Using critical policy analysis to examine competing discourses in zero tolerance legislation: do we really want to leave no child behind?

The increasing use of zero tolerance discipline policies in the USA has led to a ‘discipline gap,’ in which minoritized students receive harsher and more frequent suspensions and expulsions than their peers from dominant cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Though disciplinary decisions are made by educators at the school level, mandates regarding the disciplinary infractions that must result in exclusionary discipline are made at the federal and state levels. Using a theoretical framework that distinguishes the discourse of safety from the discourse of equity, this critical policy analysis examines how state-level zero tolerance legislation portrays educators, students, and school discipline and reflects neoliberal influence. Findings show that these policies narrowly define schools’ roles as developing academic, but not behavioral, skills. Students are portrayed as rational actors who deserve the punishment meted out by educators when students choose to behave disruptively; and educators have absolute power and their decisions regarding student discipline are reflected as being consistent and objective. Nevertheless, legislation in some states also acknowledges students’ needs for a more holistic approach to their education and mandate continued education and support services to help them after they are removed from school. An example from one California district illustrates findings and demonstrates how both discourses are inadequate in challenging neoracism.     

Developing academic talent as a practicing school psychologist: From potential to expertise

In this article, we explore how school psychologists who adopt a talent development perspective can play a larger role in cultivating the talent of academically gifted students. Utilizing the talent development megamodel and Ackerman's model of expertise, we outline how school psychologists can consult with school administrators, teachers, and parents to meet the general and domain-specific academic needs of academically gifted students at home and in school. In addition, we discuss how school psychologists can leverage systems of assessment (e.g., universal screening, continued assessment) to identify academically gifted students across academic talent trajectories as well as provide students with multiple opportunities to exhibit their academic talents. We conclude by highlighting some diversity and multi-cultural considerations that school psychologists should keep in mind while developing academic talent, as well as a policy implication of school psychologists adopting a talent development approach to their work.     

Narrative understandings of a school policy: intersecting student,teacher, parent and administrator perspectives

In this article, we examine one school’s experience with policy, as a means of shedding light on the intersection of factors contributing to challenges of implementing policies to support the academic achievement and social adaptation of immigrant and minority students in their school context. We begin with the presentation of a ‘big fight’ between two students of different ethnic and racial backgrounds, and consider multiple perspectives of how the disagreement was addressed by teachers and administrators, to offer insight into how issues of race and policy might have been understood by members of the school community. We use a narrative inquiry approach to examine ways in which a policy designed to enhance student participation was interpreted by various members of this school community. This study reveals nuances of the intersection between culture and (hidden) curriculum as it relates to the implementation of policies aimed at creating and maintaining safe school communities.     

Assisting secondary support teachers to work in the recommended service delivery model: introducing the concept of a subculture of learning support

The original concept of a subculture of learning support in secondary schools developed from a study of ‘Support Teachers, Learning Difficulties’ in New South Wales, Australia. The study examined the influence of school culture on the service delivery model used by these support teachers in three case studies, one of which is reported in this article. Both research and policy recommend consultation and co‐teaching with a minimum of withdrawal of students with learning difficulties for intensive instruction. To employ the recommended service delivery model it was found that support teachers need to be immersed in a subculture of learning support within the school, which involves interacting with others who share similar values and beliefs about the education of students with learning difficulties. If such a subculture does not exist the support teacher must play a major role in its development. The use of the recommended service delivery model will enhance the education provided for students with learning difficulties.     

The effects of classroom and school environments on student engagement: the case of high school students in Abu Dhabi public schools

Drawing on data from a merged data set from a student survey and a parent survey that were conducted in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 2013, this article uses a multilevel framework to investigate the effects of individual characteristics and the classroom and school environments on high school students’ school engagement in a modernising education system that is different from Western ones. The results of the three-level model revealed that while students’ attributes remained strong predictors of their school engagement, the social and organisational environment of classrooms and school also greatly shaped the extent to which students emotionally and cognitively engaged with their school and learning. This study provided evidence to support the interactive nature of the impact of multilevel environments on student engagement. The policy and research implications were also discussed in the empirical context of Abu Dhabi.     

