Sustainable Leadership in Small Rural Schools: Selected Australian Vignettes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Simon; Stevens, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

According to Hargreaves and Fink (The seven principles of sustainable leadership, 2003; Sustainable leadership, 2006), sustainable leadership matters, spreads and lasts, and is fundamental to enduring and widespread school improvement. This observation is especially germane to the context of leading small primary schools in rural locations, where…

More with Four: A Look at the Four Day Week in Oregon's Small Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinke, Joyce M.

The 4-day school week offers solutions to the financial and instructional problems often faced by small rural schools. Two southern Oregon schools implemented the 4-day school week on a trial basis in 1982-83 and, along with five eastern Oregon districts, continue to use this schedule today. The primary purpose of the change to a 4-day week was…

Barriers to Distance Education in Rural Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvin, Matthew J.; Hannum, Wallace H.; Varre, Claire de la; Farmer, Thomas W.

2010-01-01

The primary purpose of the current study was to examine barriers to the use of distance education and explore related factors in small and low-income rural schools. Data were collected via a telephone survey with administrators or other qualified personnel. The sample involved 417 randomly selected small and low-income rural school districts…

Engaging with primary schools: Supporting the delivery of the new curriculum in evolution and inheritance.

PubMed

Kover, Paula X; Hogge, Emily S

2017-10-01

The official school regulator in England (OFSTED) recently reported that the delivery of science lessons has been significantly diminished in many primary schools. There is concern that the lack of good quality science in school can reduce the recruitment of young scientists, and the level of science literacy among the general public. We believe university scientists and undergraduate students can have a significant impact in the delivery of science in primary schools. However, a relatively small proportion of scientists engage with young children to improve curricular primary school science education. Here, we argue that long term engagement with primary schools can produce significant impact for the scientist's research, schools, and society. As an example, we describe our experience developing teaching materials for the topic of "Evolution and inheritance"; highlighting possible pitfalls and perceived benefits, in hope of encouraging and facilitating other scientists to engage with primary schools. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advocacy and Surveillance: Primary Schools Teachers' Relationships with Asylum-Seeking Mothers in Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Shirley; Horgan, Deirdre; O'Riordan, Jacqui; Christie, Alastair

2018-01-01

The article analyses the findings of a small-scale qualitative study in Ireland that examines interactions between asylum-seeking mothers and primary school teachers, and highlights the significance of teachers' understandings of asylum in shaping home-school communications. Mothers and children in this study were living in Direct Provision,…

Enhancing Children's Success in Science Learning: An Experience of Science Teaching in Teacher Primary School Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferreira, Maria Eduarda; Porteiro, Ana Cláudia; Pitarma, Rui

2015-01-01

The Environmental Studies curricular area, taught at primary school level in Portugal, is a challenging context for curricular interdisciplinarity and the achievement of small-scale research and creative and innovative experiences, inside and outside the classroom. From that assumption, we present, under the master course of primary teacher…

A Small-Scale Study of Primary School English Language Teachers' Classroom Activities and Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arikan, Arda

2011-01-01

Turkey's search for upgrading the quality of English language teaching is still in progress. Publication of Ministry of National Education's "English Language Curriculum for Primary Education Grades 4,5,6,7 and 8" (2006) framed the content and delivery of our primary school English language teaching classes along with a list of suggested…

Small Is Too Big: Achieving a Critical Anti-Mass in the High School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Tom

Developing more effective conceptions of the high school may require radically reducing its size. In today's big high schools, size ensures that control of students is a primary concern and prevents the development of a collegial atmosphere among teachers. Although research provides ample evidence of the superior social climates of small informal…

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Music Education Experiences and Ambitions in Two Spanish and English Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardcastle, Elinor; Pitts, Stephanie; Aróstegui, José Luis

2017-01-01

A small-scale comparative study of music education provision in two Spanish and English primary schools was carried out in 2013-14, using questionnaires, interviews and observations. The study investigated the musical experiences of the children in the two schools, their ambitions for their musical futures, and the classroom practices and policy…

The Achievement of Indigenous Students in Guatemalan Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEwan, Patrick J.; Trowbridge, Marisol

2007-01-01

This paper analyses the difference in academic achievement between indigenous and nonindigenous children that attend rural primary schools in Guatemala. The gap ranges between 0.8 and 1 standard deviation in Spanish, and approximately half that in Mathematics. A decomposition procedure suggests that a relatively small portion of the achievement…

Problems Facing Rural Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, C. E.; And Others

Problems facing rural Scottish schools range from short term consideration of daily operation to long term consideration of organizational alternatives. Addressed specifically, such problems include consideration of: (1) liaison between a secondary school and its feeder primary schools; (2) preservice teacher training for work in small, isolated…

Elementary School Reorganization: Looking Back One Year Later.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vann, Allan S.

1993-01-01

Evaluates a small New York school district's efforts to reorganize its two K-5 elementary schools into one K-2 primary grade school and one 3-5 intermediate school, focusing on student, staff, and parent reactions. Although the new arrangement created more focused schools, the intermediate principal misses the energy deriving from the Kindergarten…

Handwriting, Spelling, and Narrative Competence in the Fictional Stories of Italian Primary-School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longobardi, Emiddia; Spataro, Pietro; Pizzicannella, Emiliano

2018-01-01

Previous studies with English-speaking children showed that handwriting and spelling abilities played a critical role in the development of writing fluency and quality, particularly during the transition from the kindergarten to primary school; in contrast, studies dealing with orthographically transparent languages found small or no relations…

Hidden Expert Knowledge: The Knowledge That Counts for the Small School-District Superintendent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyle, Adrienne E.; Ivory, Gary; McClellan, Rhonda L.

2010-01-01

Using Bereiter and Scardamalia's (1993) hidden expert knowledge, we explored what knowledge counts from the perspectives of working small school-district superintendents and the ways in which they gain that knowledge. This qualitative study used focus groups as its primary data collection method. Participants were 37 superintendents of districts…

The Dalhousie University Experience of Training Residents in Many Small Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Jean D.; And Others

1994-01-01

A study of Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia) medical school primary care residency graduates (n=200) and other specialty graduates (n=371) suggests that the institution's policy of requiring first-year residencies in small community health services may cause more graduates, both primary care and specialists, to choose rural practice locations.…

"Pointless to Try to Hide"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chrostoski, Eric W. M.

2012-01-01

Superintendents whose young children attend public schools in their school district face a special challenge. This article shares the author's experience as the son of a superintendent. Throughout his years in primary and secondary school, his mother, Jean Chrostoski, served as the superintendent of the schools he attended in the small Illinois…

Early School Transfer: Teacher Voices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maun, Ian; Trend, Roger

2009-01-01

This empirical research involves the investigation of teachers' perceptions of a school transfer scheme whereby children aged 11+ years transfer permanently from primary to secondary school four weeks before the end of the summer term, in mid-June, in a small English town. Expressed perceptions of the secondary school staff concerning the…

A Qualitative Study of Perceptions of Bullying in Irish Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purcell, Anita

2012-01-01

This small-scale research examined young children's, aged six to seven (n = 8), perceptions and understanding of bullying in Irish primary schools. It also included the views of the children's parents (n = 8) and teachers (n = 2) on bullying. The participants' views were obtained through semi-structured interviews which were analysed using the…

Why Do Primary School English Teachers Decide to Teach English?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amengual-Pizarro, Marian; Garcia Laborda, Jesus

2015-01-01

This study is an attempt to explore the nature of L2 teachers' motivation towards English language learning and their decision to become English teachers. A total of 45 third-year prospective Primary school English teachers at the University of the Balearic Islands completed a small-scale survey adapted from Gardner's Attitude/Motivation Test…

Teachers' Computer Self-Efficacy and Their Use of Educational Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turel, Vehbi

2014-01-01

This study examined the use of educational technology by primary and subject teachers (i.e. secondary and high school teachers) in a small town in the eastern part of Turkey in the spring of 2012. The study examined the primary, secondary and high school teachers': (1) personal and computer related (demographic) characteristics; (2) their computer…

The Day-to-Day Work of Primary School Teachers: A Source of Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambler, Trudy Belinda

2016-01-01

Teachers are an important influence on students' learning, and therefore the opportunity for teachers to learn and develop is something of interest to educators internationally. This article reports on a research project involving six primary school teachers who participated in one-on-one and small group interviews to explore the opportunities for…

Professional Learning for a New English Curriculum: Catholic Education Melbourne Primary School Teachers and AusVELS English F-10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albright, James; Knezevic, Lisa

2017-01-01

Teachers of subject English across Australia have been involved in a wide range of professional learning experiences to support implementation of the "Australian Curriculum: English" since its introduction in 2010. This article investigates the professional learning experienced by a small number of primary school teachers in two Catholic…

Developing Strategic and Reasoning Abilities with Computer Games at Primary School Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottino, R. M.; Ferlino, L.; Ott, M.; Tavella, M.

2007-01-01

The paper reports a small-scale, long-term pilot project designed to foster strategic and reasoning abilities in young primary school pupils by engaging them in a number of computer games, mainly those usually called mind games (brainteasers, puzzlers, etc.). In this paper, the objectives, work methodology, experimental setting, and tools used in…

Parents' Attitudes to the Closure of Small Rural Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archbold, A.; Nisbet, J.

1977-01-01

Attitudes of 134 parents of children from 10 rural schools threatened with closure, and 56 parents of children from seven schools recently closed, were assessed by interview. Most parents opposed closure, and most gave educational reasons for their attitudes. (Author)

Gardening Provides Valuable Time to Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Margaret

2016-01-01

Like many schools, Hornsea Community Primary School, which is situated in a rural coastal town in East Yorkshire, has a long wish list of both curriculum and pastoral ideals. A gardening club was started at the school with the intention of transforming two small areas of the school grounds that were very visible to the school community and to…

Improving community development by linking agriculture, nutrition and education: design of a randomised trial of "home-grown" school feeding in Mali.

PubMed

Masset, Edoardo; Gelli, Aulo

2013-02-21

Providing food through schools has well documented effects in terms of the education, health and nutrition of school children. However, there is limited evidence in terms of the benefits of providing a reliable market for small-holder farmers through "home-grown" school feeding approaches. This study aims to evaluate the impact of school feeding programmes sourced from small-holder farmers on small-holder food security, as well as on school children's education, health and nutrition in Mali. In addition, this study will examine the links between social accountability and programme performance. This is a field experiment planned around the scale-up of the national school feeding programme, involving 116 primary schools in 58 communities in food insecure areas of Mali. The randomly assigned interventions are: 1) a school feeding programme group, including schools and villages where the standard government programme is implemented; 2) a "home-grown" school feeding and social accountability group, including schools and villages where the programme is implemented in addition to training of community based organisations and local government; and 3) the control group, including schools and household from villages where the intervention will be delayed by at least two years, preferably without informing schools and households. Primary outcomes include small-holder farmer income, school participation and learning, and community involvement in the programme. Other outcomes include nutritional status and diet-diversity. The evaluation will follow a mixed method approach, including household, school and village level surveys as well as focus group discussions with small-holder farmers, school children, parents and community members. The impact evaluation will be incorporated within the national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system strengthening activities that are currently underway in Mali. Baselines surveys are planned for 2012. A monthly process monitoring visits, spot checks and quarterly reporting will be undertaken as part of the regular programme monitoring activities. Evaluation surveys are planned for 2014. National governments in sub-Saharan Africa have demonstrated strong leadership in the response to the recent food and financial crises by scaling-up school feeding programmes. "Home-grown" school feeding programmes have the potential to link the increased demand for school feeding goods and services to community-based stakeholders, including small-holder farmers and women's groups. Alongside assessing the more traditional benefits to school children, this evaluation will be the first to examine the impact of linking school food service provision to small-holder farmer income, as well as the link between community level engagement and programme performance. ISRCTN76705891.

