Cyberbullying: Its Nature and Impact in Secondary School Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Peter K.; Mahdavi, Jess; Carvalho, Manuel; Fisher, Sonja; Russell, Shanette; Tippett, Neil

2008-01-01

Background: Cyberbullying describes bullying using mobile phones and the internet. Most previous studies have focused on the prevalence of text message and email bullying. Methods: Two surveys with pupils aged 11-16 years: (1) 92 pupils from 14 schools, supplemented by focus groups; (2) 533 pupils from 5 schools, to assess the generalisability of…

Family structure, socioeconomic position and utilization of oral health services among Nigerian senior secondary school pupils.

PubMed

Ola, Dennis; Gambôa, Ana B O; Folayan, Morenike O; Marcenes, Wagner

2013-01-01

To test the relationship between socioeconomic position (SEP), family composition, number of siblings, and birth position in the family, and the utilization of oral health services by senior secondary school pupils in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study design included senior secondary school pupils in the Central Local Government Area of Ile-Ife during 2007/2008. Sample size calculation was performed and 1,200 pupils were invited to participate. A multistage, stratified sampling technique was used. Data collection included a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using logistic regression. The response rate was 76 percent (n=1043). The mean age was 15.8 (standard deviation=1.9) and 49 percent were males. Only 22.5 percent of pupils had ever visited a dentist in their lives. Results from multivariate analyses showed that pupils attending free schools, those paying 1 to 10,000 naira (equivalent to US$ 63.31) and 10,000 to 19,000 naira (equivalent to US$ 120.29) were respectively 1.93, 1.87, and 2.74 times less likely to have attended a dentist in the past than pupils in more expensive schools. Pupils living with single mothers or without a parent were unlikely to have visited the dentist. Number of siblings and birth position in the family were not associated with utilization of oral health services. Adolescents from families with a low SEP growing up without their parents may need extra incentives to visit dentist. © 2012 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Inclusive Education for Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Secondary Mainstream Schools: Teacher Attitudes, Experience and Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphrey, Neil; Symes, Wendy

2013-01-01

The aim of the current study was to examine the experience, attitudes and knowledge of school staff in relation to inclusive education for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) in mainstream secondary schools. Fifty-three participants from 11 secondary schools in the north-west of England completed a survey that covered socio-demographic…

The Influence of Gender, Grade Level and Favourite Subject on Czech Lower Secondary School Pupils' Perception of Geography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kubiatko, Milan; Janko, Tomas; Mrazkova, Katerina

2012-01-01

Geography is an important school subject that brings pupils' description and explanation of social, economic and/or political aspects of the changing world. It has been affirmed that the interest in a subject depends on the attitude to this subject. This study investigates Czech lower secondary school pupils' perception of geography. The research…

An Investigation into Challenges Faced by Secondary School Teachers and Pupils in Algebraic Linear Equations: A Case of Mufulira District, Zambia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samuel, Koji; Mulenga, H. M.; Angel, Mukuka

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the challenges faced by secondary school teachers and pupils in the teaching and learning of algebraic linear equations. The study involved 80 grade 11 pupils and 15 teachers of mathematics, drawn from 4 selected secondary schools in Mufulira district, Zambia in Central Africa. A descriptive survey method was employed to…

Pupils' Attitudes toward Chemistry in Two Types of Czech Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kubiatko, Milan; Balatova, Kristyna; Fancovicova, Jana; Prokop, Pavol

2017-01-01

Chemistry is a school subject that is not viewed favorably among pupils. Before we can improve pupils' attitudes toward chemistry, it is important to find out the problem as to why the attitudes are relatively negative. The research was focused on Czech lower secondary and secondary grammar school pupils' attitudes to the subject of chemistry.…

A cross-sectional questionnaire study of the rules governing pupils' carriage of inhalers for asthma treatment in secondary schools in North East England.

PubMed

Funston, Wendy; Howard, Simon J

2016-01-01

Objectives. The primary objective of this study was to assess the rules governing secondary school pupils' carriage of inhalers for emergency treatment of asthma in the North East of England. Design. This study was based upon a postal questionnaire survey. Setting. The setting for this study was mainstream free-to-attend secondary schools which admit 16 year old pupils within the 12 Local Authority areas which make up the North East of England. Participants. All 153 schools meeting the inclusion criteria were invited to participate in the study, of which 106 (69%) took part. Main Outcome Measures. Our three main outcome measures were: whether pupils are permitted to carry inhalers on their person while at school; whether advance permission is required for pupils to carry inhalers, and from whom; and whether the school has an emergency 'standby' salbutamol inhaler for use in asthma emergencies, as permitted since October 2014 under recent amendments to The Human Medicines Regulations 2012. Results. Of 98 schools submitting valid responses to the question, 99% (n = 97) permitted pupils to carry inhalers on their person while at school; the remaining school stored pupils' inhalers in a central location within the school. A total of 22% of included schools (n = 22) required parental permission before pupils were permitted to carry inhalers. Of 102 schools submitting valid responses to the question, 44% (n = 45) had purchased a 'standby' salbutamol inhaler for use in asthma emergencies. Conclusions. Most secondary schools in North East England permit pupils to carry inhalers on their person. The requirement in a minority of schools for parental permission to be given possibly contravenes the standard ethical practices in clinical medicine for children of this age. Only a minority of schools hold a 'standby' salbutamol inhaler for use in asthma emergencies. Wider availability may improve outcomes for asthma emergencies occurring in schools.

Improving progression and continuity from primary to secondary science: Pupils' reactions to bridging work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braund, Martin; Hames, Vicky

2005-07-01

This article reports research from a project set up to implement ‘bridging work’ in science in England. Group interviews of 59 pupils in Year 6 (at the end of primary school) and 48 pupils in Year 7 (at beginning of secondary school) were carried out after pupils had completed bridging work. Twenty-six of this sample were the same pupils. Semi-structured interviews were carried out in groups to ascertain: their aspirations and fears concerning secondary science, their reactions to bridging work and their memories of investigations. Year 6 pupils were positive about studying science at secondary school and remained so after transfer. Pupils' reactions to bridging at both ages were very positive. Findings challenge recent critiques of bridging. The lack of progression in pupils' communication about the variables and findings from investigations suggest that the planned progression of work was not recognized by some teachers. Bridging work alone may not guarantee improved progression and continuity in science, but as part of a carefully planned and structured programme of collaboration it has merit.

Future engineers: the intrinsic technology motivation of secondary school pupils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Lewis C. R.; McDermott, Hilary J.; Tyrer, John R.; Zanker, Nigel P.

2018-07-01

The supply of students motivated to study engineering in higher education is critical to the sector. Results are presented from the 'Mindsets STEM Enhancement Project'. Fifty-seven new resources packs, designed to improve STEM education in Design and Technology, were given to schools across London. A modified Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire measured pupils' (n = 458) motivation towards technology. The results show that although pupils have positive reactions to the technology content within Design and Technology lessons, the type of STEM resources and lessons created through the project had made no significant difference on pupils' interest/enjoyment towards technology. This suggests stand-alone resources do not improve pupil motivation. The impact of this work to engineering higher education is that the existing levels and the inability to improve pupil motivation in technology at school could be a factor affecting the pursuit of a technology or engineering related education or career.

Cyberbullying: its nature and impact in secondary school pupils.

PubMed

Smith, Peter K; Mahdavi, Jess; Carvalho, Manuel; Fisher, Sonja; Russell, Shanette; Tippett, Neil

2008-04-01

Cyberbullying describes bullying using mobile phones and the internet. Most previous studies have focused on the prevalence of text message and email bullying. Two surveys with pupils aged 11-16 years: (1) 92 pupils from 14 schools, supplemented by focus groups; (2) 533 pupils from 5 schools, to assess the generalisability of findings from the first study, and investigate relationships of cyberbullying to general internet use. Both studies differentiated cyberbullying inside and outside of school, and 7 media of cyberbullying. Both studies found cyberbullying less frequent than traditional bullying, but appreciable, and reported more outside of school than inside. Phone call and text message bullying were most prevalent, with instant messaging bullying in the second study; their impact was perceived as comparable to traditional bullying. Mobile phone/video clip bullying, while rarer, was perceived to have more negative impact. Age and gender differences varied between the two studies. Study 1 found that most cyberbullying was done by one or a few students, usually from the same year group. It often just lasted about a week, but sometimes much longer. The second study found that being a cybervictim, but not a cyberbully, correlated with internet use; many cybervictims were traditional 'bully-victims'. Pupils recommended blocking/avoiding messages, and telling someone, as the best coping strategies; but many cybervictims had told nobody about it. Cyberbullying is an important new kind of bullying, with some different characteristics from traditional bullying. Much happens outside school. Implications for research and practical action are discussed.

The Manchester Color Wheel: validation in secondary school pupils

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background As part of our research programme into facilitating improved ways of communicating with patients, especially about more sensitive clinical issues, we have been investigating whether there are any non-verbal methods that might aid this process. One such approach is to ask patients to choose a color in response to a particular question, for instance about health or psychological status, and for this purpose we developed the Manchester Color Wheel (MCW). This instrument consists of positive, neutral and negative colors and its validation in normal adults and those with anxiety or depression showed that it is responsive to change and reproducible. It also has the capacity to identify a positive frame of mind. We concluded that it might be a particularly useful instrument in adolescents and therefore this study aimed to validate it in a secondary school. Methods 620 pupils (aged 11–17 years, mean age 14.0 years, 298 (48.1%) males, 322 (51.9%) females) at Sale Grammar School in Greater Manchester were asked to relate their mood to a MCW color and also complete the Hospital Anxiety Depression (HAD) questionnaire. To give these pupils an experience in science, 197 were divided into four subgroups for an ‘experiment’ to ascertain whether, compared to controls, a change in mood color choice could be induced by participation in sport, music or art activities. Results Although mood color and HAD depression score are unlikely to be measuring exactly the same psychological state, a negative mood color was chosen by 62.5% of HAD depressed compared to only 14.5% of HAD normal pupils (p < 0.001). In contrast, a positive mood color was chosen by 48.9% of normal and only 18.8% of depressed pupils (p < 0.001). In the ‘experiment’, compared to controls, all activities resulted in an increased choice of positive mood colors which reached significance for sport and music. Conclusion This study confirms the potential utility of the MCW to rapidly and

The Manchester Color Wheel: validation in secondary school pupils.

PubMed

Carruthers, Helen R; Magee, Linda; Osborne, Susan; Hall, Linda K; Whorwell, Peter J

2012-09-05

As part of our research programme into facilitating improved ways of communicating with patients, especially about more sensitive clinical issues, we have been investigating whether there are any non-verbal methods that might aid this process. One such approach is to ask patients to choose a color in response to a particular question, for instance about health or psychological status, and for this purpose we developed the Manchester Color Wheel (MCW). This instrument consists of positive, neutral and negative colors and its validation in normal adults and those with anxiety or depression showed that it is responsive to change and reproducible. It also has the capacity to identify a positive frame of mind. We concluded that it might be a particularly useful instrument in adolescents and therefore this study aimed to validate it in a secondary school. 620 pupils (aged 11-17 years, mean age 14.0 years, 298 (48.1%) males, 322 (51.9%) females) at Sale Grammar School in Greater Manchester were asked to relate their mood to a MCW color and also complete the Hospital Anxiety Depression (HAD) questionnaire. To give these pupils an experience in science, 197 were divided into four subgroups for an 'experiment' to ascertain whether, compared to controls, a change in mood color choice could be induced by participation in sport, music or art activities. Although mood color and HAD depression score are unlikely to be measuring exactly the same psychological state, a negative mood color was chosen by 62.5% of HAD depressed compared to only 14.5% of HAD normal pupils (p < 0.001). In contrast, a positive mood color was chosen by 48.9% of normal and only 18.8% of depressed pupils (p < 0.001). In the 'experiment', compared to controls, all activities resulted in an increased choice of positive mood colors which reached significance for sport and music. This study confirms the potential utility of the MCW to rapidly and easily assess a variety of health issues in large populations

Do schools differ in suicide risk? The influence of school and neighbourhood on attempted suicide, suicidal ideation and self-harm among secondary school pupils.

PubMed

Young, Robert; Sweeting, Helen; Ellaway, Anne

2011-11-17

Rates of suicide and poor mental health are high in environments (neighbourhoods and institutions) where individuals have only weak social ties, feel socially disconnected and experience anomie - a mismatch between individual and community norms and values. Young people spend much of their time within the school environment, but the influence of school context (school connectedness, ethos and contextual factors such as school size or denomination) on suicide-risk is understudied. Our aim is to explore if school context is associated with rates of attempted suicide and suicide-risk at age 15 and self-harm at age 19, adjusting for confounders. A longitudinal school-based survey of 1698 young people surveyed when aged 11, (primary school), 15 (secondary school) and in early adulthood (age 19). Participants provided data about attempted suicide and suicide-risk at age 15 and deliberate self-harm at 19. In addition, data were collected about mental health at age 11, social background (gender, religion, etc.), and at age 15, perception of local area (e.g. neighbourhood cohesion, safety/civility and facilities), school connectedness (school engagement, involvement, etc.) and school context (size, denomination, etc.). A dummy variable was created indicating a religious 'mismatch', where pupils held a different faith from their school denomination. Data were analysed using multilevel logistic regression. After adjustment for confounders, pupils attempted suicide, suicide-risk and self-harm were all more likely among pupils with low school engagement (15-18% increase in odds for each SD change in engagement). While holding Catholic religious beliefs was protective, attending a Catholic school was a risk factor for suicidal behaviours. This pattern was explained by religious 'mismatch': pupils of a different religion from their school were approximately 2-4 times more likely to attempt suicide, be a suicide-risk or self-harm. With several caveats, we found support for the

Cooperative learning in science: intervention in the secondary school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topping, K. J.; Thurston, A.; Tolmie, A.; Christie, D.; Murray, P.; Karagiannidou, E.

2011-04-01

The use of cooperative learning in secondary school is reported - an area of considerable concern given attempts to make secondary schools more interactive and gain higher recruitment to university science courses. In this study the intervention group was 259 pupils aged 12-14 years in nine secondary schools, taught by 12 self-selected teachers. Comparison pupils came from both intervention and comparison schools (n = 385). Intervention teachers attended three continuing professional development days, in which they received information, engaged with resource packs and involved themselves in cooperative learning. Measures included both general and specific tests of science, attitudes to science, sociometry, self-esteem, attitudes to cooperative learning and transferable skills (all for pupils) and observation of implementation fidelity. There were increases during cooperative learning in pupil formulation of propositions, explanations and disagreements. Intervened pupils gained in attainment, but comparison pupils gained even more. Pupils who had experienced cooperative learning in primary school had higher pre-test scores in secondary education irrespective of being in the intervention or comparison group. On sociometry, comparison pupils showed greater affiliation to science work groups for work, but intervention pupils greater affiliation to these groups at break and out of school. Other measures were not significant. The results are discussed in relation to practice and policy implications.

Digital Bridge or Digital Divide? A Case Study Review of the Implementation of the "Computers for Pupils Programme" in a Birmingham Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Jonathan Padraig

2011-01-01

Attempts to bridge the Digital Divide have seen vast investment in Information Communication Technology in schools. In the United Kingdom, the Computers for Pupils initiative has invested 60 million British Pounds of funds to help some of the most disadvantaged secondary school pupils by putting a computer in their home. This paper charts and…

The Impact of Accountability Reforms on the Key Stage 4 Curriculum: How Have Changes to School and College Performance Tables Affected Pupil Access to Qualifications and Subjects in Secondary Schools in England?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parameshwaran, Meenakshi; Thomson, Dave

2015-01-01

The Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government's reforms to secondary school Performance Tables have changed how schools make decisions about the subjects and qualifications entered by their pupils. The National Pupil Database is used to explore these changes between 2005 and 2014. We find that schools are responding to accountability…

Do schools differ in suicide risk? the influence of school and neighbourhood on attempted suicide, suicidal ideation and self-harm among secondary school pupils

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Rates of suicide and poor mental health are high in environments (neighbourhoods and institutions) where individuals have only weak social ties, feel socially disconnected and experience anomie - a mismatch between individual and community norms and values. Young people spend much of their time within the school environment, but the influence of school context (school connectedness, ethos and contextual factors such as school size or denomination) on suicide-risk is understudied. Our aim is to explore if school context is associated with rates of attempted suicide and suicide-risk at age 15 and self-harm at age 19, adjusting for confounders. Methods A longitudinal school-based survey of 1698 young people surveyed when aged 11, (primary school), 15 (secondary school) and in early adulthood (age 19). Participants provided data about attempted suicide and suicide-risk at age 15 and deliberate self-harm at 19. In addition, data were collected about mental health at age 11, social background (gender, religion, etc.), and at age 15, perception of local area (e.g. neighbourhood cohesion, safety/civility and facilities), school connectedness (school engagement, involvement, etc.) and school context (size, denomination, etc.). A dummy variable was created indicating a religious 'mismatch', where pupils held a different faith from their school denomination. Data were analysed using multilevel logistic regression. Results After adjustment for confounders, pupils attempted suicide, suicide-risk and self-harm were all more likely among pupils with low school engagement (15-18% increase in odds for each SD change in engagement). While holding Catholic religious beliefs was protective, attending a Catholic school was a risk factor for suicidal behaviours. This pattern was explained by religious 'mismatch': pupils of a different religion from their school were approximately 2-4 times more likely to attempt suicide, be a suicide-risk or self-harm. Conclusions With

What Preconceptions and Attitudes about Engineering Are Prevalent Amongst Upper Secondary School Pupils? An International Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koycu, Ümit; de Vries, Marc J.

2016-01-01

In the Netherlands, as well as in many other countries, there is an increasing interest in implementing education about engineering as a part of general education at the upper secondary school level. In order to know what pupils at that level think about engineering, a study has been done to investigate their attitude towards and their concept of…

Pupil-class determinants of aggressive and victim behaviour in pupils.

PubMed

Mooij, T

1998-09-01

Aggressive behaviour in pupils is expressed in, e.g., bullying, sexual harassment, and violence. Different kinds of variables could be relevant in explaining a pupil's aggressive or victim behaviour. To develop a multilevel theoretical and empirical explanation for different kinds of aggressive and victim behaviour displayed by pupils in a classroom and school environment. A national survey was carried out to identify different kinds of aggressive and victim behaviour displayed by pupils and to assess other variables related to pupils, classes, and schools. A total of 1998 pupils from 100 third and fourth year classes attending 71 different secondary schools took part in the research. Data were analysed by a series of secondary multilevel analyses using the MLA-program. Being a boy, being more extravert, being more disagreeable, coming across fewer teachers with positive teaching behaviour, and attending a lower type of secondary school, help explain why someone is a perpetrator as such. Being a boy, being more disagreeable, being more emotionally unstable, being open to new ideas, and seeing more teachers as being strict, function as explanatory pupil variables for victim behaviour. Other pupil level variables determine more specific aggressive and victim behaviour aspects. Various other class level and school level variables are relevant, too. Personal and environmental pupil variables are more important than class variables but class variables are in turn more important than school variables in explaining a pupil's aggressive and victim behaviour.

Senior Secondary School Children's Understanding of Plant Nutrition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosothwane, Modise

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess children's understanding of plant nutrition. The research was done on a sample of secondary school pupils in the age range of 16 to 19 years in two senior secondary schools in Botswana. The sample contained 137 senior secondary pupils all in their final year of study. These children were above average…

Us and Them: A History of Pupil Grouping Policies in England's Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillard, Derek

2009-01-01

The selection of children in England's schools for different types of education can be seen operating at three levels: between schools, within schools and within classes. This article deals mainly with the second--the allocation of pupils to classes--but it also refers to selection for secondary education and to the grouping of pupils within…

[Level of knowledge on food and nutrition among groups of pupils of the last class of secondary schools].

PubMed

Wojtaś, Malwina; Kołłajtis-Dołowy, Anna

2012-01-01

Common nutritional faults affect health of many Poles. Health state of Poles is worse than most of Europeans and is not improving. Nutritional behaviors of young people are caused by limited nutritional knowledge learned during consecutive stages of school education. Nutritional education is considered less important, theoretical knowledge and practice is not correlated and teacher's knowledge is limited. The aim of this study was to study different school programs and to assess the level of nutritional knowledge among selected pupils of last classes of secondary school in Warsaw. The study was conducted in November 2008 on 210 students with the specific author's questionnaire. There is wide nutritional educational program in schools starting from kindergarten through schools of different levels. The nutritional education program is not consistent likely due to dispersion of material among different subjects. In nutritional knowledge tests none of the pupil reached 75% of maximum points and half of them did not reach 50%. Pupils did not know what is their energetic requirement (answers differ from 100 kcal/day to 10000 kcal/day). They were unable to determine the caloric of oil (only 1/3 knows that it is the most caloric product). More than half of pupils answered that sugar is the most caloric product. The knowledge of vitamin and minerals content is completely not known to pupils. Most of pupils were unable to correctly indicate two products which are the sources of vitamin C (approximately 60%), vitamin A (almost 75%) and iron (over 60%). Pupils have more information on protein sources. Surprisingly it was easier for them to indicate products which are not a good source of valuable proteins than the good source of proteins. Pupils did not know what is recommended frequency of milk, fish, vegetables and plant oil consumption. Results indicate that the core curriculum of education is proper but students had little knowledge of nutrition. The majority of

Multi-Level Aspects of Social Cohesion of Secondary Schools and Pupils' Feelings of Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mooij, Ton; Smeets, Ed; de Wit, Wouter

2011-01-01

Background: School safety and corresponding feelings of both pupils and school staff are beginning to receive more and more attention. The social cohesion characteristics of a school may be useful in promoting feelings of safety, particularly in pupils. Aims: To conceptualize theoretically, and check empirically a two-level model of social…

Personal, Family and School Influences on Secondary Pupils' Feelings of Safety at School, in the School Surroundings and at Home

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mooij, Ton

2012-01-01

Different types of variables seem to influence school safety and a pupil's feelings of safety at school. The research question asks which risk and promotive variables should be integrated in a theoretical model to predict a pupil's feelings of safety at school, in the school surroundings and at home; what the outcomes are of an empirical check of…

Observation and assessment of the nutritional quality of 'out of school' foods popular with secondary school pupils at lunchtime.

PubMed

Crawford, Fiona; Mackison, Dionne; Mooney, John D; Ellaway, Anne

2017-11-17

The contemporary Scottish diet is unhealthy and a risk factor for poor health outcomes including obesity. Over a third of Scottish children are at risk of being overweight or obese, and there have been calls to strengthen the evidence base on the role of the food retail environment around schools in influencing the consumption of unhealthy foods. We examined the food retail environment around five secondary schools in Glasgow city, Scotland. Trained fieldworkers observed the food purchasing behaviour of school pupils in local shops. Samples of the most popular foods were subsequently purchased by the research team and assessed for nutritional content, including energy, total and saturated fat, and salt. This was compared with the nutrient standards for school lunches established by the Scottish Government. There was marked variation in the number of outlets identified within a 10 min walk from each school, ranging from five in the area with the lowest number of outlets to thirty in the area with the highest number of outlets. Outlets identified were heterogeneous and included fish and chip shops, kebab shops, convenience stores, newsagents, bakeries, mobile catering units, cafés, pizzerias, sandwich shops and supermarkets. Lunchtime offers and other marketing strategies targeting school pupils were observed at most outlets. Nutritional analysis of the 45 savoury food items purchased was conducted by laboratory staff. Of the foods analysed, 49% of the samples exceeded recommended calorie intake, 58% exceeded total fat recommendations and 64% exceeded saturated fat recommendations, 42% exceeded recommended salt levels. Over 80% of the 45 food items sampled did not comply with one of more of the nutrient standards for fat, saturated fat and salt. Meal deals and promotions of unhealthy foods aimed at pupils were widely available. The majority of pupils purchased unhealthy convenience food of poor nutritional value at lunchtime in local shops around their school

Outgroup Prejudice among Secondary Pupils in Northern England: Are the Predictors at the Individual, School or Neighbourhood Level?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brockett, Adrian; Wicker, Kate

2012-01-01

This study examines the Outgroup Prejudice Index (see "Research in Education," 83, 2010) to see what factors best predict levels of outgroup prejudice among adolescents living in northern England. A sample of 2,502 eleven- to sixteen-year-old secondary school pupils completed a questionnaire that included measures of outgroup prejudice,…

Associations between schools' guidelines and pupils' smoking and sweet consumption.

PubMed

Kankaanpää, R; Tolvanen, M; Anttila, J; Lahti, S

2014-12-01

The aims were to find out if schools' sweet-selling was associated with pupils' sweet consumption, and whether the school's guideline about leaving the school area was associated with pupils' tobacco and sweet consumption. Two independently collected datasets from all Finnish upper secondary schools (N = 988) were linked together. The first dataset on schools' sweet-selling (yes/no) and guideline about leaving school area (yes/no) was collected via school principals in 2007 using an Internet questionnaire with a response rate of 49%, n = 480. The second dataset on pupils' self-reported: weekly school-time (0, never; 1, less than once; 2, 1-2 times; 3, 3-5 times), overall sweet consumption frequencies (1, never; 2, 1-2 times; 3, 3-5 times; 4, 6-7 times) and smoking and snuff-using frequencies (1, never; 2, every now and then; 3 = every day) was collected in 2006-2007 in the School Health Promotion Study from pupils. An average was calculated for the school-level with a response rate 80%, n = 790. The total response rate of the linked final data was 42%, n = 414. Mean values of self-reported sweet and tobacco consumption frequencies between sweet-selling and non-sweet-selling schools and between schools with different guidelines were compared using Mann-Whitney test. Pupils in sweet-selling schools and in schools without a guideline about leaving the school area, more frequently used sweet products and tobacco products than their peers in other schools. Schools may need help in building permanent guidelines to stop sweet-selling in school and to prevent leaving the school area to decrease pupils' sweet consumption and smoking.

Comparison of Four Teacher Training Procedures in Achieving Teacher and Pupil "Translation" Behaviors in Secondary School Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millett, Gregg B.

A study was designed to determine whether different training procedures could change specific behaviors of 39 intern teachers and their pupils in secondary school social studies classes. Interns were randomly assigned to four training groups each of which received typescripts from the 1953 McCarthy investigations which were to be used the next day…

Cochlear implanted pupils in Scottish schools: 4-year school attainment data (2000-2004).

PubMed

Thoutenhoofd, Ernst

2006-01-01

The Achievements of Deaf Pupils in Scotland (ADPS) project has been tracking the educational attainment of deaf pupils in Scotland's schools since 2000. At the time of writing, the database contains records for 1,752 deaf pupils (2000-2005). Here 4-year aggregate educational attainment data are reported for a subset of 152 school-aged deaf pupils with cochlear implants notified to the ADPS database between June 2000 and June 2004. The data describe primary and secondary school results in reading, writing, and math for this subgroup, as well as placement and communication characteristics. The educational attainment of the group of deaf pupils with cochlear implants is clearly marked when the deaf pupil population is disaggregated for hearing loss, achieving comparatively higher average attainment in both 5-14 Curriculum National Tests (Mathematics in particular) and Standard Grades. Therefore the gap in performance relative to the national population data is reduced for those deaf pupils, although it still widens at higher levels of achievement for the National Tests. Although most pupils with cochlear implants are placed in the mainstream, there is no pattern of migration toward mainstream schools. Some deaf pupils with cochlear implants moved out of mainstream to other types of placement, and this has implications for health-economic cost-utility assessments of cochlear implantation that favor mainstream education by drawing upon the relative cost of different placement types. These findings suggest that the ADPS program of research can contribute school outcome data as valuable real-life outcome measures in wider assessments of the benefit of cochlear implants to deaf children and deaf young people.

Tomorrow's Workforce: School Pupils' Views of a Career in Hospitality. Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tregaskis, Olga; And Others

A survey involving 1,024 secondary pupils and 22 career educators from schools throughout the United Kingdom collected information on pupils' perceptions of entering the hotel and catering industry as a career. The research looked in detail at the job expectations of pupils, the status they associated with hotel and catering and nonhotel and…

Pupils' liking for school: ability grouping, self-concept and perceptions of teaching.

PubMed

Ireson, Judith; Hallam, Susan

2005-06-01

Research indicates that affective aspects of development provide a basis for autonomous learning. Pupils' liking for school may be a useful indicator of their relationships with teachers and the school. The aim of the research reported in this paper is to establish the properties of a measure of pupils' liking for school and to examine associations between this measure, pupils' experiences in lessons, their self-concepts and the amount of setting implemented in school. A stratified sample of 45 mixed secondary comprehensive schools was selected for the research. Schools represented a variety of ability-grouping practices in the lower school (Years 7-9), from completely mixed-ability to setting in all academic subjects. All Year 9 pupils were included in the sample. Pupils completed a questionnaire containing items on their self-concept, liking for school, and their perceptions of teaching in English, mathematics, and science. Data on pupils' gender, ethnic origin, social disadvantage and attainment was also collected. The properties and correlates of scales indicating pupils' liking for school and their perceptions of teaching in English, mathematics, and science are established. Liking for school is greater among girls, pupils with higher academic self-concepts, and those with more positive perceptions of teaching. Pupils are more positive about teaching they experience in English than in mathematics or science. When other variables are statistically controlled, there is no significant effect of the extent of ability grouping in the school as a whole. Affective aspects of learning should not be neglected in the drive to raise standards.

The Effects of a Cognitive Acceleration Intervention Programme on the Performance of Secondary School Pupils in Malawi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mbano, Nellie

2003-01-01

The use of the 'Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education' (CASE) intervention programme was explored in Malawi to see if the critical period for cognitive transition from concrete operations to formal operations at 12-14 years of age actually exists. The older pupils (16-17 years of age) in secondary school classes in Malawi made similar cognitive gains to younger English pupils after being taught CASE for 2 years. This was taken to suggest that the critical period does not exist. However, in Malawi, girls, who are on average a year younger than boys in the same class, and older boys, had lower academic achievement than younger boys. Explanations for this age and gender interaction are explored.

Pupils' reasons for learning and behaving and for not learning and behaving in English and maths lessons in a secondary school.

PubMed

Norwich, B

1999-12-01

There is renewed interest in motivation and school learning, though there has been relatively little theory-linked research in English schools. In the first stage, to explore pupils' reasons for learning and behaving and for not learning and behaving in English, maths and other subjects. In the second stage, to examine differences in reasons across subjects, for learning and behaving and for not learning and behaving for boys and girls in two year groups in one secondary school. Stage 1, 16 pupils in years 7, 8 and 9 in two London secondary schools; Stage 2, 267 pupils in years 7 and 9 in one of these schools. Stage 1--semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit different kinds of reasons conceptualised in terms of the Deci & Ryan's (1985) framework of self-determination. From these elicited reasons, an inventory 'Why I Learn' was designed. Stage 2--the inventory was administered to identify reasons for learning and behaving and for not learning and behaving in English and maths. Parent introjected reasons were the highest for learning and behaving while teacher introjected and intrinsic reasons were the lowest. Intrinsic reasons were highest for not learning and behaving. Year group differences in reason levels were more significant than gender or subject differences. Reasons for learning and behaving were more differentiated from each other than reasons for not learning and behaving. The results are discussed in terms of their significance for self-determination theory, research into the conditions promoting greater self-determination in school learning and further development of the inventory for programme evaluation.

Teacher Verbal Feedback Directed towards Secondary Pupils with Challenging Behaviour and Its Relationship to Their Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swinson, J.; Knight, R.

2007-01-01

There is a body of evidence that has linked teachers' verbal feedback to pupils with pupil behaviour. In this study teacher verbal behaviour that was directed towards those pupils that the teachers had nominated as being especially difficult to teach was examined. A series of lessons was observed in a secondary school. The quality and quantity of…

School lunches v. packed lunches: a comparison of secondary schools in England following the introduction of compulsory school food standards.

