Student Diversity Representation and Reporting in Universal School-Based Social and Emotional Learning Programs: Implications for Generalizability

This paper addresses two major and potentially conflicting movements: the importance of diversity as both a conceptual and political issue and the rise of the evidence-based practice movement in education. This tension is particularly important when evaluating and reporting universal interventions because of their intended applicability across diverse groups of children and adolescents. This study contributes to this discussion through an analysis of published school-based universal social and emotional learning (SEL) intervention evaluations in terms of their theoretical and empirical attention to student diversity characteristics. We defined student diversity in terms of five characteristics: gender, race/ethnicity, SES, disability status, and sexual orientation/gender identity. We assessed how and when demographic characteristics were reported, how these characteristics were analyzed as moderators of program outcomes, and how differential effects based on diversity were incorporated into reported intervention generalizability discussions. Results showed that diversity characteristics were inconsistently reported across articles. Most studies did not test for moderating effects, but those that did found inconsistent effects across diversity characteristics. Further, conceptual and/or empirical support for conducting the moderation analyses was often not provided or sufficiently supported by previous literature or a hypothesis. This research highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of how SEL program effects may be moderated by student demographic characteristics and suggests caution about the generalizability of the reviewed SEL programs across diverse groups of children and adolescents.     

Blinded to science: gender differences in the effects of race,ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on academic and science attitudes among sixth graders

Little research has examined whether the effects of race or socioeconomic status (SES) on educational attitudes differ by gender, limiting knowledge of unique vulnerabilities occurring at the intersection of multiple social statuses. Using data from 182 sixth-graders, interactions between gender, race/ethnicity, and SES in predicting educational aspirations, persistence, views of science, and educational self-efficacy are examined. African American and Latino boys express more negative attitudes relative to (1) higher-SES boys, (2) White boys, and (3) girls of any race/ethnicity or level of SES. The intersection of multiple inequalities in education across the early life course is discussed.     

Same As It Ever Was: The Nexus of Race,Ability, and Place in One Urban School District

Lack of access to general education for students with disabilities, particularly students with extensive support needs, students of color, and students from low-income households, reflects continued educational inequities for multiply marginalized students. Here, we present findings of a geospatial analysis of the intersections of race, socioeconomic status, disability labels, and levels of inclusion for students with disabilities in an urban school district, serving primarily students of color. Findings show trends in segregated placements mirroring historical redlining practices, suggesting the persistence of racial segregation that is enacted systematically and systemically via special education placements, disability categories, and geography. Results suggest the need to examine student-level placement data in the context of race, class, disability label, and space to identify and address inequities in access to inclusive schooling.     

Digital competencies among student populations in Kosovo: the impact of inclusion,socioeconomic status,ethnicity and type of residence

Present research studies the impact of variables such as inclusion, exclusion, residence, socioeconomic status, gender and parental education on digital competences among student populations in Kosovo (N = 303). The findings reveal that in accordance with international literature inclusion and exclusion in academic settings predict levels of digital competences reported by participants. To that end students who reported being included in academic settings also reported the highest levels of digital competences. Participants who reported feeling excluded were the ones to report the lowest levels of digital competences. Socioeconomic standing was also a powerful influential variable with participants reporting low digital competences when they reported financial hardship. Similarly, participants who reported a higher socioeconomic standing reported the highest levels of digital competences. Residence was also an influential variable with participants residing in urban areas reporting the highest levels of digital competences while participants living in rural areas reported the lowest levels of skills. Finally, along with providing data from a country that is not present in international research, present study is a first one to offer information on digital competences in Kosovo and as such is important for policy building in the future.     

Achieving quality and equity through inclusive education in an era of high-stakes testing

While great progress has been made by the international community to promote inclusive education for all children, regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender or disability, many countries still continue to marginalize and exclude students in educational systems across the globe. High-stakes assessments in market-driven economies have increased exclusionary practices. Using international databases and research studies, this paper provides evidence of the poor performance of high-stakes assessment policies, particularly in the United States. The authors analyse and compare the key assumptions and consequences of a market-based system of education with those of a system that is based upon the principles of inclusive education through a school-community model and examples from Europe and Latin America. These models demonstrate that the twin goals of quality and equity can be achieved within a system that addresses educational policy and practices more broadly than market-based reforms. Conclusions call for policy-makers to respond to the discrimination and exclusion of various populations around the world by considering the impact of current educational models and the potential they have to support genuinely inclusive education for everyone.     

