Type Of School Research Articles

De-tracking at the margin: How alternative secondary education pathways affect student attainment

This paper estimates how marginal increases in the flexibility of between-school tracking affect student attainment by exploiting the addition of non-selective ‘comprehensive schools’ and hybrid ‘vocational high schools’ to Germany’s tracked school system. These schools opened up alternative pathways to the university-entrance certificate, which traditionally could only be obtained at academic-track schools. We use administrative records to compile a county-level panel of school supply and attainment for 13 cohorts between 1995 and 2007. Cross-sectionally, the supplies of all three school types awarding the university-entrance certificate correlate positively with its attainment. However, for academic-track and comprehensive schools this association is not robust to the inclusion of regional controls, suggesting that it reflects regional differences in educational demand rather than supply-side effects. For vocational high schools, in contrast, we find robust evidence for positive attainment effects not only in cross-sectional and two-way fixed-effects panel regressions, but also in an event-study design that exploits the quasi-random timing of new school openings. Likely reasons for their success are that they lower the (perceived) costs of educational upgrading for late-bloomers, and their hybrid curriculum, which may retain students in general schooling who would otherwise enter vocational training.

Forget the past: Students’ academic performances at FEUP’s Integrated Master in Mechanical Engineering

Knowing how academic performances of students evolve along their stay at University, and how those are conditioned by background, personal and institutional factors is fundamental to delineate policies towards excellence. This paper investigates possible correlations between six variables that characterize the academic performances over a period of five years of students admitted in 2016-2017 at the Integrated Master in Mechanical Engineering (MIEM) of FEUP. The analysis is performed considering all students at once and students organized in eight groups, giving their gender (Male/Female), type of secondary school they came from (Public/Private), living residence prior to university (Away/Home), and rank of MIEM on the University application forms (Option 1/Option 2-6). From the correlation analysis, a pattern emerges revealing that “the memory of the university application marks is progressively lost as time passes”. In other words, students with higher (lower) application marks tend to perform better (worse) in their first year. But, as time passes, the students’ performances evolve (getting better or worse) and, at the end of their fifth year at FEUP (no matter they concluded MIEM or not), the students’ performances are practically unrelated with their application marks. The pattern reveals the strength of FEUP/MIEM to take heterogeneous groups and give equal opportunities to all, no matter their past, thus fulfilling democratization and inclusiveness goals.

Analysis of the relationship between high school teachers 21st century teaching and learning skills

In this study, it was aimed to examine the relationship between 21st century teaching and learning skills of high secondary school teachers. In line with this main purpose, firstly, the levels of high education teachers' use of 21st century teacher and learner skills were determined; then it was examined whether the levels of use of these skills differed according to the gender, years of professional seniority and the type of school they worked in. The research was designed according to correlational research design. The participants of the study consisted of a total of 282 high education teachers working in high schools affiliated to the MoNE within the borders of Altınordu district of Ordu province in the 2023-2024 academic year. In the data analysis process, total scores, mean, and standard deviation values were calculated to determine the levels at which high school teachers use 21st-century teaching and learning skills. To identify whether the levels of 21st-century teaching and learning skills vary by gender, years of experience, and type of school where teachers work, independent sample t-tests and one-way ANOVA tests were conducted. According to the results of the study, it was determined that high school teachers used affirmative skills with the highest score, then technopedagogical skills, administrative skills, generative skills and flexible teaching skills with the lowest score among 21st century teaching skills. Among the 21st century learning skills of high school teachers, it was determined that they used cognitive skills with the highest score, then innovativeness skills, collaboration and flexibility skills and autonomous skills with the lowest score. Within the scope of the other sub-problem of the research, there was no significant difference between the gender and professional seniority variables of the teachers and the level of use of 21st century teaching and learning skills of high school teachers. According to the school type, there was a significant difference between the levels of high education teachers' use of 21st century teaching and learning skills. According to the results obtained within the scope of the problem based on the research, it was concluded that there is a significant positive relationship between the levels of use of 21st century teaching skills and 21st century learning skills of high education teachers.