PubMed

Stevens, Lesley; Nicholas, Jo; Wood, Lesley; Nelson, Michael

2013-06-01

To compare food choices and nutrient intakes of pupils taking a school lunch or a packed lunch in eighty secondary schools in England, following the introduction of the food-based and nutrient-based standards for school food. Cross-sectional data collected between October 2010 and April 2011. Pupils' lunchtime food choices were recorded over five consecutive days. Secondary schools, England. A random selection of 5925 pupils having school lunches and 1805 pupils having a packed lunch in a nationally representative sample of eighty secondary schools in England. The differences in the specific types of food and drink consumed by the two groups of pupils are typical of differences between a hot and cold meal. On average, school lunches as eaten contained significantly more energy, carbohydrate, protein, fibre, vitamin A, folate, Fe and Zn than packed lunches, and 8 % less Na. Although neither school lunches nor packed lunches provided the balance of nutrients required to meet the nutrient-based standards (based on about one-third of daily energy and nutrient requirements), school lunches generally had a healthier nutrient profile, with lower Na and percentage of energy from fat, and higher fibre and micronutrient content. These differences were greater than those reported prior to the introduction of compulsory standards for school lunches. In order to ensure more pupils have a healthy lunch, schools could introduce and enforce a packed lunch policy or make school meals the only option at lunchtime.

Researching Pupil Well-Being in UK Secondary Schools: Community Psychology and the Politics of Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duckett, Paul; Sixsmith, Judith; Kagan, Carolyn

2008-01-01

This study explores the relationships between a school, its staff and its pupils and the impact of these relationships on school pupils' well-being. The authors adopted a community psychological perspective and applied critical, social constructionist epistemologies and participatory, multi-method research tools. The article discusses the…

Bridging Worlds: Ethnic Minority Pupils in Catholic Schools in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Andrew B.

2010-01-01

Aggregated attainment data for each of the four Key Stages of the National Curriculum during 2006-07 are used to compare the performance of schools having differing proportions of ethnic minority pupils on roll. The data are for all maintained primary and secondary schools that completed the 2007 Annual Schools' Census. There are noticeable…

Pupils' Perceptions of Safety at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowie, Helen; Oztug, Ozhan

2008-01-01

The research reported in this article was carried out in four secondary schools, two with a peer support system (PS) and two without (NPS) and involved a total of 931 pupils, (49.5 per cent males, and 50.5 per cent females). Participants were aged between 11 and 15 years of age, mean age 12.8 years. The aim was to compare the perceptions of safety…

Brief Report: Multilevel Analysis of School Smoking Policy and Pupil Smoking Behaviour in Wales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiium, Nora; Burgess, Stephen; Moore, Laurence

2011-01-01

A multilevel analysis of cross-sectional data from a survey involving 1941 pupils (in grades 10 and 11) and policy indicators developed from interviews with staff from 45 secondary schools in Wales examined the hypotheses that pupil smoking prevalence would be associated with: restrictive staff and pupil smoking policies; dissemination of school…

Challenges to Effective Implementation of Christian Religious Studies Curriculum: A Study of Secondary School Pupils in Ebonyi State of Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Njoku, N. C.; Njoku, D. I.

2015-01-01

The study is designed to investigate challenges to effective implementation of Christian Religious Studies among secondary school pupils in Ebonyi state. Two research questions were raised to guide the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Ebonyi state is the area of study and the population comprised all the 232 CRS teachers in…

Pupil Clustering in English Secondary Schools: One Pattern or Several?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorard, Stephen; Cheng, Shou Chen

2011-01-01

Previous international work has shown that clustering pupils with similar characteristics in particular schools yields no clear academic benefit, and can be disadvantageous both socially and personally. Understanding how and why this clustering happens, and how it may be reduced, is therefore important for policy. Yet previous work has tended to…

Adolescent Moral Judgement: A Study of UK Secondary School Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, David Ian; Thoma, Stephen J.; Jones, Chantel; Kristjánsson, Kristján

2017-01-01

Despite a recent world-wide upsurge of academic interest in moral and character education, little is known about pupils' character development in schools, especially in the UK context. The authors used a version of the Intermediate Concept Measure for Adolescents, involving dilemmas, to assess an important component of character--moral…

Choice of Scottish Gaelic-Medium and Welsh-Medium Education at the Primary and Secondary School Stages: Parent and Pupil Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Hanlon, Fiona

2015-01-01

Results are presented of a comparative study of the reasons for parental choice of Scottish Gaelic-medium and Welsh-medium primary education in the year 2000 and of the reasons for pupils' decisions to continue with Gaelic or Welsh-medium education at secondary school in 2007. Parents in both contexts cited the quality of Celtic-medium education…

Sadness, socialisation and shifted perceptions: school pupils' stories of a pre-nursing scholarship.

PubMed

Beattie, Michelle; Smith, Annetta; Kyle, Richard G

2014-06-01

Providing opportunities for aspirant nurses to obtain pre-nursing experience features prominently in the UK Government's response to The Francis Inquiry. Evidence from the USA suggests that pre-nursing experiences, such as summer camps, have the potential to contribute to effective nurse recruitment, selection and retention strategies. However, few similar pre-nursing experiences exist in the UK, and none have been evaluated. This paper reports the experiences of participation in a pilot pre-nursing scholarship among secondary school pupils in Scotland. To explore pupils' experiences of a pre-nursing scholarship to inform future design and delivery of similar programmes in the UK and internationally. Qualitative focus group study. Two university campuses in Scotland. Twenty-two secondary school students (all female, aged 15-18 years). Two focus groups were facilitated through the use of 'anecdote circles' to elicit pupils' stories of their scholarship experience. Anecdote circles allowed each pupil to share their story in turn and then collectively assemble, figuratively and physically through interlocking written cards, shared stories of the scholarship. Discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed thematically. Three stories emerged: 1) sadness; 2) socialisation; and, 3) shifted perceptions. Sad stories were transformative affirming the pupils' desire to become a nurse. Stories of socialisation revealed how demonstrating practical skills affirmed the pupils' ability and suitability to nurse. Perceptions of the life and work of a (student) nurse, their future career, and the lives of older adults, shifted through the scholarship, especially during practice learning experience. Storytelling revealed how a pre-nursing scholarship helped secondary school pupils to decide whether to pursue a nursing career by providing an opportunity to explore their ability, suitability and desire for nursing. The practice learning experience emerged

Does the "Pupil Enterprise Programme" Influence Grades among Pupils with Special Needs?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johansen, Vegard; Somby, Hege M.

2016-01-01

This paper asks whether the Pupil Enterprise Programme (PEP) is a suitable working method for improving academic performance among pupils with special needs. Overall, 20% of pupils participate in PEP at some point during lower secondary school. Results from multilevel regression modelling indicate that pupils with special needs who have…

Tobacco and cannabis smoking in secondary school pupils in Bo, Sierra Leone.

PubMed

Abul Bangura, S; Lisk, R D

1995-01-01

A questionnaire survey of 713 pupils of Secondary Schools in Bo town, Southern Sierra Leone, on tobacco and cannabis smoking was carried out in January and February 1994. There were 56.8% males and 43.2% females with a mean age of 17.6 +/- 1.5 years. Lifetime use of both substances was 9% while current use was 4.2%. Current use of cigarettes was 3.2% and of cannabis 2.2%. Forty percent of current users smoked both cigarettes and cannabis. The mean age of onset of smoking was 15.1 +/- 3.1 years. Males smoked significantly more than females (p < 0.001). The prevalence of smoking increased with age and from junior to senior forms. There was also a higher prevalence among muslim students. Smoking within the family was a significant determinant of smoking in School children (p < 0.01). Current smokers were less aware of the health hazards of smoking but the majority of previous smokers stopped the habit because they thought it was bad for their health. In spite of these relatively rates, it is recommended that appropriate health education programme on tobacco and cannabis smoking be incorporated into school curricula. Further studies are indicated in more urbanized areas and in colleges.

The Impact of an Online Intervention (Brainology) on the Mindset and Resiliency of Secondary School Pupils: A Preliminary Mixed Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donohoe, Claire; Topping, Keith; Hannah, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

This preliminary study investigated the impact of the online interactive programme Brainology (which aimed to encourage a growth mindset) on the mindset, resiliency and sense of mastery of secondary school pupils. A quasi-experimental pre-, post- and follow-up mixed-methods study was carried out with 33 participants aged 13-14 years. The measures…

Cooperative Learning in Science: Intervention in the Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topping, K. J.; Thurston, A.; Tolmie, A.; Christie, D.; Murray, P.; Karagiannidou, E.

2011-01-01

The use of cooperative learning in secondary school is reported--an area of considerable concern given attempts to make secondary schools more interactive and gain higher recruitment to university science courses. In this study the intervention group was 259 pupils aged 12-14 years in nine secondary schools, taught by 12 self-selected teachers.…

Count Us In. Achieving Success for Deaf Pupils. Practical Examples from Primary, Secondary, and Special Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, 2007

2007-01-01

"Count Us in: Achieving Success for Deaf Pupils" is a timely report. It comes when schools are becoming more confident in dealing with a wide range of additional support for learning needs. Schools are also more aware that they need to personalise experiences in order to meet pupils' learning needs. The report does point to strengths…

Supporting Pupils and Families: A Case Study of Two English Extended Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Richard; Smith, Andy; Feng Yan,

2009-01-01

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES, 2005a) described an extended school as one providing activities and services, often beyond the school day, to address the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community. Extended schools have been established to provide a hub upon which services can be focused and where additional…

Improving socio-emotional health for pupils in early secondary education with Pyramid: A school-based, early intervention model.

PubMed

Jayman, Michelle; Ohl, Maddie; Hughes, Bronach; Fox, Pauline

2018-05-01

Policymakers are focusing increased attention on the role of schools to promote and support children's mental health, and evidence-based models of good practice are in demand. Pyramid Club is a school-based, socio-emotional intervention, demonstrably effective with primary-aged pupils. This study extends previous Pyramid Club evaluations by examining effectiveness with pupils in early secondary education; service users' perceptions and experiences were investigated to increase understanding of Pyramid's impact, thus supporting enhanced practice. Participants (n = 126) comprised selected pupils, aged 11-14 (52 males; 74 females), who completed the 10 week programme (Pyramid group) and a non-intervention comparison group. Club leaders (n = 23) were trained, Pyramid volunteers. A mixed-methods design was implemented. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), informant-rated version (Goodman, 1997, J Child Psychol Psychiat, 38, 581) and self-report version (Goodman, Meltzer, & Bailey, 1998, Europ Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 7, 125), was used to measure socio-emotional well-being: pre-club (baseline assessment), post-test (within 2 weeks of programme completion), and at 12-month follow-up (informant-rated version only). Focus groups were conducted separately with Pyramid pupils and Club leaders. Findings from informants and self-reports identified significant improvements for the Pyramid group in total difficulties and on pertinent SDQ subscales (e.g., emotional symptoms and peer relationship problems) at post-test. Improvements were sustained at 12-month follow-up. Comparison pupils demonstrated minimal change over time. Thematic analysis of qualitative data supported the quantitative findings and provided valuable insights into the Pyramid Club experience. Findings contribute to evidence-based, preventative models for the early adolescent population and support the social validity of Pyramid Club. © 2018 The Authors. British Journal of Education

Factors influencing take-up of free school meals in primary- and secondary-school children in England.

PubMed

Sahota, Pinki; Woodward, Jenny; Molinari, Rosemary; Pike, Jo

2014-06-01

The present study sought to explore the factors that influence registration for free school meals and the subsequent take-up following registration in England. The research design consisted of two phases, a qualitative research phase followed by an intervention phase. Findings are presented from the qualitative research phase, which comprised interviews with head teachers, school administrators, parents and focus groups with pupils. The study took place in four primary schools and four secondary schools in Leeds, UK. Participants included head teachers, school administrators, parents and pupils. Findings suggested that parents felt the registration process to be relatively straightforward although many secondary schools were not proactive in promoting free school meals. Quality and choice of food were regarded by both pupils and parents as significant in determining school meal choices, with stigma being less of an issue than originally anticipated. Schools should develop proactive approaches to promoting free school meals and attention should be given not only to the quality and availability of food, but also to the social, cultural and environmental aspects of dining. Processes to maintain pupils' anonymity should be considered to allay parents' fear of stigma.

The HMI Report on Secondary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education in Science, 1980

1980-01-01

Discussed is an exhaustive inquiry into the curriculum of British secondary schools. It concentrates on the four curriculum aspects of language, mathematics, science, and pupil personal and social development. (RE)

Discipline in Public and Religious Elementary and Secondary Schools: A Comparative Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denig, Stephen J.

Previous studies using the Pupil-Control Ideology Scale (PCI) have found that in general, secondary school teachers have a more custodial attitude toward pupil control than do primary school teachers, and that public school teachers have a more custodial attitude than do religious school teachers. Teachers with custodial attitudes tend to distrust…

Earth Observation from the ISS Columbus Laboratory- An Open Education Approach to Foster Geographical Competences of Pupils in Secondary Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rienow, Andreas; Graw, Valerie; Heinemann, Sascha; Schultz, Johannes; Seig, Fabian; Menz, Gunter

2016-08-01

Since spring 2014, four commercial off-the-shelf cam- eras (COTS) are attached to ESA's Columbus laboratory taking videos of the Earth 24/7. The only European partner of the NASA experiment 'High Definition Earth Viewing' (HDEV) is the educational project 'Columbus Eye - Live-Imagery from the ISS in Schools' (www.columbuseye.uni-bonn.de). In order to implement earth observation techniques for a sustainable use in secondary school lessons, the project develops interactive teaching materials. They enable pupils to apply professional remote sensing analyses. The paper explains the development paradigm of the project rooted in problem-based learning and moderate constructivism. It will be discussed how teachers are provided with didactical commentaries and trained in face-to-face workshops for an efficient and sustainable implementation of the material. In doing so, it is ensured that pupils can experience the value of earth observation and space technologies to monitor ongoing processes of coupled human-environment systems driving the future of the Earth.

Reading Intervention for Poor Readers at the Transition to Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Paula J.; Paul, Shirley-Anne S.; Smith, Glynnis; Snowling, Margaret J.; Hulme, Charles

2017-01-01

This study evaluated two 20-week reading interventions for pupils entering secondary school with reading difficulties. The interventions were delivered by trained teaching assistants (three 35-min sessions per week). 287 pupils (ages 11-13) from 27 schools were randomly allocated to three groups: reading intervention (targeting word recognition…

"Cooling the Mark Out": Experienced Teaching Assistants' Perceptions of Their Work in the Inclusion of Pupils with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehane, Teresa

2016-01-01

Experienced teaching assistants' (TAs') perceptions and constructions of their work in the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) within mainstream secondary schools are the focus of this study. In a field where much research has focussed on the technicist (TA characteristics and deployment), exploration of "inclusion"…

Feedback in Educational Communication in Czech Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sedova, Klara; Svaricek, Roman

2012-01-01

This paper introduces an empirical study that examines how teachers evaluate pupils' responses. The study draws on research undertaken at four secondary schools in the Czech Republic. It transpires that feedback has a stable position in the structure of communication; however, it is used only to verify pupils' responses and not to elaborate them.…

Pupils' Perceptions of Discipline and Academic Standards in Belgian Coeducational and Single-Sex Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brutsaert, Herman

2002-01-01

In this paper, single-sex and coeducational schools are compared in terms of pupils' perceptions of disciplinary and academic climates. Use was made of data from 68 secondary schools in Flanders (Belgium). Of these schools, 25 were mixed and 43 were single-sex (21 girls, and 22 boys, schools). Respondents were third-year students: 3370 girls and…

Secondary Modern School Education: An Essay in Subjugation and Repression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dash, Paul

2012-01-01

This article reflects on the inequity of secondary modern school education. In doing so it draws heavily on the experience of the author while highlighting inputs from others who failed the 11+ examination and were banished to such schools. The article argues that selection undermines the self-esteem of secondary modern school pupils and places…

A Measure for Pupils' Inconsistency of Response to a Self-Report Instrument of Attitudes toward School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darom, Efraim; Rich, Yisrael

1983-01-01

To measure pupils' inconsistency in replying to a self-report questionnaire regarding attitudes toward school, 6,000 elementary and secondary school students participated in a nation-wide project to construct and validate the Israeli Quality of School Life Questionnaire (IQSL). (PN)

Towards a Democratic School: The Experience of Secondary School Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simó, Núria; Parareda, Alba; Domingo, Laura

2016-01-01

This article sets out to explore how young people understand and experience the notions of democracy and participation in their secondary schools. We draw on their own words to examine their perspective on "participation" in everyday life at school to understand what kind of democratic education they are participating in. The article…

The Impact of School Culture on Schools' Pupil Well-Being Policy-Making Capacities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Gasse, Roos; Vanhoof, Jan; Van Petegem, Peter

2016-01-01

Pupil well-being has been an important topic in educational research for some time. Differences between schools in their influence on the well-being of their pupils are attributed to the policy-making capacities of the school. Little is known about schools' policy-making capacities with regard to pupil well-being, and the impact of school culture…

Alienation and Achievement Among Oglala Sioux Secondary School Students. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spilka, Bernard

As a final report on alienation and achievement among 753 Oglala Sioux secondary school students on the Pine Ridge Reservation, this document attempts to portray the circumstances affecting the Indian child in school. To provide a basis for comparison, the sample also contained 855 white secondary school pupils. General findings which are believed…

The Effect of School Size on Exam Performance in Secondary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, Steve; Taylor, Jim

1998-01-01

Examines the effects of school size on exam performance for pupils in their final year of compulsory education in England. Background information about English secondary schools and the determinants of exam performance are discussed along with a description of the variables used in the econometric analysis and their expected effects on exam…

School differences in pupil smoking: a consequence of a trade-off between health and education agendas?

PubMed

Gordon, J; Turner, K M

2003-10-01

Current policy documents stress that raising standards in education and health are inextricably linked, with schools identified as well placed to advance both agendas. This paper considers these assumptions in the light of data derived from 27 staff interviews conducted in two secondary schools. These schools served relatively disadvantaged communities, but differed in their pupil smoking rates with one school being 'high-smoking', the other 'low-smoking'. It explores whether this difference reflects the differential emphasis placed by each school on education or health. Analysis reveals that the 'low-smoking' school subscribes to holistic values and operates according to a child-centred bottom-up philosophy offering a differentiated programme of pupil support contingent on needs. In contrast, the 'high-smoking' school maintains a narrow focus on educational outcomes, and its high expectations are viewed as running counter to those held by pupils and parents. The contrasting school philosophies bring different unintended consequences. The holistic focus of the low-smoking school is associated with tempered educational expectations, thus conflicting with recommendations in education policies. The singular education focus of the high-smoking school leaves little room for a health agenda, and can overlook and disenfranchise the educationally disinclined. The school systems' impact on pupil engagement may explain their different smoking rates.

Presentation and management of school bullying and the impact of anti-bullying strategies for pupils: a self-report survey in London schools.

PubMed

Raynor, S; Wylie, A

2012-09-01

To investigate differences in the presentation and management of bullying in two London boroughs, one with high levels of deprivation and the other with low levels of deprivation; and to explore pupils' views on successful approaches to tackle bullying. Problems associated with bullying in childhood can manifest with mental disorders, depression and poorer perceived health in adulthood. However, despite the recent development of anti-bullying policies within schools, bullying remains a significant issue for many pupils. An original self-report survey was undertaken to investigate this important area. A web-based questionnaire was undertaken with pupils from year 8 (aged 12-13 years) at four secondary schools in London. The study was approved by King's College London Research Ethics Committee. In total, 304 pupils completed the questionnaire, 55% of whom were affected by bullying at their school. Deprivation had no impact on the prevalence of pupils involved in a bullying culture. School membership is the most important independent factor for determining bullying. Policy could be aimed at changing pupils' views on dealing with bullying, and it is vital that policies and practices around bullying are active and alive and do not become 'file fodder'. Copyright © 2012 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Japanese High School Teachers' Views on Pupil Misbehaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyriacou, Chris

2010-01-01

This study aimed to explore Japanese high school teachers' views of pupil misbehaviour in order to contribute to the growing international literature on discipline in schools. A total of 141 Japanese high school teachers completed a questionnaire which explored their views regarding the factors accounting for pupil misbehaviour, the frequency of…

Early Career Challenges in Secondary School Music Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, G.; Purves, R.; Hargreaves, D.; Marshall, N.

2011-01-01

The article reports an Economic and Social Research Council-funded study of the early career experiences of secondary school music teachers in England, set within a wider national picture of decreasing age-related pupil engagement with school music, career perceptions of music teaching, variable patterns of teacher recruitment and possible…

Class-Size Effects in Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krassel, Karl Fritjof; Heinesen, Eskil

2014-01-01

We analyze class-size effects on academic achievement in secondary school in Denmark exploiting an institutional setting where pupils cannot predict class size prior to enrollment, and where post-enrollment responses aimed at affecting realized class size are unlikely. We identify class-size effects combining a regression discontinuity design with…

Pupil Selection Segments Urban Comprehensive Schooling in Finland: Composition of School Classes in Pupils' School Performance, Gender, and Ethnicity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berisha, Anna-Kaisa; Seppänen, Piia

2017-01-01

The Finnish comprehensive school system is regularly referred to as a uniform and "no-tracking". In this article, we show with novel urban case data in Finland that school performance differed significantly between schools, most strikingly between school classes, and was connected to the school's selectiveness in pupil admission. A…

Does the Index of Segregation Matter? The Composition of Secondary Schools in England since 1996

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorard, Stephen

2009-01-01

This paper presents a new analysis of segregation between schools in terms of pupils living in poverty, for all secondary schools in England from 1996 to 2005. This shows that the clustering of similar pupils in specific schools increased noticeably from 1996 to 2001, but then settled at a level still below that of 1989 when official records…

"I Prefer to Think for Myself": Upper Secondary School Pupils' Attitudes Towards Computer-Based Spanish Grammar Exercises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fredholm, Kent

2014-01-01

There is an increasing pressure from school leaders in many countries for teaching to be based solely on ICT tools. The present study is interested in what this does to pupils' attitudes towards ICT in language classrooms. Is a digital monopoly a good way for pupils to learn languages? Is it what they want? To understand for which tasks students…

Reproductive knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of secondary school students in akure, Nigeria.

PubMed

Oladapo, M M; Brieger, W R

1996-01-01

Adolescents are subject to many life changes as their secondary sexual characteristics emerge. Contrary to parents' and society's wishes, these young people are more sexually active then previous generations and thus at greater risk of unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and related problems. Adolescents enrolled in school have the potential opportunity to learn ways to prevent these reproductive and sexual health problems, but there is concern whether schools are living up to this challenge. Therefore, this study was designed to learn whether adolescents in secondary school in the Ondo State capital of Akure have reproductive health education and are practicing healthy sexual behaviors. The study was based on a sample of six of the twenty-eight secondary schools in Akure that fell under the jurisdiction of the Ondo State Post-Primary Schools' Management Board. Focus was placed on pupils in the final years of both Junior Secondary School (JSS 3) and Senior Secondary School (SSS 3). Overall, 30 percent of the young people reported having sexual intercourse: 21 percent of females and 38 percent of males. Also 39 percent in SSS 3 reported having had sex compared to 21 percent in JSS 3. Forty percent of students in coeducational school compared to 19 percent in boy's school and 8 percent in girl's school had sex. Respondents averaged only 11 points on a 33-point scale of reproductive health knowledge. Students in the senior classes and those in single sex schools scored higher. The mass media was stated to be the major source of reproductive health knowledge; only one-third reported that they had actually talked with someone about their reproductive health concerns. Attitudes toward pre-marital sex were more favorable among male students, pupils in mixed sex schools and those whose parents had lower levels of education. These findings suggest not only that the schools must take a more active role in providing reproductive health education, but that

"Not a university type": focus group study of social class, ethnic, and sex differences in school pupils' perceptions about medical school.

PubMed

Greenhalgh, Trisha; Seyan, Kieran; Boynton, Petra

2004-06-26

To investigate what going to medical school means to academically able 14-16 year olds from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in order to understand the wide socioeconomic variation in applications to medical school. Focus group study. Six London secondary schools. 68 academically able and scientifically oriented pupils aged 14-16 years from a wide range of social and ethnic backgrounds. Pupils' perceptions of medical school, motivation to apply, confidence in ability to stay the course, expectations of medicine as a career, and perceived sources of information and support. There were few differences by sex or ethnicity, but striking differences by socioeconomic status. Pupils from lower socioeconomic groups held stereotyped and superficial perceptions of doctors, saw medical school as culturally alien and geared towards "posh" students, and greatly underestimated their own chances of gaining a place and staying the course. They saw medicine as having extrinsic rewards (money) but requiring prohibitive personal sacrifices. Pupils from affluent backgrounds saw medicine as one of a menu of challenging career options with intrinsic rewards (fulfillment, achievement). All pupils had concerns about the costs of study, but only those from poor backgrounds saw costs as constraining their choices. Underachievement by able pupils from poor backgrounds may be more to do with identity, motivation, and the cultural framing of career choices than with low levels of factual knowledge. Policies to widen participation in medical education must go beyond a knowledge deficit model and address the complex social and cultural environment within which individual life choices are embedded.

Stick to Your Own Kind: Pupils' Experiences of Identity and Diversity in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhamie, Jasmine; Bhopal, Kalwant; Bhatti, Ghazala

2012-01-01

A national emphasis in Britain on community cohesion and citizenship has highlighted the need to explore understandings of difference within and between communities, particularly in school contexts. This paper reports on the first phase of a larger project exploring pupils' understandings and experiences of identity and diversity within secondary…

Implicit Knowledge of General Upper Secondary School in a Bridge-Building Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasmussen, Annette; Andreasen, Karen

2016-01-01

Bridge-building activities are practiced widely in the education systems of Europe. They are meant to bridge transitions between lower and upper secondary school and form a mandatory part of the youth guidance system in Denmark. By giving pupils the opportunity to experience the different educational context of upper secondary school,…

A qualitative study exploring pupil and school staff perceptions of school meal provision in England.

PubMed

Day, Rhiannon E; Sahota, Pinki; Christian, Meaghan S; Cocks, Kim

2015-11-14

Despite recent attempts to improve the quality of school meals in England through the introduction of school meal standards, uptake remains low. Since the introduction of the universal infant free school meal (UIFSM) scheme in September 2014 all pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 in English state-funded primary schools are eligible to receive a free lunch. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of pupils, catering managers and head teachers concerning school meal provision in eight primary schools in North England and provides a unique insight into each school's preparation for implementation of UIFSM. A total of thirty-two focus groups were conducted with sixty-four pupils aged 7-8 years (Year 3) and sixty-four pupils aged 9-10 years (Year 5) in June-July 2014, to explore perceptions of school meals. Interviews were carried out with six catering managers and five head teachers concerning catering and the impending implementation of UIFSM. Increasing acceptance of school meals could lead to improved uptake. Pupils desired increased choice and menu variety, including greater variety of vegetables and fruit. Caterers can influence the quantity and types of foods offered to pupils, and there are opportunities for them to promote healthy eating behaviours in the dining room. The important roles of school meal providers, caterers, pupils and parents need to be recognised to improve delivery and acceptability of school meals and ultimately school meal uptake. There were practical challenges to implementation of UIFSM, with some concerns expressed over its feasibility. Head teachers were mainly positive about the potential beneficial impacts of the scheme.

Aspirations and Assumptions: A Researcher's Account of Pupil Involvement in School-Based Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mearns, Tessa L.; Coyle, Do; de Graaff, Rick

2014-01-01

This paper describes a research project conducted in collaboration with 10 "pupil co-researchers" (PCRs) and their classes in a secondary school in the Netherlands. The main research tools employed were online and face-to-face group discussions, in which PCRs contributed as consultants, co-designers and assistants. The research proved a…

Factors associated with pupil toilet use in kenyan primary schools.

PubMed

Garn, Joshua V; Caruso, Bethany A; Drews-Botsch, Carolyn D; Kramer, Michael R; Brumback, Babette A; Rheingans, Richard D; Freeman, Matthew C

2014-09-17

The purpose of this study was to quantify how school sanitation conditions are associated with pupils' use of sanitation facilities. We conducted a longitudinal assessment in 60 primary schools in Nyanza Province, Kenya, using structured observations to measure facility conditions and pupils' use at specific facilities. We used multivariable mixed regression models to characterize how pupil to toilet ratio was associated with toilet use at the school-level and also how facility conditions were associated with pupils' use at specific facilities. We found a piecewise linear relationship between decreasing pupil to toilet ratio and increasing pupil toilet use (p < 0.01). Our data also revealed significant associations between toilet use and newer facility age (p < 0.01), facility type (p < 0.01), and the number of toilets in a facility (p < 0.01). We found some evidence suggesting facility dirtiness may deter girls from use (p = 0.06), but not boys (p = 0.98). Our study is the first to rigorously quantify many of these relationships, and provides insight into the complexity of factors affecting pupil toilet use patterns, potentially leading to a better allocation of resources for school sanitation, and to improved health and educational outcomes for children.

Pupils' Perceptions of the Foreign Language Learning Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chambers, Gary N.

1998-01-01

Presents findings relating to a study on pupils' perceptions of the in-school foreign language learning experience. The study is part of a longitudinal study on the motivational perspectives of secondary pupils learning German. (Author/VWL)

Research Skills for Gifted Elementary School Pupils.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamb, Pose; And Others

1993-01-01

This paper outlines the elementary school gifted pupil's need for instruction in research strategies as an integral part of an ongoing unit. A program is described in which pupils select areas of investigation and participate in gathering, organizing, interpreting, and sharing relevant data. (JDD)

Surveying the Views of Pupils Attending Supplementary Schools in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strand, Steve

2007-01-01

Background: Supplementary schooling broadly refers to extra schooling organized by and for particular ethnic groups outside of mainstream provision. Purpose: This is the first study to systematically explore the attitudes of pupils attending supplementary schools in England and the largest ever UK study of supplementary schools and their pupils.…

“Not a university type”: focus group study of social class, ethnic, and sex differences in school pupils' perceptions about medical school

PubMed Central

Greenhalgh, Trisha; Seyan, Kieran; Boynton, Petra

2004-01-01

Objective To investigate what going to medical school means to academically able 14-16 year olds from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in order to understand the wide socioeconomic variation in applications to medical school. Design Focus group study. Setting Six London secondary schools. Participants 68 academically able and scientifically oriented pupils aged 14-16 years from a wide range of social and ethnic backgrounds. Main outcome measures Pupils' perceptions of medical school, motivation to apply, confidence in ability to stay the course, expectations of medicine as a career, and perceived sources of information and support. Results There were few differences by sex or ethnicity, but striking differences by socioeconomic status. Pupils from lower socioeconomic groups held stereotyped and superficial perceptions of doctors, saw medical school as culturally alien and geared towards “posh” students, and greatly underestimated their own chances of gaining a place and staying the course. They saw medicine as having extrinsic rewards (money) but requiring prohibitive personal sacrifices. Pupils from affluent backgrounds saw medicine as one of a menu of challenging career options with intrinsic rewards (fulfilment, achievement). All pupils had concerns about the costs of study, but only those from poor backgrounds saw costs as constraining their choices. Conclusions Underachievement by able pupils from poor backgrounds may be more to do with identity, motivation, and the cultural framing of career choices than with low levels of factual knowledge. Policies to widen participation in medical education must go beyond a knowledge deficit model and address the complex social and cultural environment within which individual life choices are embedded. PMID:15217871

School Subject Preferences of Pupils in Single Sex and Co-educational Secondary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colley, Ann; And Others

1994-01-01

Reports on a study of school subject preference among 566 male and 567 female students in both single-sex and coeducational British secondary schools. Finds an effect of school type for younger students only. Also finds clear effects of gender with higher rankings given to mathematics and science by boys and to art by girls. (CFR)

Ethnic School Segregation and Self-Esteem: The Role of Teacher-Pupil Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agirdag, Orhan; Van Houtte, Mieke; Van Avermaet, Piet

2012-01-01

The authors examine whether school segregation is related to pupils' global self-esteem and whether this association is mediated by teacher-pupil relationships. Multilevel analyses based on a survey of 2,845 pupils (aged 10 to 12) in 68 primary schools in Belgian urban areas reveal that, for native-Belgian pupils, a higher proportion of immigrants…

25 CFR 31.3 - Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools. 31.3 Section 31.3 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION FEDERAL SCHOOLS FOR INDIANS § 31.3 Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools. Indian and non-Indian children who are not eligible for...

25 CFR 31.3 - Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools. 31.3 Section 31.3 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION FEDERAL SCHOOLS FOR INDIANS § 31.3 Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools. Indian and non-Indian children who are not eligible for...

25 CFR 31.3 - Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools. 31.3 Section 31.3 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION FEDERAL SCHOOLS FOR INDIANS § 31.3 Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools. Indian and non-Indian children who are not eligible for...

25 CFR 31.3 - Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools. 31.3 Section 31.3 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION FEDERAL SCHOOLS FOR INDIANS § 31.3 Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools. Indian and non-Indian children who are not eligible for...