Cultural stereotypes and professional self-socialisation in the transition from education to work

A key insight from studies of gender segregation is that the allocation of different groups to different positions in the labour market is strongly related to ascribed status. Shared gendered cultural beliefs generally portray men as more competent and of a higher status than women, and position some workers as more suited than others to perform different types of work and tasks. Yet, although much work has been done on status and gender segregation, this research tends to overlook the intersections of gender, race, and ethnicity. This study contributes to the literature by examining how skills and competence are valued in traditionally gender- segregated professions that have seen an increased influx of immigrants and ethnic minorities. Drawing on 66 qualitative interviews with Norwegian students, the study analyses, first, how gender, racial, and ethnic stereotyping of tasks and competencies affect the students’ aspirations in transition from education to work, and second, how the intersection between race, ethnicity, and gender plays out quite differently in different professions. Theoretically, I develop the concept of ‘professional self-socialisation’, which points to the process whereby individuals adapt and redefine their aspirations to the gendered, ethnic, and racial hierarchy of suitability within their profession.     

Attitudes Toward the Participation of Individuals With Disabilities in Physical Activity: A Review

This review covers articles published during the recent two decades on attitudes toward the participation of individuals with disabilities in physical activity. Research literature has been retrieved and analyzed by content and quality, across research type categories (cross sectional vs. intervention) and members of the participation context (i.e., professionals, peers, and participants with disabilities). The underlying theories, instruments, methodological approaches, and outcome variables are discussed in each category. Contact theory has served as the most popular theoretical foundation, however, without significant effectiveness in most trials. Gender has almost unanimously been recognized as a significant factor in all participant categories. Females tend to express more positive attitudes toward inclusion than males do. Participation in Adapted Physical Activity (APA) courses and previous experience with individuals with disability tend to improve professionals' attitudes.     

The forgotten minority: examining religious affiliation and university satisfaction

Researchers and practitioners generally discuss disparities in university student satisfaction and graduation rates in terms of race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. However, religious affiliation constitutes another important—yet often overlooked—form of identity that may be associated with student outcomes. In the context of Christian privilege in the United States, students from marginalized religions and those who do not identify with any organized religion can face significant challenges on university campuses and throughout society. Using a 4-year longitudinal sample of 3,098 undergraduates at 28 institutions, this study conducted hierarchical linear modeling analyses to examine the extent to which university satisfaction varies as a function of students’ religious affiliation (or lack thereof). Even when controlling for various individual and institutional characteristics, students who do not identify with any religious group have the lowest university satisfaction, whereas Protestant students have the highest satisfaction. Group disparities in satisfaction are also observed for race/ethnicity, gender, parental education, and academic preparation. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.     

The Conceptual and Disciplinary Segregation of Disability: a Phenomenography of Science Education Graduate Student Learning

Science teacher education has long sought to educate new science teachers to more fully understand “Science-for-all” and prepare them to effectively navigate diverse contexts. To adopt this “Science-for-all” mantra, we need to address what the labeling (i.e., categorical labeling and/or mislabeling) of students with disabilities means for science teacher education. This paper provides a critical inquiry to ground the claim that disability operates subversively and unrecognized as a marker of difference similar to labels that produce exclusion in science education (e.g., race, class, and gender). Using a phenomenographic design, this research studied graduate students’ conceptualizations of disability as they progressed through the only required diversity course at a large, urban university in the American northeast. Primary data sources included in-depth, pre-/post-course interviews with supplemental data collected from biweekly course reflections. Phenomenographic data analyses addressed to what extent these graduate students embraced a disability studies perspective relative to disability—i.e., viewing disability beyond merely individual deficit. Findings suggest that the course sustained the relatively static conceptualizations about disability held by the participants related to individual deficiency rather than pushing for more critical views of disability beyond deficiency. Implications are discussed in relation to multicultural science teacher education course goals.

