Differing expectations: an account of home and school factors affecting EAL learners from Arabic-speaking backgrounds

This article considers research from a preliminary study of Libyan children's accounts of their experience learning English as an additional language (EAL) within mainstream schools in the LJK. The analysis of interviews and classroom observations suggests that for equal opportunity to take place, local education authorities need to place greater emphasis on language and educational provision for newcomers to UK primary schools. In addition, there is still a communication barrier as well as a language barrier between home and school which needs to be addressed in order for children to adjust to and meet school requirements. In a similar way, parents of newly arrived children need to have clear expectations. The implications of this piece of research are extremely relevant for additional language acquisition in British schools and, in particular, for the education of newcomers whose circumstances are similar to those of the children in this study. This research also enables the voice of Arab children, as learners of the English language, to reach educators and policy makers, and empower them further in the research processes which inform British education policy.     

公办学校和打工子弟学校中流动儿童城市适应过程对比研究

本研究采用流动儿童城市适应量表作为研究工具,对公办学校和打工子弟学校中的流动儿童城市适应过程进行研究。结果发现,公办学校的各种学校因素对流动儿童城市适应中探索与顺应、整合与融入两个阶段都有积极促进作用,除学校安置因素外,流动儿童的个人因素、家庭因素同样影响家长对两类学校的选择,也影响着流动儿童在两类学校的城市适应。     

An ecological view of literacy learning

This article refutes the common, persistent belief in literacy learning as a linear, sequential process best broken down into small steps that can be taught mechanically in order to produce timely, quantifiable ‘outcomes’, regardless of the vast diversity among learners, teachers, institutions of learning, communities, cultures, media and languages. This naïve and simplistic belief, which flies in the face of virtually all evidence from direct observation, research on literacy learning, evolutionary biology, cognitive science, psychological and social science research, neurophysiology, educational theory, public policy, anthropology and communication, nevertheless remains well entrenched, despite its destructive consequences. Presented here is the evidence in support of an alternative view, an ecological perspective which takes into account the complex ecosystems within which teachers and learners learn, adapt, interact, communicate and connect. Furthermore, it presents a sensible and humane model for documenting and assessing learning and teaching ecologically, the Learning Record. This model is well supported both theoretically and practically, with over 20 years of successful implementation for thousands of students at every level, from pre‐school to graduate school; in every discipline, from maths to biology to writing; and across diverse student populations, from inner‐city schools to reservation schools, migrant populations, students with disabilities and newly arrived English language learners.     

Learning through observations: the potential of collective worship in primary schools

This article reports the learning achieved by a group of trainee teachers about acts of collective worship (CW) organised in English primary schools. Using data gathered from non-participant observation questionnaires, it describes, from the viewpoint of observers, three main findings related to children and their learning, the position of CW in primary schools and their own learning about it. The findings reveal that children learn, among other things, values, dispositions, morals and issues connected to their self-esteem, reflection, prayer and spirituality. Participants consider these to be attempts to empower children to be active in out-of-school contexts. The data suggest that these trainees think that CW has a place in primary schools as it holds many benefits for the children, school and wider community. In terms of their own learning, the data shows that they learnt about the purpose and value of CW, their professionalism and the practice within their respective schools.     

Migrant schools in the Thailand-Burma borderland: from the informal to the formal

This article examines migrant schools in the Thailand-Burma borderland. Substantial existence of migrant schools enables migrant children to have their own education even in the absence of proper legal status. The growth of migrant schools marked the building up of a migrant education institution in cooperation with international partners, showing progress in the constitution of migrant lives. Since the mid-2000s, the Thai government has engaged in migrant schools in an attempt to regularize them as learning centres under its guidance. This article argues that it should not necessarily be interpreted as a victory of the state over the migrants and migrant schools. Rather, it shows the impressive growth of the migrant education institution, bringing the state into play and has achieved recognition from the state as a legitimate formal institution.     