Investigating gender stereotypes in nursing/midwifery and engineering students in Ireland

Stereotypical behaviour in higher education has been linked with inequality with relevant negative output. This project's aim is to replicate the design of a previous study by expanding further into exploring the gender stereotypes’ relationships for two traditionally gendered polarised areas of study: Engineering and Nursing/Midwifery and assessing participants’ earlier experiences in their secondary education. Survey participants were Engineering and Nursing/Midwifery students (N = 161) of a university in Ireland. Results came positive for stereotypical biases in favour to men in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and specifically for Mathematics. Stereotypes emerged stronger among the female participants. While comparing the two genders within each of the two study areas, significant differences emerge among the female Nursing/Midwifery and female Engineering participants. Female Engineering participants appear with stronger preference, attitude and importance towards STEM than their Nursing/Midwifery counterparts. Nevertheless, Mathematics is an indicator subject for success in higher education and the need to strengthen critical thinking, evidenced based practice and quality of quantitative research in female dominated areas such as Nursing/Midwifery has been recognised. In addition to identified stereotypes, differences in respondents’ views/elements of their interaction with STEM were associated with the type of secondary school they attended. Further research is recommended on traits that could contribute to the formation of gender biased stereotypes in single and mixed gender education systems with an aim to reverse them.

Deciphering socioeconomic inequality in science literacy: Evidence from PISA 2015 in Türkiye

Educational equity is a fundamental objective in many education systems, yet challenges persist in achieving this goal, as evidenced by international large-scale assessments like PISA. This study critically examines the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and science literacy. Our findings indicate that grouping students based on academic achievement amplifies the achievement gap and SES disparities between different types of secondary schools. The academic stratification in secondary schools deepens the issues regarding educational inequality. Furthermore, considering substantial differences between regions regarding the SES-achievement relationship, we propose that future research and policy initiatives focusing on SES should address regional disparities.

Occupational classes and inequality in educational expenditures: Reproduction of social hierarchy through school education

We examine the role of educational expenditure in reproducing social hierarchy by focusing on occupational segmentation in India. Studies show quality of schools vary by medium of instruction (English/vernacular) and type of management (private/government) in terms of skills they impart to students. While these skills improve the prospects for students’ future upward mobility, educational expenditures vary across school types, with ‘better’ quality schools being more expensive. Educational expenditure is an important channel that shapes the pattern of school participation, which, in turn, may affect patterns of future mobility for children belonging to households located in a hierarchical occupational structure. Using data on school education and household occupational structure for 2007-08 and 2017-18, we classify schools based on their medium-of-instruction and type-of-management, and rank household types in terms of their primary occupation. Given the high economic growth and expansion of schooling opportunities during this period, an improvement in participation of low-ranked household types in ‘better’ schools may be expected, which may improve their future mobility prospects. Using a logistic regression framework, we, however, find that the correspondence between hierarchies of school-types and occupations have largely sustained, crucially mediated by educational expenditures incurred by households. Further investigation shows inequality in educational expenditures between household types has strengthened over this period. A decomposition of educational expenditures across household types shows that while some of the difference in expenditures is explained by the household characteristics in terms of their caste, religion, and educational status, the major part is attributed to differential returns to these characteristics that households reap due to their social positions. Given the structural nature of some of these characteristics, the inequality is likely to continue, thereby sustaining the correspondence between school and occupation types, which, in turn, is likely to reproduce the pattern of occupational and social hierarchy in India.JELI21, I24, I25, Z13

Promoting healthy practices among schools and children in rural bangladesh: a randomised controlled trial of skill-based health education