Comparing Primary and Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Preferences Regarding Values about Mathematics Teaching in Turkey and Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dede, Yüksel

2015-01-01

This study presents a small part of a larger study investigating Turkish and German mathematics teachers' and their students' values (Values in Mathematics Teaching in Turkey and Germany). The main focus of the study was school levels of the teachers working at primary and secondary schools. The interactions related to nationality were also of…

Just a Knock Back? Identity Bruising on the Route to Becoming a Male Primary School Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Tor; Newman, Elizabeth

2005-01-01

Men who choose to do "women's work" and enter the female culture of the primary school can often initially face a range of stereotyped responses to their choice. Drawing on stories from a small sample of trainee and serving male teachers, we adopt the term "identity bruising" to describe the "knock backs" that occur…

Exploring Inclusive Practices in Primary Schools: Focusing on Children's Voices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adderley, Rebecca J.; Hope, Max A.; Hughes, Gill C.; Jones, Lisa; Messiou, Kyriaki; Shaw, Patricia A.

2015-01-01

This paper reports a small-scale research project which took place in one primary school in the north-east of England. The study aimed to listen to children's views about how the practices of teachers helped and/or hindered their sense of inclusion in classrooms. Inclusion was understood here in a broad sense rather than specifically relating to…

A Program in Art for Small Schools. Priority Country Area Program, Queensland Project Report 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bertani, Katherine

Written for use in small primary schools where children of varying ages and abilities are under the guidance of one teacher and where art is frequently neglected because of teacher workloads, these lessons form a comprehensive art program. The curriculum is divided into five categories according to medium: painting and drawing, modelling, collage…

Small Schools Mathematics Curriculum, K-3: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. Scope, Objectives, Activities, Resources, Monitoring Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Developed during 1975-76 by 40 primary teachers and 10 elementary principals from 12 small school districts in 2 Washington counties and first used during 1976-77 in more than 20 districts, this K-3 mathematics curriculum is designed to assist district compliance with Washington's Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Law, which requires…

Small Schools Student Learning Objectives, K-8: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics. K-3; Science, Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Developed by 40 primary teachers and 10 elementary principals from small school districts in Washington, this handbook contains sequenced student learning objectives for grades K-3 in science and social studies and for grades K-8 in reading, language arts, and mathematics. The handbook is designed to assist teachers with the improvement of…

Pedagogical Sustainability of a Rural School and Its Relationship with Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinash, Shelley; Hoffman, Michelle

2009-01-01

This article presents and analyses a single pedagogic case of a small, rural primary state school in Queensland, Australia. The researchers spent one day per week for nineteen weeks serving the role of visiting teachers to the school. The goal of the research was to inquire into the pedagogical sustainability of this rural school and its…

Diversity in Primary Teacher Education Gender Differences in Student Factors and Curriculum Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geerdink, Gerda; Bergen, Theo; Dekkers, Hetty

2011-01-01

In the Netherlands only a small number of male students opt for primary school teaching and a relatively large percentage of them leave without graduating. A small-scale research project was set up to explore the question: Can gender-specific student factors be identified in relation to the initial teacher education curriculum that leads to the…

Can Schools Offer Solutions to Small-Scale Farmers in Africa? Analysis of the Socioeconomic Benefits of Primary School Agriculture in Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okiror, John James; Oonyu, Joseph; Matsiko, Frank; Kibwika, Paul

2011-01-01

Agriculture;This paper discusses the factors influencing application of school gardening knowledge and skills by pupils at school and household level; and whether pupils are effective sources of information to their parents. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare cohorts of 30 pupils randomly selected from eight schools in Kumi and Tororo…

Improving community development by linking agriculture, nutrition and education: design of a randomised trial of “home-grown” school feeding in Mali

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Providing food through schools has well documented effects in terms of the education, health and nutrition of school children. However, there is limited evidence in terms of the benefits of providing a reliable market for small-holder farmers through “home-grown” school feeding approaches. This study aims to evaluate the impact of school feeding programmes sourced from small-holder farmers on small-holder food security, as well as on school children’s education, health and nutrition in Mali. In addition, this study will examine the links between social accountability and programme performance. Design This is a field experiment planned around the scale-up of the national school feeding programme, involving 116 primary schools in 58 communities in food insecure areas of Mali. The randomly assigned interventions are: 1) a school feeding programme group, including schools and villages where the standard government programme is implemented; 2) a “home-grown” school feeding and social accountability group, including schools and villages where the programme is implemented in addition to training of community based organisations and local government; and 3) the control group, including schools and household from villages where the intervention will be delayed by at least two years, preferably without informing schools and households. Primary outcomes include small-holder farmer income, school participation and learning, and community involvement in the programme. Other outcomes include nutritional status and diet-diversity. The evaluation will follow a mixed method approach, including household, school and village level surveys as well as focus group discussions with small-holder farmers, school children, parents and community members. The impact evaluation will be incorporated within the national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system strengthening activities that are currently underway in Mali. Baselines surveys are planned for 2012. A monthly process monitoring visits, spot checks and quarterly reporting will be undertaken as part of the regular programme monitoring activities. Evaluation surveys are planned for 2014. Discussion National governments in sub-Saharan Africa have demonstrated strong leadership in the response to the recent food and financial crises by scaling-up school feeding programmes. “Home-grown” school feeding programmes have the potential to link the increased demand for school feeding goods and services to community-based stakeholders, including small-holder farmers and women’s groups. Alongside assessing the more traditional benefits to school children, this evaluation will be the first to examine the impact of linking school food service provision to small-holder farmer income, as well as the link between community level engagement and programme performance. Trial registration ISRCTN76705891 PMID:23433395

Teachers' and Students' Perceptions of Motivational Teaching Strategies in an Indonesian High School Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Astuti, Sri Puji

2013-01-01

The primary purpose of this multiple case study is to explore teachers' and learners' perceptions of motivational teaching strategies. The data were obtained from two schools in a small town in West Sumatra, Indonesia; one is from an international standard high school and the other is from a local high school. This study is underpinned by…

Using Video Self-Modelling to Increase Active Learning Responses during Small-Group Reading Instruction for Primary School Pupils with Social Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young-Pelton, Cheryl A.; Bushman, Samantha L.

2015-01-01

Effectiveness of a video self-modelling (VSM) intervention was examined with primary schoolchildren who attended a full-time special education programme for pupils with social emotional and behavioural difficulties and who exhibited inappropriate behaviour during small-group reading instruction. A randomised multiple-probe baseline design was used…

"One of the Small Details That Got Overlooked": School Meals as Response to Cultural Diversity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampton, Hazel

1992-01-01

Study examined responses to cultural diversity at three British primary schools with Muslim students. At two schools, Muslim students received different meals when meat was served. Interviews with personnel, parents, and students uncovered undesirable, covert, stereotyping effects from the effort. Policies to avoid such effects and increase…

Small NGO Schools in India: Implications for Access and Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blum, Nicole

2009-01-01

In addition to the proliferation of private, fee-paying schools in India, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) play an important role in providing educational services, especially in un-served and under-served communities. This paper uses qualitative research to critically examine the nature and potential of NGO provision of primary schooling in…

Fit for Play?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Angela

2007-01-01

This article reports on the findings of a small-scale investigation into the views of children on potential changes to the playground in a large primary school. As a parent, midday supervisor and member of the school Grounds Development Committee I was interested in how views gathered to underpin change to the playground of one school might fit…

Effects of an Emotional Literacy Intervention for Students Identified with Bullying Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knowler, Claire; Frederickson, Norah

2013-01-01

The effectiveness of a 12-week, small group emotional literacy (EL) intervention in reducing bullying behaviour in school was evaluated. Participants were 50 primary school pupils identified through peer nomination as engaging in bullying behaviours. The intervention was implemented in schools already engaged with a universal social and emotional…

DIMS-Does It Make Sense?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheppey, Julie

2016-01-01

Thorntree Primary is a small school in Greenwich, London, with strong links to the local community and an appealing village feel that is unusual in its inner London setting. The children come from a mix of cultural and economic backgrounds, with those entitled to free school meals being higher than average. The school has a strong inclusive and…

The Pedagogy of Primary Music Teaching: Talking about Not Talking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Ruth

2018-01-01

In English primary schools, provision of musical music lessons is often lacking. This paper focuses on whether a lack of clarity around primary music pedagogy might be a contributing factor. Some comparisons are drawn with the realm of second-language teaching. A small qualitative study is reported in which three teacher-educators with…

"School Doesn't Feel as Much of a Partnership": Parents' Perceptions of Their Children's Transition from Nursery School to Reception Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Polly

2009-01-01

This small-scale study explores a group of English parents' perceptions of their relationships with their child's nursery school and, after the transition to Reception class, their primary school. It references current research and literature on the issues of transition and the role of parents in their children's education. Findings from…

Institutions within School Organizations: Looking inside the Black Box.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMeekin, R. W.; Latorre, Marcela; Celedon, Francisca

This paper uses concepts from New Institutional Economics and subdisciplines within economics to describe factors related to schools' success. It draws on an exploratory study of a small sample of public and private primary schools in Chile to show that it is possible to apply the concepts proposed in the paper and that there is a positive…

"My Friends Are There": Constructions of Schooling of Children of Filipino Immigrants in South Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potts, Anthony; Maadad, Nina; Yu, Marizon

2017-01-01

This article provides insights into children's perspectives on schooling experiences following immigration. Albeit focusing on a small cohort of children, the theory and methodology in the article could well be applied to children of immigrants from other cultures. In exploring the primary school experiences of children of Filipino immigrants in…

Cultivating Life Skills at a Project-Based Charter School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wurdinger, Scott; Enloe, Walter

2011-01-01

Surveys that focused on academic and life skill development were collected from alumni who attended Avalon Charter School in St Paul, Minnesota. Avalon is a small public charter school that uses project-based learning as their primary teaching method. Forty-two alumni responded to the online survey. Students ranked life skills such as creativity,…

An objective and cross-sectional examination of sun-safe behaviours in New South Wales primary schools.

PubMed

Dudley, Dean A; Cotton, Wayne G; Winslade, Matthew J; Wright, Bradley J; Jackson, Kirsten S; Brown, Alexandra M; Rock, Vanessa

2017-01-05

Previous evaluations have supported the link between sun protection policies and improved sun protection behaviours. However these evaluations have relied on self-reported data. A cross-sectional design as part of an ongoing 18-month cluster-controlled trial in primary schools (n = 20) was used. Researchers conducted direct observations to record students' hat use and teachers' use of sun protective measures during recess and lunch. Researchers also recorded the volume of sunscreen consumed in each school. Only 60% of primary school children wear a sun-safe hat during their breaks when observed using objective measures. Weak correlations were observed between the wearing of a sun-safe hat and a school's socio-economic status (r = 0.26). All other independent variables measured had only very weak correlations (r < 0.19) with sun-safe hat wearing behaviour of students. Sunscreen consumption by school students during the school day is negligible. A large percentage of NSW primary schools in this study wear sun-safe hats during the school day but this is well below what has been reported in previous national surveys. Given the finite resources of schools and the correlation, though small, with SES status for these behaviours, it behoves researchers to investigate low-cost solutions to these problems. Further qualitative data will also be needed to inform the enablers and barriers for sun-safe behaviour interventions to be adopted in NSW primary schools.