Implementing a large‐scale reform in secondary schools: the role of the consultant within England’s Secondary National Strategy

This article examines the role of the consultants in secondary schools and local authorities within a large‐scale consultancy‐based reform, the Secondary National Strategy (SNS), in London, UK. The SNS follows a cascade model of implementation in which nationally created initiatives are introduced and supported within local authorities (LA) and schools through LA‐based consultant teams. The article is drawn from a larger interpretive case study that follows the experiences of SNS consultants working within the reform from 2002 to 2006. The article uses semi‐structured interviews to reveal the various and diverse experiences that occur in schools as a result of the introduction of consultants within LAs. The article argues that introducing an SNS consultancy structure to work within LAs and secondary schools created dynamic, complex and shifting effects across secondary schools. While consultants often attempted to create developmental or learning experiences that resonated with teachers’ and departments’ experiences, these activities may also have served to further the institutional control of teachers’ workspaces. These effects are part of the complexities that exist within school change agendas. Exploring these contradictions helps in understanding school change within urban secondary schools.     

Exclusion of Travellers in state schools

Travellers in Scotland and the rest of the UK are often still mobile. In particular, the showground and circus communities remain highly mobile for much of the year. The overt stereotyping, discrimination and racial prejudice faced mostly by Gypsies and Travellers is said to keep them out of schools and certainly has contributed to low attendance levels and even non-attendance and dropout before the due leaving date. The research carried out in Scotland over a six-year period included both quantitative and qualitative methods, targeted schools, local authorities and a range of Travellers representing different groups, life-styles and generations. The reality of disrupted learning for schools and for Travellers is revealed. For thosewho do access schools and attend regularly there are still many covert barriers to successful learning. Such institutional discrimination has not previously been researched and is hardly acknowledged, yet makes a significant contribution to Travellers' success or failure in school. The mismatch between these pupils' particular learning needs and the provision made for a settled, local community offers a paradigm for many other interrupted learners: reduced selfesteem, demotivation, disaffection and eventual dropout for some.The essentially excluding school system and the self-excluding Traveller pupil (parental condoned absence) conspire to perpetuate cycles of underachievement and marginalization, confirming their social exclusion within society. Yet, at a grass roots level, innovative projects and approaches are being developed on an ad hoc basis. At the European level, particular emphasis is put on the need for open and Distance Learning to support Travellers. The lack of state funded-support for out of school learning does little to engage Travellers with learning. The findings are described and analysed within the broader framework of the literature and practices in this area in Europe and Australia.     

In search of educational equity for the migrant children of Shanghai

Around the world there is a growing consensus that migrant children's rights must be protected, regardless of where they have emigrated from. One of these rights is the right to a public education of equal quality to that granted to non-migrant children regardless of where one's family is registered or pays taxes. This article focuses on migrant children schooling in Shanghai. It will show that three main problems are still impeding migrant children from getting a high-quality education. They are: the inferior quality of migrant children schools; the lack of access to a public school and the much higher costs of schooling; and the high mobility of migrant students. Our conclusion: the education rights of migrant children have become contingent on the wills of urban local governments, public attitudes, and available space in local public schools.     

Educating rural migrant children in interior China: The promise and pitfall of low-fee private schools

Scholars disagree on the extent to which low-fee private schools can adequately supply education to poor children in developing countries. This article contributes to the debate with a qualitative study in the Chinese context where privatization of education intersects with rural-urban migration. Using grounded theory approach, I examine how these schools aid or hinder migrant children’s settlement and integration in the host city. Fieldwork in the country’s interior region reveals that migrant schools are oriented toward meeting the immediate needs of migrant families but at the cost of children’s future prospects. The conclusion discusses implications for equitable urbanization.     

“差生”：外来工子弟正在被“污名化”——对公办学校外来工子弟学生形象的实证研究

随着农民工子弟进城接受学校九年制义务教育,在招收农民工子弟的公办学校中,农民工子弟就是"差生"的印象正在形成.老师、本地学生与其家长普遍认为外来工子弟不仅学习成绩差,而且学习态度与生活卫生习惯也差,影响班级与学校整体教学质量的提高.被"污名化"的农民工子弟在公办学校中处境困难,深受社会排斥的影响.     