25 CFR 31.3 - Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools. 31.3 Section 31.3 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION FEDERAL SCHOOLS FOR INDIANS § 31.3 Non-Indian pupils in Indian schools. Indian and non-Indian children who are not eligible for...

Are Polish Primary School Pupils in Favor of Wearing Uniforms? Snapshot Comment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asotska, Julia; Butler, Norman L.; Davidson, Barry S.; Griffith, Kimberly Grantham; Brown, Veda E.; Kritsonis, Wiilliam Allan

2007-01-01

The purpose of this article is to discuss whether Polish primary school pupils want to wear uniforms, and it is motivated by the Polish government's recently proposed policy: Zero Tolerance for Violence at School. Seventy one pupils, who attend Podstawowka Nr30 school in Cracow, were surveyed, and the authors found that most pupils are not in…

Inclusive School Is (Not) Possible--Pupil's Voice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pavlovic, Slavica

2016-01-01

Inclusive education has been the focus of a number of research studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, most of the research was based on the teachers and to a lesser extent on parents' attitudes towards inclusive education, while pupils' views and voice were mainly neglected. The core of this paper is survey research on primary school pupils'…

Turkish Primary School Pupils' Views on Punishment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydin, Bahri

2010-01-01

Teachers meet with unwanted behavior when they are acting as facilitators of the learning process and they resort to certain tactics to deal with them. One of these tactics is punishment. This study aimed to identify the views held by Turkish primary school pupils on punishment. According to the results of the study, pupils were punished for…

Kicking the Habitus: Power, Culture and Pedagogy in the Secondary School Music Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Ruth

2008-01-01

Within a theoretical framework drawn from sociologists of education Bourdieu and Bernstein, this paper will examine some of the findings of an ethnographic case study conducted with a secondary school music teacher and one class of her pupils in Wales. This teacher attracted 25% of Year 10 (14-year-old) pupils to study music as an optional subject…

"Oh Yeah--Is She a He-She?" Female to Male Transgendered Pupils in the Formal and Informal Cultures of an English Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Flynn, Sarah

2016-01-01

Recent research suggests that trans* pupils are subject to much trans-exclusionary practice in schools and find there is little positive change in attitudes, despite statutory requirements and greater recognition of trans* identities. This paper explores the ways in which two female to male trans* pupils in a London girls' school were excluded in…

Using Pupil Perspective Research to Inform Teacher Pedagogy: What Caribbean Pupils with Dyslexia Say about Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackman, Stacey

2011-01-01

The transformative potential of pupils' voices is well documented in past research by Pedder and McIntyre; and Cooper and McIntyre. In this qualitative research, I utilise a social constructivist framework by Vygotsky to ask pupils with dyslexia about the kinds of teacher strategies that they find helpful to their learning at secondary school in…

Competition, Cream-Skimming and Department Performance within Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Peter; Telhaj, Shqiponje; Hutton, David; Adnett, Nick; Coe, Robert

2009-01-01

The performance of departments has been largely neglected in previous studies of subject choice in secondary schools. This is a significant omission because analysis at departmental level enables a fuller assessment of the effects of competition and specialisation on pupil performance. This paper examines relationships between both absolute and…

Requirements for Certification: Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Administrators for Elementary Schools, Secondary Schools, Junior Colleges. 45th Edition, 1980/81.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woellner, Elizabeth H.

This book presents up to date information on the state and regional certification differences and changes in the various educational fields. Certification standards for early childhood, elementary, and secondary teachers, pupil personnel services, administrators, special educators, special school service personnel, counselors, school librarians,…

The Entrance test of physics and Workbook in teaching of physics at secondary vocational school within long-term pedagogical research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerlínová, Věra

2017-01-01

Within the long-term pedagogical research ongoing since the school year 2008/2009 to 2015/2016 at the secondary vocational school in Bohumín was through of Entrance test of physics, which included curriculum of the sixth to ninth year of elementary school, regularly finding out, in which parts of Entrance test - Unit conversions, International System of Units, Properties of matter, Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electricity and Magnetism, Optics, Atoms and Universe - pupils of the 1st years of secondary vocational school, technical and non-technical, reach a higher number of correct answers, in which dominates the wrong answers and which parts of the test pupils are better left out completely. It turned out that the results of these tests are very informative not only for theoretical and practical teaching, but also technical and other science subjects. The results of the Entrance tests are also a valuable source of information for continuous innovation Workbook of Physics - Mechanics for the 1st year of secondary vocational schools [1] - whose the first version began during the school year 2007/2008 and which was tested within pre-research in school years 2008/2009, 2009/2010 and within research in school year 2010/2011. On the basis of feedbacks getting from research the Workbook is regularly expanded, innovated and updated. The Workbook consists of parts dedicated to physical concepts, physical tasks, proposals to physical experiments, pupils comments from viewed video projection and documentary films, examples from the world of science and technology, examples from practice and real life, physical terminology in English, quizzes, competitions, interesting things and links related to discussed curriculum. The Workbook is divided into thematic sections, chapters and subchapters similar as physics textbooks for pupils of the 1st years of Secondary Schools in the Czech Republic. In the Workbook there are included tasks on fill in the words, polynomial tasks with

Free Primary Education Policy and Pupil School Mobility in Urban Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oketch, Moses; Mutisya, Maurice; Ngware, Moses; Ezeh, Alex C.; Epari, Charles

2010-01-01

This paper examines pupil school mobility in urban Kenya using African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) household survey data which contain information on pupil transfers between schools. The aim is to identify which school characteristics attract the greatest demand for incoming transfers. The analysis reveals that there are frequent…

Key Stage 3 Pupils' Perception of Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Button, Stuart

2006-01-01

The key aim of the research summarised in this article was to examine pupils' perception of music and to determine whether or not these perceptions were the same for both female and male pupils. The empirical enquiry consisted of the administration of a questionnaire to six secondary schools in the north-east of England followed by semi-structured…

Science investigation: the views of 14 to 16 year old pupils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toplis, Rob; Cleaves, Anna

2006-05-01

This paper reports research about upper secondary school pupils' views about science investigations in school. Although researchers, teachers and examiners have expressed opinions about investigative work in science, there have been relatively few studies of pupils' experiences. The present study identified pupils' concerns about the limited time available, timing of the investigations, lack of familiarity with apparatus and the association of investigation almost exclusively with assessment, all factors which contributed to stress. One exceptional school apart, pupils perceived the teacher's role as a didactic supporter of strategies to maximise performance for assessment. We discuss these views and examine the potential for putting policy into practice.

School and local authority characteristics associated with take-up of free school meals in Scottish secondary schools, 2014

PubMed Central

Chambers, Stephanie; Dundas, Ruth; Torsney, Ben

2016-01-01

School meals are an important state-delivered mechanism for improving children’s diets. Scottish local authorities have a statutory duty to provide free school meals (FSM) to families meeting means-testing criteria. Inevitably take-up of FSM does not reach 100%. Explanations put forward to explain this include social stigma, as well as a more general dissatisfaction amongst pupils about lack of modern facilities and meal quality, and a preference to eat where friends are eating. This study investigated characteristics associated with take-up across Scottish secondary schools in 2013–2014 using multilevel modelling techniques. Results suggest that stigma, food quality and the ability to eat with friends are associated with greater take-up. Levels of school modernisation appeared less important, as did differences between more urban or rural areas. Future studies should focus on additional school-level variables to identify characteristics associated with take-up, with the aim of reducing the number of registered pupils not taking-up FSM. PMID:28191363

School and local authority characteristics associated with take-up of free school meals in Scottish secondary schools, 2014.

PubMed

Chambers, Stephanie; Dundas, Ruth; Torsney, Ben

2016-01-02

School meals are an important state-delivered mechanism for improving children's diets. Scottish local authorities have a statutory duty to provide free school meals (FSM) to families meeting means-testing criteria. Inevitably take-up of FSM does not reach 100%. Explanations put forward to explain this include social stigma, as well as a more general dissatisfaction amongst pupils about lack of modern facilities and meal quality, and a preference to eat where friends are eating. This study investigated characteristics associated with take-up across Scottish secondary schools in 2013-2014 using multilevel modelling techniques. Results suggest that stigma, food quality and the ability to eat with friends are associated with greater take-up. Levels of school modernisation appeared less important, as did differences between more urban or rural areas. Future studies should focus on additional school-level variables to identify characteristics associated with take-up, with the aim of reducing the number of registered pupils not taking-up FSM.

Make pupils young researchers!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouhier, Armelle

2015-04-01

With the 2011 educational reform in France, a new course has been created in secondary schools : Methods & Practices in Science (MPS). The main goal was to improve the pupils working methods in science, including laboratory and field works. In addition, the pedagogy develops pupils autonomy and creativity, a key factor in a research process. Three teachers are working together (Mathematics, Physics and Geology-Biology), showing how different disciplines complement one another. Eventually, this is aimed at attracting more students in scientific sections. This course is optional, in the "seconde" class in French secondary schools (i.e., for 15 years old students). For the next class, they will have to choose between scientific, economic and literature sections : it is a useful option for them to decide which section has their preference. In my high-school in Clermont-Ferrand, we have chosen a research subject on hydrogeology & water quality improvement in region "Auvergne". The pupils will have to develop and set up appropriate tools to check and improve the water quality, related to different disciplines : - Geology & Biology: hydrogeology, effects of different pollutants on aquatic life, solutions to improve water quality (example of the natural water treatment zone in the lake of "Aydat, Auvergne, France"). - Physics & Chemistry: water potability criteria, pollution tests in water, water treatment plants working. - Mathematics: algorithm development, modeling on excel of the dispersion of pollutants The pedagogy of this course is new in French high-schools : pupils work in groups of three, so as to develop cooperation and autonomy. The teachers give the guidelines at the beginning of each working session, and answer the students questions when necessary. The evaluation is competence-based : instead of a mark, which is the main evaluation method in France, the pupils have to evaluate their own skills. Then, the teachers make an evaluation, and the global process is

Sticky Assessments--The Impact of Teachers' Grading Standard on Pupils' School Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keller, Tamás

2016-01-01

This paper argues that school grades cannot be interpreted solely as a reward for a given school performance, since they also reflect teachers' assessments of pupils. A teacher's evaluation of a pupil's performance, as reflected in the grade awarded, might influence the effort that the pupil invests in learning. Grades might therefore serve as…

The Moral Construction of the Good Pupil Embedded in School Rules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thornberg, Robert

2009-01-01

The aim of this field study was to investigate the hidden curriculum of school rules delimited to the moral construction of "the good pupil" embedded in the system of school rules in two primary schools. According to the findings, the rule system mediates a moral construction of the good pupil to the children, and this actually includes…

Is Chemistry Attractive for Pupils? Czech Pupils' Perception of Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kubiatko, Milan

2015-01-01

Chemistry is an important subject due to understanding the composition and structure of the things around us. The main aim of the study was to find out the perception of chemistry by lower secondary school pupils. The partial aims were to find out the influence of gender, year of study and favorite subject on the perception of chemistry. The…

Is a Summer School Programme a Promising Intervention in Preparation for Transition from Primary to Secondary School?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siddiqui, Nadia; Gorard, Stephen; See, Beng Huat

2014-01-01

In England, some children have not reached what are considered to be expected levels in literacy and maths by the time they move from primary to secondary school. This is more likely for children living in disadvantaged areas. One proposal to address this is the provision of summer holiday schools for potentially disadvantaged pupils who are…

Understanding Basic Temporal Relations in Primary School Pupils with Hearing Impairments.

PubMed

Dulcić, Adinda; Bakota, Koraljka; Saler, Zrinka

2015-09-01

Time can be observed as a subjective, as well as an objective phenomenon which is a component of our life, and due to its communicational needs, it is standardized by temporal signs and symbols. The aim of this study was to determine the understanding of basic temporal relations of pupils with hearing impairments. We assumed that the knowledge of basic time relations is a precondition for the acquisition of knowledge that is connected with the understanding of the syllabus in regular school programs. Three groups of pupils have been examined: pupils with hearing impairments who attend the primary school of SUVAG Polyclinic under special condition, integrated hearing impaired pupils with minor additional difficulties who attend regular primary schools in Zagreb with a prolonged expert procedure and pupils of the control group. The subjects have been examined with a measuring instrument constructed by the expert team of the Polyclinic Suvag. Twenty nine subjects have been questioned, chronologically aged between 10 and 12.

Evidences of School Related Alienation in Elementary School Pupils.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McElhinney, James H.; And Others.

In the spring of 1969 over 6,000 students in grades four through six responded to a 72 item questionnaire. Of the 72, 11 include responses which suggest possible alienation of this age group. Each school's pupils produced a unique pattern of responses to the 11 items, which suggests that the immediate school environment is one contributing factor…

School Environment and Satisfaction with Schooling among Primary School Pupils in Ondo State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aina, Stephen Ileoye

2015-01-01

Modern school environments put emphasis on adequate and qualitative facilities to promote conducive teaching and learning environments, the deplorable conditions of the primary schools has become worrisome to the state government and education stakeholders. The study investigated the school environment and pupils' satisfaction with schooling in…

Educational Effectiveness in Chilean Secondary Education: Comparing Different "Value Added" Approaches to Evaluate Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muñoz-Chereau, B.; Thomas, S. M.

2016-01-01

This article reports an original investigation into school performance measures and the multilevel nature of pupil achievement data in the Chilean school system using a sample of 177,461 students, nested within 7146 classrooms, 2283 secondary schools and 313 municipalities. The data-set comprised Year 10 students' 2006 SIMCE test's results in two…

Transitioning from Elementary to Secondary School: American Pupils' Scary Stories and Physical Education Folklore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodruff, Elizabeth A.; Curtner-Smith, Matthew D.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine scary stories that young American adults recalled being told about physical education as they transferred from elementary school to secondary school. Participants were 70 undergraduate students. They were required to write about any scary stories concerning (a) secondary schooling in general, and (b)…

Pupils' Beliefs in Cultural Interpretations of "Heat" Associated with Anger: A Comparative Study of Ten Ethnic Communities in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okere, Mark I. O.; Keraro, Fred N.; Anditi, Zephania

2012-01-01

Emerging evidence indicates that culture influences pupils learning of science. However, the influence of culture on science learning is usually not considered when developing science curricular for both primary and secondary schools. This study investigated the extent to which primary and secondary school pupils believe in cultural…

Primary Pupils' Use of Information and Communication Technologies at School and Home

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selwyn, Neil; Potter, John; Cranmer, Sue

2009-01-01

Based on survey data from 612 pupils in five English primary schools, this paper investigates children's engagement with information and communication technologies (ICTs) inside and outside the school context. Analysis of the data shows pupils' engagements with ICTs to be often perfunctory and unspectacular, especially within the school setting,…

Comparative Study of Pupils' Academic Performance between Private and Public Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adeyemi, Sunday B.

2014-01-01

This paper compares pupils' academic performance between the private and public primary schools. The sample, made up of 240 pupils were randomly selected from the private and public primary schools in Ilesa East and West Local Government Council Areas of Osun State, Nigeria. Two instruments were used. A structured questionnaire and Pupils'…

Knowledge and Experiences of Risks among Pupils in Vocational Education.

PubMed

Andersson, Ing-Marie; Gunnarsson, Kristina; Rosèn, Gunnar; Moström Åberg, Marie

2014-09-01

Young male and female workers are over-represented in statistics concerning negative outcomes of poor work environment and risky work. Young workers often have low awareness of risk, a lack of safety training, and inadequate introduction to the work. The aim of this study was to identify the knowledge and experiences of pupils of vocational schools concerning potential work environment risks in their future work. The study design was a dual one, and included a questionnaire and focus group interviews. The study group consisted of 239 pupils from 10 upper secondary schools, who were graduating pupils in four vocational programs: the Industrial Technology Programme, the Restaurant Management and Food Programme, the Transport Programme, and the Handicraft Programme (in which students specialize in wood products). The upper secondary schools were located in the central region of Sweden. The pupils had limited knowledge that employers must, by law, conduct risk analyses and prevent risks. Many felt that they themselves are mainly responsible for performing their tasks safely. Pupils in all programs mentioned acute risk as the greatest risk at work. The theoretical education about safety at work was provided in the 1(st) year of the 3-year vocational programs. A systematic approach to pupils' training in work environment, which is a basis for a safe and healthy workplace, is lacking. The study findings indicate that pupils are offered knowledge far from that intended by laws and by state-of-the-art occupational health risk research.

Resilience and Intercultural Education on Secondary School: A Comparative Study in Mexico and Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robelo, Octaviano García; Pérez, Ileana Casasola

2017-01-01

This paper presents one product of a research report about the promotion of resilience in the school setting in two public secondary schools, located in Mexico and Germany, and its relation with the pupils' multiculturalism. The paper focuses on the need of the results' analysis to identify the school actors' perceptions of the promotion of…

Medical students and physical education students as CPR instructors: an appropriate solution to the CPR-instructor shortage in secondary schools?

PubMed

Cuijpers, P J P M; Bookelman, G; Kicken, W; de Vries, W; Gorgels, A P M

2016-07-01

Integrating cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in secondary schools will increase the number of potential CPR providers. However, currently too few certified instructors are available for this purpose. Training medical students and physical education student teachers to become CPR instructors could decrease this shortage. Examine whether medical students and physical education student teachers can provide CPR training for secondary school pupils as well as (i. e., non-inferior to) registered nurses. A total of 144 secondary school pupils were randomly assigned to CPR training by a registered nurse (n = 12), a  medical student (n = 17) or a physical education student teacher (n = 15). CPR performance was assessed after training and after eight weeks in a simulated cardiac arrest scenario on a resuscitation manikin, using manikin software and video recordings. No significant differences were found between the groups on the overall Cardiff Test scores and the correctness of the CPR techniques during the post-training and retention test. All pupils showed sufficient CPR competence, even after eight weeks. Training by medical students or physical education student teachers is non-inferior to training by a registered nurse, suggesting that school teachers, student teachers and medical students can be recruited for CPR training in secondary schools.

Effectiveness of a Computer-Mediated Simulations Program in School Biology on Pupils' Learning Outcomes in Cell Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiboss, Joel K.; Ndirangu, Mwangi; Wekesa, Eric W.

2004-01-01

Biology knowledge and understanding is important not only for the conversion of the loftiest dreams into reality for a better life of individuals but also for preparing secondary pupils for such fields as agriculture, medicine, biotechnology, and genetic engineering. But a recent study has revealed that many aspects of school science (biology…

The impact of the food-based and nutrient-based standards on lunchtime food and drink provision and consumption in secondary schools in England.

PubMed

Nicholas, Jo; Wood, Lesley; Harper, Clare; Nelson, Michael

2013-06-01

To assess lunchtime provision of food and drink in English secondary schools and the choices and consumption of food and drink by pupils having school lunches, and to compare provision in 2011 with that in 2004. Cross-sectional data collected between October 2010 and April 2011. In each school, food and drink provision, including portion weights and number of portions of each item served at lunchtime, were recorded over five consecutive days. Caterers provided recipe information. England. A random selection of 5969 pupils having school lunches in a nationally representative sample of eighty secondary schools in England. Compared with 2004, significantly more schools in 2011 provided main dishes, vegetables and salads, water, fruit juice and other drinks on 4 or 5 d/week (P < 0.005). The number of schools offering items not permitted under the food-based standards for school food on 4 or 5 d/week fell significantly over time (P < 0.005), while the number not offering these items on any day increased significantly (P < 0.005). Meals eaten by pupils were well-balanced in relation to macronutrients. Lunchtime food provision and consumption in secondary schools have improved considerably since 2004, following the introduction of new compulsory standards for school food in 2009. To maximise their energy and nutrient intake at lunchtime, pupils should be encouraged to select a full meal, and to take and eat more fruit and vegetables. Schools also need continued support to increase the micronutrient content of menus and recipes.

Exclusion in Schools in Northern Ireland: The Pupils' Voice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knipe, Damian; Reynolds, Margaret; Milner, Sharon

2007-01-01

The Department of Education in Northern Ireland has been reviewing the procedures for suspending and expelling pupils from school. This article reports the views of a random sample of 114 children (11-16 years) towards the proposed changes. Pupils' thoughts on: dealing with misbehaviour; setting rules; the decision-making process; appropriate…

Pupils' Liking For School: Ability Grouping, Self-Concept And Perceptions Of Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ireson, Judith; Hallam, Susan

2005-01-01

Background: Research indicates that affective aspects of development provide a basis for autonomous learning. Pupils' liking for school may be a useful indicator of their relationships with teachers and the school. Aims: The aim of the research reported in this paper is to establish the properties of a measure of pupils' liking for school and to…

"Just Google It?": Pupils' Perceptions and Experience of Research in the Secondary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeoman, Kay; Nardi, Elena; Bowater, Laura; Nguyen, Huyen

2017-01-01

While numerous studies examine perceptions of research held by university researchers, studies examining perceptions held by school pupils are rare. To address this gap and following analysis of questionnaire data (N = 2634, KS3/4/5 pupils), we conducted 11 group interviews with 100 pupils in England to investigate their experiences of research…

Musical Exploration Using ICT in the Middle and Secondary School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Christopher J.

2009-01-01

In this article, I explore musical creativity through Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This article aims to show that secondary school pupils can compose freely using ICT in the classroom, easing and "democratizing" the creative process, enabling a high standard for all, regardless of formal musical training. The fieldwork…

Short-Stay Residential Experience: Residential Work by Secondary School Pupils.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schools Council, London (England).

Most secondary schools in Great Britain today have implemented residential courses. They have built, bought, or adapted premises ranging from derelict colleges to country houses for use as residential centers where students may spend from a few days to several weeks studying, working, or learning to use leisure time. This publication examines…

Factors Associated With Pupil Toilet Use in Kenyan Primary Schools

PubMed Central

Garn, Joshua V.; Caruso, Bethany A.; Drews-Botsch, Carolyn D.; Kramer, Michael R.; Brumback, Babette A.; Rheingans, Richard D.; Freeman, Matthew C.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to quantify how school sanitation conditions are associated with pupils’ use of sanitation facilities. We conducted a longitudinal assessment in 60 primary schools in Nyanza Province, Kenya, using structured observations to measure facility conditions and pupils’ use at specific facilities. We used multivariable mixed regression models to characterize how pupil to toilet ratio was associated with toilet use at the school-level and also how facility conditions were associated with pupils’ use at specific facilities. We found a piecewise linear relationship between decreasing pupil to toilet ratio and increasing pupil toilet use (p < 0.01). Our data also revealed significant associations between toilet use and newer facility age (p < 0.01), facility type (p < 0.01), and the number of toilets in a facility (p < 0.01). We found some evidence suggesting facility dirtiness may deter girls from use (p = 0.06), but not boys (p = 0.98). Our study is the first to rigorously quantify many of these relationships, and provides insight into the complexity of factors affecting pupil toilet use patterns, potentially leading to a better allocation of resources for school sanitation, and to improved health and educational outcomes for children. PMID:25233014

Feasibility and impact of placing water coolers on sales of sugar-sweetened beverages in Dutch secondary school canteens.

PubMed

Visscher, Tommy L S; van Hal, Wendy C W; Blokdijk, Lobke; Seidell, Jaap C; Renders, Carry M; Bemelmans, Wanda J E

2010-01-01

The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of placing water coolers on sugar-sweetened beverage sales at secondary schools (age 12-18 years) in the city of Zwolle, the Netherlands. Six schools, hosting 5,866 pupils, were divided in three intervention and three control schools. In the intervention schools, water coolers were placed in the canteen. Hidden observations were performed in one school to study the intervention's feasibility, and school personnel was interviewed. Beverage sales were monitored before and during the intervention. After the intervention period, 366 class 1 and 2 pupils completed a questionnaire about their drinking habits (response rate 81%). Placement of water coolers appeared to be a feasible intervention at secondary schools. However, it did not affect sales of sugar-sweetened beverages at schools. Although mean intake of sugar-sweetened beverages at school was high, more than 500 ml/day for boys, and more than 250 ml/day for girls, only a minority of these quantities was purchased at school. We conclude that placing water coolers as a single-issue intervention in secondary school canteens should not be prioritized in the combat against obesity. Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Assistance to Pupils with Physical Disabilities in Regular Schools: Promoting Inclusion or Creating Dependency?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egilson, Snaefridur Thora; Traustadottir, Rannveig

2009-01-01

Drawing on the perspectives of pupils with physical disabilities, their parents and teachers, this study explored the adult support provided to pupils with physical disabilities in regular schools. Data were collected through observations at schools and qualitative interviews. In all, 49 individuals participated in this study: 14 pupils with…

Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary School Districts: School Year 2005-06 (Fiscal Year 2006). First Look. NCES 2008-345

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Lei

2008-01-01

This brief publication contains basic revenue and expenditure data, by state, for public elementary and secondary education for school year 2005-06. It contains state-level data on revenues by source and expenditures by function, including expenditures per pupil. It presents data from the School District Finance Survey for School Year 2005-06…

Musculoskeletal pain and school bag use: a cross-sectional study among Ugandan pupils.

PubMed

Mwaka, Erisa S; Munabi, Ian G; Buwembo, William; Kukkiriza, John; Ochieng, Joseph

2014-04-09

Though seen as a convenient method of carrying books and other scholastic materials including food items, schoolbags are believed to contribute to back and other musculoskeletal problems in school going children. This study set out to determine the prevalence of low back and other musculoskeletal pains and describe their relationship with schoolbag use in pupils. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 532 pupils from six primary schools with a mean age of 13.6 years. Analyses included the chi- square test, independent t tests, regression analysis and test for trend across ordered groups. Backpacks were the most common type of schoolbag and younger children carried disproportionately heavier bags. Urban pupils were younger, carried significantly heavier bags, and less likely to complain about schoolbag weight than the rural pupils. About 30.8% of the pupils carried schoolbags which were more than 10% of their body weight. About 88.2% of pupils reported having body pain especially in the neck, shoulders and upper back. About 35.4% of the children reported that carrying the schoolbag was the cause of their musculoskeletal pain. The prevalence of lower back pain was 37.8%. There was significant association between low back pain and; method of bag carriage (p < 0.0001), long duration of walking (odds ratio 2.67, 95% CI 1.38- 5.16) and the time spent sitting after school (p = 0.02). Only 19% had lockers at school. Urban pupils were younger, carried significantly heavier bags, and less likely to complain about schoolbag weight than the rural pupils. The majority of pupils complained of musculoskeletal pain of which 35.4% was attributed to the schoolbags.The prevalence of lower back pain was 37.8%. Schools need to provide lockers and functional libraries in order to avoid excessive loading and repetitive strain injuries.

Musculoskeletal pain and school bag use: a cross-sectional study among Ugandan pupils

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Though seen as a convenient method of carrying books and other scholastic materials including food items, schoolbags are believed to contribute to back and other musculoskeletal problems in school going children. This study set out to determine the prevalence of low back and other musculoskeletal pains and describe their relationship with schoolbag use in pupils. Results This was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 532 pupils from six primary schools with a mean age of 13.6 years. Analyses included the chi- square test, independent t tests, regression analysis and test for trend across ordered groups. Backpacks were the most common type of schoolbag and younger children carried disproportionately heavier bags. Urban pupils were younger, carried significantly heavier bags, and less likely to complain about schoolbag weight than the rural pupils, About 30.8% of the pupils carried schoolbags which were more than 10% of their body weight. About 88.2% of pupils reported having body pain especially in the neck, shoulders and upper back. About 35.4% of the children reported that carrying the schoolbag was the cause of their musculoskeletal pain. The prevalence of lower back pain was 37.8%. There was significant association between low back pain and; method of bag carriage (p < 0.0001), long duration of walking (odds ratio 2.67, 95% CI 1.38- 5.16) and the time spent sitting after school (p = 0.02). Only 19% had lockers at school. Conclusion Urban pupils were younger, carried significantly heavier bags, and less likely to complain about schoolbag weight than the rural pupils. The majority of pupils complained of musculoskeletal pain of which 35.4% was attributed to the schoolbags. The prevalence of lower back pain was 37.8%. Schools need to provide lockers and functional libraries in order to avoid excessive loading and repetitive strain injuries. PMID:24713177

A Transition Odyssey: Pupils' Experiences of Transfer to Secondary School across Five Decades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galton, Maurice; McLellan, Ros

2018-01-01

This article reviews transition from primary to secondary school over the period from the 1970s to the present day. It first considers the evidence from the earlier period and then at the time of the millennium before reporting on a recent investigation undertaken in four secondary schools. Using the 'five bridges model' of transfer, it compares…

Raising Pupil Attainment through Family Learning: A Guide for Head Teachers and School Governors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Learning and Work Institute, 2016

2016-01-01

This guide is for head teachers and school governors to help them invest their Pupil Premium funding in Family Learning programmes. The Pupil Premium is additional funding for schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers. Family Learning is a pedagogical approach that refers to…

Gender Issues in Internet Access and Favourite Internet Activities among Greek High School Pupils inside and outside School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papastergiou, Marina; Solomonidou, Christina

2005-01-01

This study investigates gender differences in Internet use by Greek high school pupils within school and out of school environments. A sample of 340 pupils (170 boys and 170 girls), aged 12-16 years, completed a written questionnaire on their attainability, location, frequency and purposes of Internet access. The data analysis showed that more…

High School Pupils' Attitudes and Self-Efficacy of Using Mobile Devices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nikolopoulou, Kleopatra; Gialamas, Vasilis

2017-01-01

This paper regards a study aiming to investigate junior high school pupils' attitudes and self-efficacy of using mobile devices. A 25-item questionnaire was administered to 260 pupils aged 12-15 years old, in Greece. Pupils' attitudes were positive, and four factors were extracted, "perceived usefulness", "affection",…

Negotiating and Contesting "Success": Discourses of Aspiration in a UK Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spohrer, Konstanze

2016-01-01

The need to "raise aspirations" among young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds has been prominent in UK policy debates over the last decade. This paper examines how this discourse is negotiated and contested by teachers and pupils in a Scottish secondary school. Interviews, group discussions and observations were…

Enthusiasm, Relevance and Creativity: Could These Teaching Qualities Stop Us Alienating Pupils from Science?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Sarah; Ireson, Gren; Twidle, John

2010-01-01

The poor attitude of pupils towards science continues to be a topic of concern within secondary schools. This article considers research and highlights what we can learn as teachers to persevere in tackling the problem. Alongside this review, a case study was undertaken with a sample of year 7 pupils (ages 11-12) in English schools who reported…

High School Class for Gifted Pupils in Physics and Sciences and Pupils' Skills Measured by Standard and Pisa Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djordjevic, G. S.; Pavlovic-Babic, D.

2010-01-01

The "High school class for students with special abilities in physics" was founded in Nis, Serbia (www.pmf.ni.ac.yu/f_odeljenje) in 2003. The basic aim of this project has been introducing a broadened curriculum of physics, mathematics, computer science, as well as chemistry and biology. Now, six years after establishing of this specialized class, and 3 years after the previous report, we present analyses of the pupils' skills in solving rather problem oriented test, as PISA test, and compare their results with the results of pupils who study under standard curricula. More precisely results are compared to the progress results of the pupils in a standard Grammar School and the corresponding classes of the Mathematical Gymnasiums in Nis. Analysis of achievement data should clarify what are benefits of introducing in school system track for gifted students. Additionally, item analysis helps in understanding and improvement of learning strategies' efficacy. We make some conclusions and remarks that may be useful for the future work that aims to increase pupils' intrinsic and instrumental motivation for physics and sciences, as well as to increase the efficacy of teaching physics and science.

A Comparison of Pupil Control Iedology of Science and Non-Science Secondary Student Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Dan R.

This paper examines data on pupil control ideology (PCI) from two separate research studies involving secondary student teachers. A comparison was made of the results of the studies contrasting two student teaching populations: (1) eight weeks science (N=19) and (2) sixteen weeks non-science (N=22). The pupil control ideology of the secondary…

A randomised controlled trial of clinics in secondary schools for adolescents with asthma.