BackgroundPoor child health and hygiene practices are persistent issues in resource-constrained settings, particularly in low-income countries. This study assessed the impact of skill-based health education (SBHE) on school and child hygiene practices in rural Bangladesh.MethodsA cluster-randomised-controlled intervention with cross-cutting/factorial design was conducted in 180 randomly selected primary schools, stratified by school type, in Jhenaidah District, Bangladesh. Weekly SBHE sessions were delivered to half of the schools by locally recruited para-teachers for one year. A cross-cutting soap provision treatment was given monthly to half of the SBHE-treatment schools and half of the SBHE-control schools. Treatment assignment was masked to all baseline and endline surveyors. Data were collected at both the school and child levels, with child-level data aggregated at the school level. Outcome measures were grouped into five thematic families. The primary outcome families were school hygiene practice & maintenance, school-aggregated child handwashing and school-aggregated child dentalcare. Utilising the difference-in-differences estimator with seemingly unrelated regression, we estimated the average treatment effect for each family of multiple outcomes. The intervention spillover effect to neighbouring schools along with the time-period effect were also evaluated. The project’s cost-effectiveness was additionally assessed.ResultsOur findings revealed that SBHE had a positive impact on primary outcomes related to healthy practices and behavioural changes, resulting in a 0.32SD improvement in school hygiene practices and maintenance (p < 0.001), a 0.47SD increase in child handwashing (p < 0.001), and a 0.43SD enhancement in child dentalcare (p < 0.01). Despite its imperfect implementation, the provision of soap itself showed no significant effect. Furthermore, significant spillover effects of healthy practices were observed in neighbouring non-treatment schools. The cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that our SBHE program was cost-effective.ConclusionsOur study provides compelling evidence of the positive impact of SBHE on school hygiene and child health practices in rural Bangladesh, with notable spillover effects. The cost-effectiveness analysis underscores the value of SBHE, affirming its potential as an effective intervention method in improving school health and hygiene practices in primary schools and beyond.

Взаимодействието учители – психолози: аспекти на работата с ученици със специални образователни потребности

The present study introduces the results of empirical research conducted within a group of 75 teachers from all over the country who work in different types of schools and is related to their interaction and cooperation with school psychologists when working with students with Special educational needs, their personal awareness of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Syndrome, their willingness to pursue further professional development and training for working with students with special educational needs. The article aims to present the results of summarizing and analyzing the research data by providing systematical conclusions and recommendations.

Emotional Maturity among Adolescents: A Study of Senior Secondary School Students

The present research has been designed to study emotional maturity which is an important aspect of our daily life. Directly or indirectly it is affecting everyone living in a society. The study aimed to find out the significant difference in emotional maturity among senior secondary school students with respect to their gender (i.e. male and female); type of schools (i.e. government and private); streams (i.e. science, arts and commerce); type of families (i.e. joint and nuclear); social category (i.e. general and scheduled castes): and type of locality (i.e. rural and urban). The Emotional Maturity Scale (EMS) by Dr. Yashvir Singh and Dr. Mahesh Bharagava (2012) was employed to study emotional maturity. The sample consisted of 120 senior secondary school students, out of which 60 were males and 60 were females. Collected data was analyzed through mean, standard deviation and t-test. The results revealed that there was no significant difference in emotional maturity among senior secondary school students in relation to their gender (male and female); type of school (i.e. government and private); stream (i.e. science and arts) and locality (i.e. rural and urban). There was a significant difference in the emotional maturity among senior secondary school students in relation to their type of family (i.e. joint and nuclear) and social category (general and scheduled castes).

School efficiency in Latin America before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: New evidence from PISA 2018 and 2022

The efficiency of schools can be measured as the ratio between the outputs produced (achievement) and the inputs utilised (human and technical resources). Once efficiency levels are obtained for each school through Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) techniques, one can assess how an education system as a whole is either far or close to a maximum efficient educational frontier given available resources. Further, one can rely on this estimated frontier to gauge the importance of students, family and school factors pushing efficiency in different directions, and whether the efficiency-equality trade holds. This exercise is relevant to the realities of education systems of the global south where resources are limited and inequalities are vast. In this paper, we present novel evidence for the Latin America region (9 countries) by using the latest two waves of data from PISA (years: 2018 and 2022), a pooled sample of 4969 schools. Importantly, given the surveys’ timing, we are able to compare efficiency before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, contrasting leading determinants. We find that, at regional level, efficiency slightly increased from 0.75 to 0.78, and only being constant in three (Brazil, Chile and Colombia) out of the nine countries. Barriers of efficiency hold across the two waves overall, with systemic factors such as ICT access and school type and location being more empirical relevant post-pandemic. Also, the link between low access to minimum knowledge and efficiency, as well as inclusion, worsened post pandemic in half of the countries. During the pandemic, school efficiency was found to be boosted −among others− by higher school support, better stock of ICT at home and communication with teachers, whereas lack of coordination with education authorities was found to be a barrier.