Cooperative Learning in Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slavin, Robert E.

2015-01-01

Cooperative learning refers to instructional methods in which students work in small groups to help each other learn. Although cooperative learning methods are used for different age groups, they are particularly popular in elementary (primary) schools. This article discusses methods and theoretical perspectives on cooperative learning for the…

Universal Pre-School Education: The Case of Public Funding with Private Provision. CEP Discussion Paper No. 1352

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanden, Joanne; Del Bono, Emilia; McNally, Sandra; Rabe, Birgitta

2015-01-01

This paper studies the effect of free pre-school education on child outcomes in primary school. We exploit the staggered implementation of free part-time pre-school for three-year-olds across Local Education Authorities in England in the early 2000s. The policy led to small improvements in attainment at age five, with no apparent benefits by age…

Disaffected Boys and the Achievement Gap: "The Wallpaper Effect" and What Is Hidden by a Focus on School Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nuttall, Amanda; Doherty, Jonathan

2014-01-01

This article reports on a teacher inquiry project in a primary school that serves disadvantaged communities on the outskirts of a de-industrialised city in the north of England. Of particular concern is a small group of white British boys in receipt of free school meals, who are identified by the school as disaffected and as a consequence…

Competitive foods in schools: Availability and purchasing in predominately rural small and large high schools

PubMed Central

Nollen, Nicole L.; Befort, Christie; Davis, Ann McGrath; Snow, Tricia; Mahnken, Jonathan; Hou, Qingjiang; Story, Mary; Ahluwalia, Jasjit S.

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVES Schools have an important role to play in obesity prevention, but little is known about the food environment in small, predominately rural schools. The primary purpose of this study was to compare the availability and student purchasing of foods sold outside of the reimbursable meals program through a la carte (ALC) or vending (i.e., competitive foods) in small (n = 7) and large (n = 6) Kansas high schools. METHODS A cross-sectional observational study design was used to capture the number of ALC and vending items available and purchased, and the fat and caloric content of all available and purchased items on a single school day between January and May 2005. RESULTS Small schools had significantly fewer vending machines than large schools [median=3.0 (range=2.0–5.0) versus 6.5 (range=4.0–8.0), p<0.01]. Vending and ALC items at small schools contained a median of 2.3 fewer fat grams per item (p≤0.05), while vending products contained a median of 25.0 fewer calories per item (p≤0.05) than at large schools. Significantly less fat (median= −15.4 grams/student) and fewer calories (median= −306.8 kcal/student) were purchased per student from all competitive food sources and from ALC (median= −12.9 fat grams and −323.3 kcal/student) by students in small schools compared to students in large schools (p≤0.05). CONCLUSIONS The findings, which highlight less availability and lower energy content from competitive foods at small compared to large schools, have implications for understanding how small schools support their food service programs with limited dependence on competitive foods and the impact that food and nutrition professionals can have on the school environment by providing more oversight into the nutritional quality of foods available. PMID:19394472

Improving Learning in Rural Schools through Instructional Computing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Daniel

Effective individualized learning continues to be the primary educational goal of small-rural schools. Three thrusts towards individualized learning--non-graded instruction, an emphasis on basic skills, and socially relevant education--can be enhanced by instructional computing, the use of microcomputers to facilitate learning. However, most…

Case Study Evaluation of an Intervention Planning Tool to Support Emotional Well-Being and Behaviour in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanbridge, Joanna K.; Campbell, Lorraine N.

2016-01-01

Questions of how best to support both children's emotional well-being and behaviour in schools are pervasive. The efficacy of an intervention planning tool to support internalising and externalising emotional needs and promote early intervention was explored in a small-scale case study. Adults were trained in two primary schools to carry out the…

The Italian primary school-size distribution and the city-size: a complex nexus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belmonte, Alessandro; di Clemente, Riccardo; Buldyrev, Sergey V.

2014-06-01

We characterize the statistical law according to which Italian primary school-size distributes. We find that the school-size can be approximated by a log-normal distribution, with a fat lower tail that collects a large number of very small schools. The upper tail of the school-size distribution decreases exponentially and the growth rates are distributed with a Laplace PDF. These distributions are similar to those observed for firms and are consistent with a Bose-Einstein preferential attachment process. The body of the distribution features a bimodal shape suggesting some source of heterogeneity in the school organization that we uncover by an in-depth analysis of the relation between schools-size and city-size. We propose a novel cluster methodology and a new spatial interaction approach among schools which outline the variety of policies implemented in Italy. Different regional policies are also discussed shedding lights on the relation between policy and geographical features.

School-Based Clinics That Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Public Health Service (DHHS), Rockville, MD.

This paper describes a small set of successful school-based clinics (SBCs) that provide primary health care services for the underserved and identifies factors contributing to their success. Six sites were selected on the basis of three general criteria: (1) direct involvement between the SBC and a federally-funded community health center (CHC);…

Big City/Small Town Partnerships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brouillette, Mary; Bothereau, Elizabeth

1984-01-01

Describes (1) the Dallas (Texas) Adopt-a-School program, which is a partnership not only between the Dallas Independent School District and business, its primary source of support, but also with higher education, civic groups, the religious community, and individual volunteers; and (2) Minneapolis Suburban Partnerships, a program of mutual benefit…

Pedagogical Practices: The Case of Multi-Class Teaching in Fiji Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lingam, Govinda I.

2007-01-01

Multi-class teaching is a common phenomenon in small schools not only in Fiji, but also in many countries. The aim of the present study was to determine the teaching styles adopted by teachers in the context of multi-class teaching. A qualitative case study research design was adopted. This included a school with multi-class teaching as the norm.…

The Lived Experience of African American Teachers Utilizing Co-Cultural Adaptation at Predominantly White Rural Schools in Central Appalachia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweatt, Tony E.

2017-01-01

Primary and secondary schools across the nation are becoming increasingly heterogeneous, yet the teacher population remains homogenous. In fairness, this is not a new issue: At the turn of the century, Whites represented a significant aggregate of the teacher population: 73% in the inner city; 81% in suburban schools; 91% in small towns; and 98%…

PDS Work at a Small University: Solutions to Common Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Lynne

2010-01-01

Small universities deal with two primary issues when beginning to use the Professional Development School model: Adequate Funding and Faculty Support. Possible solutions are discussed, including ways to provide adequate funding through grants, enrichment/tutoring programs, reallocation of existing funds, and university priority money, as well as…

Environmental Education in Small Business: The Owner-Manager's Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redmond, Janice; Walker, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

Traditionally, environmental education has been aimed at the community or in primary schools and governmental pressure to reduce environmental damage has focussed on large businesses. More recently, the role and importance of small business and how to engage them in the environmental debate has come under scrutiny. Researchers have identified…

The Incredible Years Therapeutic Social and Emotional Skills Programme: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutchings, Judy; Bywater, Tracey; Gridley, Nicole; Whitaker, Christopher J.; Martin-Forbes, Pam; Gruffydd, Stella

2012-01-01

The Incredible Years (IY) universal child Classroom Dinosaur and Teacher Classroom Management programmes are delivered in all 102 primary schools in Gwynedd County, Wales. This article describes a pilot study of the IY Therapeutic (small group) Dinosaur School social and emotional coaching programme, developed as a treatment programme, in one such…

Against the Current

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Lisa Ann

2011-01-01

Schools of education at colleges and universities are still the primary source of new teachers in U.S. schools. For the last generation, however, a small but growing stream of people has been taking a different path to the front of the classroom. These new teachers are the fruit of alternative teacher certification programs, programs that quickly…

Pupil Participation and Playground Design: Listening and Responding to Children's Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearson, Rebecca; Howe, Julia

2017-01-01

This article outlines a small-scale research project that attempted to involve primary aged pupils actively in the redesign of their school playground. The project stemmed from concerns raised by school staff regarding the frequency of problematic behaviours during unstructured times, particularly lunchtimes, and the decision to redesign the…

Active transportation environments surrounding Canadian schools.

PubMed

O'Loghlen, Sean; Pickett, J William; Janssen, Ian

2011-01-01

Walking or cycling to school represents an opportunity for children to engage in physical activity. The study objectives were to: 1) describe active transportation policies, programs, and built environments of Canadian schools and their surrounding neighbourhoods, and 2) document variations based on urban-rural location and school type (primary vs. secondary vs. mixed primary/secondary schools). 397 schools from across Canada were studied. A school administrator completed a questionnaire and responses were used to assess schools' policies and programs related to active transportation and the safety and aesthetics of their respective neighbourhoods. Built environment features in a 1 km-radius circular buffer around each school were measured using geographic information systems. Greater than 70% of schools had passive policies (e.g., skateboards permitted on school grounds) and facilities (e.g., bicycle racks in secure area to avoid theft) to encourage bicycle and small-wheeled vehicle use. Less than 40% of schools had active programs designed to encourage active transportation, such as organized 'walk to school' days. Garbage in the streets, crime and substance abuse were barriers in most school neighbourhoods. Approximately 42% of schools were located on high-speed roads not amenable to active transportation and 14% did not have a sidewalk leading to the school. Secondary schools had less favourable active transportation policies/programs and neighbourhood safety/aesthetics compared to primary schools. Rural schools had less favourable built environments than urban schools. Canadian children, particularly those from rural areas, face a number of impediments to active transportation as a method of travelling to school.

Educational Policy and Children's Experience: Running Records in the Lower Primary Singaporean English Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Sally Ann

2011-01-01

In this article, I report on a small project involving the use of guided reading groups, levelled texts and running records in a multilingual primary school in Singapore. I focus on running records and ask whether their use is suitable pedagogically and practically for the Singaporean context. The analysis of 22 records of primary one and primary…

The Italian primary school-size distribution and the city-size: a complex nexus

PubMed Central

Belmonte, Alessandro; Di Clemente, Riccardo; Buldyrev, Sergey V.

2014-01-01

We characterize the statistical law according to which Italian primary school-size distributes. We find that the school-size can be approximated by a log-normal distribution, with a fat lower tail that collects a large number of very small schools. The upper tail of the school-size distribution decreases exponentially and the growth rates are distributed with a Laplace PDF. These distributions are similar to those observed for firms and are consistent with a Bose-Einstein preferential attachment process. The body of the distribution features a bimodal shape suggesting some source of heterogeneity in the school organization that we uncover by an in-depth analysis of the relation between schools-size and city-size. We propose a novel cluster methodology and a new spatial interaction approach among schools which outline the variety of policies implemented in Italy. Different regional policies are also discussed shedding lights on the relation between policy and geographical features. PMID:24954714

Small Schools Student Learning Objectives, K-3: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Developed by primary teachers and elementary principals from small districts in Snohomish and Island counties in Washington, this handbook contains sequenced student learning objectives for grades K-3 in the curriculum areas of reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Each student learning objective is correlated to the…

Language Ideologies and Schooled Education in Rural Tanzania: The Case of Karagwe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wedin, Asa

2005-01-01

In this paper I argue that language policies for education have effects on pupils' educational possibilities. With the case of the Karagwe district in Tanzania the research suggests that the policy of "Swahili only" in primary school education favours the small minority of the children that live in a context where Swahili is used. This…

Tutor and Teacher Timescapes: Lessons from a Home-School Partnership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coco, Angela; Goos, Merrilyn; Kostogriz, Alex

2007-01-01

A partnership project was developed in which parents volunteered to support teachers in training years 1-3 children in computer skills at a primary school in a small, low socio-economic community. This article identifies the ways teachers and the "tutors" (as the volunteers were called) understood the value of the project. "Being a…

Tutor Trust Primary: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchanan, Emily; Worth, Jack; Aston, Helen

2015-01-01

The Tutor Trust is a Manchester-based charity that aims to provide affordable small group and one to one tuition to schools. The Trust recruits university students and recent graduates, which enables it to provide tuition at a competitive rate. It predominantly aims to support schools in challenging communities and pupils who are looked-after or…

Teacher/Student Interactions in Public Elementary Schools When Class Size is a Factor.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krieger, Jean D.