PubMed Central

Salisbury, Chris; Francis, Caia; Rogers, Chris; Parry, Kate; Thomas, Huw; Chadwick, Stephanie; Turton, Pat

2002-01-01

AIM: To compare a nurse-led clinic in schools versus care in general practice for adolescents with asthma. DESIGN OF STUDY: Randomised controlled trial in four schools; parallel observational study in two schools. SETTING: Six comprehensive schools. METHOD: In the randomised trial, pupils were invited to attend asthma review at a nurse-led clinic either in school, or in general practice. The parallel observational study compared pupils invited to practice care within and outside the randomised trial. Primary outcome measures were attendance for asthma review, symptom control, and quality of life. Secondary outcomes were knowledge, attitudes, inhaler technique, use of steroids, school absence, peak flow rate, preference for future care, health service utilisation, and costs. RESULTS: School clinic pupils were more likely to attend an asthma review than those randomised to practice care (90.8% versus 51.0% overall [P < 0.001, not consistent across schools]). No differences were observed in symptom control (P = 0.42) or quality of life (P = 0.63). Pupils attending school clinics had greater knowledge of asthma (difference = +0.38, 95% CI = 0.19 to 0.56), more positive attitudes (difference = +0.21, 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.36), and better inhaler technique (P < 0.001, not consistent across all schools). No differences were observed in school absence or peak flow rate. A majority (63%) of those who had received care at school preferred this model in future. Median costs of providing care at school and at the practice were 32.10 Pounds and 19.80 Pounds, respectively. No differences were observed between the groups in the observational comparison on any outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The schools asthma clinic increased uptake of asthma reviews. There were improvements in various process measures, but not in clinical outcomes. PMID:12528584

Pupils' Thinking and Course Requirements in Science Teaching (EKNA). Newsletter School Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andersson, Bjorn; And Others

The ENKA Project is concerned with two major problem areas: the conceptions of physical and chemical phenomena, central to an upper level course, held by compulsory school pupils (grades 7-9) and the implications from descriptions of pupils' conceptions and ways of reasoning for current teaching practice. To determine conceptions held, pupils were…

Logical Positivism as a Tool to Analyse the Problem of Chemistry's Lack of Relevance in Secondary School Chemical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Aalsvoort, Joke

2004-01-01

Secondary school chemical education has a problem: namely, the seeming irrelevance to the pupils of chemistry. Chemical education prepares pupils for participation in society. Therefore, it must imply a model of society, of chemistry, and of the relation between them. In this article it is hypothesized that logical positivism currently offers this…

Mental health workshops delivered by medical students in Cambridge secondary schools: an evaluation of learning.

PubMed

Bentham, Chloe; Daunt, Anna; Taylor, Stephanie; Simmons, Meinou

2013-09-01

For a group of medical students to design and deliver a mental health workshop in Cambridge secondary schools. Subsequently, to evaluate any improvements in pupils' knowledge of mental health issues, including knowledge of common mental illnesses, stigma and where to access help with mental health problems. A group of three medical students undertook a five week Student Selected Component to develop a mental health workshop in Spring 2013. The workshop was designed to include interactive components, such as role play, models and video. It was delivered to eight classes of 12-13 year old pupils across two local secondary schools, a total of 230 students. Questionnaires were completed before and after each workshop to test knowledge acquisition of mental health issues, stigma and where pupils could get help with mental health problems. Comparisons between data from the pre- and post-workshop questionnaires were made to assess learning. The responses from the questionnaires showed a global improvement in knowledge of mental health. This is highlighted by the increase in awareness of the prevalence of mental health problems amongst young people from 47.0% before the workshops to 97.8% after the workshops. The ability to identify symptoms of anxiety rose from 21.7% to 44.8% and the ability to identify depression rose from 29.0% to 53.5% respectively. Whilst only 15.2% pupils disagreed with a stigmatising statement about mental illness before the workshops, 61.3% pupils disagreed afterwards. The students were also better informed about how to access help and identified areas that they found useful to learn about. Comparison of the pre- and post-workshop questionnaires indicate that medical student-led workshops are an effective method for improving knowledge of mental health topics amongst 12-13 year old school pupils, as well as encouraging positive attitudes towards mental health. The project highlights a demand for mental health education in schools and brings to

Music Accommodation in Secondary Schools. A Design Guide. Building Bulletin 86.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Lucy; Wadsworth, Alison; Nichols, Helen; Daniels, Richard; Marshall, Christopher; Orlowski, Rafal

This document provides guidance on accommodations in secondary schools, concentrating on the needs of 11- to 16-year-old pupils. The guidance is intended to assist all those who may be involved in the briefing and design process. It discusses the issues that arise when considering both new and existing accommodations. The document covers the range…

What Frameworks Are Helpful to Science Teachers and Their Pupils When Thinking about the Relationship between Science and Religion?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borgeaud, Jane

2018-01-01

Secondary school science teachers report that their approaches to some topics are affected by the recognition that some pupils hold religious beliefs, while primary school teacher trainees express concern about teaching evolution to children with a religious faith. Pupils in British schools and internationally often assume a conflict between…

Oral health status of handicapped primary school pupils in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

PubMed

Simon, E N M; Matee, M I; Scheutz, F

2008-03-01

There is hardly any information regarding oral health status of handicapped primary school pupils in Tanzania. Determination of their oral health status could help in planning sustainable intervention programmes for this disadvantaged group. To determine caries and periodontal status and treatment needs of handicapped primary school pupils in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A descriptive cross-sectional study. Uhuru Mchanganyiko and Buguruni special schools, Dar es Salaam. The sample consisted of 179 (55.8%) males and 142 (44.2%) females aged between 7 and 22 years. Majority (71%) were deaf followed by blind (17.8%) and mentally retarded (8.7%). Six (1.9%) pupils were both deaf and blind, while one (0.3%) pupil was blind and mentally retarded. Forty one (12.8%) pupils had at least one decayed deciduous tooth, with the mean (dmfs) ranging from 0.25 to 3.24. The deaf had the highest mean decayed surfaces, followed by the mentally retarded and the blind. There was only one (0.3%) pupil who had a filled deciduous tooth. Thirty three (10.3%) pupils had decayed permanent teeth and 31 (9.7%) had missing permanent teeth. None of the decayed permanent teeth were restored. The blind had the lowest mean deciduous surfaces (DS) scores of between 0 and 1.0. In the mentally retarded group the mean DS ranged from 0.25 to 1.75. About 73.5% of the studied group had bleeding of the gums, with the blind having the highest mean bleeding index scores (p < 0.001) and about 82.8% of the pupils had calculus, with highest mean scores mainly among the blind (p = 0.008). The caries prevalence among handicapped primary school pupils was quite low. However, there was relatively high level of gingival bleeding and calculus. Regarding treatment needs, 23% required dental fillings mainly of one and two surface restorations and 82% required scaling and polishing. Despite these treatment needs these pupils had not received any dental attention.

Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2013-14 (Fiscal Year 2014). First Look. NCES 2016-301

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornman, Stephen Q.; Zhou, Lei

2016-01-01

This "First Look" contains national and state totals of revenues and expenditures for public elementary and secondary education for school year 2013-14. This "First Look" includes revenues by source and expenditures by function and object, including current expenditures per pupil and instructional expenditures per pupil. This…

Investigating Nature on the Way to School: Responses to an educational programme by teachers and their pupils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindemann-Matthies, Petra

2006-06-01

In this study, the responses of teachers and their pupils to the educational programme “Nature on the Way to School” were investigated with the help of questionnaires. The main objectives of the programme were the promotion of opportunities for children to experience nature first-hand on the way to school, the promotion of children’s awareness of nature in their daily lives, and the promotion of interest in and tolerance of local plants and animals. More than 3000 children (8 16 years old) from 166 primary and secondary school classes in Switzerland and 117 teachers participated in the study. Children of all age groups particularly enjoyed observing nature directly. Teachers gave the programme very high ratings on average. The ratings given by the teachers and the learning gains of the pupils were positively related. Teachers from rural and urban areas carried out similar activities during the programme and regarded the programme as a success. The high satisfaction of both pupils and their teachers with the programme supports the thesis that teachers should make more use of educational approaches focusing on direct experiences in the local environment of children.

Bullied by Siblings: Association with Peer Victimisation and Behaviour Problems in Israeli Lower Secondary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolke, Dieter; Samara, Muthanna M.

2004-01-01

Background: The association of bullying victimisation by siblings with a) involvement in bullying at school and b) behaviour problems among lower secondary school children in Israel was investigated. Method: Self-report questionnaires of sibling victimisation, peer bullying experiences and behaviour problems were completed by 921 pupils aged 12-15…

The Importance of Politics: A Study of French Secondary School Students. Draft.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schonfeld, William R.

The relative importance of government as measured in a sample of French secondary students is examined. Drawn from four different schools, 481 Parisian pupils served as the sample for the study. The students responded to a questionnaire ranking the importance of their relationships with the government and the police with seven other specific…

The Impact of Expanding Advanced Level Secondary School Students' Awareness and Use of Metacognitive Learning Strategies on Confidence and Proficiency in Foreign Language Speaking Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forbes, Karen; Fisher, Linda

2018-01-01

In an increasingly multilingual world, the question of how to improve foreign language speaking skills of pupils in British schools is of paramount importance to language teachers and policy-makers today. This paper examines how an explicit focus on metacognitive strategy use within secondary school foreign language lessons impacts pupils'…

Motor skills and school performance in children with daily physical education in school--a 9-year intervention study.

PubMed

Ericsson, I; Karlsson, M K

2014-04-01

The aim was to study long-term effects on motor skills and school performance of increased physical education (PE). All pupils born 1990-1992 from one school were included in a longitudinal study over nine years. An intervention group (n = 129) achieved daily PE (5 × 45 min/week) and if needed one extra lesson of adapted motor training. The control group (n = 91) had PE two lessons/week. Motor skills were evaluated by the Motor Skills Development as Ground for Learning observation checklist and school achievements by marks in Swedish, English, Mathematics, and PE and proportion of pupils who qualified for upper secondary school. In school year 9 there were motor skills deficits in 7% of pupils in the intervention group compared to 47% in the control group (P < 0.001), 96% of the pupils in the intervention group compared to 89% in the control group (P < 0.05) qualified for upper secondary school. The sum of evaluated marks was higher among boys in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The sum of marks was also higher in pupils with no motor skills deficit than among pupils with motor skills deficits (P < 0.01), as was the proportion of pupils who qualified for upper secondary school (97% vs 81%, P < 0.001). Daily PE and adapted motor skills training during the compulsory school years is a feasible way to improve not only motor skills but also school performance and the proportion of pupils who qualify for upper secondary school. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Personality and Religion among Secondary School Pupils in the Czech Republic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Leslie J.; Quesnell, Michael; Lewis, Christopher A.

2010-01-01

The short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was completed by 1,780 boys and 1,634 girls attending secondary schools in the Czech Republic, together with the Francis Scale of Attitude towards Christianity. On the one hand, two of the findings are consistent with those from a series of studies employing the same measure of religiosity…

Pupils' Perceptions of Sex and Reproductive Health Education in Primary Schools in Tanzania: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapinga, Orestes Silverius; Hyera, Daniel Frans

2015-01-01

This study explored pupils' perceptions of sex and reproductive health education in primary schools in Tanzania. Specifically, the study aimed at (i) exploring pupils' views on sex and reproductive health education in primary schools; (ii) determining opinions on the appropriateness of sex and reproductive health education for pupils in primary…

[Pupil Performance in the Elementary Schools of Atlanta, Ga.] Research and Development Report, Volume 6, Numbers 15, 16, and 19, December 1972, March 1973.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vivona, Carol; And Others

Since a large number of the pupils at each of the three schools examined in this document had shown a need for compensatory services, they were classified as Title I schools and thus were qualified to receive supplementary funds and additional personnel through Title I, 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act grant allocations. In addition,…

Pupils with special educational needs in basic education schools and teachers' sickness absences--a register-linkage study.

PubMed

Ervasti, Jenni; Kivimäki, Mika; Kawachi, Ichiro; Subramanian, S V; Pentti, Jaana; Ahola, Kirsi; Oksanen, Tuula; Pohjonen, Tiina; Vahtera, Jussi; Virtanen, Marianna

2012-05-01

We examined whether having a high percentage of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in basic education schools increases the risk of sickness absence among teachers and whether this risk is dependent on the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR), an indicator of teacher resources at school. We obtained register data on 8089 teachers working in 404 schools in 10 municipalities in Finland during the school year 2004-2005. We used multilevel multinomial regression models to examine the risk of teachers' short- and long-term sickness absence in relation to the percentage of SEN pupils and the PTR at school. We tested the equality of trends in groups with high and low PTR using PTR × SEN interaction term. After adjustment for teacher and school characteristics, the risk for long-term absences was higher among teachers at schools with a high percentage of SEN pupils than among teachers at schools with a low percentage of SEN pupils [odds ratio (OR) 1.5, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.2-1.8). This was also the case for short-term absences (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.7). In analyses stratified by the PTR levels, the association between the percentage of SEN pupils and long-term absences was 15% higher among teachers with a high PTR than among those with a low PTR (P for interaction=0.10). Teachers' sickness absenteeism seems to increase with a higher percentage of SEN pupils, especially when the PTR is high. Teacher resources at schools that have a high percentage of SEN pupils should be well maintained to ensure the health of teachers.

The Connection between Pupils' School Success and Their Inclusiveness in Extracurricular and Out-of-School Activities in Croatia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vukic, Violeta Valjan; Zrilic, Smiljana

2016-01-01

The school, with its activities as an upbringing and educational institute, influences all segments of a pupil's effective development. Besides teaching as its basic activity, the school should take over part of the care and responsibility for the pupil's free time and "use" it for "prolonged" upbringing activity. Today…

Teachers' Views about Pupil Diversity in the Primary School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaldi, Stavroula; Govaris, Christos; Filippatou, Diamanto

2018-01-01

The present study explores Greek primary school teachers' perceptions and views on pupil diversity in the classroom environment. A large-scale survey was carried out in order to examine teachers' perceptions about pupil diversity and to identify personal and/or educational characteristics that can influence or predict these perceptions. The…

Manual for School Administrators on Pupil Transportation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tennessee State Dept. of Education, Nashville.

Guiding principles, state laws, and state board rules and regulations are covered, providing school administrators with a ready reference in the field of pupil transportation. Divided into three sections, the manual initially covers administrative procedures including--(1) the purchase of buses, (2) bus maintenance, (3) employment of drivers, (4)…

Comparing Slovenian Year 8 and Year 9 Elementary School Pupils' Knowledge of Electrolyte Chemistry and Their Intrinsic Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devetak, Iztok; Lorber, Erna Drofenik; Jurisevic, Mojca; Glazar, Sasa A.

2009-01-01

This study explored the differences between eight-year elementary school pupils (before the curriculum reform) and nine-year elementary school pupils (soon after the curriculum reform) in Slovenia, as regards specific chemistry knowledge and motivation to learn chemistry. Altogether, 191 elementary school pupils participated in the study. The…

What Makes for a Successful Re-Integration from a Pupil Referral Unit to Mainstream Education? An Applied Research Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Nicola

2011-01-01

A qualitative research project was carried out in order to explore the views of Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) and mainstream school staff regarding the process of re-integration of secondary school age pupils from the PRU to mainstream school. The views of 11 PRU staff members, six mainstream staff members and a member of the Behaviour Support Service…

[The role of physical education teachers to support overweight and obese pupils].

PubMed

Jodkowska, Maria; Oblacińska, Anna; Tabak, Izabela; Radiukiewicz, Katarzyna

2010-01-01

School-based physical education (PE) is often proposed as a strategy for obesity prevention and treatment. Thus the role of PE teachers is crucial on this field. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of PE teachers towards overweight and obese pupils aged 13-15 years, especially psychosomatic problems and support for obese adolescents in realisation of physical activity programme. A random sample of 185 PE teachers from 112 lower secondary schools in Poland were surveyed regarding their perception of pupils obesity and their support for obese adolescents. PE teachers observed many negative features among obese pupils: Two thirds of teachers (67% male and 74% teachers with work experience 6-10 years) observed decreased physical fitness and exercise capacity in this group of pupils. Body-related barriers in obese pupils and anxiety caused by weight related peer teasing were observed by respectively 30% and 20% teachers more often women teachers and teachers with shorter work experience. PE teachers were engaged in activities to support obese pupils: 90% of them assessed obese pupils by personal development, 70% conducted counseling and 20% cooperated with obese pupils' parents. Two third of teachers reported successes in their work with obese pupils. Their difficulties were connected with body-related barriers in pupils (24%), and aversion to exercise and physical efforts and location of PE lessons at school (9-16%). 1. The PE teachers can play an important role in preventing and combating obesity in pupils. 2. PE teachers should be motivated to organize interesting PE lessons, school sport and competitions for both normal and overweight pupils.

Understanding and Enhancing Pupils' Learning Progress in Schools in Deprived Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dann, Ruth

2016-01-01

This paper draws on data from the "Raising Pupil Attainment in Key Stage 1 in Stoke-on-Trent" research project. The particular focus is on how teachers, head teachers and teaching assistants (n?=?59) articulate pupils' learning success in five highly achieving schools in deprived communities. Six key themes are highlighted which are…

Pupil Control Ideology: Comparative Perspectives--United States and Canada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamalian, A.

1979-01-01

This study explores the relationship between the Pupil Control Ideology Scale (PCI) and the sex of the teacher, level of teaching (preschool, elementary, secondary), as well as level of school bureaucracy based on the Moeller scale. (Author/RTS)

The perception of animal experimentation ethics among Indian teenage school pupils.

PubMed

Kim, Justin Namuk; Choi, Eun Hee; Kim, Soo-Ki

2017-03-01

To promote awareness of animal experimentation ethics among teenagers, we created an educational pamphlet and an accompanying questionnaire. One hundred Indian teenage school pupils were given the pamphlet and subsequently surveyed with the questionnaire, to evaluate: a) their perception of animal experimentation ethics; and b) their opinion on the effectiveness of the pamphlet, according to gender and school grade/age. There was a significant correlation between grade/age and support for animal experimentation, i.e. senior students were more inclined to show support for animal experimentation. There was also a significant correlation between gender and perception of the need to learn about animal experimentation ethics, with girls more likely to feel the need to learn about ethics than boys. In addition, the four questions relating to the usefulness of the pamphlet, and student satisfaction with its content, received positive responses from the majority of the students. Even though the pamphlet was concise, it was apparent that three quarters of the students were satisfied with its content. Gender and age did not influence this level of satisfaction. Overall, our study shows that there is a significant correlation between a pupil`s school grade/age and their support for animal experimentation, and that there is also a significant correlation between gender and the perceived need to learn about animal experimentation ethics. This pilot scheme involving an educational pamphlet and questionnaire could be beneficial in helping to formulate basic strategies for educating teenage school pupils about animal ethics. 2017 FRAME.

GeoBus: bringing Earth science learning to secondary schools in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Ruth; Roper, Kathryn; Pike, Charlotte

2015-04-01

GeoBus (www.geobus.org.uk) is an educational outreach project that was developed in 2012 by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, and it is sponsored jointly by industry and the UK Research Councils (NERC and EPSRC). The aims of GeoBus are to support the teaching of Earth Science in secondary (middle and high) schools by providing teaching support to schools that have no or little expertise of teaching Earth science, to share the outcomes of new science research and the experiences of young researchers with school pupils, and to provide a bridge between industry, higher education institutions, research councils and schools. Since its launch, GeoBus has visited over 160 different schools across the length and breadth of Scotland. Almost 35,000 pupils will have been involved in experiential Earth science learning activities by April 2015, including many in remote and disadvantaged regions. The challenge with secondary school experiential learning as outreach is that activities need to be completed in either 50 or 80 minutes to fit within the school timetables in the UK, and this can limit the amount of hands-on activities that pupils undertake in one session. However, it is possible to dedicate a whole or half day of linked activities to Earth science learning within the Scotland Curriculum for Excellence, and this provides a long enough period to undertake field work, conduct group projects, or complete more complicated experiments. GeoBus has developed a suite of workshops that all involve experiential learning and are targeted for shorter and longer time slots, and the lessons learned in developing and refining these workshops to maximise the learning achieved will be presented. A key aim of GeoBus is to incorporate research outcomes directly into workshops, and to involve early career researchers in project development. One example that is currently in progress is a set of hydrology workshops that focus on the water

Appropriate Pupilness: Social Categories Intersecting in School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kofoed, Jette

2008-01-01

The analytical focus in this article is on how social categories intersect in daily school life and how intersections intertwine with other empirically relevant categories such as normality, pupilness and (in)appropriatedness. The point of empirical departure is a daily ritual where teams for football are selected. The article opens up for a…

THE PUPIL'S DAY IN COURT--REVIEW OF 1966. AN ANNUAL COMPILATION. SCHOOL LAW SERIES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SHAPIRO, FRIEDA S.; EVANS, JACK

CASE DIGESTS OF 44 STATE AND 39 FEDERAL JUDICIAL DECISIONS DIRECTLY CONCERNING PUBLIC SCHOOL PUPILS AND STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SUPPORTED COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ARE ARRANGED BY STATE AND CLASSIFIED UNDER SIX HEADINGS--(1) ADMISSION AND ATTENDANCE--8, (2) SCHOOL DESEGREGATION--30, (3) LIABILITY FOR PUPIL INJURY--20, (4) RELIGION AND SECTARIAN…

The Deployment, Training and Teacher Relationships of Teaching Assistants Supporting Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Mainstream Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Symes, Wendy; Humphrey, Neil

2011-01-01

Growing numbers of pupils with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are attending mainstream schools, and increasing numbers of additional staff are being deployed to support them. Recent research has cast doubt on the effectiveness of this support, by highlighting issues relating to deployment and training, and to relationships with class teachers.…

A Secondary School Student's Understanding of the Concept of Function--A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sajka, M.

2003-01-01

This article is concerned with an average student's understanding of the notion of function. It presents an analysis of a dialogue held with Kasia, a sixteen-years-old pupil of a general academic secondary school. The conversation concentrates on a non-standard problem--a functional equation. The theoretical framework used here is the PROCEPT…

School health services in the City of Zagreb - do we meet adolescents' needs?

PubMed

Kuzman, Marina; Posavec, Marija; Marić, Ivana

2014-12-01

School health services (SHS) have in Croatia long tradition, established organizational structure, defined program and educated staff. The program is limited to the preventive activities. The aim of the study was to investigate the satisfaction of the children, school staff and parents with existing school health services in the City of Zagreb. The structured questionnaire was sent to the primary and secondary schools in the City of Zagreb, which were selected using random sample method. The questionnaires were anonymous and filled in supervised by class masters. In the secondary schools the structure of schooling was respected. Questionnaires were filled by 448 pupils from primary, 551 from secondary schools, by 596 parents and 595 teachers. In primary schools pupils rated SHS more available and accessible, staff complaisant and responsible, counselling being useful and justified, confidentiality respected higher than pupils from secondary schools (p<0.001). Teachers from primary and secondary schools perceived SHS as valuable school partners (88.9% and 82.3%). Teachers from primary and secondary schools (88.9% and 88.1%) and parents (78.3% and 67.5%) stated that SHS could not be replaced by GPs or paediatricians. Primary school pupils felt that most common problems were injuries and vocational counselling, secondary school pupils assessed behavioural and sexual related problems as mostly challenging. Satisfaction with the SHS response to the most challenging problems was rated higher by teachers from primary schools (p<0.001 for learning difficulties, chronic diseases, bullying and vocational counselling), by parents for learning difficulties and vocational counselling, but no significance was found for pupils' satisfactions. SHS in Zagreb are recognized as vital and necessary partners for schools, available and accessible for pupils, teachers and parents, especially for primary schools. Counselling is highly rated by all respondents, confidentiality considered

An Extra Radiator? Teachers' Views of Support Teaching and Withdrawal in Developing the English of Bilingual Pupils.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, John

1989-01-01

Explores the attitudes of British secondary school teachers toward withdrawal and mainstream support as ways of helping bilingual pupils develop competence in English. Suggests that the results allow for envisaging an ideal classroom situation for teaching bilingual pupils. (KO)

An Examination of the Role of Nursery Education on Primary School Pupils in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oniwon, H. O. Evelyn

2015-01-01

This study examines the role of Nursery education among primary school pupils. The sole objective of the study was to find out the differences in academic achievement between primary school pupils who received nursery education and those who did not. Descriptive survey research design was adopted to achieve the study objective. Consequently, 20…

A Study of Nigerian Pupils' Understanding of Selected Biological Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okeke, Eunice A. C.; Wood-Robinson, Colin

1980-01-01

Describes results of a study investigating the nature of Nigerian secondary school pupils' (N=120) difficulties in understanding the biological concepts of growth, reproduction, and transport mechanisms within living organisms. Identifies examples of common misconceptions. (CS)

School Effects on Pupils' Health Behaviours: Evidence in Support of the Health Promoting School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, P.; Sweeting, H.; Leyland, A.

2004-01-01

Compared with the volume of research on school effects on educational outcomes, and in spite of growing interest in the health promoting school, there are very few studies that have investigated the way schools influence pupils' health behaviours. This paper reports the results of a longitudinal study of over 2000 young people in the West of…

The Antlion Project with School Pupils in Zomba, Malawi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Simon

2013-01-01

This article presents an account of a practical outdoor science project using the larvae of antlions with year 5 and 6 (age 10-11) pupils from Sir Harry Johnston International Primary School in Zomba, Malawi. Aim: To conduct a science project outdoors using scientific enquiry and knowledge in a typical African school environment and to see whether…

Negative Home Influence and Pupil School Success.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soar, Robert S.; Soar, Ruth M.

The study was devised to examine the empirical relations between selected home influences and a number of aspects of pupil growth in school, both academic and personal-social. Data was compiled on 559 children, in grades 3 through 6, from a metropolitan area in South Carolina. Data from a concurrent project noted that these were atypical…

School Finance Reform: A Weighted Pupil Formula for California. Report 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Mary

2012-01-01

Governor Jerry Brown has called for a major overhaul of California's school finance policies. His proposal for a weighted pupil funding system would simplify the rules that govern the distribution of funds to schools and school districts, while targeting a larger share of available resources to the schools and students with the greatest needs. In…

Influence of Middle School Pupils' Acculturation on Their Readings of and Expectations for Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, Meredith L.; Curtner-Smith, Matthew D.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of middle school pupils' acculturation on their readings of and expectations for physical education. Participants were 94 pupils attending one public middle school. Data were collected using five qualitative techniques. They were analysed by employing analytic induction and constant…

Pupil Performance, Absenteeism and School Drop-out: A Multi-dimensional Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smyht, Emer

1999-01-01

Assesses whether second-level schools in Ireland are equally effective regarding examination performance, absenteeism, and potential dropouts, using multivariate analyses of data from 15- and 16-year-olds in 116 schools. Absenteeism and potential dropout rates are lower in schools that enhance pupils' academic progress. (Contains 22 references.)…

Deaf pupils' reasoning about scientific phenomena: school science as a framework for understanding or as fragments of factual knowledge.

PubMed

Molander, B O; Pedersen, S; Norell, K

2001-01-01

Many studies have been conducted on hearing pupils' understanding of science. Findings from these studies have been used as grounds for planning instruction in school science. This article reports findings from an interview study of how deaf pupils in compulsory school reason about phenomena in a science context. The results reveal that there is variation in the extent to which pupils use scientific principles for reasoning about science phenomena. For some pupils, school science seems to have little to offer as a framework for reasoning. The results also generate questions about the need in school instruction of deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils to consider the specific teaching and learning situations in a deaf environment.

High School Mathematics Teachers: Grading Practice and Pupil Control Ideology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cicmanec, Karen Mauck; Johanson, George; Howley, Aimee

Survey data gathered from 230 respondents from a random sample of 500 Ohio public school teachers explores the association between teachers' practice of assigning grades based on nonachievement grading factors and teachers' pupil control orientation (PCI). Responding high school mathematics teachers provided information that relates to the use of…

Civil Liability of Schools, Teachers and Pupils for Careless Behaviour.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wenham, David

1999-01-01

Identifies elements that (British) courts consider in school or teacher negligence cases. Reviews significant case law establishing liability of schools and teachers for harm sustained by pupils and children's personal liability for careless acts leading to personal harm. Discusses implications of a recent child negligence case. (Contains 14…

Analysis of National and Foreign Specialized Sport Education for Senior Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rebryna, Anatoliy

2014-01-01

There has been theoretically substantiated the topicality of the specialized learning of the senior pupils of secondary educational institutions. There has been revealed the essence of specialized learning as of one of the leading forms of educational process organization in a modern school, which in its goal remains between a secondary and…

Attitudes of Elementary Schools Pupils to the Physical and Sport Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolofík, Tomáš

2015-01-01

The aim of the research was to find out the attitudes of the pupils of the seventh, eighth and ninth year-classes of the elementary schools in Banská Bystrica to the physical and sport education. The research sample comprised 1092 pupils, out of which 584 were boys and 508 were girls. A standardised questionnaire according to Sivák et al. (2000)…

Survival and Success at Secondary School Stage: Looking beyond the Explanation of Socio-Cultural Deprivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarangi, Dibakar; Panda, Smita Rani

2013-01-01

A wide spectrum of research literature pointed out socio-cultural deprivation as the dominant explanation for student survival and success in schools. This paper, contending socio-cultural deprivation as inadequate explanation for dropout and detention at secondary level, probed into the role of pupils' foundation knowledge in their survival and…

The Relationship between Schools' Costs per Pupil and Nevada School Performance Framework Index Scores in Clark County School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, John; Huang, Min

2015-01-01

Clark County School District (CCSD) asked the Western Regional Education Laboratory (REL West) to examine the relationship between spending per pupil and Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) index scores in the district's schools. Data were examined from three school years (2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14) and for three types of schools…

Changing School Autonomy: Academy Schools and Their Introduction to England's Education. CEE DP 123

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machin, Stephen; Vernoit, James

2011-01-01

In this paper, we study a high profile case--the introduction of academy schools into the English secondary school sector--that has allowed schools to gain more autonomy and flexible governance by changing their school structure. We consider the impact of an academy school conversion on their pupil intake and pupil performance and possible…

Growing Musicians in English Secondary Schools at Key Stage 3 (Age 11-14)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalladay, Christopher

2017-01-01

The National Curriculum for Music in England at Key Stage 3 (KS3; age 11-14) declares its purpose that pupils should be inspired to "develop a love of music and their talent as musicians" (DfE, 2013: KS3 Music). The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) have criticised secondary schools for a lack of progress in the musical…

Nutritional behaviours and body self-perception in polish pupils attending middle-school.

PubMed

Woźniak, Agnieszka; Artych, Marta; Wawrzyniak, Agata

2014-01-01

Adolescence is a vital part of child development, where acquired eating/dietary behaviour is often associated with ones' perception of body shape. To assess eating habits in relation to body shape perception and esteem in middle-school (junior-high) pupils. Surveyed subjects were 170 middle-school pupils from Warsaw; 101 girls and 69 boys aged 15 years. An anonymous questionnaire was used to determine eating habits, body mass, growth and body shape perception. Anthropometric measurement cut-off points were taken according to the method of Cole et al. Only 29% of pupils ate 5 daily meals; of whom there were significantly more girls than boys (35% vs 20%, p = 0.042). Girls more often consumed second breakfast than boys (p < 0.001), whilst boys ate dinner more frequently than girls (p = 0.004). Eating meals was observed in 86% all pupils, where sweets (71%) and fresh fruit (69%) were most commonly eaten. Boys ate fast-food more often than girls (p = 0.004), as well as savoury snacks (p = 0.002), sweets (p = 0.009) and sweetened fizzy drinks (p < 0.001). Girls however, consumed more low-fat foodstuffs compared to boys (p = 0.003). Over- weight was more common in boys than girls (26% vs 9%, p = 0.003), whereas girls were more frequently malnourished than boys (21% vs 7%, p = 0.016). Far fewer girls were satisfied with their body shape compared to boys (51% vs 94%, p < 0.001). Girls also more commonly expressed a desire for slimming, despite either having a correct body mass or being underweight. Many adverse and abnormal eating habits of pupils were found, especially in boys, that could lead to over- weight and obesity. Subjects were found to incorrectly assess their body shape, particularly the girls, thereby leading to unwarranted slimming behaviour. nutritional habits, middle-school pupils, perceived body shape/image.