Using the grounded theory to develop the theoretical model of Chinese school sports coaching competence

BackgroundSchool sports coaching is gaining recognition as a formal profession worldwide, highlighting its significant role in students’ holistic development. Given the complex social and cultural dimensions of the role, this study explores a coaching competence model tailored to the school context, emphasizing the need to consider both national and local frameworks to ensure effective implementation. In China, school sport coaches are responsible for both physical education teaching and sports training across all types of schools. Within the integration of sports and education, school sport coaches can expand their impact not only on student-athletes or athletes but also on general students in practice. Compared with physical education teachers’ perspectives, sports coaches’ competence development has rarely been studied. This study aims to develop a sustainable Chinese school sports coaching competence model.MethodsThe qualitative data were gathered mainly through semi-structured interviews. School sports coaches and related stakeholders (N = 22) were selected as participants using purposive sampling techniques. Grounded theory was employed to analyse the data via NVivo 11.0 software.ResultsThe school sports coaching competence model comprises three categories consisting of 15 sub-categories, 92 concepts, and 317 labels. These categories are as follows: (a) Perception of identity, encompassing role of the coach, reflection on students, and understanding of policies; (b) Code of ethics, which includes sports virtues, sports-humanistic spirit, and principles of movement science; (c) Coaching excellence, comprising lifestyle and fitness strength, local sports development, teacher-coach partnership, leadership in extracurricular activities, safety and injury protection, athlete selection and training, instruction and demonstration, coaching reflective practice, and athlete-coach rapport.ConclusionChinese school sport coaching competence model emphasizes the integration of sports and education for student development. It provides both local and national perspectives to enhance the professional development of school sports coaches’ community worldwide.

Decentralization and School-Based Management: A Comparative Study of Public and Private Schools in Jambi, Indonesia

Decentralization and school-based management (SBM) have been widely adopted in Indonesia to enhance the quality and efficiency of education. This study investigates the implementation of SBM in public and private schools in Jambi Province, Indonesia, and explores its effects on school autonomy, teacher participation in decision-making, and student achievement. A mixed-methods approach was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 300 teachers and 600 students in 15 public and 15 private schools in Jambi Province using questionnaires and achievement tests. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 30 school principals and 30 school committee members. Private schools demonstrated significantly higher levels of school autonomy and teacher participation in decision-making compared to public schools. However, no significant difference was found in student achievement between the two types of schools. Qualitative data provided insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with SBM implementation in both public and private schools. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of contextual factors in shaping the implementation and outcomes of SBM. While private schools appear to have embraced SBM more effectively in terms of autonomy and participation, the impact on student achievement requires further investigation. The findings have implications for policymakers and school leaders seeking to enhance the effectiveness of SBM in Indonesia.

The Role of ICT Resources Available to Students Influencing their Academic Performance: A Comparative Study between Private and Public Schools in Sindh-Pakistan

In today's digital age, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources play a crucial role in shaping students' academic performance. This comparative study aims to analyze the impact of ICT resources on students' academic performance in both private and public schools in Larkana Sindh, Pakistan. The study utilizes a quantitative methodology, collecting data through questionnaires administered to 100 students using stratified random sampling. This study used Smart PLS 4.0 for Data Analysis. The questionnaires assess the availability and utilization of ICT resources, including computers, internet connectivity, and educational software. Additionally, student records provide insight into academic achievements. The research sheds light on disparities in access to and utilization of ICT resources between private and public institutions. It underscores how resources in private schools contribute to an enriched learning experience and improved academic performance. Conversely, public educational institutions in Sindh often encounter challenges in providing adequate ICT resources, which can negatively impact academic achievement. By highlighting these discrepancies, the study emphasizes the importance of addressing inequities in ICT resource allocation. Policymakers and educators must work to ensure that all students, regardless of school type, have equal access to ICT resources. Bridging this gap is crucial for enhancing students' academic success and preparing them for the demands of the digital era.

