Parental perspectives of the role of school factors in school refusal

The aim of this study was to explore parents’ perspectives on the role of school factors in school refusal (SR). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 parents who had experienced SR with their own child. They identified several school factors related to SR. Some of these findings suggest that students who are prone to SR need more predictability and more teachers’ support than they sometimes get in school. Their need for predictability seems to occur particularly during less structured activities and during transitions in school. Findings also imply that disruptive behavior among classmates and harsh management from teachers affects perceived predictability and support for SR-prone students. All parents expressed concern about bullying, and roughly a third of them reported that their child had been a victim of bullying. Insufficient adaptation of schoolwork was also mentioned relatively frequently. Parents emphasized that adaptation of schoolwork needs to be done in close cooperation with the student and parents to avoid negative differentiation from classmates or stigma. Finally, several parents commented that teachers and schools need more knowledge about SR and felt that schools needed a more coordinated approach to supporting students who are at risk of SR.     

Is the sustainability of reduction in bullying related to follow‐up procedures?

This paper investigates changes in bullying behaviour among pupils in 72 Norwegian compulsory schools two years after the schools completed an anti‐bullying program. A sample of 22 schools received eight lesson plans with material for staff to use to focus on the challenges of anti‐bullying during this period of two years. Another sample of 22 schools received the same lessons, and also received regular phone calls from a researcher between the lessons. A sample of 28 schools received no other attention than the surveys. We assumed that bullying would be lower in the schools which received follow‐up procedures than in the control schools. Results showed no overall change in mean victimisation scores (i.e., being the victim of bullying), although there was a slight but significant overall decrease in bullying scores (i.e., bullying others) (F = 12.58, p < .001). Our predictions of differences between the samples were not supported. One possible conclusion is that the follow‐up procedures offered were not sufficient to decrease bullying any further. Further research is needed to determine whether the lack of effect is due to the type of follow‐up measure or to implementation within schools.     

Coping styles and emotional and behavioural problems among Norwegian grade 9 students

The main purpose of this study was to explore the relations between coping styles and emotional and behavioural problems among adolescent students. The study was conducted as a survey among a representative sample of 2006 Norwegian 9th graders. The results show that emotional problems are associated with self-blaming as well as aggressive coping. Off-task orientation was associated with little use of planning and frequent use of aggressive coping. Finally, aggressive coping was the main predictor of externalizing problems, with infrequent use of planning and frequent use of behavioural disengagement as other significant predictors.     

Students' Perceptions of Teacher Support Across the Transition from Primary to Secondary School

This study examines the degree to which students' perceptions of teacher support are related to school type (primary versus secondary). The sample included 7,205 students from years 5 to 7 in primary school and years 8 to 10 in secondary school. Previous research has concluded that perceptions of school change negatively when students move from primary to secondary school. However, this research has been criticized for not accounting for age‐related changes in students' perception of school. Results from this study show a linear downwards tendency for perceived teacher support, with no obvious abrupt change between primary and secondary school. Our findings do not, therefore, support the idea that the transition from primary to secondary school affects students' perception of teacher support in a negative way.     

Factors Associated with Disruptive Behaviour in the Classroom

This paper examines the relationships of pupils' on‐task orientation at school and their opposition to teachers with perceived cognitive competence, perceived relevance of schoolwork, and the belief that going against school norms increases peer status. The study was conducted as a survey among a national representative sample of 3834 pupils in Years/Grades 6 and 9 who were attending Norwegian schools. The results indicate that low perceived cognitive competence, perceived low relevance of schoolwork, and the belief that norm‐breaking behaviour elicits peer approval all increase the likelihood and incidence of off‐task behaviour and opposition towards teachers. Results also suggest a tendency for perceived cognitive competence and perceived relevance of schoolwork to be more important predictors of on‐task orientation than opposition to teachers, whereas the belief that breaking school norms increases peer status seems to be a more important risk factor for opposition to teachers than for off‐task orientation.     