     

Childhood victimization and lifetime revictimization

OBJECTIVE: To examine the fundamental hypothesis that childhood victimization leads to increased vulnerability for subsequent (re)victimization in adolescence and adulthood and, if so, whether there are differences in rates of experiencing traumas and victimizations by gender, race/ethnicity, and type of childhood abuse and/or neglect. METHODS: Using a prospective cohort design, participants are individuals with documented cases of childhood physical and sexual abuse and neglect from the years 1967 through 1971 and a matched control group. Both groups were interviewed in-person (mean age 39.5 years) in 2000-2002 using a new instrument to assess lifetime trauma and victimization history. RESULTS: Abused and neglected individuals reported a higher number of traumas and victimization experiences than controls and all types of childhood victimization (physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect) were associated with increased risk for lifetime revictimization. Significant group (abuse/neglect vs. control) by gender and group by race/ethnicity interactions were found. Childhood victimization increased risk for physical and sexual assault/abuse, kidnapping/stalking, and having a family friend murdered or commit suicide, but not for general traumas, witnessing trauma, or crime victimization. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide strong support for the need for early intervention with abused and neglected children and their families to prevent subsequent exposure to traumas and victimization experiences.     

Are teachers biased when nominating students for gifted services? Evidence from Kazakhstan

The purpose of this experimental, vignette study was to analyze whether certain demographic characteristics of students (i.e. gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status) influence secondary education teachers in referring students for gifted services in Kazakhstan. A sample of 132 teachers were randomly assigned to one of eight profiles describing a typical gifted student with particular demographics and requested to indicate how strongly they believed the student should or should not be recommended for gifted services. Results evidenced that gender, ethnicity, and SES did not influence the Kazakhstani teachers’ referrals. The implications of teacher nominations in students’ identification for gifted programs and the discussion on the role of gifted education as perceived by school teachers in Kazakhstan and elsewhere are provided.     

The Impact of Developmental Mathematics Courses and Age,Gender, and Race and Ethnicity on Persistence and Academic Performance in Virginia Community Colleges

This research study examined the 2006 cohort of First-Time-in-College students from all 23 community colleges in Virginia. The goal was to examine fall-to-fall persistence and success in the first college-level mathematics course. Predictor variables used were developmental status, age, gender, and race and ethnicity of the student. Interaction variables were created to determine if age, race and ethnicity, or gender moderates the effects of developmental status for both persistence and success. And a model was created using all main and interaction predictor variables to determine to what extent each variable accounts for persistence and success. It was found that neither gender nor race and ethnicity moderates developmental status for either persistence or success, but age moderates both success and persistence. Developmental courses are more effective for traditionally aged students and developmental courses are positively related to the persistence of nontraditionally aged students and negatively related to the persistence of traditionally aged students. The predictor variables developmental status, age, race and ethnicity, and gender are all significantly related to both the success and persistence of students. The effect of developmental status on both success and persistence is weak. Nondevelopmental status, female, nontraditionally aged, and non-Black race and ethnicity are all positively related to the success of students. Nondevelopmental status, female, traditionally aged, non-White and non-Black race and ethnicities are all positively related to the fall-to-fall persistence of students.     

Higher education provision for students with disabilities in Cyprus

Internationally, the number of students with disabilities entering higher education institutions is on the rise. Research estimates that 8–10% of students attending higher education are registered with disability, with learning difficulties being the most commonly reported disability. Widening participation in higher education has been supported by legislative changes, inclusive education practices, the use of ICT and accessible facilities and programs and, ultimately, an increasing belief among students with disabilities that higher education maximizes their opportunities for employment and independent living. Within the Cypriot context, research on disability, access and provision in higher education is limited. This study was a part of a large-scale study (PERSEAS) funded by the EU. From the original sample, 15 students attending private higher education institutions in Cyprus reported disability (i.e., sensory impairment, dyslexia, physical disabilities) and were selected for focus group discussions. Also, interviews and focus groups were conducted with the Headmasters and teachers, respectively, in 10 private higher education institutions. This study yielded interesting results regarding the current state of provision (e.g., concessions for exams and assignments, infrastructure, teaching modification, counseling services) as well as issues of social inclusion, equality of opportunity and entitlement to education.     

Toward a social-contexts frame of reference for science education research

During recent decades there has been little research on social or cultural factors affecting science education. Recent literature reviews have indicated that of the studies addressing such factors, most focus on broad sociodemographic variables such as socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, and region. There is a need for research that depicts better-differentiated social contexts for science education in their full complexity. Social scientists from several other fields have recently developed a promising model for research in context. Three critical conceptual and methodological strands of the model are discussed, along with their implications for science education research.     