The Barriers to Achievement for White/Black Caribbean Pupils in English Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haynes, Jo; Tikly, Leon; Caballero, Chamion

2006-01-01

Pupils of White and Black Caribbean descent make up the largest category of mixed heritage pupils in the United Kingdom. As a group they are at risk of underachieving and are proportionally over-represented in school exclusions. Yet little is known to date about the barriers to their achievement. The common-sense explanation for their…

Noise and Stress in Primary and Secondary School Children: Noise Reduction and Increased Concentration Ability through a Short but Regular Exercise and Relaxation Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norlander, Torsten; Moas, Leif; Archer, Trevor

2005-01-01

The present study examined whether a short but regularly used program of relaxation, applied to Primary and Secondary school children, could (a) reduce noise levels (in decibels), (b) reduce pupils' experienced stress levels, and (c) increase the pupils' ability to concentrate, as measured by teachers' estimates. Noise levels in 5 classrooms (84…

Ability Grouping in Schools: An Analysis of Effects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ireson, Judith; Hallam, Susan; Mortimore, Peter; Hack, Sarah; Clark, Helen

This paper presents preliminary findings from a large-scale study of ability grouping in English secondary schools. Forty-five secondary schools representing three levels of grouping took part in the research. Within these schools, data have been collected from a cohort of Year 9 pupils, aged 13-14 years. All these pupils took tests in English,…

Struggling for recognition and inclusion—parents' and pupils' experiences of special support measures in school

PubMed Central

Isaksson, Joakim; Lindqvist, Rafael; Bergström, Erik

2010-01-01

During the last decade an increasing use of differentiated support measures for pupils with special educational needs, indicative of a discrepancy between educational policies and practices, has been witnessed in Sweden. Another trend has been the increased use of medical diagnoses in school. The aim of this study was to explore the main concern of support given to pupils with special educational needs and how pupils and parents experience and handle this. Interviews were conducted with eight pupils in Grades 7–9—and their parents—at two compulsory schools in a city in northern Sweden. A grounded theory approach was used for analyzing the interview data. A conceptual model was generated illuminating the main concern of special support measures for pupils and parents. The core category of the model, struggling for recognition and inclusion, was related to two categories, which further described how this process was experienced and handled by the participants. These categories were labeled negotiating expertise knowledge within a fragmented support structure and coping with stigma, ambivalence, and special support measures. The developed conceptual model provides a deeper understanding of an ongoing process of struggle for recognition and inclusion in school as described by the pupils and parents. PMID:20640030

[Nutrition and exercise of schoolchildren. Results of a cross-sectional study at the Lessing Gymnasium (secondary) school in Mannheim, Germany].

PubMed

Neumann, H; Neumann, P

2007-12-01

During the last few years there have been many articles in various newspapers about the unhealthy nutrition of children. It was the aim of this study to find out about the state of nutrition and exercise among the children at our school, a Gymnasium (secondary or grammar school) in Mannheim, Germany. We distributed questionnaires to 729 fellow pupils at the school to get some data/information about their exercise, nutrition and leisure activities. We developed a point-based system to record the quality of the food eaten; the time spent on sports, playing musical instruments; looking at television (TV) etc. or using the computer; and other leisure activities (e.g. reading, meeting friends, playing games). 84% of completed questionnaires were returned (98% of those sent to pupils in the lower forms). Food served at our school was reasonably good, but could have been improved by having a proper dining room or cafeteria. The situation regarding exercise tended to get worse in the younger pupils, because the school day has been lengthened. We found gender-related differences between school marks and other parameters. There was a positive relationship between good marks and a low [normal?] body mass index (BMI) and a negative effect on nutrition/exercise of hours spent watching TV or on the computer (PC). We also found a strong correlation in girls between school marks and their leisure. The number of points for wholesome meals, how much time the pupils spent on sports and music led to better school marks. Pupils of the lower grades exercised much less than older ones. Body weight index and their TV/computer time had similar effects in girls and boys. A low BMI correlated with better school marks, while high TV/PC time worsened them At our school relatively few pupils were overweight. Good nutrition and good amounts of exercise correlated positively with good marks. The amount of exercise taken by the pupils decreased as they advanced to the higher grades.

The Magnitude and Impact of Bullying among School Pupils in Muscat, Oman: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Al-Saadoon, Muna; Al-Farsi, Yahya M.; Rizvi, Syed; Al-Jabri, Abdullah; Almamari, Sufyan; Al-Baluki, Wafaa

2014-01-01

Research about bullying among school pupils in the Arab/Muslim population is scarce. This study evaluates the characteristics of bullying and its impact among school pupils in Oman via cross-sectional survey among eighth grade school pupils (n = 1,229) during the academic year 2006-2007. The participants were selected using stratified random selection among 6 administrative divisions of one the governorates in the country. Data were collected using self-completed structured questionnaires. This study found similar percentages of males and females (76%) have experienced one form of bullying, and the majority of the incidents (80%) occurred in the vicinity of the school. In almost half of the cases, the bullying was initiated by a student of the same age or older than the victim. The most common type of bullying encountered in this study was verbal (47.7%), followed by misuse (45.9%), physical (43.9%), and, finally, social isolation/exclusion (22.5%). Although the failure of an academic year was uncommon among victims of bullying, the number of pupils who missed 4–6 and ≥7 school days was higher among bullied pupils. If this study will withstand further research, educational initiatives are needed to mitigate the rate of bullying in Oman. PMID:25541623

"Why Does Wearing a Yellow Bib Make Us Different"?: A Case Study of Explaining Discrimination in a West of Scotland Secondary (High) School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maitles, Henry; McKelvie, Erin

2010-01-01

This paper reports on and discusses one Scottish secondary school's attempts to develop an understanding of discrimination and prejudice with S1 (Year 7 in England) pupils using a simulation based on a truncated version of Jane Elliott's "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" experiment of the 1960s. The research questions were: (1) Did the pupils learn…

Distinctions between Computer Self-Efficacy of Pupils and Teachers in Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topolovcan, Tomislav; Matijevic, Milan

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to establish whether there are differences between the computer self-efficacy of pupils and teachers (N = 507) in the context of the classroom, as a developing workplace of the teacher in elementary education. The survey covered 184 teachers and 323 pupils in elementary school. The results show that there is no…

Why Do Secondary School Chemistry Teachers Engage in Long-Term Outreach Partnership with a University?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glover, S. R.; Harrison, T. G.; Shallcross, D. E.

2016-01-01

While the effects of outreach with secondary school pupils has been researched the reasons teachers engage or the impacts on the teachers engaging in long-term relationships with a university department have not. Detailed interviews with chemistry teachers associated with outreach at Bristol ChemLabS have revealed many reasons for prolonged…

Shaping Estonian Primary School Pupils' Values by Using Bullying-Prevention Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piht, Sirje; Talts, Leida; Nigulas, Sigrit

2016-01-01

The purpose of this article is to identify to what extent using the methodology of the programme "Bullying-free school", initiated in the Kingdom of Denmark in 2007 and implemented in schools in Estonia since 2013, has supported the development of ethical values in primary school pupils. The methodology focuses on four value attitudes:…

Sexually Inappropriate or Abusive Behaviour among Pupils in Special Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fyson, Rachel

2009-01-01

In this article, Rachel Fyson of the Centre for Social Work in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham reports the findings of a study into sexually inappropriate or abusive behaviour occurring between pupils in special schools in four local authorities in England. The behaviours identified ranged from relatively…

Blindness and Severe Visual Impairment in Pupils at Schools for the Blind in Burundi

PubMed Central

Ruhagaze, Patrick; Njuguna, Kahaki Kimani Margaret; Kandeke, Lévi; Courtright, Paul

2013-01-01

Purpose: To determine the causes of childhood blindness and severe visual impairment in pupils attending schools for the blind in Burundi in order to assist planning for services in the country. Materials and Methods: All pupils attending three schools for the blind in Burundi were examined. A modified WHO/PBL eye examination record form for children with blindness and low vision was used to record the findings. Data was analyzed for those who became blind or severely visually impaired before the age of 16 years. Results: Overall, 117 pupils who became visually impaired before 16 years of age were examined. Of these, 109 (93.2%) were blind or severely visually impaired. The major anatomical cause of blindness or severe visual impairment was cornea pathology/phthisis (23.9%), followed by lens pathology (18.3%), uveal lesions (14.7%) and optic nerve lesions (11.9%). In the majority of pupils with blindness or severe visual impairment, the underlying etiology of visual loss was unknown (74.3%). More than half of the pupils with lens related blindness had not had surgery; among those who had surgery, outcomes were generally poor. Conclusion: The causes identified indicate the importance of continuing preventive public health strategies, as well as the development of specialist pediatric ophthalmic services in the management of childhood blindness in Burundi. The geographic distribution of pupils at the schools for the blind indicates a need for community-based programs to identify and refer children in need of services. PMID:23580854

Blindness and severe visual impairment in pupils at schools for the blind in Burundi.

PubMed

Ruhagaze, Patrick; Njuguna, Kahaki Kimani Margaret; Kandeke, Lévi; Courtright, Paul

2013-01-01

To determine the causes of childhood blindness and severe visual impairment in pupils attending schools for the blind in Burundi in order to assist planning for services in the country. All pupils attending three schools for the blind in Burundi were examined. A modified WHO/PBL eye examination record form for children with blindness and low vision was used to record the findings. Data was analyzed for those who became blind or severely visually impaired before the age of 16 years. Overall, 117 pupils who became visually impaired before 16 years of age were examined. Of these, 109 (93.2%) were blind or severely visually impaired. The major anatomical cause of blindness or severe visual impairment was cornea pathology/phthisis (23.9%), followed by lens pathology (18.3%), uveal lesions (14.7%) and optic nerve lesions (11.9%). In the majority of pupils with blindness or severe visual impairment, the underlying etiology of visual loss was unknown (74.3%). More than half of the pupils with lens related blindness had not had surgery; among those who had surgery, outcomes were generally poor. The causes identified indicate the importance of continuing preventive public health strategies, as well as the development of specialist pediatric ophthalmic services in the management of childhood blindness in Burundi. The geographic distribution of pupils at the schools for the blind indicates a need for community-based programs to identify and refer children in need of services.

GeoBus: bringing experiential Earth science learning to secondary schools in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pike, C. J.; Robinson, R. A. J.; Roper, K. A.

2014-12-01

GeoBus (www.geobus.org.uk) is an educational outreach project that was developed in 2012 by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, and it is sponsored jointly by industry and the UK Research Councils (NERC and EPSRC). The aims of GeoBus are to support the teaching of Earth Science in secondary (middle and high) schools by providing teaching support to schools that have no or little expertise of teaching Earth science, to share the outcomes of new science research and the experiences of young researchers with school pupils, and to provide a bridge between industry, higher education institutions, research councils and schools. Since its launch, GeoBus has visited over 160 different schools across the length and breadth of Scotland. Over 30,000 pupils will have been involved in experiential Earth science learning activities by December 2014, including many in remote and disadvantaged regions. The challenge with secondary school experiential learning as outreach is that activities need to be completed in either 50 or 80 minutes to fit within the school timetables in the UK, and this can limit the amount of hands-on activities that pupils undertake in one session. However, it is possible to dedicate a whole or half day of linked activities to Earth science learning in Scotland and this provides a long enough period to undertake field work, conduct group projects, or complete more complicated experiments. GeoBus has developed a suite of workshops that all involve experiential learning and are targeted for shorter and longer time slots, and the lessons learned in developing and refining these workshops to maximise the learning achieved will be presented. Three potentially unsurprising observations hold true for all the schools that GeoBus visits: young learners like to experiment and use unfamiliar equipment to make measurements, the element of competition stimulates learners to ask questions and maintain focus and enthusiasum

Secondary School Teachers' Personal and School Characteristics, Experience of Violence and Perceived Violence Motives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mooij, Ton

2011-01-01

Social cohesion in school is reflected in social discrimination processes and the complementary social roles of teachers, pupils, other staff and pupils' relatives. School social cohesion varies in level from high, characterised by prosocial interactions, to low, characterised by antisocial or violent interactions. Antisocial behaviour is usually…

Accelerated Reader as a Literacy Catch-Up Intervention during Primary to Secondary School Transition Phase

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siddiqui, Nadia; Gorard, Stephen; See, Beng Huat

2016-01-01

This paper describes an evaluation of an internet-based reading programme called Accelerated Reader (AR), which is widely used in UK schools and worldwide. AR is a whole-group reading management and monitoring programme that aims to stimulate the habit of independent reading among primary and secondary age pupils. The evaluation involved 349…

Cooperative Autonomy in Online Lingua Franca Exchanges: A Case Study on Foreign Language Education in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffstaedter, Petra; Kohn, Kurt

2016-01-01

We report on a case study on pedagogical affordances of intercultural telecollaboration for authentic communication practice and competence development in the local foreign language. Focus is on spoken and written conversations involving pairs of secondary school pupils of different linguacultural backgrounds. Particular attention is given to…

Changes in Perceptions of Studying for the GCSE among Year 10 and Year 11 Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Lynne; Hallam, Susan

2010-01-01

This research aimed to explore whether pupils' perceptions of studying for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) altered during the two-year period of study of this qualification. Six hundred and forty four pupils from eight schools in outer London completed a self-report questionnaire on two occasions, once in Year 10 and once in…

The role of parental risk judgements, transport safety attitudes, transport priorities and accident experiences on pupils' walking to school.

PubMed

Mehdizadeh, Milad; Nordfjaern, Trond; Mamdoohi, Amir Reza; Shariat Mohaymany, Afshin

2017-05-01

Walking to school could improve pupils' health condition and might also reduce the use of motorized transport modes, which leads to both traffic congestion and air pollution. The current study aims to examine the role of parental risk judgements (i.e. risk perception and worry), transport safety attitudes, transport priorities and accident experiences on pupils' walking and mode choices on school trips in Iran, a country with poor road safety records. A total of 1078 questionnaires were randomly distributed among pupils at nine public and private schools in January 2014 in Rasht, Iran. Results from valid observations (n=711) showed that parents with high probability assessments of accidents and strong worry regarding pupils' accident risk while walking were less likely to let their children walk to school. Parents with high safety knowledge were also more likely to allow their pupils to walk to school. Parents who prioritized convenience and accessibility in transport had a stronger tendency to choose motorized modes over walking modes. Also, parents who prioritized safety and security in transport were less likely to allow pupils to walk to school. Elasticities results showed that a one percent increase in priorities of convenience and accessibility, priorities of safety and security, car ownership and walking time from home to school reduced walking among pupils by a probability of 0.62, 0.20, 0.86 and 0.57%, respectively. A one percent increase in parental safety knowledge increased the walking probability by around 0.25%. A 1 unit increase in parental probability assessment and worry towards pupils' walking, decreased the probability of choosing walking mode by 0.11 and 0.05, respectively. Policy-makers who aim to promote walking to schools should improve safety and security of the walking facilities and increase parental safety knowledge. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Raising the Achievement of White Working Class Pupils: Good Practice in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Kirstin; Demie, Feyisa

2015-01-01

This research identifies strategies that schools have used to raise achievement among white working class pupils in multiracial schools. The methodological approach comprises case studies of schools and focus group interviews to ascertain the views of teachers, parents and children about strategies that worked to raise achievement. The study…

Middle School Pupil Writing and the Word Processor.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ediger, Marlow

Pupils in middle schools should have ample opportunities to write with the use of word processors. Legible writing in longhand will always be necessary in selected situations but, nevertheless, much drudgery is taken care of when using a word processor. Word processors tend to be very user friendly in that few mechanical skills are needed by the…

Exploring Teacher Trust in Technical/Vocational Secondary Schools: Male Teachers' Preference for Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Houtte, Mieke

2007-01-01

This article explores whether teachers' trust in pupils in technical/vocational schools is associated with teachers' and pupils' gender. As for the teachers, besides gender, age, socioeconomic origin, and subject taught are considered and, as for the pupils, the gender composition of the school (proportion of girls at school), the socioeconomic…

Rethinking Educational Leadership to Transform Pedagogical Practice to Help Improve the Attainment of Minority Ethnic Pupils: The Need for Leadership Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mistry, Malini; Sood, Krishan

2011-01-01

This study aims to explore how leaders are helping to close gaps of attainment for minority ethnic pupils in English schools, and in particular those pupils who have English as an Additional Language (EAL) in the primary and secondary sector. This is a comparative study across selected schools using qualitative approaches to help gain an insight…

Young people's views of mental health education in secondary schools: a Scottish study.

PubMed

Woolfson, R; Woolfson, L; Mooney, L; Bryce, D

2009-11-01

This exploratory study used mixed methods to investigate young people's preferences in the delivery of mental health education and to investigate possible age and gender differences. Information was gathered about the delivery of mental health education in three secondary schools. Nine pupil focus groups were carried out to identify key themes which were then further developed and administered through questionnaires to a larger sample of 773 pupils. Gender and age differences were found in young people's preferences about who should deliver mental health education, and what, when, where and how this should be delivered. Mental health education should reflect the needs of young people. Age and gender preferences should be considered when designing these programmes.

The Voice of the Pupils: An Experimental Comparison of Decisions Made by Elected Pupil Councils, Pupils in Referenda, and Teaching Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilljam, Mikael; Esaiasson, Peter; Lindholm, Torun

2010-01-01

This article tests whether the form of decision-making used in school environments affects pupils' views on the legitimacy of the decisions made, and of the decision-making procedure. Building on political science theory on democratic decision-making, it compares pupils' reactions towards decisions made by pupil councils, by pupils via referendum,…

Should We Be Encouraging Pupils to Ask More Questions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittaker, Andrew

2012-01-01

This article investigates the issue of secondary school pupils asking questions. This is an important topic on which very little has been published to date. The article reviews the current literature, which almost exclusively reports the lack of student initiated, content related questioning in classrooms. A small study is described that…

"You Get Lost When You Gotta Blimmin Watch the Damn Words." Another Look at Reading in the Junior Secondary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicholson, Tom

A New Zealand study revealed that many secondary school reading tasks are both complex and potentially confusing for pupils. Researchers joined two classes at the junior high and high school levels, and followed the students to their major content area classes--English, math, science, and social studies--for two terms. Conversations with the 60…

Teachers' and pupils' definitions of bullying.

PubMed

Naylor, Paul; Cowie, Helen; Cossin, Fabienne; de Bettencourt, Rita; Lemme, Francesca

2006-09-01

Comparison of teachers' and pupils' definitions of bullying is important for considering the implications for reports of its incidence in schools, for the study of developmental trends in children's and adolescents' perceptions of the phenomenon and for evaluating the effectiveness of interventions designed to combat bullying. To investigate the effects of gender, teacher/pupil status and, for pupils, bullied/non-bullied (target/non-target) status and age on the definition of bullying. Teachers (N=225: 158 women, 67 men) and pupils (N=1,820: 466 boys, 460 girls were 11-12 years old, year 7, and 415 boys, 479 girls were 13-14 years, year 9) in 51 UK secondary schools participated in a questionnaire survey. A total of 557 of the pupils (117 girls and 117 boys aged 11-12 years, and 197 girls and 126 boys aged 13-14 years) reported that they had been bullied at some time in their present school. Written questionnaire responses to the question, 'Say what you think bullying is' have been content analysed to derive two sets of categories, one of bullying behaviour and the other of effects of bullying on the target. Regarding both bullying behaviour and the effects of bullying on the target, teachers - by comparison with pupils - have been found to express more comprehensive ideas in their definitions. Specifically, pupils compared with teachers are more likely to restrict their definitions to direct bullying (verbal and/or physical abuse) and are less likely to refer to social exclusion, a power imbalance in the bully's favour and the bully's intention to cause the target hurt or harm and to feel threatened. Analysis of definitions on the bases of sex, pupil age and target/non-target status show that: targets are more likely than non-targets are to refer to the bully's physically and verbally abusive behaviour, and for Year 7 compared with Year 9 pupils, to suggest that bullies socially exclude targets; girls are more likely than boys are to mention verbal abuse and the

The Potential Role of Schools and Teachers in the Character Development of Young People in England: Perspectives from Pupils and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

See, Beng Huat; Arthur, James

2011-01-01

This paper considers the potential role of schools and teachers in the character development of pupils aged 10-19. It is based largely on the views of 5207 pupils in England, drawn from 25 state schools, including five primaries. Data include document contents, interviews and surveys with pupils and their teachers. Pupil accounts suggest that…

Primary School Pupils' Perceptions of Water in the Context of STS Study Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Havu-Nuutinen, Sari; Karkkainen, Sirpa; Keinonen, Tuula

2011-01-01

This paper focuses on pupils' perceptions of water issues. The instructional situations take place in a Finnish primary school and aim at introducing the Science-Technology-Society (STS) study approach. The primary aim of this study is, in the context of STS instruction, to describe issues that pupils associate with water. This paper involves…

Diagnostics of Pupils' Meta-Subject Competence during Lessons on Mathematics in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khuziakhmetova, Anvar N.; Naumova, Marina V.

2016-01-01

The relevance of diagnostic meta-subject competence measures in secondary schools is caused by the fact that the importance of a meta-subject competence formation was officially defined in educational standards, but there are still no qualitative and informative diagnostic tools for this competence development. The purpose of the article is to…

Teaching Experimental Design to Elementary School Pupils in Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karampelas, Konstantinos

2016-01-01

This research is a study about the possibility to promote experimental design skills to elementary school pupils. Experimental design and the experiment process are foundational elements in current approaches to Science Teaching, as they provide learners with profound understanding about knowledge construction and science inquiry. The research was…

Healthy and unhealthy eating at lower secondary school in Norway.

PubMed

Hilsen, Marit; Eikemo, Terje A; Bere, Elling

2010-11-01

To assess adolescents' eating/drinking habits of a selection of healthy and unhealthy food items at school, variations in gender and socioeconomic status in these eating habits, and variations between the schools. A cross-sectional study among 2870 adolescents (mean age: 15.5 years) within the Fruits and Vegetables Make the Marks (FVMM) project. A survey questionnaire was completed by the pupils in the classroom in the presence of a trained project worker. One school lesson (45 minutes) was used to complete the questionnaire. A total of two healthy (fruit and vegetables (FV), water) and five unhealthy (candy and/or potato chips, sweet bakery, instant noodles, regular soft drinks, and diet soft drinks) food items were assessed by food frequency questions. All variables were dichotomised to less than once a week and once a week or more. Several pupils reported to consume snacks (33%), sweet bakery (36%) and regular soft drinks (24%) at school at least once a week. The proportion of pupils who reported to eat FV at least once a week (40%) was low. Girls and pupils with plans of higher education had a more favourable intake of healthy versus unhealthy food items at school. In two-level variance component analyses the proportional school variation ranged from 3.4% (diet soft drinks) to 30.7% (noodles). A large number of adolescents consume unhealthy food items at school and few eat FV. Large differences were observed between groups of pupils and between the schools in consumption of these foods.

Setting or Mixed Ability? Teachers' Views of the Organisation of Pupils for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Chris M. M.; Sutherland, Margaret J.

2003-01-01

This paper examines how staff in schools formulate decisions about pupil organisation. A small sample of primary and secondary schools from across Scotland was involved in the study. In 1996 Her Majesty's Inspectors published a report entitled "Achievement for All" (SOEID, 1996) which, it was envisaged, would form the basis of school…

Oregon Pupil Transportation Manual, 1989.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Dept. of Education, Salem.

This manual provides school bus drivers and school officials with pertinent material relating to safe and efficent school transportation. Chapter I presents the laws governing pupil transportation. Oregon motor vehicle laws are identified by an ORS (Oregon Revised Statute) number, and pupil transportation regulations are identified by an OAR…

Assessment Accommodations for Foreign Pupils in the Light of Educational Justice: Empirical Research among Slovenian Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mihelic, Mojca Žveglic

2017-01-01

The starting points of primary school pupils in a foreign country differ significantly from those of native pupils. In Slovenia, the knowledge of pupils who are foreign citizens (foreign pupils) may be assessed with different accommodations for no more than two years. The presented research conducted on a representative sample of 697 Slovenian…

Links between Success in Non-Measurement and Calculation Tasks in Area and Volume Measurement and Pupils' Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tumová, Veronika; Vondrová, Nada

2017-01-01

Measurement in geometry is one of the key areas of school mathematics, however, pupils make serious mistakes when solving problems involving measurement and hold misconceptions. This article focuses on the possible links between lower secondary pupils' (n = 870) success in solving non-measurement tasks and calculations tasks on area and volume and…

A small-scale study investigating staff and student perceptions of the barriers to a preventative approach for adolescent self-harm in secondary schools in Wales-a grounded theory model of stigma.

PubMed

Parker, Rachel

2018-06-01

Grounded theory analysis of secondary school staff and pupil perceptions about the barriers to preventative work for adolescent self-harm within the secondary school setting in Wales. Qualitative and grounded theory. Two secondary schools in Wales were purposefully sampled for variation. Four group interviews took place using qualitative research methods (Participatory Rapid Appraisal) with six school-based professionals and six students aged more than 16 years. Three pupil participants had long-term experience themselves of self-harming behaviours; all the remaining participants had encountered pupils who self-harmed. The research interviews were transcribed verbatim, generating school context-dependent information. This was analysed through the logic of abduction using the constant comparative grounded theory method because of its ability to focus on axial coding for context. The ontology that shaped this work was critical realism within a public health paradigm. A theoretical model of stigma resulted from the grounded theory analytical process, specifically in relation to staff and student perceptions about adolescent self-harm within the institutional context. This meant that social-based behaviours in the secondary school setting centred on the topic and behaviour of adolescent self-harm were structured by stigma. The findings of this study offer an explanation on the exclusion of adolescent self-harm from preventative work in secondary schools. The stigma model demonstrates that adolescent self-harm is excluded from the socio-cultural norms of the institutional setting. Applying the UK Equality Act (2010), this is discrimination. Further research on the institutional-level factors impacting adolescent self-harm in the secondary school context in England and Wales is now urgently needed. Copyright © 2018 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Satisfaction with the program of school bullying prevention and mental health promotion - cross sectional study among primary school pupils in Mostar.

PubMed

Černi Obrdalj, Edita; Zadro, Kristina; Batić-Mujanović, Olivera; Zalihić, Amra

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of experience in school bullying and family violence, satisfaction with the preventive-promotional program, knowledge about methods for opposing violence and attitudes toward the role of the family physician in bullying prevention. The project was conducted by family physicians, nurses and sixth year medical students. The target group were 5th to 8th grade pupils of two primary schools randomly selected by computer. Basic information about the presence and types of bullying, the long-term consequences of violence and methods to oppose violent behavior was given as an interactive lecture to large groups of pupils. After the lecture, pupils received questionnaires about their experience of school violence, satisfaction with the program and their opinion about the role of the family physician in bullying prevention. The results of the short term outcome evaluation of the program show that younger pupils evaluate the program better than older ones. Furthermore, we found that the frequency of experienced violence is not connected with satisfaction with the program. Most students have never experienced violence in schools and families, 5th and 6th grade students showed greater satisfaction with training, better knowledge of help in case of violence and a more positive attitude towards medical help. We found no significant differences in pupil's satisfaction with the program, knowledge about methods of opposing violence and attitudes towards the role of the family physician in bullying prevention, in relation to the frequency of experience of family violence and school violence. Copyright © 2014 by Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Conceptions Associated with Sense of Belonging in Different School Placements for Finnish Pupils with Special Education Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pesonen, Henri; Kontu, Elina; Saarinen, Minna; Pirttimaa, Raija

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine conceptions associated with sense of belonging (SEBE) in Finnish general and special school placements for pupils with special education needs. Five pupils were selected for this study by means of purposive sampling. They had a history of several school placements prior to arriving at their current special…

The Link between Academies in England, Pupil Outcomes and Local Patterns of Socio-Economic Segregation between Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorard, Stephen

2014-01-01

This paper considers the pupil intakes to Academies in England, and their attainment, based on a re-analysis of figures from the Annual Schools Census 1989-2012, the Department for Education School Performance Tables 2004-2012 and the National Pupil Database. It looks at the national picture, and the situation for Local Education Authorities, and…

Pupils' and Teachers' Perceptions of a Culminating Festival within a Sport Education Season in Irish Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinchin, Gary D.; Macphail, Ann; Chroinin, Deirdre Ni

2009-01-01

Background: While there is considerable literature on Sport Education, little attention has been afforded to an investigation into the use of a specific festival as a culmination to a season. Aims: The purpose of this paper is to examine primary school pupils' and teachers' perceptions of an inter-school festival. Methods: Pupils from eight…

Contrasting Knowledge for Elementary and Secondary Mathematics Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowland, Tim

2012-01-01

This paper describes and analyses two mathematics lessons, one with very young pupils, about subtraction, the other for lower secondary school pupils, about gradients [slopes] and graphs. The focus of the analysis is on teacher knowledge, and on the fundamental mathematical and mathematics-pedagogical prerequisites that underpin teaching these…

Enhancing Pupils' Aspirations to University: The St Andrews Sutton Trust School Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lasselle, Laurence; Keir, Fraser; Smith, Ian

2009-01-01

The Sutton Trust Summer School offers to S5/Year 12 pupils the opportunity to sample student life for a week at one of five selecting universities in the UK. Most of the participants on the Sutton Trust Summer School will be the first generation in their family to attend university and have come from schools which traditionally send low numbers to…

How Is Interreligious Sensitivity Related to Finnish Pupils' Religiousness Profiles?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuusisto, Elina; Kuusisto, Arniika; Kallioniemi, Arto

2016-01-01

This paper examines, through a non-probability sample of 451 Finnish lower secondary-school pupils belonging to the 15- to 16-year-old age group, how interreligious sensitivity is related to religiousness profiles of Finnish youth. The data were gathered in two geographical locations: Helsinki, Finland's capital, and a smaller municipality in the…

The Rating System of the Rural School Pupils' Assessment of the Republic of Kazakhstan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bibigul, Almurzayeva; Orynkul, Shunkeyeva; Lyudmila, Karavanova; Aelita, Sagiyeva

2015-01-01

Currently, comprehensive school teachers of the Republic of Kazakhstan pay special attention to assessment system of pupils' knowledge based on personally oriented approach. In work "A black box: what there inside? An assessment of knowledge of pupils as a way of increase of efficiency of teaching and educational process" P. Blek and D.…

Consolidation of Schools and Transportation of Pupils. Bulletin, 1923, No. 41

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abel, J. F.

1923-01-01

The rural school project of the continental United States consists in educating over 18 million young people between the ages of 5 and 20 who live in small towns and villages, or in the open country. The 300,000 or more schools classified as rural enrolled nearly 12.5 million pupils in 1920, employed 425,00 teachers, supervisors, and principals,…

Per Pupil Expenditure, Graduation Rates, and ACT Scores in Tennessee School Districts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvin, Jay Andrew

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify possible relationships between academic achievement, as measured by high school graduation rate and ACT composite scores of individual school districts within the state of Tennessee, and the per-pupil expenditure of each district. Research was conducted to determine whether a significant…

A Mokken Scale to Assess Secondary Pupils' Experience of Violence in Terms of Severity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mooij, Ton

2012-01-01

Violence assessment can potentially be improved by Item Response Theory, that is, ordinal Mokken Scale Analysis. The research question is as follows: Does Mokken Scale Analysis of secondary pupils' experience of violence result in a homogeneous, reliable, and valid unidimensional scale that fits all the requirements of Mokken scaling? The method…

Physical health status of pupils in a school for the mentally disabled in Lagos.

PubMed

Ezeaka, V C; Iroha, E O

2003-12-01

The study set out to assess the health status of pupils of a school for children with mental disability. The school is Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care and Treatment Home School, Akoka, Lagos. The records of 211 pupils were reviewed and the pupils were clinically examined by the author. Seventy-four (35.1%) of the subjects had complete immunization, 48(22.7%) had incomplete immunization while 44(20.9%) received no immunization. The probable aetiology of mental disability in the subjects was due to postnatal causes (96; 45.5%), natal causes (44; 20.8%), prenatal causes (12; 5.7%) and unknown (59; 28.0%). The most abnormal findings on physical examination were in the central nervous system (199; 94.3%), the musculoskeletal system (137; 64.9%), the mouth/teeth (125; 59.2%) and the skin (98; 46.4%). These findings were worse amongst the residential students than in the non-residential students (p < 0.001). The information obtained from this study will help to serve as a reference for purposes of health planning and policy formulation for children with mental disability.

High School Pupils' Understanding of Peer Counselling and Willingness to Use it for Different Types of Bullying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boulton, Michael John

2014-01-01

Bullying affects a substantial proportion of school pupils, and peer counselling services have been established to help tackle this problem. The present study aimed to further the understanding of why affected pupils do or do not choose to utilise this form of social support. Pupils ("N" = 99, aged 12-16 years) from the UK were asked…

Pupil Personnel Services: Statement of Functions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cardinale, Anthony

This statement of function for pupil personnel services (PPS) in the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DDDS) focuses on the support role of pupil personnel workers. General, program, and specific functions of school counselors and psychologists, social workers, educational prescriptionists, school health nurses, and resident hall advisors…

Estimating the Effect of School Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Improvements on Pupil Health Outcomes.

