The peer relationships of primary school pupils with poor attendance records

The research study presented in this article was conducted because of the surprising paucity of research findings on the effect of significant absence from primary school on peer relationships. Participants in the study were Year 6 pupils, 140 of whom had attendance records of 80% or less in both Years 2 and 6. Of the 140, 133 were matched with those with better attendance records in the same class, of the same gender and born in the same season of the year. As revealed by sociometry conducted in 89 classes, the poor attenders were found to make and to receive fewer friendship choices than those with better attendance records. The question as to whether poor attendance is a result or a cause of having fewer friends is discussed and consideration is given to intervention issues.     

Improving attendance and behaviour in Wales: the action plan

The National Behaviour and Attendance Review (NBAR) Report for Wales was produced in 2008. Subsequently, its recommendations were accepted by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) which established an Implementation Group to prepare its response in detail. A year later in April 2009 this Group presented its findings and recommendations to WAG in the form of an Action Plan. The Action Plan was entitled Behaving and Attending: Responding to the National Behaviour and Attendance Review. The intention of the Action Plan is to help to shape the direction of future developments on the management of attendance and behaviour in Wales over the foreseeable future. The Action Plan’s recommendations are sub‐divided into three: short, medium and long‐term solutions. The Plan’s strategy is broken down into eight key areas. These are on: attendance, behaviour, children and young people’s rights, early intervention, literacy, multi and inter‐agency working, school effectiveness and finally, on training and development. This paper outlines and considers these ideas, places the work into a UK‐wide research context and the Welsh educational policy strategy. It also indicates areas where future pilot projects and research will be necessary.     

Tackling behaviour and attendance issues in schools in Wales: implications for training and professional development

In 2009, the Welsh Assembly Government published its Report on the review of behaviour and attendance in schools in Wales. The National Behaviour and Attendance Review (NBAR) in Wales was chaired by the author of this paper. Both the Review and the Welsh Assembly Government’s response contained recommendations related to the training and professional development needs of staff in schools and local authorities (LAs). A paper on the professional development needs of staff on behaviour and attendance based on the NBAR recommendations is published in the same edition of this journal. This follow‐up paper focuses upon the Welsh Assembly Government’s response to these recommendations and its implementation plan on which the author acted as the professional adviser. The Welsh Assembly Government accepted with cross‐party support that the training and professional development needs of teachers and LA staff in behavioural management and school attendance had been neglected over many years. For the first time, coordinated new training and continuing professional development programmes on behavioural management and school attendance will be introduced in Wales soon. The next stage will be to evaluate the effectiveness of these programmes.     

The National Behaviour and Attendance Review (NBAR) in Wales: findings on school behaviour from the professional perspective

This paper presents the methodology and some of the findings on school behaviour obtained for the National Behaviour and Attendance Review (NBAR) in Wales. This work was undertaken over two years between 2006 and 2008. The Report was widely circulated in Wales to schools, local authorities, health and social service departments, as well as a wide range of professional and voluntary organisations in the autumn of 2008. The Review was written, led and chaired by the author. The Report was presented to the Minister for Children, Lifelong Learning and Skills and the Welsh Assembly Government, who subsequently endorsed the full Report on a cross-party basis. Thereafter, an Implementation Group was established to carry forward the 92 recommendations on attendance, behaviour, parenting, multi-agency working and children and young people. The methodology included both qualitative and quantitative approaches. This paper, however, focuses upon the findings obtained from the professional focus groups located throughout Wales during both Stage One and Stage Two of the review process. The evidence is discussed in context and both the core and supporting recommendations formulated from this approach are presented in the text.     

Teachers on perceived traits and academic achievements of regular pupils and pupils with special needs in mainstream primary schools

When looking for answers to the question of academic (non)achievement of regular pupils and pupils with special needs, it is necessary to take into account the extraordinary complexity of factors, ranging from psychological across instructional to home environment variables. The academic achievement is not only a reflection of the pupil’s knowledge, but is also influenced by the pupil’s behaviour, the teacher’s expectations and finally the relationship established between the teacher and the pupil. This paper contributes answers to the question which of the traits, perceived by teachers, explain the academic achievements of regular pupils and pupils with special needs. Our analysis shows that perceived traits that explain the academic achievement of regular pupils refer to academic as well as social behaviour, disruptive behaviour and self-regulatory behaviour; therefore, they cover all areas of perceived traits we studied. In pupils with special needs as a whole and in particular groups of pupils with special needs, the factor which presents disruptive social behaviour proved as insignificant, which consequently means that the academic achievement of pupils with special needs depends more on academic and self-regulatory behaviour, task activity and social inclusion.     

The effectiveness of structured co-operative teaching and learning in Greek primary school classrooms

This study focuses upon the effectiveness of structured co-operative group work on primary school students, aged between 8.5 and 9.5 years old, regarding their content knowledge, attitudes towards co-operative group work, experiential learning and open-ended curriculum as well as students' social and learning behaviour during co-operative group work. A cross-curricular educational programme was implemented within the curriculum area of environmental studies entitled ‘traffic education'. The methodology applied in this study was the experimental and the case study research designs. The findings of the present study support the view that pupils can gain benefits through structured group work co-operation in obtaining content knowledge and group work skills, as well as in developing positive attitudes towards group work, experiential learning, open-ended curriculum and the co-operation with their peers with learning difficulties (LDs). Changes in the relationships with the peers were not affected after the implementation of the educational programme.     