This report describes a study designed to discover the nature of teacher-student interactions in regular-size classes with 25 or more students and small-size classes with fewer than 18 students. Eleven public-school primary classrooms were observed, and the interactions between the teachers and students were studied. Verbal and nonverbal…

Male Primary School Teachers: Helping or Hindering a Move to Gender Equity?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cushman, Penni

2010-01-01

Despite research linking dominant masculinities to the disengagement of some boys from schooling, men teachers appear to be either unaware of the related literature, or reluctant to engage in behaviours that have increased their vulnerability to accusations of sexual abuse or homosexuality. A small study of men teachers in England, Sweden and New…

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…

The Small, Stand-Alone Early College: Impact on High School Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glennie, Elizabeth; Unlu, Fatih; Furey, Jane

2016-01-01

North Carolina's Early College model is the subject of an IES-funded eleven-year longitudinal experimental study that utilized a lottery process to assign early college applicants to either treatment or control groups. This paper presents findings related to high school outcomes. The primary goal of the early college model is to increase the…

Validity of a self-report survey tool measuring the nutrition and physical activity environment of primary schools.

PubMed

Nathan, Nicole; Wolfenden, Luke; Morgan, Philip J; Bell, Andrew C; Barker, Daniel; Wiggers, John

2013-06-13

Valid tools measuring characteristics of the school environment associated with the physical activity and dietary behaviours of children are needed to accurately evaluate the impact of initiatives to improve school environments. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of Principal self-report of primary school healthy eating and physical activity environments. Primary school Principals (n = 42) in New South Wales, Australia were invited to complete a telephone survey of the school environment; the School Environment Assessment Tool - SEAT. Equivalent observational data were collected by pre-service teachers located within the school. The SEAT, involved 65 items that assessed food availability via canteens, vending machines and fundraisers and the presence of physical activity facilities, equipment and organised physical activities. Kappa statistics were used to assess agreement between the two measures. Almost 70% of the survey demonstrated moderate to almost perfect agreement. Substantial agreement was found for 10 of 13 items assessing foods sold for fundraising, 3 of 6 items assessing physical activity facilities of the school, and both items assessing organised physical activities that occurred at recess and lunch and school sport. Limited agreement was found for items assessing foods sold through canteens and access to small screen recreation. The SEAT provides researchers and policy makers with a valid tool for assessing aspects of the school food and physical activity environment.

Mathematical Investigations for Supporting Pre-Service Primary Teachers Repeating a Mathematics Education Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Judy

2014-01-01

Preparing to become an effective primary school mathematics teacher is a challenging and complex task; and is influenced by one's past experiences, personal knowledge of, and beliefs and attitudes towards mathematics. This paper examines the experiences of a small group of pre-service teachers who did not pass their first year mathematics…

Continuing Care in High Schools: A Descriptive Study of Recovery High School Programs

PubMed Central

Finch, Andrew J.; Moberg, D. Paul; Krupp, Amanda Lawton

2014-01-01

Data from 17 recovery high schools suggest programs are dynamic and vary in enrollment, fiscal stability, governance, staffing, and organizational structure. Schools struggle with enrollment, funding, lack of primary treatment accessibility, academic rigor, and institutional support. Still, for adolescents having received treatment for substance abuse, recovery schools appear to successfully function as continuing care providers reinforcing and sustaining therapeutic benefits gained from treatment. Small size and therapeutic programming allow for a potentially broader continuum of services than currently exists in most of the schools. Recovery schools thus provide a useful design for continuing care warranting further study and policy support. PMID:24591808

Professionalism and the Post-Performative Teacher: New Teachers Reflect on Autonomy and Accountability in the English School System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkins, Chris

2011-01-01

This paper explores the impact of the increasingly performative nature of the assessment of teachers' performance in England leading to the introduction of "Professional Standards for Teachers" in 2007. It reports the findings of a small-scale study of newly-qualified primary school teachers in the context of literature on teacher…

In the Shadow/from the Shadow: The Principal as a Reflective Practitioner in Trinidad and Tobago

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bristol, Laurette; Esnard, Talia; Brown, Launcelot

2015-01-01

This case highlights a school principal's leading practice as she worked to transform the social and educational status of students, teachers, and community in a small urban primary school. We employ shadowing, a technique popularized in work-based education and photography, as reflective and research tools. Teaching notes provide insight into the…

Innovation in the Management of Primary School Construction in Afghanistan. A Case Study. Educational Building Report 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmad, Fazel

By 1973 there were very great disparities between the opportunities for education in the urban and rural areas of Afghanistan. This case study concerns provincial school construction programs for hundreds of small buildings in the remotest areas of what is one of the most mountainous countries of the world. A study proposed alternative building…

Why Here and Why Now? Teacher Motivations for Unionizing in a New Orleans Charter School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beabout, Brian R.; Gill, Ivan

2015-01-01

The rigidity of teachers unions has been given as a primary reason for their lack of representation among America's rapidly growing, although still relatively small, charter school sector. In the case of post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, the city rapidly converted from a union-backed teacher workforce to a largely nonunionized charter school…

Attendance, Performance and the Acquisition of Early Literacy Skills: A Comparison of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ehrich, John; Wolgemuth, Jennifer R.; Helmer, Janet; Oteng, Georges; Lea, Tess; Bartlett, Claire; Smith, Heather; Emmett, Sue

2010-01-01

As part of an evaluation of a web-based early literacy intervention, ABRACADABRA, a small exploratory study was conducted over one term in three primary schools in the Northern Territory. Of particular concern was the relationship between attendance and the acquisition of early literacy skills of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Using the…

Primary and High School resources for teachers and students to improve the space physics education in Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales, P. V.; Pinto, V. A.; Stepanova, M. V.; Valdivia, J. A.

2011-12-01

Primary and High School educational programs in Chile include a wide geophysical section inside the natural sciences and physics courses. Unfortunately, teacher generally have a lack of preparation and knowledge in this field and there is small amount of available didactical material in the native languaje. This implies that in the reality the geophysical topics are ignored year after year in the school rooms. By the preparation of didactic material and web resources in magnetosphere, solar wind and solar topics, in accordance with the official programs of the Chilean Ministry of Education, we are collaborating to the outreach of the space physics in Chile. As the primary diffusion mechanism is the web, we hope that all the spanish talking community in Latin America can benefit from the public teaching resources that we are developing. There are a growing number of space scientist and graduate students volunteering for this endeavour.

"Man-Up, Go and Get an Ice-Pack." Gendered Stereotypes and Binaries within the Primary Classroom: A Thing of the Past?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Paula; Roberts, Bethan

2017-01-01

Gendered expectations are deeply embedded within the fabric of a society and the classroom is no exception; binaries habitually pervade attitudes, practices and pedagogies. This small-scale qualitative-interpretive study, undertaken in one rural primary school in North Wales, explores how the learning of gender is constructed, enacted and…

The Impact of a Professional Development Programme on Primary Teachers' Classroom Practice and Pupils' Attitudes to Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Greg

2015-01-01

This study investigates the relationship, if any, between teacher participation in a targeted professional development programme and changes in participants' instructional practice and their pupils' attitudes to learning primary science. The programme took place over a 2-year period in 15 small rural schools in the West of Ireland. Data sources…

Seeing the Forest for the Trees: The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme Exhibition and Global Citizenship Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Nicholas

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research was to determine the depth and scope of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) through the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) exhibition. The small-scale qualitative study describes how a fifth-grade cohort and teachers at The International School of Azerbaijan uncover GCE in situ. Drawing on…

"It's Small Steps, but That Leads to Bigger Changes": Evaluation of a Nurture Group Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vincent, Kerry

2017-01-01

This article presents the results of a small-scale research project that aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a part-time nurture group recently established in one primary school. Qualitative interviews were used to gather staff, pupil and parental perceptions about the nurture group. These focused not only on what difference the nurture group…

"At Risk of Harm"? An Exploratory Survey of School Counsellors in the UK, Their Perceptions of Confidentiality, Information Sharing and Risk Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Peter; Palmer, Joanne

2012-01-01

The primary objective of this study was to explore perceptions of UK school counsellors of confidentiality and information sharing in therapeutic work with children and young people, using qualitative methods. The research design employed a two-stage process, using questionnaires and follow-up interviews, with a small, non-random sample of school…

Do Reductions in Class Size Raise Students' Test Scores? Evidence from Population Variation in Minnesota's Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Hyunkuk; Glewwe, Paul; Whitler, Melissa

2012-01-01

Many U.S. states and cities spend substantial funds to reduce class size, especially in elementary (primary) school. Estimating the impact of class size on learning is complicated, since children in small and large classes differ in many observed and unobserved ways. This paper uses a method of Hoxby (2000) to assess the impact of class size on…

Effects of a School-Based Instrumental Music Program on Verbal and Visual Memory in Primary School Children: A Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Roden, Ingo; Kreutz, Gunter; Bongard, Stephan

2012-01-01

This study examined the effects of a school-based instrumental training program on the development of verbal and visual memory skills in primary school children. Participants either took part in a music program with weekly 45 min sessions of instrumental lessons in small groups at school, or they received extended natural science training. A third group of children did not receive additional training. Each child completed verbal and visual memory tests three times over a period of 18 months. Significant Group by Time interactions were found in the measures of verbal memory. Children in the music group showed greater improvements than children in the control groups after controlling for children’s socio-economic background, age, and IQ. No differences between groups were found in the visual memory tests. These findings are consistent with and extend previous research by suggesting that children receiving music training may benefit from improvements in their verbal memory skills. PMID:23267341

"Malaria and Primary education in Mali: a longitudinal study in the village of Donéguébougou."

PubMed Central

Sissoko, Mahamadou S; Toure, Ousmane B; Kamate, Paul; Berthelemy, Jean-Claude; Doumbo, Ogobara K

2010-01-01

This article assesses the role of malaria and certain social determinants on primary education, especially on educational achievement in Donéguébougou, a small village in a malaria-endemic area near Bamako, Mali. Field data was collected by the authors between November 2007 and June 2008 on 227 schoolchildren living in Donéguébougou. Various malaria indicators and econometric models were used to explain the variation in cognitive abilities, teachers' evaluation scores, school progression and absences. Malaria is the primary cause of school absences. Fixed effects estimates showed that asymptomatic malaria and the presence of falciparum malaria parasites had a direct correlation with educational achievement and cognitive performance. The evidence suggests that the correlation is causal. PMID:20413198

A Small Exercise in Democracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazorishak, Ted

1976-01-01

What can social studies teachers do to try to put some of their teaching into more realistic avenues? A high school teacher undertook a project at the primary and general elections in order to create some student interest in the electoral process. (Author/RK)

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 with large effect sizes. However, this was a small exploratory trial whose findings may not be generalizable, but it demonstrates that psychological interventions for children with high levels of aggressive behaviour are feasible and potentially effective in Nigeria.