The impact of distraction, masticatory performance and sex on food intake of school children from public and private schools: a randomized trial

Recent research highlights the influence of distraction on caloric intake in adults. This study investigated the impact of smartphone use and reading comic book on food intake of schoolchildren aged 10 to 12 years. One hundred and twenty students from public and private schools participated in experimental meal sessions. Individual parameters such as sex, age, body mass index (BMI), and eating preferences were assessed during the first session. In subsequent appointments, participants consumed standardized meals without distraction, while using a smartphone, or reading comic books in a random order. Child Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (CTFEQr-21) was administered to assess eating behavior, and total caloric intake (kcal), total amount (g) and medium/high-energy-dense amount (g) were measured in each session. No significant difference was observed in food intake among the three experimental meals (without distractor, using smartphone and reading comic book). Masticatory performance, number of chewing cycles, and time until swallow were similar between sexes and school types (p>0.05). Regression models showed that meal duration was dependent on school type, number of teeth, time until swallow and absence of distractor, while total caloric intake was dependent on school type (public), sex (male), time until swallow, and number of cycles. Besides, total amount ingested, and medium/high-energy-dense amount were dependent on school type (public), sex (male), age, size of the particles and time until swallowing, uncontrolled eating and body mass index (p<0.05). In conclusion, the primary factors affecting food/caloric ingestion were sex, school type, and masticatory parameters, while the absence of distractor had an influence on meal duration.

Examining the Relationships between Career Development, Daily Life Decision Making and Social Emotional Learning Skills of Middle School Students

This presented research has three purposes: The first purpose of this study is to examine the power of middle school students' social emotional learning and daily life decision-making skills together as a predictor of their career development. The second purpose is to examine the career development of middle school students according to gender. Third purpose is to examine the career development of middle school students according to targeted high school type. The research group consisted of 263 middle school students (141 female, 116 male, 6 unknown). These students were studying in 3 middle schools in the center of a large city in the northwestern part of Turkey and their ages ranged between 10-15 (X̄=12.31; sd=1.07). The research data were collected by applying the Chilhood Career Development Scale, Social Emotional Learning Scale for Adolescents, Daily Life Decision Making Scale and Personal Information Form. The research data were analysed using multiple linear regression analysis, t test, and one-way ANOVA. The research results showed that middle school students' social emotional learning and daily life decision-making skills scores together accounted for a significant proportion of the variance 0.19% of the career development scores of middle school students. The results showed that the career development score mean of students targeted Anatolian high school were higher than those aiming for science high school and vocational and technical high school. There was not significantly differences in career development scores of the students according to gender. The research results were discussed based on the relevant literature, provided important implications for the theoretical and practical literature on career development, social emotional learning and daily life decision-making skills and suggestions were presented for future theoretical and practical research.

Does technology-based non-interactive teaching enhance students’ learning in the classroom?

The use of evidence-based practices can be regarded as the gold standard in technology-based learning and instruction. A steadily adopted educational practice is technology-mediated non-interactive teaching, in which students generate explanations of the previously learned contents to a fictitious audience by means of technologies (e.g., video, messenger). Although recent laboratory studies documented benefits of non-interactive teaching, field-oriented evidence is scarce. Research is needed to examine how laboratory evidence applies to authentic learning environments with school students and to determine whether these effects are generalizable to different authentic contexts. We applied a ManyClasses study to a) examine the generalizability of technology-based non-interactive teaching and b) explore context-related (domain, school type), demographical-related (age, gender, language), and implementation-related (grading, medium, timing) boundary conditions. In collaboration with teachers, we realized k = 20 different teaching units (each consisting of two lessons) in authentic settings across various school types and domains. Using a within-participants design, school students (N = 191) either taught the previously learned contents by means of technology to a fictitious peer or retrieved the contents in mind after the lesson. Results showed no main effect of non-interactive teaching; but domain and school type moderated the learning activity. The findings indicate that non-interactive teaching is not effective per se, but rather depends on the instructional contexts in which it is implemented. The investigation of the teaching effect with new approaches allows, for the first time, more generalizable conclusions to be drawn about non-interactive teaching with technology for students in authentic settings.