Building secure attachments for primary school children: a mixed methods study

Despite the wide implications of attachment theory there remains a lack of research exploring interventions which encapsulate the principles of an attachment-based framework in the school context. The aim of this research was to address this gap by implementing an intervention for a group of five primary-aged pupils with identified insecure attachment styles, and a key adult figure in the school context. The 10 week intervention consisted of weekly sessions based in a mainstream primary school. The research adopted a mixed methodology, with a predominant qualitative focus. The perceptions of children in relation to attachment concepts were explored both before and following the intervention. The findings revealed positive changes in the children’s behaviours and experiences, in that the children’s Internal Working Models were positively shifted, and impacted on their social and emotional behaviours.     

The social,emotional and behavioural difficulties of primary school children with poor attendance records

Two complementary studies of poor and better attenders are presented. To measure emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) different teacher-completed rating scales were employed, and to determine social difficulties, the studies used sociometry and some items from the scales. One study had a longitudinal design. It revealed that, after controlling for social class, gender and EBD in Year 2, poor attendance between Years 2 and 6 had the effect of significantly increasing EBD in Year 6. Both studies also had a cross-sectional design element which gave an indication of some of the poor attenders’ social difficulties and confirmed the longitudinal findings. The rating scales also provided measurements of “neurotic” and “antisocial” disorders. These suggested that a “neurotic” disorder may have played a bigger part than an “antisocial” disorder in the poor attenders’ EBD. The article ends with a list of recent references dealing with intervention issues.     

The experiences of pupils with SEN and their parents at the stage of pre-transition from primary to post-primary school

The experiences of pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and their parents at pre-transition from primary to post-primary school have received little attention in the literature. The current study investigated these experiences using a mixed methods approach within the Irish educational system. Thirty-two pupils with SEN and 42 parents of pupils with SEN participated in focus groups, and also completed a questionnaire which qualitatively complemented the parental focus groups. Emergent themes for pupils included: things I will miss; fitting in and performing as well as others; laying the groundwork: getting to know new people; and experiencing and talking about ‘going to the new school’. Emergent themes for parents included: losing ground?; information is critical: ‘I’m not asking for the moon, but a bit more information’; I’d like help but I don’t want to make trouble for my child; and challenge and support. Critical issues emerging from the data concerning pre-transition experiences for both pupils and parents are discussed.     

The professional development needs of staff in Wales on behaviour management and attendance: findings from the NBAR Report

This paper presents the evidence collected for the National Behaviour and Attendance Review (NBAR) in Wales on the professional development needs of staff on behaviour management and school attendance. These data were collected in two stages between 2006 and 2008. At Stage 1, data were collected from four pre‐selected professional focus groups who met throughout Wales to consider specific topics relating to the behaviour of children and young people in schools at the present time (n = 121). At Stage 2, relevant professional focus groups were established to specifically examine the themes of professional development and training in behaviour management and attendance in both North and South Wales (n = 62). This latter group activity built on the preliminary work of the NBAR review group’s own sub‐group on professional development and training. The paper considers the outcome of all these findings and their implications for future practice in Wales.     

小学生学习适应性研究

研究发现，小学生总体学习适应水平比全国理论水平高得多。综合小学低，中，高年级适应不良率来看，小学中年级适应性最差。就学习适应性不良的学生来说，城乡之间无显差异，但性别方面有显差异。就学习适应优良的学生而言，城乡之间无显差异，而性别之间虽亦无显差异，但从各分项测验看，男生优良率明显低于女生。     

The Catholic school advantage and common school effect examined: a comparison between Muslim immigrant and native pupils in Flanders

This study investigates the impact of Catholic schooling on academic achievement of native Belgian and Muslim immigrant pupils. The distinctive characteristics of Catholic schools in Belgium (Flanders) form an exceptionally suitable context to study this. Multilevel latent growth curve analyses are conducted with data from approximately 5,000 pupils across 200 primary schools. No support was found for the Catholic school advantage hypothesis as the overall achievement growth for math and reading was not significantly better in Catholic schools than in public schools. Likewise, no evidence was found for the so-called “common school effect” hypothesis: The learning growth of Muslim pupils was not significantly better in Catholic schools. In fact, the initial achievement gap was found to be higher in Catholic schools than in public schools. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

Supporting the transition from primary school to secondary school for children who are Looked After

Anecdotal evidence and statistics indicate that transition to secondary school for children who are “Looked After” is likely to present challenges. The present study aimed to find out the key factors that support Looked After children through this transition, as perceived by the main stakeholders. Data were gathered in two stages, using semi-structured interviews, from Year 6 and Year 7 children and their teachers and carers. Analysis of the results indicates that many different factors may support or hinder the transition, ranging from within-child factors such as resilience and social skills to systemic factors such as the extent of multi-agency working and school admission policies. Four key principles emerged from the results, which may be used to inform tailored transition packages to support children in this vulnerable group through transition. They emphasise the importance of planning and information sharing between key stakeholders, minimising difference, and offering holistic and individualised support.     