The communities providing religious education and catechesis to Polish immigrants in England and Wales

Since Poland’s accession to the European Union in 2004, hundreds of thousands of Polish citizens have arrived in the UK in search of work, of which the majority landed in England and Wales. This process, although not as fast now, is still ongoing. The majority of immigrants from Poland are young people who start families and have children. Many of these children are born in the UK. For this reason, it is increasingly common for the children of Polish immigrants to be covered by the local school system. In addition to general knowledge, they also have the right to religious education and catechesis. This article presents a summary of the communities providing religious education and catechesis to Polish migrants living in England and Wales. It describes the specific features of religious education in state-run schools, Catholic schools and Polish Saturday Schools. The objectives of parish catechesis conducted by the Polish Catholic missions operating in England and Wales are also outlined. The primary objective of this discussion is to present the various options for religious education and catechesis for the children of Polish immigrants living in England and Wales.     

Children’s play behaviour and social communication in integrated special day-care groups

This paper considers the role of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), the teacher responsible for the implementation of policies relating to the teaching and learning of children with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools in England and Wales. SENCOs also have a role to play in the inclusion of children with learning difficulties/disabilities in mainstream schools. Yet research indicates that despite the revision of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice in 2001, many SENCOs are still overwhelmed by the operational nature of the role with little support, time or funding to consider more strategic aspects of inclusion and SEN. The article draws on research by the author and offers the voices of SENCOs from two unitary authorities in the north of England which suggest that where the SENCO is supported by senior management within the school, the role can be a powerful one in relation to inclusion. It concludes by arguing that the role of the SENCO needs to be re‐conceptualized, redefined and remunerated as a senior management post within mainstream schools. If this were to be enforced by national policy, every mainstream school could have at least one powerful advocate for the inclusion of children with learning difficulties/disabilities.     

“Turned off” or “ready to fly” – Ability grouping as an act of symbolic violence in primary school

This paper presents findings from a mixed methodological study exploring teacher perspectives on the use of ability grouping in primary schools in Ireland. Results indicated that teachers were shown to ‘funnel and filter’ children into differentiated ability groups, conceptualised as acts of symbolic violence. This had particular implications for learners assigned to the ‘weaker’ groups, most especially boys, minority ethnic/migrant children and those with additional support needs. Factors related to length of teacher experience and engagement with continuous professional development were found to mediate the strength of framing of children's learning in ability groups.     

进城务工农民随迁子女教育状况调研报告

对北京、上海、广州等12城市调研发现,各地在解决进城务工农民随迁子女教育问题方面都采取了一些措施,取得了一定成绩,但仍然存在许多问题,主要表现在进城务工农民随迁子女教育管理、在校学习以及心理发展等方面。为进一步改善进城务工农民随迁子女教育现状,建议中央设立进城务工农民随迁子女教育专项基金,实施教育券制度,建立全国性的电子学籍管理系统;各地制订合理的入学标准,挖掘公办学校潜力,推广农民工子女学校"国有民办"办学模式,加强对农民工子女学校的支持和监管等。     

试从多元文化教育视角看流动儿童所在公办学校的教育

实施全民教育,推进教育机会均等,是当前中国教育改革的一个重要目标。随着进入城市公办学校的流动儿童数量增多,公办学校如何在多元文化背景下开展适合当地学生和流动儿童的教育,是迫切需要关注的问题。从多元文化教育的内涵出发,探讨流动儿童所在公办学校中存在的文化差异和碰撞,并针对公办学校现状提出观念、管理、课程设置、教学等方面的建议。     

农民工子女学习适应性研究

本文采用《学习适应性测验》对小学阶段的355名农民工子女进行调查分析,研究发现:农民工子女学习适应性总体情况比较差;影响农民工子女各个年级段学习适应性的因素不同,但学习环境一直是影响各年级段农民工子女学习适应性的重要问题;总体上女生学习适应性要好于男生,但在每个年级段上又有不同的维度差异。     

Can pluralistic approaches based upon unknown languages enhance learner engagement and lead to active social inclusion?

