Justice,belonging and trust among Israeli middle school students

Contending that justice experiences at school transmit messages about the wider society and affects students' attitudes and behaviour, we investigated the effects of students' sense of distributive and (school) procedural justice on their sense of belonging to school and on their social and institutional trust. The study was carried out among about 5000 eighth and ninth graders in a national sample of 48 middle schools in Israel in the 2010–2011 school year. The two‐level data—individual and school—were analyzed by HLM7 (Hierarchical Linear Model). Findings basically support our hypotheses: sense of distributive justice, especially, with regard to teachers'–students' relation positively affected students' sense of belonging and their trust in people and formal institutions; and school (aggregate) sense of procedural justice added to these positive effects. However, these attitudes were also dependent on sectorial affiliation (Jewish secular, Jewish religious, Arab), which explained a considerable portion of between‐school variation in student attitudes.     

Teachers' perceptions of the school psychologist as a function of teaching experience,amount of contact,and socioeconomic status of the school

Teachers from eight schools responded to an extensive questionnaire designed to reveal their perceptions of the roles, functions, and helpfulness of school psychologists. Responses of teachers grouped according to degree of teaching experience, amount of contact with school psychologists, and socioeconomic status of the school were compared on three sets of variables pertaining to the psychologist's role and functions. Results indicated that teachers from upper income schools reporting high contact with the school psychologist viewed the psychologist as most helpful to a greater variety of children. Other statistical analyses revealed several interesting and relevant findings. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Suicidality, school dropout, and reading problems among adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine the risk of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts and school dropout among youth with poor reading in comparison to youth with typical reading (n = 188) recruited from public schools at the age of 15. In a prospective naturalistic study, youth and parents participated in repeated research assessments to obtain information about suicide ideation and attempts, psychiatric and sociodemographic variables, and school dropout. Youth with poor reading ability were more likely to experience suicidal ideation or attempts and more likely to drop out of school than youth with typical reading, even after controlling for sociodemographic and psychiatric variables. Suicidality and school dropout were strongly associated with each other. Prevention efforts should focus on better understanding the relationship between these outcomes, as well as on the developmental paths leading up to these behaviors among youth with reading difficulties.     

Mastery motivation,parenting, and school achievement among Hungarian adolescents

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Children’s motivation to master challenging tasks is an important predictor of school success, and yet, such motivation declines during...     

Meeting in school: Cultural diversity approaches of teachers and intergroup contact among ethnic minority and majority adolescents

This study investigated the associations between cultural diversity approaches endorsed by teachers and adolescents' positive and negative intergroup contact in schools. Participants were 984 adolescents (M_age = 14.66; 62.7% female; 24.8% ethnic minority) involved in a three-wave longitudinal study between 2019 and 2020. Results highlighted that perceived equal treatment by teachers was related to higher positive and lower negative contact over time. However, perceived support for contact and cooperation and interest of teachers in children's cultural background were not related to either positive or negative contact over time. Importantly, the results were replicated across ethnic minority and majority adolescents. This study provides novel insights into the key role that teachers can play in promoting cultural diversity approaches to facilitate harmonious intergroup interactions in schools.     

Family poly-victimization and cyberbullying among adolescents in a Chinese school sample

The sustained increase in their use of social networking facilitates the development of adolescents but comes with the risk of cyberbullying, which creates new challenges in regard to adolescent protection. Past evidence shows that family victimization may play an essential role in the way adolescents learn cyberbullying behaviors. Yet, research on the co-occurrence of family victimization and cyberbullying is limited. This study aims to investigate the associations between cyberbullying and family victimization among adolescents, and to examine the health correlates of cyberbullying and family poly-victimization. A large sample of 18,341 students, aged 15–17, from six cities in China, collected between 2009 and 2010 is employed in the present study, which investigated the association between various kinds of family victimization and adolescent cyberbullying. Data analysis was conducted in 2017. In-law conflict, intimate partner violence, elder abuse and neglect, and child maltreatment were associated with a higher possibility of children becoming internet victims. Parents’ divorce and separation, low family income, mother’s low level of education, and father’s unemployment were all associated with cyberbullying victimization. Cyber victimization was positively correlated to symptoms of PTSD and depression, self-harm, and other physical and mental health variables. Possible explanations for the relationships found in this study are discussed and implications for future research and services are provided. Proactive screening for family poly-victimization and cyberbullying is suggested. Schools are highly recommended to cooperate with parents to promote cyber safety.     