How different is it really? - rural and urban primary students' use of ICT in mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loong, Esther; Doig, Brian; Groves, Susie

2011-06-01

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) offers the potential for changing mathematics education for both teachers and students. However, how ICT is used, and by whom, is critical to realizing this potential. This paper reports on an investigation of the use of ICT in the learning and teaching of mathematics in rural and urban primary schools in Victoria, Australia. Thirty-six teachers and almost 700 students were surveyed regarding their use of ICT for mathematics at home and at school, with a small number of selected teachers and students taking part in interviews. This paper focuses on students' perceptions of ICT use. A comparison of rural and urban students' responses shows little difference across most aspects of ICT use, and where there was a difference, the frequency of rural use almost always exceeded that in urban schools.

Effectiveness evaluation of a health promotion programme in primary schools: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Grillich, Ludwig; Kien, Christina; Takuya, Yanagida; Weber, Michael; Gartlehner, Gerald

2016-07-30

Programmes based on the World Health Organization's Health Promoting Schools framework (HPS) have been implemented in several countries but for evidence-based policy-making more research is required to determine the effectiveness of the HPS approach. We conducted a cluster randomised controlled trial. The units of randomisation were primary school classes recruited in May 2010. Eligible participants were Year 3 primary school classes in Lower Austria that had not participated in a similar programme during the last two years. After baseline assessment in September 2010, 53 classes from 45 primary schools in Lower Austria were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 26 classes, 432 children) or waiting control arm (n = 27 classes, 493 children aged 8.7 years +/- 4 months). Over the course of 1.5 academic years, participating teachers received on-the-job training (20 h) and two workshops (8 h) to promote health related behaviour in students such as physical activity during the school day and to improve the quality of regular physical education classes. We assessed 15 outcomes grouped into five categories: Emotional and Social Experience in School, Physical Activity, Well-being, and Attention Performance measured by validated and standardised questionnaire and Motor Skills measured by validated and standardised motoric and coordination tests in the school gym. The primary outcome was Classroom Climate and part of the outcomecategory Emotional and Social Experience in School. The final assessment took place in April 2012. All assessors were blinded to the allocation of classes. Multilevel growth modelling was used to investigate programme effectiveness. We could not detect any statistically significant differences between groups for the outcomecategories Emotional and Social Experience in school (p = 0.22 to 0.78), Physical Activity, Well-being, and Attention Performance. Significant differences between groups were limited to the outcomecategory Motor Skills (Complex Reaction Ability, Spatial Orientation Skills, Coordination with Precision) which were higher in the intervention group (P < .05). Despite small statistically significant differences in Motor Skills, our study could not detect any clinically relevant improvements in the Emotional and Social Experience at School (including the primary outcome ClassroomClimate), Physical Activity, Well-being, Motor Skills and Attention Performance of students. German register of clinical studies: DRKS00000622 . Retrospectively registered: 03.12.2010. Approved by the Ethics Committee of Lower Austria (GS4-EK-4/107-2010).

Arts and health as a practice of liminality: Managing the spaces of transformation for social and emotional wellbeing with primary school children

PubMed Central

Atkinson, Sarah; Robson, Mary

2012-01-01

Intervention to enhance wellbeing through participation in the creative arts has a transformative potential, but the spatialities to this are poorly theorised. The paper examines arts-based interventions in two primary schools in which small groups of children are taken out of their everyday classrooms to participate in weekly sessions. The paper argues that such intervention is usefully seen as a practice of liminality, a distinct time and space that needs careful management to realise a transformative potential. Such management involves negotiating multiple sources of tension to balance different modes of power, forms of art practices and permeability of the liminal time-space. PMID:22840601

The Incredible Years Therapeutic Dinosaur Programme to build social and emotional competence in Welsh primary schools: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Bywater, Tracey; Hutchings, Judy; Whitaker, Christopher; Evans, Ceri; Parry, Laura

2011-02-11

School interventions such as the Incredible Years Classroom Dinosaur Programme targets pupil behaviour across whole classrooms, yet for some children a more intense approach is needed. The Incredible Years Therapeutic Dinosaur Programme is effective for clinically referred children by enhancing social, problem-solving skills, and peer relationship-building skills when delivered in a clinical setting in small groups. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Therapeutic Programme, delivered with small groups of children at high-risk of developing conduct disorder, delivered in schools already implementing the Classroom Programme. This is a pragmatic, parallel, randomised controlled trial.Two hundred and forty children (aged 4-8 years) rated by their teacher as above the 'borderline cut-off' for concern on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and their parents, will be recruited. Randomisation is by individual within blocks (schools); 1:1 ratio, intervention to waiting list control. Twenty schools will participate in two phases. Two teachers per school will deliver the programme to six intervention children for 2-hours/week for 18 weeks between baseline and first follow-up. The control children will receive the intervention after first follow up. Phase 1 comprises three data collection points - baseline and two follow-ups eight months apart. Phase 2 includes baseline and first follow-up.The Therapeutic Programme includes elements on; Learning school rules; understanding, identifying, and articulating feelings; problem solving; anger management; how to be friendly; how to do your best in school. Primary outcomes are; change in child social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Secondary outcomes are; teacher and parent mental wellbeing, child academic attainment, child and teacher school attendance. Intervention delivery will be assessed for fidelity. Intention to treat analyses will be conducted. ANCOVA, effect sizes, mediator and moderator analyses will be applied to establish differences between conditions, and for whom the intervention works best for and why. This trial will provide information on the delivery and effectiveness of a child centred, school-based intervention delivered in small groups of children, at risk of developing more severe conduct problems. The effects on child behaviour in school and home environments, academic attainment, peer interactions, parent and teacher mental health will be assessed. UK Clinical Research Network UKCRNID8615. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN96803379.

An Innovative Pharmaceutical Care Practical Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulatova, N. R.; Aburuz, S.; Yousef, A. M.

2007-01-01

The innovative practical course was developed to improve the students' ability to acquire pharmaceutical care skills. The primary components of the course were in-school training using small group discussions and hospital experience including identification, analysis, prevention and resolution of drug-therapy problems, patient counseling on their…

Assessment of water consumptions in small mediterranean islands' primary schools by means of a long-term online monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferraris, Marco; De Gisi, Sabino; Farina, Roberto

2017-10-01

A key challenge of our society is improving schools through the sustainable use of resources especially in countries at risk of desertification. The estimation of water consumption is the starting point for the correct dimensioning of water recovery systems. To date, unlike the energy sector, there is a lack of scientific information regarding water consumption in school buildings. Available data refer roughly to indirect estimates by means of utility bills and therefore no information on the role of water leakage in the internal network of the school is provided. In this context, the aim of the work was to define and implement an on-line monitoring system for the assessment of water consumptions in a small Mediterranean island primary school to achieve the following sub-goals: (1) definition of water consumption profile considering teaching activities and secretarial work; (2) direct assessment of water consumptions and leakages and, (3) quantification of the behaviour parameters. The installed monitoring system consisted of 33 water metres (3.24 persons per water metre) equipped with sensors set on 1-L impulse signal and connected to a data logging system. Results showed consumptions in the range 13.6-14.2 L/student/day and leakage equal to 54.8 % of the total water consumptions. Considering the behavioural parameters, the consumptions related to toilet flushing, personal, and building cleaning were, respectively, 54, 43 and 3 % of the total water ones. Finally, the obtained results could be used for dimensioning the most suitable water recovery strategies at school level such as grey water or rainwater recovery systems.

Influence of walking route choice on primary school children's exposure to air pollution--A proof of concept study using simulation.

PubMed

Mölter, Anna; Lindley, Sarah

2015-10-15

This study developed a walking network for the Greater Manchester area (UK). The walking network allows routes to be calculated either based on the shortest duration or based on the lowest cumulative nitrogen dioxide (NO2) or particulate matter (PM10) exposure. The aim of this study was to analyse the costs and benefits of faster routes versus lower pollution exposure for walking routes to primary schools. Random samples of primary schools and residential addresses were used to generate 100,000 hypothetical school routes. For 60% (59,992) and 40% (40,460) an alternative low NO2 and PM10 route was found, respectively. The median change in travel time (NO2: 4.5s, PM10: 0.5s) and average route exposure (NO2: -0.40 μg/m(3), PM10: -0.03 μg/m(3)) was small. However, quantile regression analysis indicated that for 50% of routes a 1% increase in travel time was associated with a 1.5% decrease in NO2 and PM10 exposure. The results of this study suggest that the relative decrease in pollution exposure on low pollution routes tends to be greater than the relative increase in route length. This supports the idea that a route planning tool identifying less polluted routes to primary schools could help deliver potential health benefits for children. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Young Pupils', Their Teacher's and Classroom Assistants' Experiences of iPads in a Northern Ireland School: "Four and Five Years Old, Who Would Have Thought They Could Do That?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Linda; Abbott, Lesley

2016-01-01

This paper describes an iPad project in a Northern Ireland primary school. It evaluates how the technology impacted on learning in literacy, numeracy and in pupil skills. The youngest pupils were asked about their iPad experiences using small-group interviews based on the circle time approach. Their teacher and two classroom assistants were…

Population Education in Science: Some Sample Lessons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and Oceania.

This science teacher's manual contains nine sample population education lessons adapted from materials produced in several countries in Asia and Oceania. Activities are designed for lower primary through high school students. Included are class discussions, small group activities, and a role-playing situation. Food chains, human dependence upon…

Effectiveness of Speed Control Signs in Rural School Zones and Small Communities

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-03-01

The primary objective of the evaluation is to learn how to serve Peer-to-Peer (P2P) customers better, and secondarily, how to market the program to provide services to a larger number of eligible transportation professionals. One outcome of this eval...

e-Science Partnerships: Towards a Sustainable Framework for School-Scientist Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falloon, Garry

2013-08-01

In late 2006, the New Zealand Government embarked on a series of initiatives to explore how the resources and expertise of eight, small, state-owned science research institutes could be combined efficiently to support science teaching in schools. Programmes were developed to enable students and teachers to access and become involved in local science research and innovation, with the aim being to broaden their awareness of New Zealand science research contexts, adding authenticity and relevance to their school studies. One of these initiatives, known as Science-for-Life, partnered scientists with teachers and students in primary and secondary schools (K-12). A key output from the trial phase of Science-for-Life was the generation of a framework for guiding and coordinating the activities of the eight institutes within the education sector, to improve efficiency, effectiveness and promote sustainability. The framework, based on data gathered from a series of interviews with each institute's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), an online questionnaire, and informed by findings from trial partnership case studies published as institute technical reports and published articles, is presented in this paper. While the framework is developed from New Zealand data, it is suggested that it may be useful for coordinating interactions between multiple small science organisations and the school sector in other small-nation or state contexts.