Preschool + school + communication = What for educator relationships?

Communication between educators in preschool and school settings has been promoted consistently in research literature and policy as a practice to enhance children’s transition to school. Underlying the practice are the assumptions that communication between educators is (a) a way of building on children’s learning and responding to their diverse needs and interests as they start school and (b) a means of developing positive relationships between educators. Whilst it is an advocated practice, there has been little research about the consequences of preschool–school communication or exploration of the ways in which the practice might support positive transition experiences. This paper specifically addresses what happens for educators as a result of preschool–school interactions. The communication experiences of preschool and school educators reported in an online questionnaire provide important insights into the impact of intersetting communications, particularly on educator relationships. Most outcomes for relationships between educators in preschool and school settings were reported to be positive. However, the results contest the notion that preschool–school communication automatically results in the development of positive relationships; relationships which support collaboration between educators as children start school.     

小学中高段学生信息素养测评模型构建与应用研究——以四、五年级学生为例

小学阶段是学生信息素养启蒙与培育的关键时期,构建科学、合理的信息素养测评模型是小学生信息素养培育与提升的重要基础。研究以小学四、五年级学生为调研对象,从信息素养内涵界定入手,综合采用文献研究、专家咨询、数理验证等方法,构建了小学生信息素养测评模型,并利用该模型对我国西部N省开展小学生信息素养评估实践,发现小学生信息素养整体水平处于中等,但各维度发展并不均衡。不同类型学校学生的信息素养存在显著差异,乡村学校学生信息素养普遍较低。基于此,研究提出了进一步提升小学生信息素养水平的策略及建议。     

Teacher and student voices: a comparison between two perspectives to study integration processes in Italy

Student voice has become increasingly important in educational research at an international level. Research in Italy on school integration of students with disabilities has almost entirely left behind student voice. The very few researches based on student voice suggest that there is a mismatch between student and teacher voices when faced with the same situation. From a methodological outlook, the collection of data through students’ samples implies some difficulties related to the fact that the study regards children and young students. The present issue becomes even more demanding when children with disabilities are taken into consideration. The aim of this research is to demonstrate the mismatch between the data produced by the teachers and the data produced by the students of the same class. These data are the basis for a study on the importance of student voice in research on school integration. The research was carried out as a multiple case study. Nineteen classes with at least one student with disabilities were involved. The teachers filled in a questionnaire with closed questions about school integration, later compared with the students’ answers to the same questionnaire. A structured observation offered the opportunity to triangulate data thus adding new information on the reliability of the two points of view. The main results show that in all the classes there was at least one question with a significant difference between the students’ and the teachers’ answers; the triangulation of data through observation suggested that the students’ perception was as close to observation as their teachers.     

School and community factors involved in Chilean students’ perception of school safety

Identifying and understanding predictors of school safety perceptions is important due to its consequences for students. However, it is not clear what school‐related factors most contribute to explaining students’ perception of school safety, and how they relate to community‐related factors such as neighborhood safety. The purpose of this study was to understand the factors associated with Chilean elementary and middle school students’ perceptions of school safety. We used a sample of 5,455 students from low socioeconomic status public schools, and analyzed the predictive value of peer physical and verbal victimization; teacher and school staff victimization; teacher's social support; and perception of safety in the students’ neighborhoods on perceptions of school safety. Findings showed that although different forms of school violence, particularly peer physical victimization and physical and sexual victimization from teachers and school staff, contribute to students’ perception of school safety, the highest contribution came from students perceiving their neighborhoods as unsafe. In contrast, teacher social support contributed to increased levels of perceived school safety. We discuss the need for school‐based interventions that address physical victimization and engage teachers in prosocial and less punitive approaches to foster a positive and safe school climate, and in fostering school–community partnerships.     