The Jig Experiment: Development and Evaluation of a Cultural Dance Active Video Game for Promoting Youth Fitness

School physical education teachers promote fitness by offering children a variety of aerobic activities. Our interdisciplinary team developed a cultural dance active video game (AVG) and tested whether the AVG was equivalent to traditional face-to-face instructor lessons or hybrid instruction at dance mastery, increasing heart rates, and student satisfaction. The study participants (N = 404) were elementary children, Grades 1 to 5, at a Midwestern suburban school. We employed a quasi-experimental design to compare outcomes across groups of children exposed to different teaching approaches. Group 1 received AVG instruction. Group 2 received face-to-face lessons by a certified Irish dance teacher. Group 3 received AVG and face-to-face lessons. Group assignment was stratified by age, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. During daily physical education class, students received five days of intervention exposure. AVG students achieved comparable levels of mastery, significantly elevated heart rates, and high levels of satisfaction.     

Troubling identities: teacher education students' constructions of class and ethnicity

Working with diverse student populations productively depends on teachers and teacher educators recognizing and valuing difference. Too often, in teacher education programs, when markers of identity such as gender, ethnicity, ‘race’, or social class are examined, the focus is on developing student teachers' understandings of how these discourses shape learner identities and rarely on how these also shape teachers' identities. This article reports on a research project that explored how student teachers understand ethnicity and socio‐economic status. In a preliminary stage of the research, we asked eight Year 3 teacher education students who had attended mainly Anglo‐Australian, middle class schools as students and as student teachers, to explore their own ethnic and classed identities. The complexities of identity are foregrounded in both the assumptions we made in selecting particular students for the project and in the ways they constructed their own identities around ethnicity and social class. In this article we draw on these findings to interrogate how categories of identity are fluid, shifting and ongoing processes of negotiation, troubling and complex. We also consider the implications for teacher education.     

Developing an inclusive system in a rapidly changing European society

This paper uses Ireland – one of Europe’s most rapidly changing societies – as a case study and examines progress towards an inclusive education system. It explores policy and progress on developing an inclusive system under a number of key headings: social class, ethnicity, gender and disability. On the basis of analysis of official statistics and of research evidence from a study of the inclusion of children with disabilities and special educational needs, this paper assesses whether the impact of recent state policy and legislative change has significantly increased the degree of inclusion in the education system under the four headings. There is a particular focus on the area of disability. The particular questions explored in this paper are whether the unprecedented changes which have taken place in Ireland since the mid‐1990s have resulted in a more inclusive system, an increase in equality, and an increase in inclusive practices in schools. On the basis of the available evidence, the results appear to be mixed.     

Gendered experiences of inclusive education for children with disabilities in West and East Africa

Background. Education is a fundamental human right, yet many children with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries remain deprived of educational opportunities. The movement towards quality inclusive education (IE) aims to support all children at school. Although gender and disability are key factors influencing IE, limited research explores their combined influence. Purpose. This study explored the gendered experiences of IE for children with disabilities in West and East Africa. Methods. A qualitative interpretive secondary analysis was conducted on studies from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Togo, Niger, Zambia, and Malawi. Interviews with children, community members, and policy stakeholders were thematically analysed to explore intersections among gender, disability, and education. Findings. Boys and girls with disabilities experienced similar cases of social exclusion at school. However, girls with disabilities were further hindered by societal biases against their educational potential and by sexual abuse. While boys with disabilities were stereotyped as more capable, their experiences of emotional and physical violence were often overlooked. Implications. To achieve quality IE for all, strategies should aim to foster inclusive and safe school environments for all children, empower girls with disabilities to pursue education, and challenge gendered societal attitudes that hinder educational opportunities.     

Physical and sexual abuse among school children: Prevalence and prevention

Prevalence of physical and sexual abuse, with emphasis on data provided by the 1986 National Incidence Study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is discussed within certain data collection constraints. Incidence results are reported by subcategory of abuse, child's sex, child's age, child's race/ethnicity, family income, and family size. Effects of physical and sexual abuse and characteristics of abusers are presented to establish the context in which primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs are developed and delivered. Research on abuse prevention programs is discussed, with attention drawn to problems associated with the lack of a research base for school-based abuse prevention programs.