PubMed

Garn, Joshua V; Brumback, Babette A; Drews-Botsch, Carolyn D; Lash, Timothy L; Kramer, Michael R; Freeman, Matthew C

2016-09-01

We conducted a cluster-randomized water, sanitation, and hygiene trial in 185 schools in Nyanza province, Kenya. The trial, however, had imperfect school-level adherence at many schools. The primary goal of this study was to estimate the causal effects of school-level adherence to interventions on pupil diarrhea and soil-transmitted helminth infection. Schools were divided into water availability groups, which were then randomized separately into either water, sanitation, and hygiene intervention arms or a control arm. School-level adherence to the intervention was defined by the number of intervention components-water, latrines, soap-that had been adequately implemented. The outcomes of interest were pupil diarrhea and soil-transmitted helminth infection. We used a weighted generalized structural nested model to calculate prevalence ratio. In the water-scarce group, there was evidence of a reduced prevalence of diarrhea among pupils attending schools that adhered to two or to three intervention components (prevalence ratio = 0.28, 95% confidence interval: 0.10, 0.75), compared with what the prevalence would have been had the same schools instead adhered to zero components or one. In the water-available group, there was no evidence of reduced diarrhea with better adherence. For the soil-transmitted helminth infection and intensity outcomes, we often observed point estimates in the preventive direction with increasing intervention adherence, but primarily among girls, and the confidence intervals were often very wide. Our instrumental variable point estimates sometimes suggested protective effects with increased water, sanitation, and hygiene intervention adherence, although many of the estimates were imprecise.

Physical activity promotion in schools: which strategies do schools (not) implement and which socioecological factors are associated with implementation?

PubMed

Cardon, Greet M; Van Acker, Ragnar; Seghers, Jan; De Martelaer, Kristine; Haerens, Leen L; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse M M

2012-06-01

We studied the implementation and associated factors of strategies (e.g. sports after school and during lunch break, active schoolyards, active school commuting) and organizational principles (e.g. safe bike racks, pupil involvement) that facilitate the physical activity (PA)-promoting role of schools. Key representatives of 111 elementary and 125 secondary schools filled out an online survey. Less than half of the elementary schools organized sports during lunch-break or after school. In secondary schools the least implemented strategies were the promotion of active school commuting and after-school sports. In general pupil, parental and community involvement scored low. Better knowledge of community schools and having attended in-service training were associated with higher implementation scores in elementary and secondary schools. Better implementation of the strategies was found in larger schools. Participation in activities from the School Sports Association and more perceived interest from parents and the school board were also associated with higher implementation scores. In conclusion, knowledge of community schools and in-service training next to sufficient human resources are potential key factors to promote PA. Efforts are needed to convince and help schools to increase parental and pupil involvement and to build a policy on school-community partnerships.

Course of Study for EMR Pupils in the Elementary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Los Angeles City Schools, CA. Div. of Instructional Planning and Services.

The course of study contains a detailed, developmental outline for use by teachers of educable mentally retarded pupils in elementary school. It is noted that the course is intended to be supplemented by two other publications. Program purpose is given to include fostering adjustment to physical environment, responsible family membership, civic…

1976-77 California Public Schools Selected Statistics: Operating Units, Revenues, Teachers and Pupils, Expenditures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento. Bureau of School Apportionments and Reports.

Statistics on the California school system presented in this publication are prerequisites to the determination of policy at the state and local levels. This publication lists the number of pupils, teachers, and schools in the California school system and associated programs in the 1976-77 school year. It also records the expenditures of public…

Boys' Boarding School Management: Understanding the Choice Criteria of Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vigar-Ellis, Debbie

2013-01-01

The South African secondary boarding school sector has become more competitive as schools attempt to attract and retain pupils. Management of such schools must not only address the educational and boarding needs of pupils, but also apply appropriate management and marketing principles to compete effectively with boarding schools throughout the…

A cognitive perspective on Singaporean primary school pupils' use of reading strategies in learning to read in English.

PubMed

Zhang, Lawrence Jun; Gu, Peter Yongqi; Hu, Guangwei

2008-06-01

This study is conducted in Singapore, where learning to read in English is regarded as essential because it is offered as a First Language (L1) subject in the curriculum and is stipulated as the medium of instruction in the education system, and the mother tongues are offered as Second Language (L2) subjects, although the majority still learn English as an L2. The paper reports on the reading strategies used by Singaporean primary school pupils from a cognitive perspective, which is part of a larger study that aims to investigate these pupils' language learning strategies. The participants were 18 pupils from three neighbourhood primary schools, in grades Primary 4, 5 and 6. The data were collected from high- and low-proficiency pupils at each of the three grades in each school, who read two texts at each level. Grounded in an information-processing theory and based on successful experiences of scholars using think-aloud for data collection, we asked the pupils to read and report what they were thinking about while reading. The think-aloud protocols were recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed. The results suggest that participants' flexible and appropriate use of reading strategies varies according to language proficiency and grade level, with the high-proficiency group outperforming its lower-proficiency counterpart and the high-graders outnumbering the lower-graders in terms of the number of strategies that they used. These differences were also exemplified with qualitative findings from case studies. The use of reading strategies differs according to proficiency levels, and the quality of pupils' strategy-use patterns has more significant implications for understanding efficient reading among primary school pupils.

Raising Achievement of English as Additional Language Pupils in Schools: Implications for Policy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demie, Feyisa; Lewis, Kirstin

2018-01-01

This study looks at schools that serve English as an additional language (EAL) pupils and examines the factors behind their successful achievement. A complementary methodological approach of case studies and focus groups was used to explore performance and the views of teachers, governors, parents and pupils, and to evaluate and gather evidence on…

Nutritional status of urban and rural primary school pupils in Lagos State, Nigeria.

PubMed

Ekekezie, O O; Odeyemi, K A; Ibeabuchi, N M

2012-01-01

This study was carried out in Lagos State in Ikorodu LGA (rural), a largely agrarian area producing raw materials for agro-allied industries and Ikeja LGA (urban), a highly-developed metropolis and commercial centre. Hitherto, studies showed that undernutrition had been the main form of malnutrition among Nigerian children. However with influences from urbanization, westernization and globalization in cosmopolitan Lagos, it is imperative to find out if the global epidemic of overweight and obesity has caught on. To compare the nutritional status of primary school pupils in urban and rural LGAs in Lagos State, Nigeria. This was a cross , sectional comparative study. A multistage sampling method was adopted. Data were collected from 529 pupils with an interviewer administered questionnaire. Their weight and height were recorded in pre-designed proforma and converted to nutritional indices. The prevalence rates of underweight, stunting and wasting in the rural area were 49.6%, 50.8% and 24.2% respectively; while it was 15.1%, 16.6% and 13.6% in the urban area respectively. There was overnutrition in the urban area: 15.1% were overweight and 13.2% were obese. The mean nutritional indices were significantly lower among the rural pupils than urban pupils (p<0.001) in each case. Undernutrition is still a major health problem among school children in Lagos State, Nigeria, more so in the rural area. There is an emergence of overweight and obesity in the urban area. A comprehensive programme to improve nutritional status is recommended as part of a well funded school health programme.

Family influences on breakfast frequency and quality among primary school pupils in Warsaw and its surrounding areas.

PubMed

Zielińska, Monika; Hamułka, Jadwiga; Gajda, Karolina

2015-01-01

Regular consumption of a well balanced breakfast is a pre-requisite for normal growth and child development, along with the acquisition of proper eating habits. The family environment is crucial place where children learn such patterns of behaviour that form the basis for their development. To determine how family factors affect the regular eating of breakfast and types of foodstuffs consumed in primary school pupils, including food purchases made from vending machines and school tuck shops. Subjects were 836 pupils (435 girls and 401 boys, aged 6 - 13) from Warsaw and the surrounding areas. Appropriate socio-demographic data and relevant eating habits were obtained from direct interviewing of the subjects by means of a custom designed questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed by the Kohonen type cluster analysis model and Chi-square test (Chi(2)); (p≤0.05). Three clusters of pupils were identified by their differing socio-demographics and eating habits (eg. rates of breakfast consumption, buying from vending machines or school tuck shops). The first and third clusters were mainly pupils from two-parent families with parents proportionally spending similar times at work, where respective breakfast (87% and 91%) and second breakfast (77% and 72%) consumption rates were also similar together with food shopping rates during school time (respectively 69% and 63%). Pupils with single-parents, multi-generation families or if both parents were profession- ally active, predominated in the second cluster. These ate breakfast (73%) and second breakfast (67%) more rarely, but more frequently shopped for food at school (84%). A small number of pupils had a packed second breakfast from home, rarely ate sandwiches, fruit and/or vegetables and dairy products but ate more sweets, sweet rolls and savoury snacks. However, a large number of subjects bought sandwiches, fresh fruit and/or vegetables and fast-food at school. Family factors were found to affect eating habits

The Impact of Lack of Resources on Declining Students' Enrolments in Design and Technology in Botswana Junior Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaotlhobogwe, Michael

2012-01-01

Lack of resources has resulted in declining students' enrolment in design and technology in Botswana junior secondary schools by up to 6% per year over 10 years, despite positive encouragement by the government. Based on the PATT (pupils' attitude towards technology) theoretical framework this study indicated how a lack of resources in Botswana…

Teachers' and parents' views on the Internet and social media usage by pupils with intellectual disabilities.

PubMed

Molin, Martin; Sorbring, Emma; Löfgren-Mårtenson, Lotta

2015-03-01

This article reports experiences from a Swedish study, discussing teachers' and parents' views on how young people with intellectual disabilities use the Internet and social media. Five semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with teachers (n = 8) in special programmes in upper secondary schools for pupils with intellectual disabilities and parents (n = 5) of pupils in the same form of schooling, and they were analysed with thematic analysis. Teachers more strongly emphasize a pupil's use of the Internet for interactive purposes. Parents had expectations that the Internet could be a tool for gaining more awareness of one's own disability and a way to meet other peer group pupils. Teachers' and parents' perspectives on the Internet and social media usage are important since it is imperative to show how support can be provided for young people with intellectual disabilities. © The Author(s) 2014.

Finnish Pupils' Views on the Place of Religion in School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuusisto, Arniika; Poulter, Saila; Kallioniemi, Arto

2017-01-01

This mixed method study examines Finnish pupils' (N = 825; age groups 12-13, 15-16) views on the place of religion in the public school. Religious landscape in Finnish society has changed significantly in recent years, as the "new" diversity (Vertovec 2015) has supplemented the "old" one. The role of institutionalized religion…

Pass Rates in Primary School Leaving Examination in Tanzania: Implication for Efficient Allocation of Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kassile, Telemu

2014-01-01

This paper examines regional differentials in pass rates in Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in Mainland Tanzania. In particular, the paper investigates the effects of pupil-teacher ratio (PTR), pupil-latrine ratio (PLR), pupil-classroom ratio (PCR), availability of electricity in schools, and secondary school and above education of women…

The effect of a school-based intervention on sunbed use in Danish pupils at continuation schools: a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Aarestrup, Cecilie; Bonnesen, Camilla T; Thygesen, Lau C; Krarup, Anne F; Waagstein, Anne B; Jensen, Poul D; Bentzen, Joan

2014-02-01

To examine the effect of an educational intervention on sunbed use and intentions and attitudes toward sunbed use in 14- to 18-year-olds at continuation schools. We randomized 33 continuation schools either to receive the educational intervention (n = 16) or to be controls (n = 17). Intervention schools received an e-magazine addressing the health risks of sunbed use. Information on behavior and intentions and attitudes toward sunbed use was gathered through self-administrated questionnaires before the intervention and at 6 months as a follow-up. The effect of the intervention was examined by multilevel linear regression and logistic regression. Sunbed use was significantly lower at follow-up among pupils at intervention schools versus pupils at control schools (girls: odds ratio .60, 95% confidence interval .42-.86; Boys: odds ratio .58, 95% confidence interval .35-.96). The intervention had no effect on intention to use sunbeds or attitudes toward sunbed use. The analyses revealed a significant impact of school on attitudes toward sunbed; the intraclass correlation coefficient was estimated to be 6.0% and 7.8% for girls and boys, respectively. The findings from the present study provide new evidence of a positive effect of an educational intervention on sunbed use among pupils aged 14-18 years at continuation schools. Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

School Nurses' Descriptions of Concerns Arising during Pupils' Health Check-Ups: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poutiainen, Hannele; Holopainen, Arja; Hakulinen-Viitanen, Tuovi; Laatikainen, Tiina

2015-01-01

Objective: To describe the concerns and modes of action of Finnish school nurses during pupils' health check-ups. Methods: Focus group interviews with 17 school nurses were performed in 2011 and again in 2013. Data were analysed using inductive content analysis. Results: School nurses' concerns were mostly associated with the psychosocial…

Effect of the Implicit Combinatorial Model on Combinatorial Reasoning in Secondary School Pupils.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batanero, Carmen; And Others

1997-01-01

Elementary combinatorial problems may be classified into three different combinatorial models: (1) selection; (2) partition; and (3) distribution. The main goal of this research was to determine the effect of the implicit combinatorial model on pupils' combinatorial reasoning before and after instruction. Gives an analysis of variance of the…

FREQUENCY OF FEET DEFORMITIES IN PUPILS ATTENDING JUNIOR GRADES OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PubMed Central

Kendić, Sulejman; Skender, Nijaz; Ćatović, Amra; Čeleš, Naim; Dupljak, Indira; Ćatović, Sejdo

2007-01-01

The examination of feet by plantograph was performed in 552 pupils of first, second and fourth grades of elementary school “Harmani II” in Bihać. Examination revealed 201 children (36,42%) with satisfactory condition (pedes recti) while 351 pupils were diagnosed with certain form of feet deformity. Frequencies of feet deformities in girls are 60,00% in first, 65,19% in second and 66,30% in fourth grade. Average frequency of feet deformities in the examined girls is 64,90%. Pedes plani was found in 24,91% pupils. Fequencies of feet deformities in boys are 61,29% in first, 65,54% in second and 52,54% in fourth grade. Average frequency of feet deformities in the examined boys is 62,17%. Pedes plani is the most frequent deformity (23,83%). PMID:17848147

The Impact of Drama on Pupils' Language, Mathematics, and Attitude in Two Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleming, Mike; Merrell, Christine; Tymms, Peter

2004-01-01

This article reports on research which examined the impact of The National Theatre's Transformation drama project on young pupils' reading, mathematics, attitude, self-concept and creative writing in primary schools. Two of the schools taking part in Transformation were matched to two Control schools in the first two years of the project.…

Distributing Federal Education Aid to Low Achievement Pupils: The Predicted Achievement Method.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldstein, Martin

This paper examines the feasibility of distributing Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I aid among school districts according to the educational achievement of pupils in each district. The "predicted achievement method" would permit the distribution of aid on the basis of population characteristics in a way that, on average,…

Logical positivism as a tool to analyse the problem of chemistry's lack of relevance in secondary school chemical education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Aalsvoort, Joke

2004-09-01

Secondary school chemical education has a problem: namely, the seeming irrelevance to the pupils of chemistry. Chemical education prepares pupils for participation in society. Therefore, it must imply a model of society, of chemistry, and of the relation between them. In this article it is hypothesized that logical positivism currently offers this model. Logical positivism is a philosophy of science that creates a divide between science and society. It is therefore further hypothesized that the adoption of logical positivism causes chemistry's lack of relevance in chemical education. Both hypotheses could be confirmed by an analysis of a grade nine course.

Engaging Pupils in the Science, Engineering and Technology of a Low-Energy School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charnley, Fiona; Fleming, Paul; Fleming, Margaret; Mill, Greig

2010-01-01

The UK Government's Building Schools for the Future programme has provided schools with a unique opportunity to improve education for sustainable development substantially by giving pupils the chance to study within a real-life context. This article documents an engagement project in which experts in low-energy building design are facilitating…

The Leading Group Effect: Illusionary Declines in Scholastic Standard Scores of Mid-Range Japanese Junior High School Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mori, Kazuo; Uchida, Akitoshi

2012-01-01

Longitudinal change in the average Z scores for four groups of pupils sorted by quartiles was examined for its stability over three years. The data, collected from 1998 to 2009, was obtained from nine cohorts of Japanese junior high school pupils totaling 1,962 subjects. It showed illusionary declines among the mid-range pupils but improvements…

A qualitative study of a food intervention in a primary school: Pupils as agents of change.

PubMed

Ensaff, H; Canavon, C; Crawford, R; Barker, M E

2015-12-01

This study explored the impact of a school-based kitchen project at a large inner London school. Timetabled kitchen classroom sessions (90 min every fortnight) were held with all 7-9 year old pupils. Semi-structured focus group discussions (with 76 pupils, 16 parents) and interviews (with headteachers, catering managers and specialist staff) were conducted at the intervention school and a matched control school. Categories and concepts were derived using a grounded theory approach. Data analysis provided three main categories each with their related concepts: Pupil factors (enthusiasm and enjoyment of cooking, trying new foods, food knowledge and awareness, producing something tangible); School factors (learning and curriculum links, resource implications and external pressures) and Home factors (take home effects, confidence in cooking and self-esteem, parents' difficulties cooking at home with children). Children's engagement and the opportunity to cook supported increased food awareness, skills and food confidence. In the grounded theory that emerged, take home effects beyond the school gate dominate, as children act as agents of change and influence cooking and food choice at home. These short term outcomes have the potential to lead to longer term outcomes including changing eating behaviour and diet. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Just How Much Can School Pupils Learn from School Gardening? A Study of Two Supervised Agricultural Experience Approaches in Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okiror, John James; Matsiko, Biryabaho Frank; Oonyu, Joseph

2011-01-01

School systems in Africa are short of skills that link well with rural communities, yet arguments to vocationalize curricula remain mixed and school agriculture lacks the supervised practical component. This study, conducted in eight primary (elementary) schools in Uganda, sought to compare the learning achievement of pupils taught using…

Tests as Boundary Signifiers: Level 6 Tests and the Primary Secondary Divide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coldwell, Mike; Willis, Ben

2017-01-01

This paper addresses the question: How do teachers and school leaders respond to high stakes testing of pupils transitioning from primary to secondary school? It explores how a new test, the Level 6 test, operated with regard to primary/secondary school relationships in England. It draws on an analysis of qualitative interviews with teachers and…

Affiliation to School: Measures and Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Chris

2016-01-01

The degree of affiliation which pupils develop towards their schools is an important factor in their engagement and success. It has also been a matter of concern at the time of transfer from primary to secondary school. This article describes the development of a brief method for identifying the degree of affiliation which pupils feel, and also…

Effect of a mental health training programme on Nigerian school pupils' perceptions of mental illness.

PubMed

Oduguwa, Adeola Oluwafunmilayo; Adedokun, Babatunde; Omigbodun, Olayinka Olusola

2017-01-01

Stigmatizing attitudes and discriminatory behaviour towards persons with mental illness are known to start in childhood. In Nigeria, it is not unusual to see children taunting persons with mental illness. This behaviour continues into adulthood as evidenced by the day-to-day occurrences in the community of negative attitudes and social distance from persons with mental illness. School-based interventions for pupils have been found to increase knowledge about mental illness. Children are recognised as potential agents of change bringing in new ways of thinking. This study determined the effect of a 3-day mental health training for school pupils in Southwest Nigeria, on the perceptions of and social distance towards persons with mental illness. A total of 205 school pupils drawn from two administrative wards were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The mean age of the pupils was 14.91 years (±1.3). The pupils in the intervention group received a 5-h mental health training session spaced out over 3-days. Apart from didactic lectures, case history presentations and discussions and role-play were part the training. Outcome measures were rated using a knowledge, attitude and social distance questionnaire at baseline, immediately following the training for both group and 3-week post intervention for the intervention group. A Student Evaluation Form was administered to evaluate the pupils' assessment of the training programme. Frequencies, Chi square statistics, paired t test were used to analyse the data received. At immediate post-intervention, the intervention group had a significantly higher mean knowledge score compared to controls, 21.1 vs. 22.0; p = 0.097 to 26.1 vs 22.0; p < 0.01. Respondents in the intervention group had a higher mean attitude score of 5.8 compared to 5.6 in the control group although this was not statistically significant (p < 0.627). Comparisons within the intervention group from baseline to immediate post

Diverse Perspectives on Pupil Health among Professionals in School-Based Multi-Professional Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guva, Gunilla; Hylander, Ingrid

2012-01-01

Internationally, educators have proposed a shift from a narrow diagnostic view to a holistic and salutogenic perspective on pupils' school-related difficulties. There is, however, little evidence to suggest that such a shift has taken place, despite being talked about by school administrators. In Sweden such a shift is proposed through a new…

Prevalence for Private Tuition among Parents, Teachers and Pupils in Public Primary Schools in Machakos County

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirigwi, Lucy Wambui; Maithya, Redempta

2016-01-01

Private tuition refers to tutoring offered outside mainstream teaching. The study sought to establish the difference in prevalence for private tuition among parents, teachers and pupils in public primary schools in Machakos County. The study employed descriptive survey design. The target populations were all teachers, parents and pupils of public…

Free Secondary Education in France before and after the Revolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, R. R.

1974-01-01

Before the French Revolution, in 1789, 46 percent of the pupils in public secondary schools received free instruction compared to 13 percent of the pupils in 1842. The article examines the means by which the conclusion is arrived at, assesses its validity, and comments on some of its implications. (Author/SM)

Deaf Pupils' Reasoning about Scientific Phenomena: School Science as a Framework for Understanding or as Fragments of Factual Knowledge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molander, B. O.; Pedersen, Svend; Norell, Kia

2001-01-01

A Swedish interview study of how deaf pupils reason about phenomena in a science context revealed significant variation in the extent to which pupils used scientific principles for reasoning about science phenomena, which suggests that for some pupils, school science offers little as a framework for reasoning. (Contains references.) (DB)

The GeoBus project: a mobile Earth science outreach project for secondary schools in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, R. A.; Roper, K. A.; Macfarlane, D.; Pike, C.

2013-12-01

GeoBus is an educational outreach project that was developed in 2012 by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews. It is sponsored jointly by industry and the UK Research Councils (NERC and EPSRC). The aims of GeoBus are to support the teaching of Earth Science in secondary (high) schools by providing teaching resources that are not readily available to educators, to inspire young learners by incorporating new science research outcomes in teaching activities, and to provide a bridge between industry, higher education institutions, research councils and schools. These linkages are important for introducing career opportunities in Earth sciences. Since its launch, GeoBus has visited over 140 different schools across the length and breadth of Scotland. Over 20,000 pupils will have been involved in practical hands-on Earth science learning activities by December 2013, including many in remote and disadvantaged regions. The resources that GeoBus brings to schools include all the materials and equipment needed to run workshops, field excursions and Enterprise Challenges. GeoBus provides 16 workshops which can be adapted for different learning levels. Workshops are 50 to 80 minute sessions for up to 30 pupils and topics include minerals, rocks, fossils, geological time, natural resources, climate change, volcanoes, earthquakes, and geological mapping. As with all GeoBus activities, the inclusion of equipment and technology otherwise unavailable to schools substantially increases the engagement of pupils in workshops. Field excursions are popular, as many teachers have little or no field trainng and feel unable to lead this type of activity. The excursions comprise half or full day sessions for up to 30 pupils and are tailored to cover the local geology or geomorphology. The Enterprise Challenges are half or full day sessions for up to 100 pupils. Current topics are Drilling for Oil, Renewable Energy, a Journey to Mars and Scotland

The Effects of Pupil Control Ideology of Teachers on Their Conflict Management Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobanoglu, Necati; Kaya, Oguz; Angay, Abdurrahman

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine teachers' perspectives on conflict management strategies and further to determine the effects of pupil control ideologies on their conflict management strategies. 120 primary and secondary school teachers were administered a Likert type questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed through multiple…

Gender and Technology in Hong Kong: A Study of Pupils' Attitudes toward Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volk, Kenneth S.; Ming, Yip Wai

1999-01-01

Discussion of attitudes toward traditional male and female roles and technology focuses on a study of Hong Kong secondary school students that used a Pupils' Attitudes toward Technology (PATT) instrument to investigate perceptions of the difficulty of technology, technology in the curriculum, pursuing technology careers, parents' careers, home…

Parental education, children's performance and the transition to higher secondary education: trends in primary and secondary effects over five Dutch school cohorts (1965-99).

PubMed

Kloosterman, Rianne; Ruiter, Stijn; de Graaf, Paul M; Kraaykamp, Gerbert

2009-06-01

According to Boudon, social background affects educational transitions as a result of differences in children's academic performance (primary effects) and differences in transition probabilities given children's level of academic performance (secondary effects). This study addresses historical changes in both primary and secondary effects on the educational transition from primary school to higher secondary education in The Netherlands. In addition, it considers changes over time in the relative importance of these effects. The study compares five cohorts of Dutch pupils, specifically those enrolling in secondary education in 1965, 1977, 1989, 1993 and 1999, and it employs counterfactual analyses. The main findings are that secondary effects have been stable and primary effects have fluctuated to some extent. As a result, the proportion of the total effect of social background accounted for by primary effects has increased somewhat, from 53 per cent to 58 per cent.

The Contribution of Schooling to Learning Gains of Pupils in Years 1 to 6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luyten, Hans; Merrell, Christine; Tymms, Peter

2017-01-01

By means of a regression-discontinuity approach with multiple cut-off points, the effects of age and schooling on learning gains in English primary schools are estimated. The analyses relate to over 3,500 pupils in 20, predominantly independently funded, schools and focus on 4 different learning outcomes. In order to take into account delayed and…

A qualitative study of independent fast food vendors near secondary schools in disadvantaged Scottish neighbourhoods.

PubMed

Estrade, Michelle; Dick, Smita; Crawford, Fiona; Jepson, Ruth; Ellaway, Anne; McNeill, Geraldine

2014-08-04

Preventing and reducing childhood and adolescent obesity is a growing priority in many countries. Recent UK data suggest that children in more deprived areas have higher rates of obesity and poorer diet quality than those in less deprived areas. As adolescents spend a large proportion of time in school, interventions to improve the food environment in and around schools are being considered. Nutrient standards for school meals are mandatory in the UK, but many secondary pupils purchase foods outside schools at break or lunchtime that may not meet these standards. Qualitative interviews were conducted with fast food shop managers to explore barriers to offering healthier menu options. Recruitment targeted independently-owned shops near secondary schools (pupils aged c.12-17) in low-income areas of three Scottish cities. Ten interviews were completed, recorded, and transcribed for analysis. An inductive qualitative approach was used to analyse the data in NVivo 10. Five themes emerged from the data: pride in what is sold; individual autonomy and responsibility; customer demand; profit margin; and neighbourhood context. Interviewees consistently expressed pride in the foods they sold, most of which were homemade. They felt that healthy eating and general wellbeing are the responsibility of the individual and that offering what customers want to eat, not necessarily what they should eat, was the only way to stay in business. Most vendors felt they were struggling to maintain a profit, and that many aspects of the low-income neighbourhood context would make change difficult or impossible. Independent food shops in low-income areas face barriers to offering healthy food choices, and interventions and policies that target the food environment around schools should take the neighbourhood context into consideration.

TAPS for Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Earle, Sarah

2018-01-01

By placing the Focused Assessment approach within the TAPS pyramid framework, schools are beginning to find a number of ways in which learning in science can be enhanced for pupils. The quotations in this article provide examples of the ways in which science subject leaders (SSL) describe the impact of TAPS on their pupils.

NEMO educational kit on micro-optics at the secondary school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores-Arias, M. T.; Bao-Varela, Carmen

2014-07-01

NEMO was the "Network of Excellence in Micro-Optics" granted in the "Sixth Framework Program" of the European Union. It aimed at providing Europe with a complete Micro-Optics food-chain, by setting up centers for optical modeling and design; measurement and instrumentation; mastering, prototyping and replication; integration and packaging and reliability and standardization. More than 300 researchers from 30 groups in 12 countries participated in the project. One of the objectives of NEMO was to spread excellence and disseminate knowledge on micro-optics and micro-photonics. To convince pupils, already from secondary school level on, about the crucial role of light and micro-optics and the opportunities this combination holds, several partners of NEMO had collaborate to create this Educational Kit. In Spain the partner involved in this aim was the "Microoptics and GRIN Optics Group" at the University of Santiago of Compostela (USC). The educational kits provided to the Secondary School were composed by two plastic cards with the following microoptical element: different kinds of diffractive optical elements or DOES and refractive optical elements or ROEs namely arrays of micro-lenses. The kit also included a DVD with a handbook for performing the experiments as well as a laser pointer source. This kit was distributed free of charge in the countries with partners in NEMO. In particular in Spain was offered to around 200 Secondary School Centers and only 80 answered accepting evaluate the kit.

The Effect of a Cross-Curricular Study Programme in Physical Education on the Attitudes and Perceptions of Greek Children towards Traditional (Folk) Dance in the First Year of Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stivaktaki, Chrysi; Mountakis, Costas; Bournelli, Pagona

2010-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of a cross-curricular programme for the teaching of traditional dances on the attitudes and perceptions of Greek pupils in the First Year of Secondary School. At the outset we anticipated that the programme would have positive results in terms of: (a) the pupils' enjoyment of the activity;…

Violence in School: What Can We Do?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lines, Dennis

2007-01-01

A common disruption to learning and stability in schools occurs when pupils fight or become aggressive. This paper considers the issues of anger management, violence control and fighting reduction through a counselling programme with a high-risk pupil in secondary school. It begins by examining some of the thinking on young people and violence and…

Participation of Primary School Pupils Who Stay at Institution of Social Services and Child Protection Dormitories in Social Science Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guven, Sibel; Sahin Taskin, Cigdem

2008-01-01

This research aims to understand to what extent primary school pupils who stay at the Institution of Social Services and Child Protection dormitories participate in social science lessons. Data were obtained from pupils staying at the Institution of Social Services and Child Protection dormitories and attending primary schools in Istanbul and…

The Catholic School Advantage and Common School Effect Examined: A Comparison between Muslim Immigrant and Native Pupils in Flanders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agirdag, Orhan; Driessen, Geert; Merry, Michael S.

2017-01-01

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…

Reading Strategies and Approaches to Learning of Bilingual Primary School Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rao, Zhenhui; Gu, Peter Yongqi; Zhang, Lawrence Jun; Hu, Guangwei

2007-01-01

The research reported here investigated primary school pupils' use of reading strategies. The study differed from most of the previous studies on reading strategies in that (1) the participants were young bilinguals in multicultural Singapore; (2) the data were examined within the Student Approaches to Learning (SAL) framework developed by John…

Diagnostic Tests in Czech for Pupils with a First Language Different from the Language of Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vodicková, Katerina; Kostelecká, Yvona

2016-01-01

Mastering a second language, in this case Czech, is crucial for pupils whose first language differs from the language of schooling, so that they can engage more successfully in the educational process. In order to adjust language teaching to pupils' needs, it is necessary to identify which language skills or individual competences set out within…

The negative influence of significant others on high academic achieving school pupils' choice of nursing as a career.