Exploring Principals' Instructional Leadership Practices in Malaysia: Insights and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Alma; Jones, Michelle; Cheah, Kenny Soon Lee; Devadason, Edward; Adams, Donnie

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to outline the findings from a small-scale, exploratory, study of principals' instructional leadership practice in Malaysian primary schools. The dimensions and functions of instructional leadership, explicitly explored in this study, are those outlined in the Hallinger and Murphy's (1985) model.…

Recognising Emotional Intelligence in Professional Standards for Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pugh, Eamonn Victor

2008-01-01

A project conducted in a primary school explored the hypothesis that student teachers could reflect upon feedback to improve their use of emotional intelligence in the classroom, thereby making consequent improvements to their teaching as defined by the required professional teaching standards. The small body of literature on the emotional…

Working Memory and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crossland, John

2010-01-01

Feedback from teachers during in-service courses shows that they are fascinated by neuroscience, as they feel that it has the potential to improve their teaching practice. A previous article of mine in "School Science Review" reported the first eight messages of the outcomes from a small-scale action research project with primary and secondary…

All We Need Is a Little Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krieger, Jean D.

This study was designed to discover the nature of interactions between effective teachers in regular-sized classes with 25 or more students and small-size classes with fewer than 18 students. Eleven public school primary classrooms were observed, and the interactions between the teacher and students were studied. Verbal and nonverbal interactions…

Infantile Accountability: When Big Data Meet Small Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wrigley, Terry; Wormwell, Louise

2016-01-01

This article examines a government attempt to impose testing of 4-year-olds as a baseline against which to "hold primary schools accountable" for children's subsequent progress. It examines the various forms of baseline testing in this experiment and analyses the misleading claims made for the "predictive validity" of baseline…

Arts and health as a practice of liminality: managing the spaces of transformation for social and emotional wellbeing with primary school children.

PubMed

Atkinson, Sarah; Robson, Mary

2012-11-01

Intervention to enhance wellbeing through participation in the creative arts has a transformative potential, but the spatialities to this are poorly theorised. The paper examines arts-based interventions in two primary schools in which small groups of children are taken out of their everyday classrooms to participate in weekly sessions. The paper argues that such intervention is usefully seen as a practice of liminality, a distinct time and space that needs careful management to realise a transformative potential. Such management involves negotiating multiple sources of tension to balance different modes of power, forms of art practices and permeability of the liminal time-space. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Small-area variation in screening for cancer, glucose and cholesterol in Ontario: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Fernandes, Kimberly A; Sutradhar, Rinku; Borkhoff, Cornelia M; Baxter, Nancy; Lofters, Aisha; Rabeneck, Linda; Tinmouth, Jill; Paszat, Lawrence

2015-01-01

Screening for cervical, breast and colon cancers, and elevations of cholesterol and glucose, reduces premature cause-specific mortality from these cancers and circulatory diseases. Despite primary care reforms and incentives, and promotion of cancer-screening programs among individuals, participation is suboptimal. We aimed to examine participation as of Dec. 31, 2011, by factors of deprivation, demographics and primary care at the small-area level. From health care administrative databases, we identified people eligible for each screening test, and their participation, in each dissemination area (referred to as small areas, n = 18 950) in Ontario. We calculated rates for each test among small areas (overall and stratified by demographic, socioeconomic and primary care descriptors) and stratified by sex for all tests combined. We loaded all data into a geographic information system. Funnel plots were generated showing the percentage of eligible people who completed screening for all tests by small area, stratified by sex. Overall and stratified screening prevalence ratios were calculated among small areas. Among small areas, the mean and SD for participation in all tests combined was 31.6% (SD 11.0%) for women and 41.2% (SD 12.0%) for men. Screening prevalence among small areas, for each test and for all tests combined, overall and stratified by sex, declined with decreasing percentage with high school completion, decreasing socioeconomic quintile, and decreasing percentage with an identifiable primary care physician. Our results show that the rate of participation in all eligible screening tests among small areas is much lower than the rate of participation in any one particular test. This finding has implications for the design and implementation of strategies to improve rates of screening.

Determinants of School Performance Among Quechua Children in the Peruvian Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacoby, Enrique; Cueto, Santiago; Pollitt, Ernesto

1999-01-01

In the rural Andes of Peru, primary school inefficiency ranks higher than in the rest of the country, with a nearly 50 per cent rate of first grade repetition. In 1993 the investigators administered a battery of four psycho-educational tests to 360 schoolchildren in the fourth and fifth grades at ten primary schools in the Andean region of Huaraz. They also recorded the children's individual characteristics, i.e. family background, nutritional status, and educational attainment, and rated the schools according to educational features such as classroom size, time devoted to learning, and student-teacher ratio. A year later, in 1994, children were re-examined in the schools using the same test battery. All subjects were small for their age, had poor diets, spoke mostly Quechua at home (Spanish in school), lived in a rural environment, and walked considerable distances to school. Regression analyses of the 1993 data indicated that the performance of Quechua children on verbal tests was heavily influenced by family background, while their mathematical competence was related to school experience. On the other hand, improvement in test scores from one year to the next appeared to be strongly related to test performance in 1993 and less clearly to the other recorded variables. Finally, the schools' promotion rates were clearly associated with test scores from the previous year but less clearly with grade repetition rates.

Development of Participative Management System in Learning Environment Management for Small Sized Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernthaisong, Prasertsak; Sirisuthi, Chaiyuth; Wisetrinthong, Kanjana

2017-01-01

The research aimed to: 1) study the factors of a participative management system in learning environment management, 2) study the current situation, desirable outcomes, and further needs for developing a participative management system in learning management, 3) develop a working participative management system, and 4) assess the system's…

The Dialogue of Spoken Word and Written Word.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skidmore, David W.

This paper presents and analyzes two examples of classroom discourse which belong to the genre of "talk about texts." Both are extracts from discussions between a small group of primary school students and their teacher (in England) on the topic of short texts of narrative fiction which they have just read together during the…

Visible Pedagogic Work: Parenting, Private Tutoring and Educational Advantage in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sriprakash, Arathi; Proctor, Helen; Hu, Betty

2016-01-01

This article explores parents' use of private tutoring services for their primary school children in Sydney, Australia's largest city. Using Bernstein's theories of invisible and visible pedagogies, we look, through the eyes of a small group of middle-class Chinese-background interviewees, at the tensions between certain pedagogic forms associated…

Year 5 Pupils Reading an "Interactive Storybook" on CD-ROM: Losing the Plot?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trushell, John; Burrell, Clare; Maitland, Amanda

2001-01-01

This study examined whether small groups of grade 5 students in a London primary school, without teacher supervision, progressed linearly through an interactive storybook on CD-ROM, and whether such diversions as cued animations affected pupil comprehension. Results showed students' recall of the storyline was poor. (Author/LRW)

Illuminating the "Boy Problem" from Children's and Teachers' Perspectives: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Paula Louise; Jones, Louise

2016-01-01

The apparent educational underperformance of boys has received phenomenal attention worldwide for many years. In the UK, it has led to various government reports and policies aimed at raising boys' achievement. This small-scale qualitative-interpretive pilot study, undertaken in one urban primary school in North Wales, reports the findings from…

Relationships between Attributional Style and Trait Anxiety for Preadolescent Australian Boys and Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khodayarifard, Mohammad; Anshel, Mark H.; Brinthaupt, Thomas M.

2006-01-01

This study examined relationships among components of attributional style and trait anxiety for 428 English-speaking boys and girls, grades 4-6, from primary public schools in New South Wales, Australia. Students completed general measures of attributional style and trait anxiety. Results showed a small but significant relationship between…

Approaches To Teaching Science in the Jordanian Primary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qualter, Anne; Abu-Hola, I. R. A.

2000-01-01

Reports on a study of the influence of different approaches to teaching units from the Jordanian science curriculum on over 600 students from grades 6, 9, and 10. Trains a small sample of male and female teachers in the use of cooperative learning and lecture-demonstration approaches to teaching. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/YDS)

The Quality of Talk in Children's Joint Activity at the Computer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercer, Neil

1994-01-01

Describes findings of the Spoken Language and New Technology (SLANT) research project which studied the talk of primary school children in the United Kingdom who were working in small groups at computers with various kinds of software. Improvements in the quality of talk and collaboration during computer-based activities are suggested. (Contains…

Writers Develop Skills through Collaboration: An Action Research Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson-Patrick, Kate

2007-01-01

Collaborative approaches designed to increase writing productivity (amount written) as well as writing quality were implemented over a period of six months with a small group of 12 six-year-olds in a Primary School in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. The study demonstrated the positive nature of peer interactions with an increase in quality and…

Menstruation and School Absenteeism: Evidence from Rural Malawi.

PubMed

Grant, Monica J; Lloyd, Cynthia B; Mensch, Barbara S

2013-05-01

The provision of toilets and menstrual supplies has emerged as a promising programmatic strategy to support adolescent girls' school attendance and performance in less developed countries. We use the first round of the Malawi Schooling and Adolescent Survey (MSAS) to examine the individual- and school-level factors associated with menstruation-related school absenteeism. The MSAS is a school-based longitudinal survey of adolescent students enrolled in coed public primary schools in the southern districts of Machinga and Balaka who were aged 14-16 in 2007. Although one-third of female students report missing at least one day of school at their last menstrual period, our data suggest that menstruation only accounts for a small proportion of all female absenteeism and does not create a gender gap in absenteeism. We find no evidence for school-level variance in menstruation-related absenteeism, suggesting that absenteeism is not sensitive to school environments. Rather, co-residence with a grandmother and spending time on school work at home reduce the odds of absence during the last menstrual period.

Stand Out in Class: restructuring the classroom environment to reduce sedentary behaviour in 9-10-year-olds - study protocol for a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Clemes, Stacy A; Bingham, Daniel D; Pearson, Natalie; Chen, Yu-Ling; Edwardson, Charlotte; McEachan, Rosemary; Tolfrey, Keith; Cale, Lorraine; Richardson, Gerry; Fray, Mike; Bandelow, Stephan; Jaicim, Nishal Bhupendra; Salmon, Jo; Dunstan, David; Barber, Sally E

2018-01-01

Sedentary behaviour (sitting) is a highly prevalent negative health behaviour, with individuals of all ages exposed to environments that promote prolonged sitting. Excessive sedentary behaviour adversely affects health in children and adults. As sedentary behaviour tracks from childhood into adulthood, the reduction of sedentary time in young people is key for the prevention of chronic diseases that result from excessive sitting in later life. The sedentary school classroom represents an ideal setting for environmental change, through the provision of sit-stand desks. Whilst the use of sit-stand desks in classrooms demonstrates positive effects in some key outcomes, evidence is currently limited by small samples and/or short intervention durations, with few studies adopting randomised controlled trial (RCT) designs. This paper describes the protocol of a pilot cluster RCT of a sit-stand desk intervention in primary school classrooms. A two-arm pilot cluster RCT will be conducted in eight primary schools (four intervention, four control) with at least 120 year 5 children (aged 9-10 years). Sit-stand desks will replace six standard desks in the intervention classrooms. Teachers will be encouraged to ensure all pupils are exposed to the sit-stand desks for at least 1 h/day on average using a rotation system. Schools assigned to the control arm will continue with their usual practice, no environmental changes will be made to their classrooms. Measurements will be taken at baseline, before randomisation, and at the end of the schools' academic year. In this study, the primary outcomes of interest will be school and participant recruitment and attrition, acceptability of the intervention, and acceptability and compliance to the proposed outcome measures (including activPAL-measured school-time and school-day sitting, accelerometer-measured physical activity, adiposity, blood pressure, cognitive function, academic progress, engagement, and behaviour) for inclusion in a definitive trial. A full process evaluation and an exploratory economic evaluation will also be conducted to further inform a definitive trial. The primary output of this study will be acceptability data to inform the development of a definitive cluster RCT designed to examine the efficacy of this intervention on health- and education-related outcomes in UK primary school children. ISRCTN12915848 (retrospectively registered, date registered 9 November 2016).

