a questionnaire developed by the authors themselves. To confirm or validate the hypothesis of the study, a comparative analysis was conducted using the Student’s t-test. Results. A scheme has been proposed for addressing practice-oriented tasks that facilitate the integration of viewing information fragments related to future professional activities and their comprehension. The effectiveness of using practice-oriented tasks to correct students’ clip thinking has been demonstrated. The diagnostic tool “Clip-Integrity Thinking” (by S. D. Polyakov, L. A. Belozerova, V. V. Vershinina and colleagues) has been adapted to evaluate the level of clip thinking among students in higher education institutions. Scientific novelty. The results of the study enhance scientific understanding of how to address clip thinking and also consider its presence when developing strategies for training future teachers. Practical significance. The data obtained can be utilised to develop a methodology for training future teachers in the field of digital technologies, aimed at addressing the issue of clip thinking. The proposed assessments of clip thinking levels can be employed to identify the unique characteristics of each student and to construct individualised educational trajectories based on this information.

Intersectionality in a Sociogenomic World: How do Race, Disability, Socioeconomic Status, and Polygenic Prediction Interact to Impact Perceptions of Educational Trajectories?

Education is important for life-long skills and economic growth, but student placement decisions may be shaped by social biases. As genomic information captured via polygenic scores becomes more available, it may also inform student placement decisions. We assessed the intersectional effects of polygenic scores, race, disability, and socioeconomic status on US adults' views about educational trajectories using an online experimental survey design. 1,367 US adults were randomized to one of 16 conditions and prompted to read a short vignette about a boy named "Michael," also depicted in an image. Each condition varied Michael's race (Black/White), disability (wheelchair-user/no), socioeconomic status (high/low), and polygenic score (high/low) for educational attainment (EA-PGS). After reading the vignette, respondents were asked to answer multi-choice questions about Michael's immediate and long-term educational trajectories. Variation in Michael's EA-PGS strongly influenced participants' expectations regarding: 1) the most appropriate immediate educational program for Michael (i.e., general, 'special', or gifted education); 2) whether he would graduate high school; and, if so, 3) the highest educational degree he would complete in his lifetime (Associates, Bachelors, Masters, or PhD). Across these responses, high EA-PGS was associated with more socially desirable outcomes and the opposite was the case for low EA-PGS. Depicting Michael in a wheelchair significantly influenced respondents' expectation that his most appropriate immediate educational trajectory would be 'special' education. There were significant interactions between Michael's race, disability, socioeconomic status, and EA-PGS. Information about a child's EA-PGS may impact views about their immediate and long-term educational trajectories. The negative impacts of a low EA-PGS are comparable to the positive impacts of a high EA-PGS. EA-PGS may be interpreted in ways that compound existing stereotypes related to a child's race, disability, and socioeconomic status.

At the Crossroads: Postsecondary Education Access Opportunities and Constraints for Rural Black Students

Abstract: This longitudinal qualitative study delves into the nuanced dynamics of postsecondary education access and choice for 23 rural Black students during their senior year of high school. Employing a multifaceted methodological approach encompassing interviews, visual data, and geospatial data, this research illuminates conditions that influence postsecondary education access and opportunity for rural Black youth. Results highlight how postsecondary education opportunity for rural Black students is shaped by local Black social networks, institutional contexts and climates, proximity to hometown, postsecondary education costs and affordability, as well as the intersecting forces of class, racial, and spatial inequities. This study also demonstrates how participants' meaning making of these conditions changed over time, thereby influencing their postsecondary education trajectories and decision-making processes. This research contributes insights into the shifting dynamics, meaning making, and forces that shape postsecondary education access for rural Black youth over time, providing implications for creating more equitable postsecondary education opportunities for rural Black youth.

FROM AFRICA TO EUROPE AND VICE VERSA: THE EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES OF THE YOUTHS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

The educational challenges faced by youths in Sub-Saharan Africa are complex and multifaceted, significantly shaping their socio-economic prospects and development. This article examines the barriers that hinder access to quality education within the region, emphasizing both internal and external factors that contribute to these challenges. It investigates how economic disparities, political instability, gender inequality, inadequate infrastructure, and cultural dynamics interact to limit educational opportunities for young people. Additionally, the paper explores the experiences of Sub-Saharan African youths who migrate to Europe, highlighting the differences in educational opportunities and outcomes between their home countries and host societies. Using a comparative framework, the study analyzes the interplay between migration and education, focusing on how systemic, structural, and socio-economic factors shape the educational trajectories of African youths in both contexts. Particular attention is given to the challenges faced by migrant youths in adapting to new education systems, overcoming language barriers, and navigating social integration in Europe. The research also examines the implications of these challenges for the long-term socio-economic mobility of African youths, both within their home countries and the diaspora. By shedding light on these issues, the paper underscores the need for comprehensive and innovative strategies to address educational disparities. It calls for collaboration between governments, international organizations, and community stakeholders to develop policies and initiatives aimed at improving access to quality education, supporting migrant youth, and fostering equitable learning environments. Ultimately, the study seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the educational challenges and opportunities for Sub-Saharan African youths and advocates for targeted interventions to bridge existing gaps and promote sustainable development.