PubMed

Neilson, Gavin R; McNally, Jim

2013-03-01

The International Council of Nurses proposes that the shortage of nurses is global in scale and is expected to become much worse in the years ahead. A major factor impacting on the worldwide nursing shortage is the diminishing number of young people choosing nursing as a career (International Council of Nurses, 2008). One important dimension of the school pupils' career choice process is their interactions with significant others and the influence of these significant others (Hodkinson and Sparkes, 1997). As Schools/Departments of Nursing endeavour to attract more intellectual school leavers it is important to examine what advice and opinions are significant others giving regarding nursing as a career choice and how influential is this advice. This paper is based on interview data from 20 high academic achieving 5th and 6th year school pupils in Scotland, paradigmatic cases from a larger sample, who had considered nursing as a possible career choice within their career preference cluster, but then later disregarded nursing and decided to pursue medicine or another health care profession. The data was particularly striking in revealing the negative influence of significant others on high academic achieving school pupils' choice of nursing as a career. The influence of significant others, these being specifically parents, guardians, guidance teachers and career advisors was very apparent in the data in that they had a very negative view regarding nursing as a career choice for high academic achieving school pupils. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Identification by Teachers of Special Educational Needs in Primary School Pupils and Factors Associated with Referral to Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smeets, Ed; Roeleveld, Jaap

2016-01-01

This paper addresses the identification of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream primary schools by their teachers. Data were analysed from two consecutive measurement occasions of a large cohort study in the Netherlands. The types and severity of pupils' problems, and their school careers were studied. Around 25% of the pupils…

Integrating Physically Handicapped Pupils.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgson, Ann

1984-01-01

Intended for regular class teachers working with mainstreamed physically handicapped pupils, the article offers guidelines regarding school organization, conditions directly affecting the pupil, and classroom considerations. A brief review of the major conditions (such as allergies, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy) is presented. (CL)

How Can Children with Mild Literacy Difficulties Be Supported at the Transition to Secondary School? A Small-Scale Quasi-Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bark, Caroline; Brooks, Greg

2016-01-01

There is evidence that pupils with weak literacy skills struggle on transition to secondary school. Many experience a drop in attainment in the summer break between the two. A British government-funded programme of rigorously designed research on boosting literacy at transition had (by 2015) found only four of 15 interventions evaluated had…

Language Development Component, Secondary Developmental Reading Program. Final Evaluation Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beck, Donald; Chamberlain, Ed

This report evaluates the Secondary Developmental Reading Program, a component of the Ohio Disadvantaged Pupil Program Fund (DPPF), in terms of the 1982-83 program objectives. Twelve project reading teachers worked in eight Columbus senior high schools with 843 pupils scoring at or below the 36th percentile in reading achievement. A pilot project…

Learning Barriers among Grade 6 Pupils Attending Rural Schools in Uganda: Implications to Policy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hungi, Njora; Ngware, Moses; Mahuro, Gerald; Muhia, Nelson

2017-01-01

The paper uses multilevel analysis procedures to examine individual- and group-level learning barriers that have the greatest impact on pupil achievement in Uganda. The data for this study were collected in 2014 among 2711 Grade 6 pupils attending 82 schools in two rural districts of Iganga and Mayuge in Uganda. Data used in this paper are part of…

Influence of a Physical Education Teacher's Disability on Middle School Pupils' Learning and Perceptions of Teacher Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Lance G.; Curtner-Smith, Matthew D.

2009-01-01

Limited research has investigated the problems encountered by physical education teachers who have disabilities and instruct able-bodied pupils. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a physical education teacher's disability on middle school pupils' perceptions of the teacher's competence and their learning. Participants were…

Health dialogues between pupils and school nurses: a description of the verbal interaction.

PubMed

Golsäter, Marie; Lingfors, Hans; Sidenvall, Birgitta; Enskär, Karin

2012-11-01

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the content of and the verbal interaction in health dialogues between pupils and school nurses. Twenty-four health dialogues were recorded using a video camera and the conversations were analysed using the paediatric version of the Roter Interaction analysis system. The results showed that the age appropriate topics suggested by national recommendations were brought up in most of the health dialogues. The nurses were the ones who talked most, in terms of utterances. The pupils most frequently gave information about their lifestyle and agreed with the nurses' statements. The nurses summarised and checked that they had understood the pupils, asked closed-ended questions about lifestyle and gave information about lifestyle. Strategies aimed to make the pupil more active and participatory in the dialogues were the most widely used verbal interaction approaches by the nurses. The nurses' use of verbal interaction approaches to promote pupils' activity and participation, trying to build a partnership in the dialogue, could indicate an attempt to build patient-centred health dialogues. The nurses' great use of questions and being the ones leading the dialogues in terms of utterances point at the necessity for a nurses to have an openness to the pupils own narratives and an attentiveness to what he or she wants to talk about. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

School Memories Situating School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanggaard, Lene; Nielsen, Klaus

2013-01-01

This paper reports the results of an interview study of 18 current and former pupils in the Danish "Folkeskole" (primary and secondary public school) from 1930 up to the present. The aim of the study is to provide a forum for usually unheard voices on the subject of everyday life in school. The study pays special attention to relational…

The Prevalence of Cyberbullying and the Views of 5-12 Grade Pupils and Teachers on Cyberbullying Prevention in Lithuanian Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baraldsnes, Dziuginta

2015-01-01

This article analyses the views of cyberbullying prevention among 5-12 grade pupils and teachers in Lithuanian schools. It defines the concept of cyberbullying in the context of school pupils, and analyses the theoretical grounds for prevention of this form of bullying. The article also presents the results of the survey (which was conducted in…

A Research-Informed Dialogic-Teaching Approach to Early Secondary School Mathematics and Science: The Pedagogical Design and Field Trial of the"epiSTEMe" Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruthven, Kenneth; Mercer, Neil; Taber, Keith S.; Guardia, Paula; Hofmann, Riikka; Ilie, Sonia; Luthman, Stefanie; Riga, Fran

2017-01-01

The "Effecting Principled Improvement in STEM Education" ["epiSTEMe"] project undertook pedagogical research aimed at improving pupil engagement and learning in early secondary school physical science and mathematics. Using principles identified as effective in the research literature and drawing on a range of existing…

Collaborative Creativity in Instrumental Group Music Learning as a Site for Enhancing Pupil Wellbeing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnard, Pamela; Dragovic, Tatjana

2015-01-01

This study explores the nature of the elements that co-influence collaborative creativity in nd the intrinsic potential for enhancing pupil wellbeing as evidenced in a particular secondary-school (extra-curricular) group instrumental programme "Percussion 1." Wenger's Community of Practice (CoP) and Engestrom's Activity Theory (AT)…

London Challenge: Surveys of Pupils and Teachers, 2005. Research Report RR718

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ridley, Kate; Knight, Sarah; Scott, Emma; Benton, Tom; Woodthorpe, Adrian

2006-01-01

The London Challenge is a Department for Education and Skills (DfES) initiative, which aims to raise levels of attainment in London secondary schools and to create a world class education system in the capital. In 2005, London Challenge commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to carry out a survey of Year 7 pupils,…

Tobacco Use Documenting Policy and Its Association with Pupils' Smoking and Their Perception of the Enforcement of School Smoking Bans in Finland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saaristo, Vesa; Kulmala, Jenni; Raisamo, Susanna; Rimpelä, Arja; Ståhl, Timo

2014-01-01

Finnish national data sets on schools (N = 496) and pupils (N = 74,143; 14-16 years) were used to study whether a systematic documenting policy for the violations of school smoking bans was associated with pupils' smoking and their perceptions on the enforcement of smoking bans. Attending a school with a systematic documenting policy was…

[Quality of dietary habits (adherence to a mediterranean diet) in pupils of compulsory secondary education].

PubMed

Diaz, A Ayechu; Travé, T Durá

2010-01-01

The Mediterranean diet is considered to be a prototype of a healthy diet. The modernization of society implies sociological and cultural changes that affect feeding preferences and habits. The aim of this paper is to determine the quality index of the dietary habits in pupils of compulsory secondary education (CSE). By distributing a 16 item questionnaire (kidmed test) to a random sample of 1,956 pupils of CSE (966 males and 990 females). The final score or kidmed index (range 0-12) indicates whether the degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet is low (0-3), medium (4-7) or high (8-12). A low kidmed index value was registered in 6.7% of the pupils of CSE, whereas medium values corresponded to 50.4% and low values to 42.9%, showing no significant statistical differences between the sexes. The kidmed index decreases progressively with age (p<0.05). At age 13 (first year of CSE), 49.5% of the pupils had an optimal score on the kidmed index, whereas at 16 (fourth year of CSE), this score reached 37.2%. There were statistical differences (p<0.05) regarding consumption of fruit, fish, nuts and dried foods, sweets and factory produced baked foodstuffs; pupils also frequently went without breakfast and ate at fast food restaurants. By the end of CSE, 62.8% of pupils showed a low-medium degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Applicable food advice for these adolescents would be to increase consumption of fruit, vegetables, nuts, pasta and rice, yogurt and cheese, pulses and fish; and to reduce consumption of factory produced baked foodstuffs and sweets and to eat less at fast food restaurants; besides insisting on the importance of daily breakfast and the use olive oil for cooking. In addition, it would be convenient to develop nutrition education programs during compulsory education.

Pupil-Teacher Adjustment and Mutual Adaptation in Creating Classroom Learning Environments. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Robert S.; And Others

This investigation is directed toward an analysis of the dynamics of the learning situations in a variety of public school elementary and secondary classrooms. The focus of the project is to make a comparative analysis of the patterns of cooperation or alienation among parents, teachers, peers and individual pupils which create learning cultures…

Physics: Frightful, but Fun. Pupils' and Teachers' Views of Physics and Physics Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angell, Carl; Guttersrud, Oystein; Henriksen, Ellen K.; Isnes, Anders

2004-01-01

There is widespread concern for the situation of school physics regarding recruitment, contents, teaching methods, etc. In this study based on questionnaire and focus group data, we explore how upper secondary pupils and teachers perceive physics as a subject, how they experience physics instruction, and how physics compares to other subjects. Our…

Correlates of Gay-Related Name-Calling in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slaatten, Hilde; Hetland, Jørn; Anderssen, Norman

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine whether attitudes about gay-related name-calling, social norms concerning gay-related name-calling among co-students, teacher intervention, and school-related support would predict whether secondary school pupils had called another pupil a gay-related name during the last month. A total of 921 ninth-grade…

Challenging Sexism? Gender and Ethnicity in the Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohrn, Elisabet

2009-01-01

This article discusses understandings of girls confronting sexism in a Swedish multiethnic urban school. The empirical study includes school observations, conversations and formal group interviews with 15-16-year-old pupils from seven classes in four schools. The article provides an analysis of one of the schools, where the fieldwork showed gender…

Differences in Pupil Characteristics and Motives in Being a Victim, Perpetrator and Witness of Violence in Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mooij, Ton

2011-01-01

Socially problematic and violent behaviour of pupils in and around schools is undesirable from pedagogical, social and societal perspectives. The motives underlying violence between different social actors in school may help explain and improve this behaviour. The aim is to investigate the relationship patterns between characteristics of secondary…

Belongingness in Early Secondary School: Key Factors that Primary and Secondary Schools Need to Consider.

PubMed

Vaz, Sharmila; Falkmer, Marita; Ciccarelli, Marina; Passmore, Anne; Parsons, Richard; Black, Melissa; Cuomo, Belinda; Tan, Tele; Falkmer, Torbjörn

2015-01-01

It is unknown if, and how, students redefine their sense of school belongingness after negotiating the transition to secondary school. The current study used longitudinal data from 266 students with, and without, disabilities who negotiated the transition from 52 primary schools to 152 secondary schools. The study presents the 13 most significant personal student and contextual factors associated with belongingness in the first year of secondary school. Student perception of school belongingness was found to be stable across the transition. No variability in school belongingness due to gender, disability or household-socio-economic status (SES) was noted. Primary school belongingness accounted for 22% of the variability in secondary school belongingness. Several personal student factors (competence, coping skills) and school factors (low-level classroom task-goal orientation), which influenced belongingness in primary school, continued to influence belongingness in secondary school. In secondary school, effort-goal orientation of the student and perception of their school's tolerance to disability were each associated with perception of school belongingness. Family factors did not influence belongingness in secondary school. Findings of the current study highlight the need for primary schools to foster belongingness among their students at an early age, and transfer students' belongingness profiles as part of the hand-over documentation. Most of the factors that influenced school belongingness before and after the transition to secondary are amenable to change.

Academic Work on a Back-Burner: Habituating Students in the Upper-Secondary School towards Marginality and a Life in the Precariat

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dovemark, Marianne; Beach, Dennis

2015-01-01

This article takes its point of departure in ethnographic data from what in Sweden is called the Individual Programme (IP). This programme was for upper-secondary school pupils who were not eligible for one of the country's academic or vocational programme. Its main formally expressed goal was to enable students to become eligible for these…

Action Research to Encourage Pupils' Active Participation in the Sustainable School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katsenou, Christina; Flogaitis, Evgenia; Liarakou, Georgia

2015-01-01

This article aims to explore the contribution of action research to the development of active participation of pupils in the context of the sustainable school. Action research is looked at not simply as a methodological tool for the exploration of participation, but as a key element of the educational actions that promote the active participation…

Endotoxin, ergosterol, fungal DNA and allergens in dust from schools in Johor Bahru, Malaysia- associations with asthma and respiratory infections in pupils.

PubMed

Norbäck, Dan; Markowicz, Pawel; Cai, Gui-Hong; Hashim, Zailina; Ali, Faridah; Zheng, Yi-Wu; Lai, Xu-Xin; Spangfort, Michael Dho; Larsson, Lennart; Hashim, Jamal Hisham

2014-01-01

There are few studies on associations between respiratory health and allergens, fungal and bacterial compounds in schools in tropical countries. The aim was to study associations between respiratory symptoms in pupils and ethnicity, chemical microbial markers, allergens and fungal DNA in settled dust in schools in Malaysia. Totally 462 pupils (96%) from 8 randomly selected secondary schools in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, participated. Dust was vacuumed from 32 classrooms and analysed for levels of different types of endotoxin as 3-hydroxy fatty acids (3-OH), muramic acid, ergosterol, allergens and five fungal DNA sequences. Multiple logistic regression was applied. Totally 13.1% pupils reported doctor's diagnosed asthma, 10.3% wheeze and 21.1% pollen or pet allergy. Indian and Chinese children had less atopy and asthma than Malay. Carbon dioxide levels were low (380-690 ppm). No cat (Fel d1), dog (Can f 1) or horse allergens (Ecu cx) were detected. The levels of Bloomia tropicalis (Blo t), house dust mite allergens (Der p 1, Der f 1, Der m 1) and cockroach allergens (Per a 1 and Bla g 1) were low. There were positive associations between levels of Aspergillus versicolor DNA and daytime breathlessness, between C14 3-OH and respiratory infections and between ergosterol and doctors diagnosed asthma. There were negative (protective) associations between levels of C10 3-OH and wheeze, between C16 3-OH and day time and night time breathlessness, between cockroach allergens and doctors diagnosed asthma. Moreover there were negative associations between amount of fine dust, total endotoxin (LPS) and respiratory infections. In conclusion, endotoxin at school seems to be mainly protective for respiratory illness but different types of endotoxin could have different effects. Fungal contamination measured as ergosterol and Aspergillus versicolor DNA can be risk factors for respiratory illness. The ethnical differences for atopy and asthma deserve further attention.

Belongingness in Early Secondary School: Key Factors that Primary and Secondary Schools Need to Consider

PubMed Central

Vaz, Sharmila; Falkmer, Marita; Ciccarelli, Marina; Passmore, Anne; Parsons, Richard; Black, Melissa; Cuomo, Belinda; Tan, Tele; Falkmer, Torbjörn

2015-01-01

It is unknown if, and how, students redefine their sense of school belongingness after negotiating the transition to secondary school. The current study used longitudinal data from 266 students with, and without, disabilities who negotiated the transition from 52 primary schools to 152 secondary schools. The study presents the 13 most significant personal student and contextual factors associated with belongingness in the first year of secondary school. Student perception of school belongingness was found to be stable across the transition. No variability in school belongingness due to gender, disability or household-socio-economic status (SES) was noted. Primary school belongingness accounted for 22% of the variability in secondary school belongingness. Several personal student factors (competence, coping skills) and school factors (low-level classroom task-goal orientation), which influenced belongingness in primary school, continued to influence belongingness in secondary school. In secondary school, effort-goal orientation of the student and perception of their school’s tolerance to disability were each associated with perception of school belongingness. Family factors did not influence belongingness in secondary school. Findings of the current study highlight the need for primary schools to foster belongingness among their students at an early age, and transfer students’ belongingness profiles as part of the hand-over documentation. Most of the factors that influenced school belongingness before and after the transition to secondary are amenable to change. PMID:26372554

Solid waste management problems in secondary schools in Ibadan, Nigeria.

PubMed

Ana, G R E E; Oloruntoba, E O; Shendell, D; Elemile, O O; Benjamin, O R; Sridhar, M K C

2011-09-01

Inappropriate solid waste management practices in schools in less-developed countries, particularly in major urban communities, constitute one of the major factors leading to declining environmental health conditions. The objective of the authors' descriptive, cross-sectional study was to assess solid waste management problems in selected urban schools in Ibadan, Nigeria. Eight secondary schools with average pupil populations not less than 500 per school were selected randomly. Four hundred questionnaires (50 per school) were administered. In addition, an observational checklist was used to assess the physical environment. Paper and plastics were the most frequently generated wastes. Common methods of solid waste disposal reported were use of dustbins for collection and open burning. Major problems perceived with current refuse disposal methods by the study students were odors, pest infestation, and spillages. Littering and spillages of solid waste were also common features reported. Data suggested inadequate waste management facilities and practices in study schools. The lack of refuse bins may have contributed to waste spillages and the burning practices. Odors may have arisen from both the decay of overstored organic waste rich in moisture and emissions from refuse burning. This scenario poses a community environmental health nuisance and may compromise school environmental quality.

Develop and Implement a Preventive Substance Abuse Program for K-8 Pupils Utilizing a Supplementary Curriculum, Parent Ambassadors, Parent Handbook and Community Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhone, Elvie

A practicum was designed to increase the number of elementary pupils who would be able to identify legal and illegal substances and to make informed decisions in their daily lives. Secondary goals of the practicum were to increase the number of pupils who attained good school attendance and who exhibited good self-esteem, and to increase the…

Engaging Gypsy and Traveller Pupils in Secondary Education in Wales: Tensions and Dilemmas of Addressing Difference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Paula

2018-01-01

Despite decades of research and policy, we are still some way in the U.K. from ameliorating barriers for Gypsy and Traveller pupils. A complex set of factors exist which influence young people's engagement with secondary education. This interpretive-deductive study, which draws upon 'tensions and dilemmas of difference', presents Gypsy/Traveller…

Impact of Discipline on Academic Performance of Pupils in Public Primary Schools in Muhoroni Sub-County, Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simba, Nicholas Odoyo; Agak, John Odwar; Kabuka, Eric K.

2016-01-01

In Muhoroni Sub-County, Kenya, pupils' academic performance has received little attention in relation to discipline. The objectives of this study were to determine the level of discipline and extent of impact of discipline on academic performance among class eight pupils in the sub-county's public primary schools. The study adopted descriptive…

Pennies from Heaven? Using Exogenous Tax Variation to Identify Effects of School Resources on Pupil Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haegeland, Torbjorn; Raaum, Oddbjorn; Salvanes, Kjell G.

2012-01-01

Evidence on the effectiveness of school inputs remains inconclusive, partly due to the challenge of identification as families sort themselves into school districts and resources are potentially allocated to compensate (or reinforce) differences in pupil abilities. Using variation in school resources induced by the location of waterfalls in…

Oregon Pupil Transportation Manual. Revised Regulations and Responsibilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Dept. of Education, Salem.

Designed for use by Oregon school bus drivers and administrators, this manual answers common questions about school bus transportation in Oregon, including those about the laws governing pupil transportation, the regulations governing pupil transportation administration, and the laws on school bus operation. A chapter of advisory materials covers…

Pupils as Active Participants: Diamond Ranking as a Tool to Investigate Pupils' Experiences of Classroom Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niemi, Reetta; Kumpulainen, Kristiina; Lipponen, Lasse

2015-01-01

This article is based on a pedagogical action research initiative carried out in a Finnish primary school. Twenty-four 5th grade pupils and their teacher participated in the study. The research initiative was guided by two questions: (1) How do pupils experience their classroom practices? (2) How can pupils participate in the process of developing…

From Social Class to Self-Efficacy: Internalization of Low Social Status Pupils' School Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiederkehr, Virginie; Darnon, Céline; Chazal, Sébastien; Guimond, Serge; Martinot, Delphine

2015-01-01

Previous research has largely documented that socioeconomic status (SES) is a strong and consistent predictor of pupils' school performance in several countries. In this research, we argue that children internalize the SES achievement gap in the form of a lower/higher sense of school self-efficacy. In two studies, teenaged students' (Study 1) and…

The Importance of Pupils' Interests and Out-of-School Experiences in Planning Biology Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uitto, Anna; Juuti, Kalle; Lavonen, Jari; Meisalo, Veijo

2008-01-01

How to make learning more interesting is a basic challenge for school education. In this Finnish study, the international ROSE questionnaire was used to survey, during spring of 2003, the relationship between interest in biology and out-of-school experiences for 3626 ninth-grade pupils. Interest and experience factors were extracted by using the…

A Study of ESEA, Title I Impact Components on Urban Elementary Schools and Their Pupils.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Edward K.

A systematic study of the composition and dispersement of Title I projects assigned to elementary schools in Philadelphia was conducted. Categorical variables were identified from four major derived variables (program density code, school aggregate fund, pupil service component, achievement-growth differential score) and four major demographic…

Project-Based Learning in Primary Schools: Effects on Pupils' Learning and Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaldi, Stavroula; Filippatou, Diamanto; Govaris, Christos

2011-01-01

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…

Causes of blindness and career choice among pupils in a blind school; South Western Nigeria.

PubMed

Fadamiro, Christianah Olufunmilayo

2014-01-01

The causes of Blindness vary from place to place with about 80% of it been avoidable. Furthermore Blind people face a lot of challenges in career choice thus limiting their economic potential and full integration into the society. This study aims at identifying the causes of blindness and career choice among pupils in a school for the blind in South -Western Nigeria. This is a descriptive study of causes of blindness and career choice among 38 pupils residing in a school for the blind at Ikere -Ekiti, South Western Nigeria. Thirty eight pupils comprising of 25 males (65.8%) and 13 females (34.2%) with age range from 6-39 years were seen for the study, The commonest cause of blindness was cataract with 14 cases (36.84%) while congenital glaucoma and infection had an equal proportion of 5 cases each (13.16%). Avoidable causes constituted the greatest proportion of the causes 27 (71.05%) while unavoidable causes accounted for 11 (28.9%). The law career was the most desired profession by the pupils 11 (33.3%) followed by Teaching 9 (27.3%), other desired profession includes engineering, journalism and farming. The greatest proportion of causes of blindness identified in this study is avoidable. There is the need to create public awareness on some of the notable causes particularly cataract and motivate the community to utilize available eye care services Furthermore there is need for career talk in schools for the blind to enable them choose career where their potential can be fully maximized.

Are Model PISA Pupils Happy at School? Quality of School Life of Adolescents in Finland and Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Junghyun; Järvinen, Tero

2016-01-01

This paper explores the quality of school life (QSL) of two 'model pupils' in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests, Finland and Korea, and investigates students' views on the central aspects of QSL ("general satisfaction," "peer relations" and "teacher-student relations") using PISA 2012 data.…

Hospital admissions and school dropout: a retrospective cohort study of the 'selection hypothesis'.

PubMed

van Heesch, Mirjam M J; Bosma, Hans; Traag, Tanja; Otten, Ferdy

2012-08-01

School dropout is an important predictor of poor health and of high relevance for public health (in accord with the 'causation hypothesis'). Rather than examining how dropout affects health, we set out to examine how poor health might affect school dropout (in accord with the 'selection hypothesis'). Hospital admissions are potentially indicative of more serious disease and might be expected to result in learning backlogs. Longitudinal data of the Dutch Secondary Education Pupil Cohort 1993 (VOCL'93) and the National Medical Registration (LMR) were combined. The study population consisted of 16,239 pupils who were followed from first grade at secondary school until they left fulltime education. Pupils were monitored regarding both their educational careers and their hospital admissions. Nine percent had a hospital admission and 10% became a school dropout. Hospital admissions were only predictive of later school dropout for pupils starting in the highest type of secondary education (pre-university education) [OR 1.54 (95% CI 1.05-2.26)], not for pupils with lower educational levels. Pre-university pupils who had been hospitalized for more than 9 days [OR 2.34 (95% CI 1.08-5.09)] or who were hospitalized more than three times [OR 4.20 (95% CI 1.75-10.04)] had particularly heightened odds of school dropout. Our findings further support the 'selection hypothesis' and confirm the relevance of dropout for public health. Public health workers and educational professionals should probably aim at intensified monitoring of children who have been hospitalized and simultaneously aim at improving accessibility to (higher quality) education in the hospital.

Pupil Control As an Institutional Pattern.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longo, Paul

This study of pupil control attitudes was based on the assumption that public school teachers and college education instructors hold divergent views on pupil control. These divergent views would then be imposed on the preservice teachers. The Pupil Control Ideology (PCI) Scale and the Dogmatism Scale, Form E, were randomly distributed to 100…

The mobile GeoBus outreach project: hands-on Earth and Mars activities for secondary schools in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Ruth; Pike, Charlotte; Roper, Kathryn

2015-04-01

GeoBus (www.geobus.org.uk) is an educational outreach project that was developed in 2012 by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, and it is sponsored jointly by industry and the UK Research Councils (NERC and EPSRC). The aims of GeoBus are to support the teaching of Earth Science in secondary schools by providing teaching resources that are not readily available to educators, to inspire young learners by incorporating new science research outcomes in teaching activities, and to provide a bridge between industry, higher education institutions, research councils and schools. Since its launch, GeoBus has visited over 160 different schools across the length and breadth of Scotland. Just under 35,000 pupils have been involved in practical hands-on Earth science learning activities since the project began in 2012, including many in remote and disadvantaged regions. The resources that GeoBus brings to schools include all the materials and equipment needed to run 50 - 80 minute workshops, and half- or whole-day Enterprise Challenges and field excursions. Workshops are aimed at a class of up to 30 pupils and topics include minerals, rocks, fossils, geological time, natural resources, climate change, volcanoes, earthquakes, and geological mapping. As with all GeoBus activities, the inclusion of equipment and technology otherwise unavailable to schools substantially increases the engagement of pupils in workshops. Field excursions are increasingly popular, as many teachers have little or no field trainng and feel unable to lead this type of activity. The excursions comprise half or full day sessions for up to 30 pupils and are tailored to cover the local geology or geomorphology. Enterprise Challenge are half or full day sessions for up to 100 pupils. Topics include "Journey to Mars", "Scotland's Rocks", "Drilling for Oil", and "Renewable Energy". Both of the energy Enterprise Challenges were designed to incorporates ideas and

Analysis of Critical Success Factors of Online International Learning Exchange of Korean School Pupils with English-Speaking Counterparts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jong-Yeon; Park, Sanghoon

2017-01-01

This study identifies the factors influencing the success of online international learning exchange (ILE) among Korean school pupils who partnered with American and Australian pupils. In particular, it examined the effects of self-efficacy (SE), exchange infrastructure (EI) and quality of exchange activities (QEA) on the students' learning…

Mixed Methods Research on the Role of Pupils as Assessors in Quality Assurance of Schools in Malta

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pulis, Angele

2018-01-01

This article describes a study conducted in Malta on pupil voice in the role of assessor. The purpose of the study was to provide a fresh perspective on school quality assurance in Malta, by asking those who are directly affected--the pupils themselves. The data provided by the study could help educational leaders, together with the whole school…

Pupil Transportation Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Anthony R.

The safest means of transportation in the United States is the school bus fleet. Each school day, over 350,000 school buses transport about 22,000,000 children ages 3 to 21--from wheelchair pupils to varsity football players--to and from school in weather conditions ranging from those for Fairbanks, Alaska, to those typical of Cave Creek, Arizona.…

Differences in exam performance between pupils attending selective and non-selective schools mirror the genetic differences between them

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith-Woolley, Emily; Pingault, Jean-Baptiste; Selzam, Saskia; Rimfeld, Kaili; Krapohl, Eva; von Stumm, Sophie; Asbury, Kathryn; Dale, Philip S.; Young, Toby; Allen, Rebecca; Kovas, Yulia; Plomin, Robert

2018-03-01

On average, students attending selective schools outperform their non-selective counterparts in national exams. These differences are often attributed to value added by the school, as well as factors schools use to select pupils, including ability, achievement and, in cases where schools charge tuition fees or are located in affluent areas, socioeconomic status. However, the possible role of DNA differences between students of different schools types has not yet been considered. We used a UK-representative sample of 4814 genotyped students to investigate exam performance at age 16 and genetic differences between students in three school types: state-funded, non-selective schools (`non-selective'), state-funded, selective schools (`grammar') and private schools, which are selective (`private'). We created a genome-wide polygenic score (GPS) derived from a genome-wide association study of years of education (EduYears). We found substantial mean genetic differences between students of different school types: students in non-selective schools had lower EduYears GPS compared to those in grammar (d = 0.41) and private schools (d = 0.37). Three times as many students in the top EduYears GPS decile went to a selective school compared to the bottom decile. These results were mirrored in the exam differences between school types. However, once we controlled for factors involved in pupil selection, there were no significant genetic differences between school types, and the variance in exam scores at age 16 explained by school type dropped from 7% to <1%. These results show that genetic and exam differences between school types are primarily due to the heritable characteristics involved in pupil admission.

Fitness as "Social Heritage": A Study of Elementary School Pupils in Berlin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfister, Gertrud; Reeg, Annemarie

2006-01-01

Health and fitness among children and adolescents is a subject currently receiving public attention. This article focuses on the fitness of German pupils (third and fourth grades) in five schools in Berlin with widely differing social catchment areas as well as children from differing social backgrounds. Besides an orthopaedic examination and…

Primary School Pupils' Response to Audio-Visual Learning Process in Port-Harcourt

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olube, Friday K.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine primary school children's response on the use of audio-visual learning processes--a case study of Chokhmah International Academy, Port-Harcourt (owned by Salvation Ministries). It looked at the elements that enhance pupils' response to educational television programmes and their hindrances to these…

Creating Pupils' Internet Magazine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bognar, Branko; Šimic, Vesna

2014-01-01

This article presents an action research, which aimed to improve pupils' literary creativity and enable them to use computers connected to the internet. The study was conducted in a small district village school in Croatia. Creating a pupils' internet magazine appeared to be an excellent way for achieving the educational aims of almost all…

Albinism in Botswana Junior Secondary Schools: A Double Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dart, Gareth; Nkanotsang, Tiroyaone; Chizwe, Ose; Kowa, Lily

2010-01-01

Pupils with albinism potentially face a number of challenges in accessing quality education in schools in Botswana. Physical issues such as poor eyesight related to the condition and the problems of sensitive skin in such a dry and warm climate are both contributing factors to making learning problematic for some pupils. This study by Gareth Dart…

Educators' Pupil-Control Ideology as a Predictor of Educator's Reactions to Pupil Disruptive Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lunenburg, Fred C.

Given the importance of pupil control in the school's social system, it would seem reasonable to predict a significant relationship between educators' pupil control ideology and their reactions to disruptive behavior incidents. This study examines whether humanistically oriented educators would prefer to levy less punitive measures on disruptive…

Urban Density and Pupil Attainment. CEE DP 80

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbons, Stephen; Silva, Olmo

2007-01-01

We explore the association between urban density and pupil attainment using three cohorts of pupils in schooling in England. Although--as widely recognised--attainment in dense urban places is low on average, this is not because urban environments disadvantage pupils, but because the most disadvantaged pupils with low average attainments attend…

An Investigation of the Relationships Between Characteristics of Secondary Schools and Student Alienation. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoy, Wayne K.

Three sets of hypotheses served to delineate the focus of this study: (1) the more open the organization climate of the high school, the less custodial the pupil control orientation of the school, (2) the more custodial the pupil control orientation of the school, the greater the total alienation of the students, and (3) the more open the…

Cigarette access and pupil smoking rates: a circular relationship?

PubMed

Turner, Katrina M; Gordon, Jacki; Young, Robert

2004-12-01

Adolescents obtain cigarettes from both commercial and social sources. While the relationship between commercial access and adolescent smoking has been researched, no one has considered in detail whether rates of peer smoking affect cigarette availability. In two relatively deprived Scottish schools that differed in their pupil smoking rates, we assess pupil access to cigarettes. 896 13 and 15 year olds were surveyed, and 25 single-sex discussion groups held with a sub-sample of the 13 year olds. Smokers in both schools obtained cigarettes from shops, food vans and other pupils. However, pupils in the 'high' smoking school perceived greater access to both commercial and social sources, and had access to an active 'peer market'. These findings suggest that variations in cigarette access may contribute to school differences in pupil smoking rates, and that the relationship between access and adolescent smoking is circular, with greater availability increasing rates, and higher rates enhancing access.