Self-concept as a function of intelligence and creativity in gifted Israeli children

The relationship of creativity and intelligence to self-concept was examined in Israeli children (N = 159) of superior intelligence (mean WISC IQ = 140) across a wide age range (Grades 4–8). The instruments were the Wallach & Kogan Creativity battery, a group intelligence test and the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. It was concluded that for children of superior intelligence, differences in creativity level were far more implicated in personal-social adjustment than were differences in intelligence level.     

The professional learning community as perceived by Israeli school superintendents, principals and teachers

A professional learning community (PLC) facilitates collaborative learning among colleagues at all levels in their common working environment. PLCs are particularly useful in schools, with teachers and principals meeting regularly to solve problems relating to teaching and learning. Being a means of improving student achievement, PLCs have received growing support from researchers and practitioners alike, yet some professionals are still exploring ways to develop learning networks focusing on teaching and learning issues. The purpose of this study was to examine Israeli teachers’, principals’, and superintendents’ perceptions of inhibiting and fostering factors of the PLC. In this qualitative, topic-oriented study, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 15 teachers from elementary, middle and secondary schools and their respective principals (15) and superintendents (15). Generating themes was inductive, grounded in the perspectives articulated by participants. The principals and the teachers indicated that overload, a lack of resources and top-down commands were PLC-inhibiting factors. The superintendents saw the principal’s leadership style as a main PLC-fostering factor. Understanding how these three echelons in the school system perceive the inhibiting and fostering factors of a PLC could indicate whether and how this collaborative learning process can be nurtured and sustained in schools.     

Fairness,trust, and school climate as foundational to growth mindset: A study among Brazilian children and adolescents

Recent research has established the importance of children and adolescents developing a growth mindset for future success and motivation. This research tests believes about fairness, adult trust, and school climate that are theoretically foundational for establishing a cognitive connection between effort and outcome. Regressions and MANOVAS were conducted to understand the direct and indirect relationships between perceptions of justice, adult trust, school climate and growth mindsets.

The first study included 363 children from Brazilian public schools and the findings supported our hypothesis that adult trust partially mediates the relationship between justice perceptions and growth mindset. The second study included an adolescent sample (n?=?497) from more diverse backgrounds and included a measure of institutional mindset. In this study, school fairness and solidarity mediated the relationship between perceptions of justice on institutional growth mindset. This research can help inform educators and researchers of other constructs necessary to foster a growth mindset.     

Cooperative-competitive social orientation and school achievement among Anglo-American and Mexican-American children

Researchers have suggested that the relatively poor academic performance of Mexican-American compared to Anglo-American children may result from cultural differences in cooperative-competitive social orientation. To test the relative contribution of cooperative-competitive social orientation as a personality predictor of school achievement, the cooperativeness-competitiveness, field independence, locus of control, self-esteem, and school achievement of 45 Anglo-American and 125 Mexican-American fourth, fifth, and sixth grade children were assessed. The results indicate (1) competitiveness is positively related to school achievement among the Anglo-American children but not the Mexican-American children; (2) among the Anglo-American children competitiveness is a better predictor of school achievement than field independence, locus of control, and self-esteem; (3) the personality variables are moderately but not independently related to school achievement within both cultural groups; and (4) the between-culture variance in the personality variables does not account for the between-culture variance in school achievement. Implications of the present results for understanding within- and between-group differences in school achievement are discussed.     

Self‐efficacy,goal orientation,and fear of failure as predictors of school engagement in high school students

Lack of school engagement among adolescents in this country remains a problem that can have very serious consequences including increased risk for school dropout, substance use, teenage pregnancy, and criminal activity. Clearly, identification of psychological variables (self‐variables) of individuals that facilitate or hinder adolescents' levels of school engagement would contribute greatly to the understanding of how to increase adolescents' psychological well‐being and their achievement motivation and associated school engagement. The present study examined the degree of association of three specific self‐variables (self‐efficacy, goal orientation, and fear of failure) with school engagement for high school students. The results and implications for intervention and future research are addressed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 417–427, 2003.     

