Socioeconomic status,mental wellbeing and transition to secondary school: Analysis of the School Health Research Network/Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey in Wales

Young people's wellbeing is often lowest where they assume a relatively low position within their school's socioeconomic hierarchy, for example, among poorer children attending more affluent schools. Transition to secondary school is a period during which young people typically enter an environment which is more socioeconomically diverse than their primary school. Young people joining a school with a higher socioeconomic status intake relative to their primary school may assume a relatively lowered position within their school’s socioeconomic hierarchy, experiencing a detriment to their wellbeing as a consequence. This article draws on data from 45,055 pupils in Years 7 and 8, from 193 secondary schools in Wales, who completed the 2017 Student Health Research Network (SHRN) Student Health and Wellbeing (SHW) survey. Pupils reported which primary school they previously attended, and survey data on wellbeing were linked to publicly available data on the free school meal entitlement of schools attended. In cross-classified linear mixed-effects models, with primary and secondary school as levels, mental wellbeing varied significantly according to both primary and secondary school attended. A higher school-level deprivation was associated with worse mental wellbeing in both cases. Mental wellbeing was significantly predicted by the relative affluence of a child's primary and secondary school, with movement to a secondary school of higher overall socioeconomic status associated with lowered wellbeing. These findings highlight transition to secondary school as a key point in which socioeconomic inequality in wellbeing may widen, and thus as an important focal point for intervention to reduce health inequalities.     

EFFECTS OF A UNIVERSAL POSITIVE CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR PROGRAM ON STUDENT LEARNING

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a universal program to promote positive classroom behavior on students’ approaches to learning and early academic skills. Second grade classrooms (N = 39) were randomly assigned to treatment and business‐as‐usual control conditions. Teachers in intervention classrooms implemented the Social Skills Improvement System Classwide Intervention Program (SSIS‐CIP) over a 12‐week period. Participating students’ (N = 494) engagement, motivation, and academic skills were assessed before and after treatment implementation. Results indicated that students with lower levels of engagement and motivation at pretest experienced significant improvement in these areas after exposure to the SSIS‐CIP. Although no significant differences were observed in reading, students receiving supplemental instructional services demonstrated greater gains in mathematics than did their peers in the control condition.     

Shifting Perspectives on Comparative Research: A view from the USA

The evolution of scholarship in comparative education in the USA has reached a point where several observations are possible. While there is variation in methodology and theory, three principal perspectives tend to be represented in most contemporary articles published in the top journals in the field. These might be referred to as being area studies based, social science disciplinary based, or development/planning studies based. In this article we briefly trace the evolution of these perspectives, identify some stress points in the field, and look ahead to whether or not the field is facing competition among these perspectives or convergence. We suggest that the field of comparative education, not being bound by one or another of these perspectives, can play a significant role in the reconstruction of learning.     

Choices and Commitment: A Comparison of Teacher Candidates' Profiles and Perspectives in China and the United States

In this article, the researchers report findings from a recent national study of teacher education in China, in comparison to similar data from national and case studies in the United States. The study aims at understanding and comparing the profiles and entry perspectives of Chinese versus American teacher candidates. The researchers demonstrate that there are both similarities and differences in the demographic characteristics of the Chinese and American teacher candidates. The Chinese education students come from less privileged backgrounds in socioeconomic status and academic preparation. Although they share some of the noble ideas about becoming teachers, the overwhelming majority of the Chinese students do not intend to commit to teaching as a lifelong career. They cite the low status of the teaching profession and the poor benefits for teachers as primary reasons for leaving teaching. The researchers urge Chinese and American policy makers and teacher educators to revise their policies and practices in light of the study findings in order to recruit qualified young people into teacher education programs and more importantly to retain good teachers in the profession.     

A preliminary investigation of the concurrent validity of reading comprehension rate: A direct,dynamic measure of reading comprehension

Reading comprehension rate (RCR) is a direct measure of reading skills that may be useful in formatively evaluating students reading beyond the fourth‐grade level. To investigate the concurrent validity of RCR, we correlated RCR, reading comprehension level (RCL), and words correct per minute (WC/M) with the Broad Reading Cluster Scores of the Woodcock‐Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ‐III ACH) across 88 students in 4th, 5th, and 10th grades. Results showed that aloud‐RCR was significantly correlated with the WJ‐III ACH scores for 4th‐grade (r = .90; n = 22), 5th‐grade (r = .87; n = 29), and 10th‐grade (r = .65; n = 37) students. Regression analysis specified a one‐predictor model for 4th‐grade students (aloud‐RCR), a two‐predictor model for 5th‐grade students (WC/M and aloud‐RCR), and a one‐predictor model for 10th‐grade students (WC/M). Discussion focuses on directions for future research and applied issues related to RCR probe passage development. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 373–388, 2007.     

Choices and Commitment: A Comparison of Teacher Candidates' Profiles and Perspectives in China and the United States

In this article, the researchers report findings from a recent national study of teacher education in China, in comparison to similar data from national and case studies in the United States. The study aims at understanding and comparing the profiles and entry perspectives of Chinese versus American teacher candidates. The researchers demonstrate that there are both similarities and differences in the demographic characteristics of the Chinese and American teacher candidates. The Chinese education students come from less privileged backgrounds in socioeconomic status and academic preparation. Although they share some of the noble ideas about becoming teachers, the overwhelming majority of the Chinese students do not intend to commit to teaching as a lifelong career. They cite the low status of the teaching profession and the poor benefits for teachers as primary reasons for leaving teaching. The researchers urge Chinese and American policy makers and teacher educators to revise their policies and practices in light of the study findings in order to recruit qualified young people into teacher education programs and more importantly to retain good teachers in the profession.