Study Behaviour and Achievement in Science of Form Five Pupils in Two Secondary Schools in Kuala Lumpur.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gan, Siowck Lee

1984-01-01

This study sought to obtain insight into the pattern of relationships between students' achievement in science and study behavior variables. Surveyed were 17-year-olds in the science stream of two secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur. Sex differences were found. (MNS)

Teachers' and Parents' Views on the Internet and Social Media Usage by Pupils with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molin, Martin; Sorbring, Emma; Löfgren-Mårtenson, Lotta

2015-01-01

This article reports experiences from a Swedish study, discussing teachers' and parents' views on how young people with intellectual disabilities use the Internet and social media. Five semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with teachers (n = 8) in special programmes in upper secondary schools for pupils with intellectual…

34 CFR 300.36 - Secondary school.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2011-07-01 2010-07-01 true Secondary school. 300.36 Section 300.36 Education... DISABILITIES General Definitions Used in This Part § 300.36 Secondary school. Secondary school means a nonprofit institutional day or residential school, including a public secondary charter school that provides...

New Techniques of Difference: On Data as School Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thoutenhoofd, Ernst D.

2017-01-01

Pupils--the learners of both educational thought and of educational practice--exist ever more as data, as do the strictures and goals through which these pupils are pedagogically managed. I elaborate this thought by way of a single example: a particular kind of pupils whose number is reportedly on the increase, namely pupils diagnosed with…

Secondary School Dropouts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota State Dept. of Education, St. Paul.

This report on secondary school dropouts consists of an analysis of the scope and nature of the dropout problem, a discussion of successful programs and activities for dropouts, a description of a pilot study involving Minnesota public secondary schools and Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) agencies, and presentation of…

Cultural Influence on Pupils' Understanding of Conception, Birth of Twins and Sex Determination in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keraro, Fred N.; Okere, Mark I. O.; Anditi, Zephania O.

2013-01-01

This study investigated the extent to which primary and secondary school pupils believe in cultural interpretations of the biological concepts of conception, birth of twins and sex determination and the influence of education level and gender. Cross-sectional survey research design was used. The target population was Standard Seven (7th grade in…

The Effect of LEGO Training on Pupils' School Performance in Mathematics, Problem Solving Ability and Attitude: Swedish Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussain, Shakir; Lindh, Jorgen; Shukur, Ghazi

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of one year of regular "LEGO" training on pupils' performances in schools. The underlying pedagogical perspective is the constructivist theory, where the main idea is that knowledge is constructed in the mind of the pupil by active learning. The investigation has been made in two…

Pupil Mobility, Attainment and Progress in Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strand, Steve; Demie, Feyisa

2006-01-01

This article presents an analysis of the association between pupil mobility and educational attainment in the 2002 national end of Key Stage 2 (KS2) tests for 11-year-old pupils in an inner London education authority. The results show that pupil mobility is strongly associated with low attainment in the end of key stage tests. However, the…

A Place To Learn or a Place for Pleasure? Pupils' Uses of the School Library in Norway.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rafste, Elisabeth Tallaksen

This document summarizes a doctoral dissertation that examined activities in school libraries, including educational and leisure activities. The research focused on how pupils in two senior high schools in Norway use the school library in their everyday life at school, who the users are, and what use of the library means to them. The focus was…

The Contrast Between Title I and Non-Title I Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fortune, Jim C.; Hutchinson, Thomas E.

The problem addressed in this paper is to compare the schools identified as participating in Title I, 1965 Elementary Secondary Education Act programs, with those identified as not participating in Title I, with regard to percentage of pupils on welfare, number of target group pupils, percentage of pupils reading below grade level, percentage of…

Integrated STEM in secondary education: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Meester, Jolien; Knipprath, Heidi; Thielemans, Jan; De Cock, Mieke; Langie, Greet; Dehaene, Wim

2016-05-01

Despite many opportunities to study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) in Flemish secondary education, only a minority of pupils are actually pursuing STEM fields in higher education and jobs. One reason could be that they do not see the relevance of science and mathematics. In order to draw their pupils' interest in STEM, a Belgian school started a brand new initiative: the school set up and implemented a first year course that integrates various STEM disciplines, hoping to provide an answer to the question pupils often ask themselves about the need to study math and science. The integrated curriculum was developed by the school's teachers and a STEM education research group of the University of Leuven. To examine the pupils' attitude towards STEM and STEM professions and their notion of relevance of STEM at the end of this one-year course, a post-test was administered to the group of pupils who attended the integrated STEM course (the experimental group) and to a group of pupils that took traditional, non-integrated STEM courses (the control group). The results reveal that attending the integrated STEM course is significantly related to pupils' interest in STEM and notion of relevance of STEM. Another post-test was administered only to the experimental group to investigate pupils' understanding of math and physics concepts and their relation when taught in an integrated way. The results reveal that the pupils have some conceptual understanding and can, to a certain extent, make a transfer of concepts across different STEM disciplines. However, the test results did point out that some additional introductory training in pure math context is needed.

[Elementary schoolchildren nutritional behaviors in pupils' and their parents' opinion].

PubMed

Gajewska, Małgorzata; Zawieska, Dorota

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare pupils' and their parents' opinions of children nutrition behaviors. There were 97 pupils at the age of 10 and 87 parents participating in the study. Data was collected using questionnaire, filled by pupils and parents separately, including questions about: number and frequency of meals a day, frequency of fast food consumption and providing buying food in school shops. It was noted that parents' knowledge about children's nutrition behaviors was inadequate in comparison to pupils' declarations. School environment becomes important place to form health behaviors. It seems necessary to change nutrition policy in Polish schools by: changing of methods and teaching ranges of rational nutrition, improving school meals organization, changing assortment of food in school shops and regular education of people who are responsible for children nutrition behaviors.

Supporting Pupils' Mental Health through Everyday Practices: A Qualitative Study of Teachers and Head Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maelan, Ellen Nesset; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Baklien, Børge; Samdal, Oddrun; Thurston, Miranda

2018-01-01

This study aimed to explore teachers' and head teachers' understandings of how they work to support pupils' mental health through their everyday practices. A qualitative study, including individual interviews with head teachers and focus groups with teachers, was conducted in lower secondary schools in Norway. Rich descriptions of teachers' and…

Literacy Education for Nursery School Children of Cross-National Marriages in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeh, Yu-ching

2014-01-01

In the past decade, more and more Taiwanese men have married women from Southeast Asian countries and China. Children of cross-national marriages now account for one-tenth of primary school pupils. Previous research on primary and secondary school pupils' performance in different subjects has indicated that the children of cross-national marriages…

Pupils' over-reliance on linearity: a scholastic effect?

PubMed

Van Dooren, Wim; De Bock, Dirk; Janssens, Dirk; Verschaffel, Lieven

2007-06-01

From upper elementary education on, children develop a tendency to over-use linearity. Particularly, it is found that many pupils assume that if a figure enlarges k times, the area enlarges k times too. However, most research was conducted with traditional, school-like word problems. This study examines whether pupils also over-use linearity if non-linear problems are embedded in meaningful, authentic performance tasks instead of traditional, school-like word problems, and whether this experience influences later behaviour. Ninety-three sixth graders from two primary schools in Flanders, Belgium. Pupils received a pre-test with traditional word problems. Those who made a linear error on the non-linear area problem were subjected to individual interviews. They received one new non-linear problem, in the S-condition (again a traditional, scholastic word problem), D-condition (the same word problem with a drawing) or P-condition (a meaningful performance-based task). Shortly afterwards, pupils received a post-test, containing again a non-linear word problem. Most pupils from the S-condition displayed linear reasoning during the interview. Offering drawings (D-condition) had a positive effect, but presenting the problem as a performance task (P-condition) was more beneficial. Linear reasoning was nearly absent in the P-condition. Remarkably, at the post-test, most pupils from all three groups again applied linear strategies. Pupils' over-reliance on linearity seems partly elicited by the school-like word problem format of test items. Pupils perform much better if non-linear problems are offered as performance tasks. However, a single experience does not change performances on a comparable word problem test afterwards.

Health and cancer prevention: implications of the knowledge and beliefs of 15-16 year old school pupils in South Africa.

PubMed

Walker, A R; Walker, B F; Jerling, J; Rossouw, K; Lelake, A

1999-06-01

The objective was to collect information from African and white pupils aged 15-16 years on their knowledge of and attitudes towards cancer, and their understanding of health-related behaviours in relation to their future experience. Questionnaires were completed by a series of 338 African and 378 white pupils in suburban secondary schools. African and white pupils knew most about lung cancer, and had some knowledge of skin and breast cancers. Smoking was seen by most as the chief cause of the disease. Half of both groups perceived a high intake of vegetables and fruit as protective. Television and printed media were the most important sources of information. The children in both groups were more anxious about unemployment and violence, and also, among African children, about AIDS, than about future ill-health. Thus, health was not perceived by many as the most important goal in life. Discussion indicates that white adolescents and also white adults, with more advanced understanding of cancer causation, make very limited use of their knowledge, dietary and non-dietary, to avoid the disease. In brief, level of cancer knowledge has very limited implications. Although young Africans in the course of their transition are very unlikely to seek to diminish their risk of cancer, there must be no lessening of urgent warnings and advice through the media on the avoidance of the disease.

Fiscal Procedures for Special Education Pupil Reimbursement. Revised for 1998-99 School Year.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Board of Education, Springfield. Center for Fiscal and Shared Services.

This handbook is a compilation of fiscal procedures and instructions to assist Illinois local education agencies in claiming reimbursement for special education services for the 1998-99 school year. It contains: (1) general instructions for completing the Special Education Pupil Reimbursement form; (2) instructions for filling out sections…

Pupil Transportation and School Bus Safety in Canada. Bibliographies in Education No. 61.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moll, Marita

This booklet lists a wide variety of publications, legislation, and informational materials dealing with the general topic of pupil transportation and school bus safety in Canada. Several different types of materials are listed, including legislation, books, articles and manuals. Legislation is listed by province. Other materials are divided into…

A Study of the Effects of School Size and Single-Sex Education in English Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spielhofer, Thomas; Benton, Tom; Schagen, Sandie

2004-01-01

National value-added datasets have recently become available that record a pupil's progress from Key Stage 2 right through to GCSE. Such a dataset is clearly a useful tool for assessing the impact various characteristics of secondary schools have on pupil performance. This paper reports on a research project which involved the use of a variety of…

School Psychology and School-Based Child and Family Interventions in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chong, Wan Har; Lee, Boon Ooi; Tan, Soo Yin; Wong, Shyh Shin; Yeo, Lay See

2013-01-01

This article presents an overview of the range of primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions based on the Singapore Education Ministry-developed whole-school framework for pupil management and support. At the preventive level, a range of school-wide programmes are implemented to provide learning, emotional, and behavioural support for…

Changes in Primary School Pupils' Conceptions of Water in the Context of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Havu-Nuutinen, Sari; Kärkkäinen, Sirpa; Keinonen, Tuula

2018-01-01

Pupils' conceptual change processes that have led to long-term changes in learning processes can be very challenging and interwoven with several issues. Meanwhile, school learning is often determined as fragmented, without providing connections to pupils' different life and societal contexts. In this study, Science, Technology, and Society (STS)…

Impact of Regular Soap Provision to Primary Schools on Hand Washing and E. coli Hand Contamination among Pupils in Nyanza Province, Kenya: A Cluster-Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Saboori, Shadi; Greene, Leslie E.; Moe, Christine L.; Freeman, Matthew C.; Caruso, Bethany A.; Akoko, Daniel; Rheingans, Richard D.

2013-01-01

We assessed whether supplying soap to primary schools on a regular basis increased pupil hand washing and decreased Escherichia coli hand contamination. Multiple rounds of structured observations of hand washing events after latrine use were conducted in 60 Kenyan schools, and hand rinse samples were collected one time in a subset of schools. The proportion of pupils observed practicing hand washing with soap (HWWS) events was significantly higher in schools that received a soap provision intervention (32%) and schools that received soap and latrine cleaning materials (38%) compared with controls (3%). Girls and boys had similar hand washing rates. There were non-significant reductions in E. coli contamination among intervention school pupils compared with controls. Removing the barrier of soap procurement can significantly increase availability of soap and hand washing among pupils; however, we discuss limitations in the enabling policy and institutional environment that may have prevented reaching desired levels of HWWS. PMID:23939707

Impact of regular soap provision to primary schools on hand washing and E. coli hand contamination among pupils in Nyanza Province, Kenya: a cluster-randomized trial.

PubMed

Saboori, Shadi; Greene, Leslie E; Moe, Christine L; Freeman, Matthew C; Caruso, Bethany A; Akoko, Daniel; Rheingans, Richard D

2013-10-01

We assessed whether supplying soap to primary schools on a regular basis increased pupil hand washing and decreased Escherichia coli hand contamination. Multiple rounds of structured observations of hand washing events after latrine use were conducted in 60 Kenyan schools, and hand rinse samples were collected one time in a subset of schools. The proportion of pupils observed practicing hand washing with soap (HWWS) events was significantly higher in schools that received a soap provision intervention (32%) and schools that received soap and latrine cleaning materials (38%) compared with controls (3%). Girls and boys had similar hand washing rates. There were non-significant reductions in E. coli contamination among intervention school pupils compared with controls. Removing the barrier of soap procurement can significantly increase availability of soap and hand washing among pupils; however, we discuss limitations in the enabling policy and institutional environment that may have prevented reaching desired levels of HWWS.

Impact of food advertising on food purchases by students in primary and secondary schools in south-eastern Poland.

PubMed

Mazur, A; Telega, G; Kotowicz, A; Małek, H; Jarochowicz, S; Gierczak, B; Mazurkiewicz, M; Pop, T; Zajkiewicz, K; Drużbicki, M; Mazur, D

2008-09-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of food advertising in primary and secondary schools on the food purchasing habits of children. All forty-four primary and secondary schools in Rzeszow, Poland were included in the investigation; 15000 children attend primary and secondary schools in the region. Schools were visited by members of the research team, who filled in a questionnaire regarding the type of food products displayed or advertised in the school shop window and recorded the presence of direct corporate advertising in the proximity of the school shop. Shop owners were asked to fill in a form describing food purchases by students within the week preceding the visit. The school principal (or one of teachers) completed a form describing the school's policy regarding food advertising and the sponsorship of school activities by food companies. Recommended foods like milk, yogurts and fruit were offered by only 40.9 % of shops. There was a correlation between foods offered in the shop and foods purchased by students. In schools, 40.9% (95% CI 25.8, 56.0%) of shop windows displayed or advertised 'healthy' foods while 9.1% (95% CI 0.0, 17.9%) of shops displayed advertisements of food companies. The difference between display of 'healthy' food in shop windows and display of food on company advertisements was significant (likelihood ratio chi2 test, P < 0.04). Type of school (primary v. secondary) was not significant factor in advertising or purchasing pattern. Educational programmes should be introduced in schools with the aim of improving the understanding of nutritional principles among pupils, teachers and parents.

Treating schistosomiasis among South African high school pupils in an endemic area, a qualitative study.

PubMed

Lothe, Andrea; Zulu, Nqobile; Øyhus, Arne Olav; Kjetland, Eyrun Floerecke; Taylor, Myra

2018-05-25

Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by parasites that infest open water sources such as rivers and dams may increase susceptibility to HIV. Mass-treatment with praziquantel tablets, recommended by the World Health Organization reduces the prevalence of schistosomiasis. The goal in endemic areas is 75% treatment participation in every treatment round (e.g. yearly). However, in rural Ugu district, KwaZulu-Natal, South-Africa there was low participation among pupils in a Department of Health Mass-Treatment Campaign for schistosomiasis. Nested in a large study on schistosomiasis the study was conducted in 2012 over 4 months using qualitative methods with the Health Belief Model as the conceptual framework. Purposive sampling was done. Focus Group Discussions were undertaken at six schools in grades 10-12. Individual in-depth interviews were held with one teacher and two pupils at each school. In addition three traditional healers and a community health worker were interviewed. The severity of schistosomiasis was not recognised and neither was the pupils' susceptibility. Barriers to treatment included confusing S, haematobium symptoms with sexually transmitted infections, teasing and stigma. Increased knowledge, health literacy for treatment, and correct understanding about the severity of schistosomiasis may provide cues to action. The study indicates that comprehensive information may increase pupil participation in mass-treatment and decrease schistosomiasis prevalence. This study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov registry database and the registration number is NCT01154907 30 June 2011.

Endotoxin, Ergosterol, Fungal DNA and Allergens in Dust from Schools in Johor Bahru, Malaysia- Associations with Asthma and Respiratory Infections in Pupils

PubMed Central

Norbäck, Dan; Markowicz, Pawel; Cai, Gui-Hong; Hashim, Zailina; Ali, Faridah; Zheng, Yi-Wu; Lai, Xu-Xin; Spangfort, Michael Dho; Larsson, Lennart; Hashim, Jamal Hisham

2014-01-01

There are few studies on associations between respiratory health and allergens, fungal and bacterial compounds in schools in tropical countries. The aim was to study associations between respiratory symptoms in pupils and ethnicity, chemical microbial markers, allergens and fungal DNA in settled dust in schools in Malaysia. Totally 462 pupils (96%) from 8 randomly selected secondary schools in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, participated. Dust was vacuumed from 32 classrooms and analysed for levels of different types of endotoxin as 3-hydroxy fatty acids (3-OH), muramic acid, ergosterol, allergens and five fungal DNA sequences. Multiple logistic regression was applied. Totally 13.1% pupils reported doctor’s diagnosed asthma, 10.3% wheeze and 21.1% pollen or pet allergy. Indian and Chinese children had less atopy and asthma than Malay. Carbon dioxide levels were low (380–690 ppm). No cat (Fel d1), dog (Can f 1) or horse allergens (Ecu cx) were detected. The levels of Bloomia tropicalis (Blo t), house dust mite allergens (Der p 1, Der f 1, Der m 1) and cockroach allergens (Per a 1 and Bla g 1) were low. There were positive associations between levels of Aspergillus versicolor DNA and daytime breathlessness, between C14 3-OH and respiratory infections and between ergosterol and doctors diagnosed asthma. There were negative (protective) associations between levels of C10 3-OH and wheeze, between C16 3-OH and day time and night time breathlessness, between cockroach allergens and doctors diagnosed asthma. Moreover there were negative associations between amount of fine dust, total endotoxin (LPS) and respiratory infections. In conclusion, endotoxin at school seems to be mainly protective for respiratory illness but different types of endotoxin could have different effects. Fungal contamination measured as ergosterol and Aspergillus versicolor DNA can be risk factors for respiratory illness. The ethnical differences for atopy and asthma deserve further attention. PMID

Pupil Progression Plan: Requirements and Procedures 1982-83.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duval County School Board, Jacksonville, FL.

The Pupil Progression Plan detailed in this document was developed in response to Florida's Educational Accountability Act, which requires each school district to establish a comprehensive program for pupil progression, and to fulfill the requirements of school board policy. The first section details general procedures for promotion, grades K-12.…

Assessing the impact of a school-based latrine cleaning and handwashing program on pupil absence in Nyanza Province, Kenya: a cluster-randomized trial.

PubMed

Caruso, Bethany A; Freeman, Matthew C; Garn, Joshua V; Dreibelbis, Robert; Saboori, Shadi; Muga, Richard; Rheingans, Richard

2014-10-01

Improving school water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions reduces pupil absence and illness. However, these benefits may depend on the conditions of the latrines and availability of consumables. We sought to determine whether a low-cost, policy-relevant, environmental-level latrine cleaning intervention could improve latrine cleanliness, increase its use and reduce absenteeism. In a three-arm, cluster-randomized trial we assessed absence via periodical roll-call among 17 564 pupils in 60 schools that had previously received WASH improvements as part of the SWASH+ project. Latrine conditions and use were also assessed using structured observation. Latrine cleanliness increased significantly during the post-intervention period among schools receiving the latrine cleaning package compared to controls, as did handwashing with soap. We found no difference in latrine use and absence across arms. The additive impact of cleaning may not have been strong enough to impact absence above and beyond reductions attributable to the original WASH infrastructure improvements and basic hygiene education the schools previously received. Improving latrine conditions is important for the dignity and well-being of pupils, and investments and strategies are necessary to ensure that school toilets are clean and pupil-friendly. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An Investigation into the Test Reliability of the Pupil Control Ideology Form.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaffney, Patrick V.; Byrd-Gaffney, Sharon

The Pupil Control Ideology Form (PCI) is one of the major instruments used by researchers interested in the study of school climate. Pupil control is a central feature of the organizational life of schools, and each school appears to have a prevailing ideology of pupil control. The PCI is a self-report instrument used to measure an educator's…

Per Pupil Expenditures and School District Accreditation: What Does the Total Per Pupil Expenditure Indicator in the 1993 Mississippi Report Card Really Mean?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathews, Jerry G.; Johnson, Gary P.

The 1993 Mississippi Report Card was the result of legislative and accountability processes. The state's Education Reform Act of 1982 created a mandate to establish a performance-based school-accreditation system. This paper presents findings of a study that disaggregated and analyzed the total per-pupil expenditure indicators in the 1993…

Effects of problem-solving interventions on aggressive behaviours among primary school pupils in Ibadan, Nigeria.

PubMed

Abdulmalik, Jibril; Ani, Cornelius; Ajuwon, Ademola J; Omigbodun, Olayinka

2016-01-01

Aggressive patterns of behavior often start early in childhood, and tend to remain stable into adulthood. The negative consequences include poor academic performance, disciplinary problems and encounters with the juvenile justice system. Early school intervention programs can alter this trajectory for aggressive children. However, there are no studies evaluating the feasibility of such interventions in Africa. This study therefore, assessed the effect of group-based problem-solving interventions on aggressive behaviors among primary school pupils in Ibadan, Nigeria. This was an intervention study with treatment and wait-list control groups. Two public primary schools in Ibadan Nigeria were randomly allocated to an intervention group and a waiting list control group. Teachers rated male Primary five pupils in the two schools on aggressive behaviors and the top 20 highest scorers in each school were selected. Pupils in the intervention school received 6 twice-weekly sessions of group-based intervention, which included problem-solving skills, calming techniques and attribution retraining. Outcome measures were; teacher rated aggressive behaviour (TRAB), self-rated aggression scale (SRAS), strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), attitude towards aggression questionnaire (ATAQ), and social cognition and attribution scale (SCAS). The participants were aged 12 years (SD = 1.2, range 9-14 years). Both groups had similar socio-demographic backgrounds and baseline measures of aggressive behaviors. Controlling for baseline scores, the intervention group had significantly lower scores on TRAB and SRAS 1-week post intervention with large Cohen's effect sizes of 1.2 and 0.9 respectively. The other outcome measures were not significantly different between the groups post-intervention. Group-based problem solving intervention for aggressive behaviors among primary school students showed significant reductions in both teachers' and students' rated aggressive behaviours

Joining up with "Not Us" Staff to Run Adolescent Groups in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sayder, Suzan

2008-01-01

The author describes the development of a model for working with staff members from non-psychoanalytic backgrounds to run therapeutic and therapy-like pupil groups in schools. She draws on her experience of co-facilitating groups at a London-based secondary school and uses examples from recent group work with Year 10 pupils (aged 14-15). Child…

Pupils teach to pupils about genetics or global warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuny, Delphine

2013-04-01

The idea of this project is to put pupils in a teaching situation. Classes of teenagers go to primary schools and animate a science workshop. Junior pupils are separated in small groups and they attend two different sessions in the same half-day. The whole workshop consists of 4 sessions. Each session is organized with an activity (microscope observation, counting of chromosomes, drawing of a curve, etc.) in which senior pupils coach the younger, and ends with a debate or an assessment. The first experiment of this type of project was realized with a class of 14 to 15 year old pupils on the theme: How do your parents transmit your characteristics? The four sessions are attended in disorder but when knowledge of other sessions are necessary, senior pupils explain them at the beginning of the session. Junior pupils have a notebook to write their activities and to note their conclusions. Session 1: What did my father give to make me? Drawing and measuring microscopic observations of human spermatozoons. Conclusion: my father gave a spermatozoon which measures less than one mm long, this spermatozoon met my mother's egg and it made my first cell. Session 2: What does the program that made me look like? Microscope observation of blood cells, identification of chromosomes in the core. On microscope pictures, counting of chromosomes. Conclusion: My program is in each cell of my body, inside the core. Sometimes, in this core, we can observe short sticks that are called chromosomes. All human beings have the same number of chromosomes in their cells: 46. Session 3: Where do my chromosomes come from? Counting of chromosomes in spermatozoons or ovums and playing with sets of chromosomes to deduct sex of a baby. Conclusion: Daddy gave me 23 chromosomes and mummy gave me 23 chromosomes too. My program is then constituted from half of daddy's program and half of mummy's program. My brothers and sisters also have half and half, but not the same halves! Session 4: Where is the

Assessing the impact of a school-based latrine cleaning and handwashing program on pupil absence in Nyanza Province, Kenya: A cluster-randomized trial

PubMed Central

Caruso, Bethany A.; Freeman, Matthew C.; Garn, Joshua V.; Dreibelbis, Robert; Saboori, Shadi; Muga, Richard; Rheingans, Richard

2016-01-01

Improving school water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions has been shown to be effective in reducing pupil absence and illness. However, the benefit of sanitation and hygiene promotion improvements at school may depend on the conditions of the latrines and availability of consumables. We employed a three-arm, cluster-randomized trial to determine if a low-cost, policy-relevant, environmental-level latrine cleaning intervention could a) improve latrine cleanliness, b) increase latrine use, and c) reduce absenteeism. We assessed absence via periodical roll-call among 17,564 pupils in 60 schools that previously received WASH Improvements as part of the SWASH+ project. Latrine conditions and use were also assessed using structured observation. Latrine cleanliness increased significantly during the post-intervention period among schools receiving the latrine-cleaning package compared to controls. Handwashing with soap increased as well in intervention schools relative to controls. We found no difference in latrine use and absence across arms. The additive impact of cleaning may not have been strong enough to impact absence above and beyond reductions attributable to the original WASH infrastructure improvements and basic hygiene education the schools previously received. Improving latrine conditions is important for the dignity and well being of pupils, and investments and strategies are necessary to ensure school sanitation environments are clean and pupil-friendly. PMID:25055716

Primary School Pupils' Views of Characteristics of Good Primary School Teachers: An Exploratory, Open Approach for Investigating Pupils' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakx, Anouke; Koopman, Maaike; de Kruijf, Judith; den Brok, Perry

2015-01-01

This article reports on results of a study on pupils' perceptions on teacher quality in primary education. Pupils' perceptions of desired characteristics of good teachers in primary education were compared to results of research into teacher quality from different perspectives: (1) perception studies of ideal teaching-and-learning environments;…

Upper Secondary School Pupils' Attitudes towards Natural Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akarsu, Bayram; Kariper, Afsin

2013-01-01

Students' attitudes towards natural science constitute an important area in science education as fewer students are interested in natural science and they do not choose corresponding science disciplines in postsecondary education. The current study reports preliminary results of a survey on high school students' interests and attitudes towards…

ESTEEM - Encouraging School Transportation Effective Energy Management - Fuel Economy Management Handbook for Directors of Pupil Transportation, School District Administrators, Transportation Department Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BRI Systems, Inc., Phoenix, AZ.

This publication is a guide for school districts to reduce pupil transportation costs and save energy. The information presented is based upon: (1) energy saving programs implemented by school districts; (2) government and industry research efforts in fuel economy; (3) the successful experiences of commercial trucking fleets to save fuel; and (4)…

Implementing a free school-based fruit and vegetable programme: barriers and facilitators experienced by pupils, teachers and produce suppliers in the Boost study.

PubMed

Aarestrup, Anne Kristine; Krølner, Rikke; Jørgensen, Thea Suldrup; Evans, Alexandra; Due, Pernille; Tjørnhøj-Thomsen, Tine

2014-02-11

Multi-component interventions which combine educational and environmental strategies appear to be most effective in increasing fruit and vegetable (FV) intake in adolescents. However, multi-component interventions are complex to implement and often poorly implemented. Identification of barriers and facilitators for implementation is warranted to improve future interventions.This study aimed to explore implementation of two intervention components which addressed availability and accessibility of FV in the multi-component, school-based Boost study which targeted FV intake among Danish 13-year-olds and to identify barriers and facilitators for implementation among pupils, teachers and FV suppliers. We conducted focus group interviews with 111 13-year-olds and 13 teachers, completed class observations at six schools, and conducted telephone interviews with all involved FV suppliers. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed using qualitative analytical procedures. FV suppliers affected the implementation of the FV programme at schools and thereby pupils' intake through their timing of delivery and through the quality, quantity and variety of the delivered FV. Teachers influenced the accessibility and appearance of FV by deciding if and when the pupils could eat FV and whether FV were cut up. Different aspects of time acted as barriers for teachers' implementation of the FV programme: time spent on having a FV break during lessons, time needed to prepare FV and time spent on pupils' misbehaviour and not being able to handle getting FV. Teacher timing of cutting up and serving FV could turn into a barrier for pupils FV intake due to enzymatic browning. The appearance of FV was important for pupils' intake, especially for girls. FV that did not appeal to the pupils e.g. had turned brown after being cut up were thrown around as a part of a game by the pupils, especially boys. Girls appreciated the social dimension of eating FV together to a larger extent than boys

Monitoring risk behaviour in adolescent pupils regarding consumption of psychoactive substances.

PubMed

Wojtyła-Buciora, Paulina; Klimberg, Aneta; Kapka-Skrzypczak, Lucyna; Diatczyk, Jarosław; Urbaniak, Monika; Ulatowska-Szostak, Ewa; Bołdowski, Tomasz; Wojtyła, Andrzej; Marcinkowski, Jerzy T

2017-06-06

Introduction. Taking psychoactive substances constitutes a significant problem for Public Health, particularly in preventing drug abuse and addiction. Objectives. To estimate the amount and incidence of drug consumption in middle and high school pupils, including the circumstances in which drug taking first started, and to determine pupils' knowledge about the consequences of taking psychoactive substances and designer drugs (DDs). Materials and methods. A randomised study was conducted throughout Poland on 9,360 pupils attending middle school (junior high school) in 2009 and 7,971 pupils from middle and high school pupils in 2011. The survey consisted of a questionnaire devised by the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) and the replies obtained were subject to the relevant statistical analyses. Results. Drug taking was found to have increased between 2009-2011, especially among those attending high school; proportionally rising from 4% - 11%. The numbers who had ever taken designer drugs were 3% for middle school pupils and 4% from high school. Conclusions. 1) Adolescent drug consumption has increased, particularly in those of older age and in boys. 2) Despite the only brief interval for which designer drugs were legal, they have gained high popularity among the young. 3) Adolescents have insufficient knowledge about the dangers of using DDs. 4) Faced with the growing threat of a dynamic designer drug market, appropriate counter-measures in education and prevention are therefore necessary.

[Parenting skills situation and need assessment among parents of primary school pupils].

PubMed

Ma, Ya-ting; Chen, Jing-qi; Wang, Fu-man; Xiao, Wan-qing; Zhang, Man; Zhang, Wen-jing; Duan, Gui-qin; Li, Jing-yi; Luo, Xiao-ling

2012-06-18

To investigate parenting skills and need among parents of primary school pupils and to explore influencing factors. A total of 1 394 parents of rural and urban primary school pupils were recruited by multistage stratified random clustered sampling method. They were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire regarding demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, parenting scale, parenting need assessment, parent-to-child interaction attitudes, social support, physical/mental maltreatment experiences in childhood and so forth. Apart from TV/film/broadcasting, rural parents' utilization of other parenting deliveries was less than that of urban parents. Urban and rural parents both had high needs for parenting skills. Parents' physical/mental maltreatment experiences in childhood were risk factors for dysfunctional parenting. Positive parent-to-child interaction attitudes and high social support were protective factors against dysfunctional parenting. Mothers, parents of boys, middle/low family incomes, and parents with positive parent-to-child interaction attitudes had higher demands for parenting skills. We should make full use of mass media, interpersonal communication to meet the needs of parenting for parents, especially rural parents. More attention should be paid to parents with childhood maltreatment experiences, low social support and less positive parent-to-child interaction attitudes.

High School Transition--An Intervention That Empowers Children with Special Educational Needs and Improves School Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunn, Helena; Davis, Debbie; Speed, Emma

2017-01-01

This article discusses the process and results of a junior school initiative from a local authority in the East of England, to ensure that vulnerable pupils in the school experience a successful transition to high school. The resulting project is the consequence of an inter-organisational collaboration between the junior school, a secondary school…

Internality and externality correlates of potential drivers among high school pupils in Holon (Israel).