Dropping out of school as a meaningful action for adolescents with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties

This study examines and discusses dropping out of school related to adolescents with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). It is based on in‐depth interviews of 10 adolescents between the ages of 16 and 20, three girls and two boys with internalised problems, and two girls and three boys with extroverted behavioural problems. Given this group of students' challenges at school, the aim of this paper is to explore the narratives of this adolescent group as they relate to the significance they attach to their dropout behaviour. An additional objective is to draw attention to what these findings are likely to mean for implementing preventive practices in school. Results show that adolescents with SEBD perceive a non‐supportive classroom environment to be a primary explanation for why they are dropping out from school. Additionally, lack of support from teachers and parents and family problems are, according to the adolescents, an important reason for dropping out. Findings are discussed in relation to future implications for this group of adolescents in the context of school.     

The relationship of school strain to school functioning and self-worth among urban African American early adolescents

Fitting the environment of a school to the developmental needs of early adolescents is particularly important for inner-city African American students who tend to drop out of school in large numbers. The present study examined the person-environment fit in terms of the relation of school strain to self-worth and three indicators of school functioning—scholastic competence, intrinsic motivation, and grade point average—among 102 subjects enrolled in an academic intervention program. Results showed a consistent relation of peer strain to self-worth during the Fall and Spring and strong relations in the Spring of strain associated with teacher relations and school demands to scholastic competence and intrinsic motivation. Furthermore, strain increased during the year, and males experienced greater peer strain than did females. Results are discussed in light of previous research on effective middle schools and the developmental needs of urban African American early adolescents. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Towards a traditional model for school counselling and care in Nigeria

This paper attempts to present a traditional model that can be used for school counselling in the Nigerian school system.To do this, it discusses beliefs and values in a traditional setting, healing and characteristics of traditional counselling environment and the traditional healing processes. Finally, it gives a discourse on a model for therapy in Nigerian schools.The emphasis of the paper is that it is necessary for school counselling to be marshed with the traditional model as the students schools seek to nurture, ultimately, still go back to tradition for self-realization and self-actualization.     

整体德育模式中学校制度的特征与功能定位

本文紧密联系当前道德教育的发展的趋势,界定了整体德育模式的含义以及其与道德教学的关系。并且从榜样的角度、制度制定的角度、制度性质的角度三个方面着重分析了整体德育模式中学校制度的产生、特征与功能定位。     

Child sexual abuse as reported by Israeli adolescents: Social and health related correlates

The objectives of the study were to assess the prevalence of child sexual abuse (CSA) in a nation-wide representative sample of 14–17 year old Israeli adolescents, and to examine the associations between CSA, socio-demographic correlates and various measures of physical and mental health. The study population consisted of 906 mother–adolescent dyads, belonging to a community based, representative sample of Israeli 14–17 year olds, interviewed in 2004–5. Response rate was 68%. Subjects provided demographic data, and information about CSA, physical symptoms, body image, well-being and use of mental health services. DAWBA was used to obtain information regarding mental disorders and suicidality. SDQ was used to obtain data on bullying. Statistical analyses were conducted using an SPSS-17 complex sample analysis module and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess the associations between CSA and risk factors and social and health related correlates. Findings show that CSA was reported by 3.3% of adolescents. Higher risk of exposure to CSA was found among girls, among adolescents living in a one-parent household and among adolescents with a chronic disability. In multivariate models adjusting for gender, learning disabilities and depression, CSA was associated with suicidal attempts, stomach ache, dizziness, sleep problems, well being at home and bullying behaviors. No association was found with suicidal ideation or other physical symptoms. Our findings confirm that the associations between CSA and different outcomes vary depending on the socio-psychological context, and underline the importance of addressing the complexity of variables associated with CSA.     

Assessment of school functioning among Israeli Arab children with hearing loss in the primary grades

The study examined school functioning of Israeli Arab children with hearing impairment (HI) who were included in regular education classrooms, in comparison to their classmates with normal hearing (NH). Ninety-three children (60 NH and 33 HI), grades 1-6, participated. Teachers evaluated the children using the Arabic version of the Screening Instrument for Targeting Educational Risks (SIFTER; Anderson, 1989); they also reported children's achievement levels in Arabic and mathematics. Results demonstrated that the HI children's functioning was lower than that of the NH children. Children with unilateral and minimal hearing losses had lower functioning than those with more severe hearing loss. As grade level increased, functioning decreased among HI children. Use of the SIFTER was beneficial in detecting children with difficulties. Regular, ongoing SIFTER use and appropriate follow-up on the results may better enable each child to perform optimally in class.