浅谈高中体育课堂教学对学生体质健康的作用与局限

通过对高中在校学生的调查与对领导的访谈,发现学生自身体质健康状况与学校教育有极大的关系,同时也发现学生在体育锻炼习惯的养成及学校体育锻炼环境等方面还有待学校进一步加强,本文希望通过调查分析城镇和乡村两类高中的课堂教学对体质健康的影响的分析,争取为学校培养21世纪合格人才提供一些有效的参考。     

利用食育课程培养幼儿健康饮食行为的策略分析

在幼儿的相关生活习惯和饮食习惯培养的黄金阶段对幼儿进行教育促进,能够使幼儿的健康饮食行为的重要性让教师和家长思想上真正开始进行重视起来,这对幼儿进行幼儿健康饮食行为的培养具有十分重要的意义,能够培养幼儿养成正确的饮食习惯以及饮食礼仪。本文以相关研究为参考,对食育课程的基本内涵进行了解读,就食育课程为培养幼儿健康饮食行为的重要性做出了相关解析。在现实的教学实践上,提出了一些培养幼儿健康饮食习惯的具体策略,期望能够提供一些参考。     

“休眠”的主体:在线教学的主体性困境与反思——基于县城A中学的调查

新冠疫情期间,各级各类学校不得不在线开展教育教学。这一转变带来教育便利,也突显了传统学校课堂教育主体性缺失问题。本研究以县城A中学为调查点,呈现在线教育阶段教师、学生和家长多方教育主体的系统性不适应现象。研究发现,线上教育打破了传统线下课堂教学的管控模式,教师和学生都有了更大的自主空间,但也因为传统课堂教育过于依赖“管控”而忽视了对主体性的培养,具体表现为:教师自主学习和技术运用的缺陷、“双师”模式下“经师”与“人师”角色调整的迟滞、家庭教育中学校管控模式的移用失败,以及传统教育中学生学习自主能力和习惯的缺乏。对开展线上教育所做的反思,有助于复归常态化教学后学校教育对主体性培育的关注。     

新时期小学语文教学中培养学生阅读能力的策略

语文是小学教育中非常重要的学科,学生的阅读能力是语文学习中重要的技能。语文教学中阅读作为不可或缺的内容,对培养学生的语文学习能力有着非常重要的作用。因此,新时期,在开展小学语文课堂教学时,教师应根据学生的实际情况,不断优化培养小学生语文阅读能力的教学方案,帮助学生养成正确的语文阅读习惯,逐渐提高小学生的语文阅读能力,能够为小学生在今后的语文学习中打下良好基础。     

南京国民政府时期学校卫生教育政策及其影响——以1927—1937年中小学卫生教育政策为例

清末民初之际,西方的卫生教育思想传入中国,在进步知识分子的倡导和南京国民政府的支持下,学校卫生教育政策的制定成为历史发展的必然。广大民众和医学界等相关组织提出的合理性意见,对政策的制定起了关键作用。南京国民政府成立后,颁布了一系列法律法规,为政策的实施提供了法律保障。此外,中央和地方纷纷建立了学校卫生教育行政机构,成为政策实施过程中的指导机关。对于医疗卫生条件低下和疾病频发的近代中国,该政策的制定有助于培养学生良好的卫生习惯,提高民众预防疾病的水平。当时制定的学校卫生教育政策具有开创性和前瞻性,对后世影响深远。     

Talent development,work habits,and career exploration of Chinese middle‐school adolescents: development of the Career and Talent Development Self‐Efficacy Scale