One way to foster active social inclusion is to enable students to develop a positive attitude to “foreignness”. Creating a situation where mainstream students are less wary of foreign languages and cultures, and where newcomers feel their linguistic background is being valued, provides favourable conditions for the inclusion of these newcomers in the classroom and in society. However, language classrooms in French schools rarely take any previously acquired linguistic knowledge into account, thus unconsciously contributing to the rift between multilingual learners (e.g. 1st- and 2nd-generation immigrant children, refugees, children of parents with different mother tongues) and French learners. Native French learners’ first experience of learning another language is usually when English is added as a subject to their curriculum in primary school. In some schools in France, English lessons now include the simulation of multilingual situations, designed in particular for the French “quasi-monolingual” students to lose their fear of unknown languages and “foreignness” in general. But the overall aim is to help both groups of learners become aware of the positive impact of multilingualism on cognitive abilities. However, to achieve long-term effects, this awareness-raising needs to be accompanied by maximum engagement on the part of the students. This article explores an instructional strategy termed Pluralistic Approaches based upon Unknown Languages (PAUL), which was designed to develop learning strategies of quasi-monolingual students in particular and to increase learner engagement more generally. The results of a small-scale PAUL study discussed by the author seem to confirm an increase in learner engagement leading to an enhancement of learning outcomes. Moreover, PAUL seems indeed suitable for helping to prepare the ground for social inclusion.     

A key leadership issue of the twenty-first century: Religion in schools in England,Wales and the Republic of Ireland

This article argues that engagement with religion is a key challenge for all leaders of schools in twenty-first-century multifaith societies. It outlines the historic and current context of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and national and European policies that prioritise community cohesion in education. The functional and substantive roles of religion are considered as reflected in education, where they adjudicate power and shape values and behaviours. The article analyses data from nine schools in England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland to provide a snapshot of a range of leaders’ philosophies, policies and practice in relation to religion. The preferential attention and resources given to the dominant community are evident in some cases. It is argued that, irrespective of whether a school is affiliated to a specific religion or not, school leaders have some freedom in positioning religion. Their influence significantly shapes how religion and/or secular values are understood and enacted. The article concludes by suggesting that policy at national and European level that emphasises shared identities and community cohesion masks the differential power and struggles between communities that cannot be resolved by anodyne exhortation. Rather, leaders need to be selected, trained and supported to recognise the centrality of belief in the lives of many of their learners and their families and to engage with the inevitability of ongoing disagreement and struggle.     

Impacts of Learning Standards and Testing on Gifted Learners in STEM Schools: A Multilevel Analytic Induction

This article shares findings from a multilevel analytic induction of administrators, teachers, and gifted students within specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) schools about their beliefs regarding the role of standards and standardized tests in the education of gifted learners. Sharing results from a cross-case analysis of six schools, we explore the ways in which student experiences of standards-based learning differ from the perceptions of their teachers and school administrators. We found that there is no consensus across administrators, teachers, and students regarding the impact that standards have in the educational process or on outcomes within specialized STEM schools, though all community members value and seek to create deep learning opportunities for students.     

Hamburg’s Family Literacy project (FLY) in the context of international trends and recent evaluation findings

The authors of this article begin with an introduction to the holistic concept of family literacy and learning and its implementation in various international contexts, paying special attention to the key role played by the notions of lifelong learning and intergenerational learning. The international trends and experiences they outline inspired and underpinned the concept of a prize-winning Family Literacy project called FLY, which was piloted in 2004 in Hamburg, Germany. FLY aims to build bridges between preschools, schools and families by actively involving parents and other family members in children’s literacy education. Its three main pillars are: (1) parents’ participation in their children’s classes; (2) special sessions for parents (without their children); and (3) joint out-of-school activities for teachers, parents and children. These three pillars help families from migrant backgrounds, in particular, to develop a better understanding of German schools and to play a more active role in school life. To illustrate how the FLY concept is integrated into everyday school life, the authors showcase one participating Hamburg school before presenting their own recent study on the impact of FLY in a group of Hamburg primary schools with several years of FLY experience. The results of the evaluation clearly indicate that the project’s main objectives have been achieved: (1) parents of children in FLY schools feel more involved in their children’s learning and are offered more opportunities to take part in school activities; (2) the quality of teaching in these schools has improved, with instruction developing a more skills-based focus due to markedly better classroom management und a more supportive learning environment; and (3) children in FLY schools are more likely to have opportunities to accumulate experience in out-of-school contexts and to be exposed to environments that stimulate and enhance their literacy skills in a tangible way.