The effect of parents' lifestyle on Schoolchildren's consumption of ultra-processed food

ObjectivesTo assess the association between schoolchildren's consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and various lifestyle factors of their parents in Brazil. Study designCross-sectional population-based study with parent-child dyads aged 6–11. MethodsThe sample was distributed proportionally across Brazilian macro-regions and type of school. Recruitment utilized the snowball technique, and participants filled in an online questionnaire. Initially, parents provided data on education, eating practices, food consumption markers, screen time, and physical activity. Subsequently, their children reported their UPF consumption using the Illustrated Questionnaire on Food Consumption for Brazilian Schoolchildren. The UPF consumption among children was assessed using the NOVA score. Poisson's regression log-linear analysis was performed (p < 0.05) with adjustments for macro-regions, type of school (as a proxy for socioeconomic status), gender, and age of the child. ResultsThis study included a total of 2021 child-parent dyads. On average, children consumed 3.5 UPFs on the previous day. We found a significant association between high consumption of UPFs by the child and parents with less healthy eating practices (p < 0.05), excessive screen time (p < 0.05), and high UPF consumption (p < 0.05). ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate a relationship between Brazilian schoolchildren's consumption of UPFs and various lifestyle factors of their parents, particularly regarding eating practices, food consumption markers, screen time, and physical activity. This underscores the importance of the home food environment in shaping children's health during this critical developmental stage of life, emphasizing the need to incorporate support for family lifestyle factors into public health policies.

Intentionality, Pygmalion, and Cognitive Fun Redirects Elementary School Children in Pull-Out Neural Enrichment

This study describes an academic enrichment intervention for 15 ‘high risk’ children who were pulled out of General Education classrooms in Bangalore India for 40 minutes four-times a week during a typical school year. Could a brain-based intervention reduce achievement gaps that showed up for these children in terms of below-grade academic outcomes and impoverished social and emotional wellbeing? The null hypothesis stated that a teacher’s mental model that shifted to brain-based methodology would have no perceivable effect on (i) children’s academic achievement or (ii) their social and emotional engagement. This study was grounded in teacher education literature involving mental models that illuminate classroom management techniques. Subjects were drawn from second grade students (mean 6.7 years; n = 15). Study was an opportunistic quasi-experimental design reflecting school life across India. Qualitative ethnographic data using grounded theory were triangulated with quantitative measures that best account for observed outcomes. Findings highlight significant academic, and social and emotional growth, which dramatically reduced the achievement gap for all participants.

Traditional and Online Bullying Victimization Among School-going Adolescents: The Role of Sociodemographic Factors

Background: Bullying in school is a vital issue as researchers increasingly find that it can be detrimental to students’ well-being and academic excellence. From an ecological systems theory perspective, examining school bullying reveals that numerous psychosocial factors influence student behavior. Hence, the present study aims to investigate the role of sociodemographics—at the individual (age, gender), microsystem and mesosystem (grade level, school type), exosystem (region), macrosystem (socioeconomic status), and chronosystem (shift from traditional to virtual classroom during COVID-19) levels—in the victimization of traditional and online bullying. Methods: After obtaining ethical clearance, an online survey form was deployed to collect sociodemographic information and assess traditional and online bullying victimization among 120 school-going adolescents from the Southern regions of India. Results: A linear regression analysis showed age and region (urban and rural) predicting traditional and online victimization, respectively. Other sociodemographic factors of gender, school type, and grade level did not predict either victimization type. Conclusions: Sociodemographic factors play a significant role in the victimization experiences of students both in traditional and online.

Improving Academic Standard of Low-Performing Adolescents: A Delphi Study

The Indian educational landscape, marked by infrastructure limitations and disparities in educator quality and school types, presents an opportunity for equitable education enhancement. This study employs the Delphi method to identify effective learning strategies for teacher training and policy considerations. Initially, 57 experts provided opinions on strategies for academically low-performing adolescents. Subsequently, 25 experts ranked these strategies’ importance using a Likert scale. In an independent round, 50 new experts with teaching experience shared insights into strategies implemented for low-performing school adolescents. Of 38 proposed strategies short-listed in the first round, experts strongly recommended 21, yet educators implemented only nine. Notably, strategies supported by existing literature and strongly endorsed by experts, such as experiential learning, reading aloud, and independent thinking, remain unimplemented. This absence could impede adolescents’ knowledge and hinder academic success. Integrating evidence-based strategies into the curriculum could enhance low-performing adolescents’ academic performance, career prospects, and life satisfaction.