This article describes the development of an instrument – the Career and Talent Development Self‐Efficacy Scale (CTD‐SES) – for assessing students’ self‐efficacy in applying life skills essential for personal talent development, acquisition of positive work habits, and career exploration. In Study 1, data were obtained from a large sample of Chinese middle‐school students (N=15,113) in Grades 7–9 in Hong Kong. The CTD‐SES is an 18‐item questionnaire with subscales containing items that address students’ orientations toward developing their own talents, acquiring and applying positive work habits, and exploring their career possibilities. Evidence is provided for internal consistency, temporal stability, and factor structure of the CTD‐SES. Goodness of fit statistics provided support for a three‐primary‐factor‐plus‐higher‐factor model, and this solution was used in the statistical analyses. The data also indicated that students with plans for university study reported significantly higher scores than those without on all three domains of career and talent development. In Study 2 (N=308) Grade 10 high‐ability students’ scores in CTD‐SES were correlated with scores in career decision self‐efficacy and academic performance. The development and validation of CTD‐SES is the first step toward investigating career exploration, work habits, and talent development among Asian middle‐school adolescents.     

Anxious girls and laid-back boys: teachers’ and study counsellors’ gendered perceptions of students

ABSTRACT

Efforts to reach gender equality in education in Finland have been extensive. Both teacher education and policy documents for schools have focused on gender equality and gender-neutral treatment of students. The aim of this study is to explore if and how these efforts are manifested in upper secondary school teachers’ and study counsellors’ perceptions of students’ self-belief, academic emotions, study habits and behaviour at school. Twenty-three interviews were conducted and analysed qualitatively through inductive content analysis. The results revealed that teachers and study counsellors perceive that girls’ low self-belief and high achievement expectations affected their academic performance, while boys’ insecurity or need for support was rarely mentioned. The teachers ascribed the students several gender-stereotypical attributes: girls were perceived as diligent and hard-working while boys were perceived as being indifferent towards school and achievements. The implications of these results for students’ self-belief and for teacher education are discussed.     

美国基金会如何影响教育发展①--以华莱士基金会的学校领导力项目为例

华莱士基金会的学校领导力项目始于2000年,目的是通过提升或改善学校领导力来提高学生的学业成绩。为此基金会采取了三位一体的策略,即通过研究为项目推广和实践提供理论依据和指导;与高校、非营利组织合作,探索学校领导者的培养与培训;选择不同的州直接开展领导力项目的实践。本文对此进行了较为全面的探讨。     

Breaking out of the (anti)bullying ‘box’: NYC educators discuss trans/gender diversity-inclusive policies and curriculum

New York City (NYC) is considered to be one of the world’s most progressive cities and gender and sexuality diversity (GSD)-inclusive education departmental policies appear to reflect these values. However, even within such a context, NYC educators report challenges in their work to meet the needs of trans/gender-diverse students and the visibility of trans/gender diversity more generally within their pre-K – 12 school communities. This paper reports on interview data from 31 school staff members from nine public and independent schools located in the NYC metro region, with a specific focus on their framing of inclusivity and bullying, and reported support of trans/gender-diverse students. Based on educators’ representations of their schools, the nine schooling environments fell into two broad clusters: (1) those framing trans/gender inclusivity as an anti-bullying initiative and working at the minimum policy requirements, and (2) those working beyond bullying discourses and policy frameworks to conceptualise trans/gender inclusivity as integral to the school’s mission and as offering clear whole-community benefit. Findings support the constraints of bullying discourse on even supportive educators’ curricular ‘translation’ of GSD-inclusive policies, reinforcing the need for relevant policy reframing and targeted of professional development opportunities, particularly for school leaders.     

小议小学语文教学中对学生的审美教育

语文作为小学教学中的基础课程之一,是构建学生知识框架的关键,也是培养学生语言能力的重要课程。因此,在小学语文教学中,教师应该创新教学方法,提高学生对语文课程学习的兴趣。新时期,小学语文教学改革要求教师在教授学生知识的同时,还要注意培养学生的审美能力,使学生在树立健康的审美观念基础上,养成良好的生活习惯,为未来的生活与学习打基础。本文主要针对小学语文教学,探讨学生审美教育的几点教学策略。