Reading for Pleasure in Paradise: Paired Reading in Antigua and Barbuda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warrington, Molly J.; George, Patricia

2014-01-01

Reading for pleasure is essential in the development of literacy. This paper reports on findings from a paired reading strategy introduced into primary schools in Antigua and Barbuda in order to foster children's pleasure in reading. This programme of cross-age peer tutoring intervention began with the training of teachers in a small group of…

Class Size Reduction: Implementation and Solutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krieger, Jean

This is a report of a study designed to discover the nature of interactions between teachers and students in regular-size classes (25 or more students) and small-size classes (fewer than 18 students). It also describes the efforts of one public school to maintain smaller classes. A review of the literature and observations of 11 primary classrooms…

Teachers' Views on Recognising and Using Home Languages in Predominantly Monolingual Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Elizabeth G.; Marsden, Emma

2017-01-01

The use of home languages has previously been advocated in highly multilingual UK classrooms. However, drawing on the home languages and cultural insight of children who use English as an Additional Language (EAL) may also have important social and academic benefits in contexts where monolingualism is the norm. Conducted in a small local authority…

Promoting Positive Emotional Health of Children of Transient Armed Forces Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eodanable, Miranda; Lauchlan, Fraser

2012-01-01

The focus of this research was to promote emotional health in a small primary school (n = 180), with a highly transient pupil population of armed forces children (Service children). Negative effects of pupil mobility have been found to relate to academic attainment (Dobson, Henthorne, & Lynas, 2000; Mott, 2002), but its effect on social and…

Monkey's health service: an evaluation of the implementation of resources designed to support the learning of primary school-aged children in England about healthy lifestyles and NHS services.

PubMed

Medforth, Nicholas; Timpson, Hannah; Greenop, Daz; Lavin, Rachel

2015-01-01

The National Health Service Institute for Innovation and Improvement was established to help the NHS to improve healthcare by rapidly developing and disseminating knowledge and evidence about new ways of working. One example is the Emergency and Urgent Care Pathway for Children and Young People which focused on providing high quality and safe healthcare for children and young people requiring urgent or emergency treatment for the most common illnesses and injuries. Monkey's Guide to Healthy Living and NHS Services was developed to increase awareness of acute health services in primary school-aged children. This free resource was posted to every primary school in England. A process and impact evaluation was undertaken to explore how the resource was being utilized during 2013-2014. A small number of in-depth case studies were developed involving classroom-based observations and teacher interviews along with a much larger online survey which was emailed to all primary schools in England. On the whole, the resource was viewed as useful, engaging, and informative; with children, teachers, and other professionals particularly valuing the monkey puppet, video clips, and teacher resources. The National Evaluation highlighted that most respondents integrated the materials into the curriculum, used them as a one-off lesson, or developed their own innovative and strategic approaches to make the best use of the resources; almost two-thirds of schools who responded to the survey felt the resources led to pupils knowing about the available NHS services and healthy lifestyles; over half felt pupils were now more informed about the most appropriate services to use.

School Obesity Prevention Policies and Practices in Minnesota and Student Outcomes: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

PubMed

Nanney, Marilyn S; MacLehose, Richard F; Kubik, Martha Y; Davey, Cynthia S; O'Connell, Michael J; Grannon, Katherine Y; Nelson, Toben F

2016-11-01

The School Obesity-related Policy Evaluation (ScOPE) Study uses existing public surveillance data and applies a rigorous study design to evaluate effectiveness of school policies and practices impacting student behavioral and weight outcomes. The ScOPE Study used a cohort of 50 combined junior-senior and high schools in Minnesota to evaluate the change in weight-related policy environments in 2006 and 2012 and test the effect of policy change on students attending those schools in 2007 and 2013. Exposure variables included school practices about foods and beverages available in school vending machines and school stores, physical education requirements, and intramural opportunities. Primary study outcomes were average school-level ninth grade student BMI percentile, obesity prevalence, daily servings of fruits/vegetables, and daily glasses of soda. Availability of fruits/vegetables in schools was associated with a significant increase in total daily intake among ninth grade students by 0.4 servings. Availability of soda in schools was associated with a significant increase in total daily intake among ninth grade boys by 0.5 servings. Less-healthy snack and drink availability in schools was associated with a small, significant increase (1%) in student BMI percentile at the school level. Use of a school-level longitudinal cohort study design over a 6-year period uniquely adds to the methodologic rigor of school policy and practice evaluation studies. The ScOPE Study provides marginal evidence that school policies and practices, especially those that restrict vending and school store offerings, may have small effects on weight status among ninth grade students. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors Contributing to the Current Academic Performance of Both Private Primary Schools and Public Primary Schools: A Case of Kitale Municipality, Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Catherine, Ochenje

2015-01-01

There have been current controversial discussions concerning the performance of private primary schools versus public primary schools in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination (K.C.P.E.). Lately, the private primary schools appear to be performing better than public primary schools. For example; in the 2003 K.C.P.E. results, more than 31% of…

5-2-1-0 goes to school: a pilot project testing the feasibility of schools adopting and delivering healthy messages during the school day.

PubMed

Rogers, Victoria W; Motyka, Elizabeth

2009-06-01

Our goal was to determine the feasibility of school staff voluntarily adopting strategies to deliver health-promotion messages to primary and middle school students during the school day. During the 2006-2007 school year, we provided a resource kit with strategies for promoting physical activity and healthy eating through use of the 5-2-1-0 message (encouraging > or =5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, limiting screen time to < or =2 hours per day, promoting > or =1 hour of physical activity daily, and avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages) to 7 primary schools and 2 middle schools in southern Maine. Teachers and administrators voluntarily implemented resource-kit strategies in classrooms and schools. The resource kit included educational handouts that could be sent home to parents. Administrators, teachers, and parents were surveyed at the end of the school year to ascertain their level of awareness of the project, ease of implementation, and perceived usefulness of the resource kit. In small discussion groups with students, we assessed their level of awareness of and attitude toward the 5-2-1-0 message. Most administrators and teachers and half of the parents reported being more aware of the 5-2-1-0 message as a result of the project. Eighty percent of the teachers who reported using the resource kit found it easy or extremely easy to use. Ninety percent of the teachers reported that they would be willing to continue implementing strategies in the future; of those who would not, a lack of time was cited as the reason. All administrators reported that the project had been worthwhile for their district. Parents were less aware of the message than teachers and administrators; 2 in 5 parents reported receiving educational handouts. Most students responded positively to the messages. It is feasible for primary and middle schools to voluntarily deliver health-promotion messages during the school day through implementing strategies from the 5-2-1-0 resource kit. For school staff to fully implement the strategies, time constraints, both real and perceived, need to be addressed.

Evidence That Classroom-Based Behavioral Interventions Reduce Pregnancy-Related School Dropout Among Nairobi Adolescents.

PubMed

Sarnquist, Clea; Sinclair, Jake; Omondi Mboya, Benjamin; Langat, Nickson; Paiva, Lee; Halpern-Felsher, Bonnie; Golden, Neville H; Maldonado, Yvonne A; Baiocchi, Michael T

2017-04-01

To evaluate the effect of behavioral, empowerment-focused interventions on the incidence of pregnancy-related school dropout among girls in Nairobi's informal settlements. Retrospective data on pregnancy-related school dropout from two cohorts were analyzed using a matched-pairs quasi-experimental design. The primary outcome was the change in the number of school dropouts due to pregnancy from 1 year before to 1 year after the interventions. Annual incidence of school dropout due to pregnancy decreased by 46% in the intervention schools (from 3.9% at baseline to 2.1% at follow-up), whereas the comparison schools remained essentially unchanged ( p < .029). Sensitivity analysis shows that the findings are robust to small levels of unobserved bias. Results suggest that these behavioral interventions significantly reduced the number of school dropouts due to pregnancy. As there are limited promising studies on behavioral interventions that decrease adolescent pregnancy in low-income settings, this intervention may be an important addition to this toolkit.

Effectiveness of reducing the risk of eating-related problems using the German school-based intervention program, "Torera", for preadolescent boys and girls.

PubMed

Berger, U; Schaefer, J-M; Wick, K; Brix, C; Bormann, B; Sowa, M; Schwartze, D; Strauss, B

2014-08-01

Representative surveys indicate that eating disorders are an increasing problem, especially among (pre)adolescents. We assessed the effects of a German school-based primary prevention program ("Torera") for seventh graders. Torera especially relates to pathological eating behavior in the realm of bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder. The program is built upon two previously evaluated modules for sixth graders with a gender-specific adaption. The coeducational intervention involves nine manual-guided lessons touching a wide range of eating-related problems. Twenty-two Thuringian secondary schools (n = 256 boys and 277 girls, aged 11-13 years at baseline) participated in a trial with 2 control groups (untreated and pretreated) with pre-post assessment. Primary outcomes were conspicuous eating behavior and body self-esteem, measured by standardized questionnaires (SCOFF, EAT-26D, and FBeK). Girls and students at risk showed significant improvement with small (d = 0.35) to medium (d = 0.66) effect sizes on eating behavior, significantly mediated by body self-esteem. Boys only improved with respect to eating attitudes, revealing a small effect size (d = 0.35). With relatively low implementation costs (about 2.50 per student), Torera provides an efficient model for reducing risky eating behavior and strengthening body self-esteem without negative side effects. To improve the effectiveness of the intervention, further research efforts focusing on at-risk groups (secondary prevention) and structural actions for prevention (e.g., offering healthy school catering) are needed.

Menstruation and School Absenteeism: Evidence from Rural Malawi

PubMed Central

Grant, Monica J.; Lloyd, Cynthia B.; Mensch, Barbara S.

2014-01-01

The provision of toilets and menstrual supplies has emerged as a promising programmatic strategy to support adolescent girls’ school attendance and performance in less developed countries. We use the first round of the Malawi Schooling and Adolescent Survey (MSAS) to examine the individual- and school-level factors associated with menstruation-related school absenteeism. The MSAS is a school-based longitudinal survey of adolescent students enrolled in coed public primary schools in the southern districts of Machinga and Balaka who were aged 14–16 in 2007. Although one-third of female students report missing at least one day of school at their last menstrual period, our data suggest that menstruation only accounts for a small proportion of all female absenteeism and does not create a gender gap in absenteeism. We find no evidence for school-level variance in menstruation-related absenteeism, suggesting that absenteeism is not sensitive to school environments. Rather, co-residence with a grandmother and spending time on school work at home reduce the odds of absence during the last menstrual period. PMID:25580018

Measured sedentary time and physical activity during the school day of European 10- to 12-year-old children: the ENERGY project.