Small-scale curriculum changes for improving pre-service teachers’ preparation for Family-School Partnerships

Abstract

Family-School Partnerships (FSP) are important for students’ academic achievements and social-emotional development. Therefore, pre-service teachers need to learn how to establish this. However, in teacher education programmes this topic is insufficiently addressed partially attributed to already overloaded programmes. This study reports on a small-scale curriculum change, aiming to foster pre-service teachers’ awareness of the importance of FSP, to broaden their concepts and support them in identifying learning goals for the future. An assignment to interview novice-teachers about FSP was followed by a class on this topic. Afterwards, pre-service teachers reported in written reflections that they had become aware of the importance of FSP, emphasising that FSP is more than just communication. However, their focus for further professionalisation remained on improving their communication skills. Though this small-scale curriculum change seems to be a small step forward to a better preparation on FSP, further improvements are necessary to promote a comprehensive view of FSP.     

Validation of the mindful coping scale

The aim of this research is to develop and validate a self-report measure of mindfulness and coping, the mindful coping scale (MCS). Dimensions of mindful coping were theoretically deduced from mindfulness theory and coping theory. The MCS was empirically evaluated by use of factor analyses, reliability testing and nomological network validation. The study's participants were high school students from two high schools, covering all streams. Further validation was obtained by correlating the MCS-subscales with an appraisal theory-based measure of coping strategies. Results from factor analyses supported the proposed measurement model and Cronbach's alphas indicated good internal consistency for the four sub-scales. Furthermore, correlations with instrument for measuring coping were mainly in accordance with our expectations. The above supports the validation of our instrument.     

Depression and School Engagement among Norwegian Upper Secondary Vocational School Students

There seems to be limited work addressing how depression is linked to elements of student functioning in the school setting other than academic achievement. This study investigated possible correlates of depressive symptoms with school engagement and disengagement. We examined four specific school variables (school motivation, intentions to quit, absence, and truancy) in a sample of 791 adolescents between 15 and 18 years of age in a Norwegian upper secondary vocational school. The results indicated that symptoms of depression could be a risk factor for school disengagement, and particularly for intentions to quit school. However, as only moderate associations were found, it appears that many depressed students manage to keep up their school engagement. This applied to both genders. However, the findings underline the importance of developing effective methods to identify and help depressed students who do have difficulty keeping up school engagement. Implications for practice are suggested.     

Classroom Social Structure and Motivational Climates: On the influence of teachers' involvement,teachers' autonomy support and regulation in relation to motivational climates in school classrooms

This study investigates the relationship between students' perceptions of the social structure in the classroom and perceptions of the motivational climate among 1171 Norwegian eighth‐grade students from 65 school classes. A multilevel approach was implemented to investigate relationships at the individual level as well as at the class level. Results showed that perceptions of motivational climates varied considerably more within than between school classes, as well as a general trend for students to perceive the motivational climate to be more mastery than performance oriented. Moreover, emphatic teacher involvement yielded the strongest positive association with perceptions of a mastery motivational climate, as well as the strongest negative association with perceptions of a performance motivational climate. Besides, a mastery motivational climate was also found to be associated with a certain amount of student influence, whereas the final aspect of social structure investigated, regulation, showed relatively weaker associations with students' perceptions of motivational climate.     

Preparing teacher candidates for family–school partnerships

Previous research indicates that, while parent involvement promotes student achievement, how teacher candidates are prepared to establish family–school partnerships (FSP) is not well documented and the roles of teacher educators are often neglected. Explorative studies including curriculum analysis and focus groups of primary and secondary teacher candidates and teacher educators were conducted in three universities, one each in the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA. Data collection was designed to identify opinions towards FSP and perceived preparation for FSP. The programmes showed limited attention to aspects other than communication and FSP was not assessed. The findings indicate training is largely dependent upon the proclivities of individual teacher educators. Although all respondents acknowledged the importance of FSP, respondents of primary education held a more positive attitude towards parents than others. Hardly any differences were found between the views of candidates and educators, regardless of the programme they followed or taught.