Bullying and social support: variation by school-type and emotional or behavioural disturbances

The present study analysed whether bullying/victimisation and related social support vary by emotional and behavioural disturbances (EBD) as well as school type. We examined 540 German adolescents with and without emotional disturbances (ED)/behavioural disturbances (BD) attending regular and special schools for students with EBD. Adolescents with BD and co-morbid co-occurring emotional and behavioural disturbances (ED + BD) reported elevated levels of bullying, while students with ED and co-morbid ED + BD reported elevated levels of victimisation. Enhanced levels of overt victimisation were also found in adolescents from special schools. Students from special schools perceived less peer support but more teacher support. Furthermore, adolescents with co-morbid ED + BD were least likely to tell teachers about being victimised. It is concluded that bullying interventions for adolescents with EBD and students from special schools need to be implemented and evaluated.     

Values-Alignment Messaging Boosts Adolescents’ Motivation to Control Social Media Use

Two preregistered experiments with 2,733 U.S. high school students (age range = 13–19 years) compared the impact of different messages on adolescents’ motivation to control social media use (SMU). A traditional message emphasized the benefits of avoiding SMU, whereas a values-alignment message framed controlling SMU as being consistent with autonomy and social justice. Compared to no message or a traditional message, in both studies, a values-alignment message led to greater motivation to control SMU immediately afterward, and in Study 2, awareness of “addictive” social media designs 3 months later. As hypothesized, values-alignment messaging was more motivating for girls than boys. Results offer preliminary support for leveraging adolescents’ drives for autonomy and social justice to motivate self-regulation of SMU.     

Books and babies

One of the most satisfying forms of verbal communication between child and adult is that magical moment of being read to. Read me a story is the preschooler's frequent refrain, and even the youngest toddler will manage self and book into the cozy lap of a willing adult.Reprinted by permission of the publisher from Nuba-Scheffler, Hannah, Sheiman, Deborah Lovitky, & Watkins, Kathleen Pullan, INFANCY: A GUIDE TO RESEARCH & RESOURCES. (New York: Teachers College Press, © 1986 by Hannah Nuba-Scheffler, Deborah Lovitky Sheiman, & Kathleen Pullan Watkins. All rights reserved.), pp. 143–154.     

Addressing barriers to implementing inclusive education in the Pacific

ABSTRACT

Countries of the Pacific region are currently undergoing significant reforms. While disability inclusive education has been identified as a regional priority by all member nations, implementing inclusive education in the countries of the region can be quite challenging as many barriers continue to hamper the progress of the countries. Unless the barriers are identified and systematically addressed, it is unlikely that the countries will be able to implement a robust and holistic inclusive education strategy. In this paper, we present possible ways in which the countries of the Pacific could make significant progress in implementing a sustainable inclusive education strategy. We used a collaborative approach of co-examining potential barriers that are likely to impede the growth of countries in implementing a comprehensive inclusive education plan of action. We then identified possible strategies that are likely to result in an improved and perhaps more culturally responsive implementation of inclusive education in the Pacific. The most significant barriers identified by the members included: inadequate teacher preparation, stigma and negative attitudes towards people with disabilities, and limited engagement with the local leaders and key stakeholders. Possible strategies for addressing the barriers are outlined and discussed with possible implications for local, regional, and international researchers and policy makers.     

Addressing the messiness of data analysis: Praxis,readiness and tips from doctoral research

Despite the fluid and nonlinear nature of data analysis, specifically in qualitative research, published work in comparative education has rarely discussed the messy aspects of data analysis. This Forum addresses the complexity of the analysis stage faced by three doctoral researchers in terms of: considering data analysis when selecting data collection tools; messiness of data analysis deriving from fieldwork and data collection; integrating different data sources; practising reflexivity during data analysis; and ethical issues arising from data analysis. The Forum aims not only to offer suggestions and tips to deal with data analysis but also to encourage more open discussions on this topic within the research community.     

Governing good,bad and ugly workplaces? Explaining the paradox of state-steered voluntarism in New Labour’s Skills Strategy

The post-compulsory education and training system in the UK has long been defined as an archetypical voluntarist model. Yet, with the election of a New Labour government in 1997, the relationship between the state as supply-side provider of skills and employers as the demanders of skills began to subtly change. An additional rhetoric emerged in skills policy that suggested a role for the state to shape higher skills demands. This instigated a move towards what is here defined by the oxymoron ‘state-steered voluntarism’; an approach to the governance of skills which aimed to deliver both a demand-led skills system and a system to lead demand. Drawing on policy documents and interviews with key policy-makers, this article offers an interpretive analysis of New Labour’s ideas about the nature of workplaces, and the role of the state and skills providers in response, that explains the existence of policy paradox. We find that New Labour articulated three distinct strategies for governing skills, depending on whether workplaces were perceived to have ‘good’, ‘bad’, or frankly ‘ugly’ skills aspirations. However, whilst this threefold skills strategy seemingly served the purpose of containing multiple policy objectives and creating a graded role for state action, it was also prone to being used selectively by those with vested interests in UK skills policy (i.e. the representatives of businesses and employers and the representatives of employees and learners).     

Situational influences upon children's beliefs about global warming and energy

This paper explores children's beliefs about global warming and energy sources from a psychological perspective, focusing upon situational influences upon subjective beliefs, including perceived self‐efficacy. The context of the research is one of growing concern at the potential impacts of global warming, yet demonstrably low levels of self‐efficacy amongst both adults and children to effectively respond to this large‐scale environmental problem. Empirical research was conducted on a sample of 198 UK children and adults to explore the influence of a cooperative learning environment upon children's beliefs about global warming and energy. A comparative design was adopted, contrasting 9–12 year old members of the Woodcraft Folk educational organisation with non‐members of similar age and with adult members of the same organisation. Results indicate that cooperative learning environments can have a significant and positive effect upon children's beliefs about large‐scale environmental problems. In particular, Woodcraft folk children reported significantly higher levels of personal awareness and perceived self‐efficacy in relation to global warming in comparison to their peers. Secondly, unexpected differences were identified between levels of perceived self‐efficacy in children and adult Woodcraft folk. The implications of these differences for the design of educational programmes seeking to empower children to respond to global warming are discussed.