Surveying inclusion in Greece: empirical research in 2683 primary school students

Students’ point of view for inclusion and for their classmates with disability is essential for its successful implementation. The objectives of this work are to examine the primary school students’ attitudes towards students with disabilities. The findings of the research indicate that the majority of typically developing students has a positive attitude towards their classmates with disabilities. However, they are not so much in favour of inclusion. According to the research data, a number of factors including the age of the students, their gender, their previous experience with people with disabilities, the information they have received from their parents regarding disabilities, intervene and determine the success of inclusion of students with disability but also influence the students’ attitudes towards their classmates with disability.     

The attitudes of the pupils towards modern languages in the primary school (MLPS) in Scotland

This article considers the attitudes of pupils aged 9–11 years in Scotland towards their learning of a foreign language in primary school. It also considers their perception of difficulty, what they tell us causes them difficulty, their language preferences and the reasons for these. The article identifies any significant differences between boys and girls in these areas.     

新工科下小学儿童课程发展探讨

近年来,国家策应世界百年未有之大变局,随着推进新科技、新基建及“新工科”迅速兴起,促使教育学科因“工”之变引发教育学体系变革。因此,笔者分析了“新工科”对小学尤其低年级阶段儿童课程的影响和变革趋向,探讨了新时代儿童课程发展新理念以及主要行动策略。     

Children’s education rights at the transition to secondary education: School choice in Northern Ireland

The principles of school choice and diverse provision underpin transition to secondary education in a majority of countries. This article focuses on the potential for structural diversity to constrain rather than promote choice. Although intended to improve equity in access and quality of provision, choice-based systems serve to homogenise school intakes and magnify attainment differences between schools. School choice decisions become high-stakes in such contexts, because eventual school placements influence the future character of children’s schooling. In Northern Ireland, existing community divisions are reflected in the available school types, with a majority of places at either Catholic or de facto Protestant schools, and only a small number at Integrated schools. This results in high levels of homogenisation along community lines. In addition, the provision of separate grammar and non-grammar schools means that intakes are also academically stratified, resulting in the extreme between-school attainment differences characteristic of systems arranged in this way. Drawing on documentary evidence and a survey of transition-age children, this research discusses how school choice within structurally complex systems can be constrained. The main focus is on how children’s education rights, as set down in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, are placed at risk by the interaction of system-level divisions. It concludes that school choice arrangements in Northern Ireland do not operate in compliance with children’s education rights when tested against each of the requirements set out in Tomasevski’s 4-As scheme, namely that education provision must be available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable.     

School engagement and rights‐respecting schools

Disengagement in school is associated with behavioral problems and decreased academic achievement. In contrast, pupils who are engaged in school develop the academic and social efficacies that underlie successful adulthood. Moreover, engagement promotes educational resilience. This study examines pupils’ self‐reported level of engagement in schools that are explicitly respecting of children’s rights compared with pupils in traditional schools. The Young Students’ Engagement in School Scale was developed and used with 1289 9‐ to 11‐year‐olds from 18 schools, six of which had fully implemented the Hampshire Education Authority’s Rights Respect and Responsibility (RRR) Initiative. Factor analysis indicated four dimensions of engagement: rights‐respecting climate; interpersonal harmony; academic orientation; and participation. Pupils in RRR schools had higher scores on all but the academic dimension. The findings suggest the potential of rights‐respecting schools in promoting engagement and the potential utility of the measure in identifying areas in which pupils’ engagement may need intervention.     

试论小学学校教育与家庭教育的结合

教育是一项包括家庭教育、学校教育、社会教育及教育者的自我教育的系统工程。教育学生，学校固然负有重要的责任，而家庭教育也是不可缺少的。客观地讲，学校教育和家庭教育各有优势，也各有局限性，特别是小学生，跟父母在一起的时间较多，如果家庭教育与学校教育配合不好，就会影响学校教育的质量和效果，从而影响孩子的健康成长。要使教育达到预期目的，教育工作者必须高度重视和认真研究学校教育与家庭教育的结合问题。     

Project-based learning in primary schools: effects on pupils' learning and attitudes

This study focuses upon the effectiveness of project-based learning on primary school pupils regarding their content knowledge and attitudes towards self-efficacy, task value, group work, teaching methods applied and peers from diverse ethnic backgrounds. A cross-curricular project was implemented within the curriculum area of environmental studies under the title of ‘sea animals’. The methodology applied in this study was the quasi-experimental research design. The findings of the present study support the view that pupils can gain benefits through project-based learning in obtaining content knowledge and group work skills and that they became less favourable to traditional teaching versus experiential learning. Motivation (self-efficacy and task value in terms of environmental studies) and developing positive attitudes towards peers from a different ethnic background were changed in moderate levels after the project.