PubMed

van Stralen, Maartje M; Yıldırım, Mine; Wulp, Anouk; te Velde, Saskia J; Verloigne, Maïté; Doessegger, Alain; Androutsos, Odysseas; Kovács, Éva; Brug, Johannes; Chinapaw, Mai J M

2014-03-01

This study aims to describe the time devoted to sedentary and physical activities at school in five European countries and to examine differences according to country, sex, ethnicity, parental education and weight status. cross-European cross-sectional survey. Primary schoolchildren (n=1025) aged 10-12 years in Belgium, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Switzerland wore accelerometers for at least six consecutive days. Only weekdays were used for this study to calculate the percentages of school-time spent in sedentary activities and moderate to vigorous intensity activity. Trained research assistants measured height and weight. Sex and date of birth were self-reported by the child and parental education and ethnicity were parent-reported. European schoolchildren spent on average 65% of their time at school in sedentary activities and 5% on moderate to vigorous intensity activities, with small differences between countries. Girls spent a significant larger amount of school-time in sedentary activities (67%) than boys (63%; p<0.0001), and spent less time in moderate to vigorous intensity activities (4% versus 5%; p<0.001). Overweight children spent significantly less time in moderate to vigorous intensity activities (4%) than normal weight children (5%,p < 0.01) [corrected]. Parental education or ethnicity were not associated with time spent in sedentary or physical activities. European schoolchildren spend a small amount of their school-time in moderate to vigorous intensity activities and a large amount in sedentary activities, with small but significant differences across countries. Future interventions should target more physical activities and less sedentary time at school particularly in girls. Copyright © 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of a Short Teacher Training Programme on the Management of Children's Sexual Behaviours: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charnaud, Jean-Paul; Turner, William

2015-01-01

This small-scale quasi-experimental study set out to examine the effects of a brief training programme aiming to develop primary school teachers' knowledge, attitudes and confidence in recognising and responding to children who display sexual behaviours. Data on prevalence of sexual behaviours observed by teachers in the study, their level of…

Moral and Spiritual Education as an Intrinsic Part of the Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clifford, Philomena

2013-01-01

This paper reports on a case study undertaken within a small, rural primary school in the UK to explore the extent to which it was possible to run a moral and spiritual programme as an intrinsic and inclusive part of the curriculum based on the children's acquisition of virtues. The pupils were encouraged to build on their own experience and…

Increasing Higher Level Thinking Skills in Science of Gifted Students in Grades 1-4 through "Hands-On" Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dindial, Myrna J.

This practicum was designed to increase higher level thinking skills of gifted students in primary school. The project sought to retrain students from recalling science information from the textbook to a more challenging and active form of learning through individual projects and small group and large group activities. Students were given…

Building Bridges: The Use of Reflective Oral Diaries as a Qualitative Research Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewitt, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

The article is a reflection on the use of an oral diary as a qualitative research tool, the role that it played during fieldwork and the methodological issues that emerged. It draws on a small-scale empirical study into primary school teachers' use of group discussion, during which oral diaries were used to explore and document teacher reflective…

High School Economics, Cooperative Learning, and the End-of-Course-Test--A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beavers, Sharon

2011-01-01

The primary purpose of this twelve-week case study was to explore the use of a cooperative learning strategy with small groups of students in a 12th-grade economics class as diverse learners prepared for tests. The complete case study was based on observations of students, student surveys, focus group interviews, and interviews with educators at…

Educational Drama in the Teaching of Education for Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNaughton, Marie Jeanne

2004-01-01

In this paper, I describe part of my research project that examines the use of Educational Drama in Education for Sustainability in the upper stages of the primary school (10- and 11-year-olds). Central to the research is a small-scale qualitative research study. Here, I describe the educational focus of the study and outline the methodology.…

Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction for Detection of Schistosoma DNA in Small-Volume Urine Samples Reflects Focal Distribution of Urogenital Schistosomiasis in Primary School Girls in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

PubMed Central

Pillay, Pavitra; Taylor, Myra; Zulu, Siphosenkosi G.; Gundersen, Svein G.; Verweij, Jaco J.; Hoekstra, Pytsje; Brienen, Eric A. T.; Kleppa, Elisabeth; Kjetland, Eyrun F.; van Lieshout, Lisette

2014-01-01

Schistosoma haematobium eggs and Schistosoma DNA levels were measured in urine samples from 708 girls recruited from 18 randomly sampled primary schools in South Africa. Microscopic analysis of two 10-mL urine subsamples collected on three consecutive days confirmed high day-to-day variation; 103 (14.5%) girls had positive results at all six examinations, and at least one positive sample was seen in 225 (31.8%) girls. Schistosoma-specific DNA, which was measured in a 200-μL urine subsample by using real-time polymerase chain reaction, was detected in 180 (25.4%) cases, and levels of DNA corresponded significantly with average urine egg excretion. In concordance with microscopic results, polymerase chain reaction results were significantly associated with history of gynecologic symptoms and confirmed highly focal distribution of urogenital schistosomiasis. Parasite-specific DNA detection has a sensitivity comparable to single urine microscopy and could be used as a standardized high-throughput procedure to assess distribution of urogenital schistosomiasis in relatively large study populations by using small sample volumes. PMID:24470560

25 CFR 39.145 - Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... small high school adjustment? 39.145 Section 39.145 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE... Adjustment § 39.145 Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment? A school that meets the criteria in § 39.140 can receive both a small school adjustment and a small high...

25 CFR 39.145 - Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... small high school adjustment? 39.145 Section 39.145 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE... Adjustment § 39.145 Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment? A school that meets the criteria in § 39.140 can receive both a small school adjustment and a small high...

25 CFR 39.145 - Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... small high school adjustment? 39.145 Section 39.145 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE... Adjustment § 39.145 Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment? A school that meets the criteria in § 39.140 can receive both a small school adjustment and a small high...

Dutch Primary Schoolchildren’s Perspectives of Activity-Friendly School Playgrounds: A Participatory Study

PubMed Central

Caro, Helena Elisabeth (Elsje); Altenburg, Teatske Maria; Dedding, Christine; Chinapaw, Mai Jeanette Maidy

2016-01-01

School playgrounds are important physical activity (PA) environments for children, yet only a small number of children reaches the target of 40% of moderate-to-vigorous PA time during recess. The aim of this study was to explore children’s perspectives (i.e., child-identified determinants) of activity-friendly school playgrounds. We conducted participatory research with children as co-researchers, framed as a project to give children the opportunity to discuss their views and ideas about their school playgrounds. At three schools, six children (9–12 years old) met over five to seven group meetings. Data analysis included children’s conclusions obtained during the project and the researcher’s analysis of written reports of all meetings. Children indicated a strong desire for fun and active play, with physical playground characteristics and safety, rules and supervision, peer-interactions, and variation in equipment/games as important determinants. Our results indicate that improving activity-friendliness of playgrounds requires an integrated and multi-faceted approach. It also indicates that children, as primary users, are able to identify barriers for active play that are easily overlooked, unknown or differently perceived by adults. Hence, we believe that structural involvement of children in designing, developing and improving playgrounds may increase children’s’ active play and consequently PA levels during recess. PMID:27231923

25 CFR 39.140 - How does a school qualify for a Small School Adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How does a school qualify for a Small School Adjustment... INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.140 How does a school qualify for a Small School Adjustment? A school will receive a small school...

25 CFR 39.140 - How does a school qualify for a Small School Adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false How does a school qualify for a Small School Adjustment... INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.140 How does a school qualify for a Small School Adjustment? A school will receive a small school...

Use of exit examinations: a criterion for graduation?

PubMed

Cullen, P D

1997-01-01

This study sought to measure the use of exit examinations in nursing schools at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Fifteen participants from HBCU nursing schools throughout the United States were surveyed to determine current practices related to exit exams. Overall, fourteen schools (93.33%) used an exit exam at the end of their nursing program. However, 73.33% of the participants (11 schools) reported it was mandatory for students to pass the exam as a requirement for graduation. Almost 47% of the participants (7 schools) reported the use of the exit exam was related to NCLEX-RN pass rates, while others reported identification of student needs as the primary reason for using an exit exam. Most participants were very helpful by sharing their innovations. While this small study provided some information on the use of exit examinations, more research is needed to substantiate both the appropriateness and usefulness of their use in baccalaureate degree nursing programs.

Investigation of the Work Motivation Levels of Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ates, Hatice Kadioglu; Yilmaz, Perihan

2018-01-01

This study was conducted to examine the work motivation levels of primary school teachers working in primary school institutions located in Istanbul province, Kucukcekmece district. The descriptive survey model was used in this study. The population of the study consists of primary school teachers and primary school administrators working in state…

Young female handball players and sport specialisation: how do they cope with the transition from primary school into a secondary sport school?

PubMed

Kristiansen, Elsa; Stensrud, Trine

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine how six young female handball players (aged 13-14 years) perceived the transition from primary school to a sport-specialised secondary school. Physical and physiological data as well as data from questionnaires were collected at baseline and after the first year at the sport school, and qualitative interviews were performed retrospectively after the first year at school. Evidence of competition-related stressors, organisational stressors (sport and school balance) and personal stressors (social life and sport balance, lack of sleep and severe injuries) was found. Three girls developed long-lasting musculoskeletal injuries (>3 months out of ordinary training) and one experienced repeated short periods (≤2 weeks out of ordinary training) of injuries during the first year. Onset of menarche and a length growth between 6 and 8 cm during the first year were characteristic traits of the four injured girls. From our small study, it appears that young athletes attending a specialised secondary sport school experienced many stressors due to a significant increase in training volume, reduction in sleeping time and development of severe and long-lasting injuries. Hence, trainers at sport schools, club trainers and parents need to communicate and support them in order to prevent this. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Effectiveness of a standardized back school program for patients with chronic low back pain after implementation in routine rehabilitation care.

PubMed

Meng, Karin; Peters, Stefan; Faller, Hermann

2017-06-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of a standardized, patient-oriented, biopsychosocial back school after implementation in inpatient orthopedic rehabilitation. A multi-center, quasi-experimental controlled study of patients with low back pain (n=535) was conducted. Patients in the control group received the traditional back school before implementation of the new program (usual care); patients in the intervention group received the new standardized back school after implementation into routine care. Patients' illness knowledge and conduct of back exercises (primary outcomes) and secondary self-management outcomes and treatment satisfaction were obtained at admission, discharge, and 6 and 12 months after rehabilitation. We found a significant small between-group intervention effect on patients' illness knowledge in medium- to long term (6 months: η 2 =0.015; 12 months: η 2 =0.013). There were trends for effects on conduct of back exercises among men (6 and 12 months: η 2 =0.008 both). Furthermore, significant small effects were observed for treatment satisfaction at discharge and physical activity after 6 months. The standardized back school seems to be more effective in certain outcomes than a usual care program despite heterogeneous program implementation. Further dissemination within orthopedic rehabilitation may be encouraged to foster self-management outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Influence of Contextual Factors on the Sustainability of Professional Development Outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandholtz, Judith Haymore; Ringstaff, Cathy

2016-03-01

This study investigated how contextual factors influenced the sustainability of outcomes from a 3-year, state-funded professional development program that provided science assistance for K-2 teachers in small, rural school districts. The research used a case-study approach with a purposive sample of five elementary schools that varied in instructional time in science several years after the funding period. The primary data sources were teacher surveys and interviews conducted 2 and 3 years after the end of the professional development program. The findings highlight variations across schools and the influence of principal support, resources, collegial support, personal commitment, and external factors. The research holds practical implications for enhancing long-term sustainability of professional development outcomes in science education.

25 CFR 39.144 - What is the small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false What is the small high school adjustment? 39.144 Section... EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.144 What is the small high school adjustment? (a) The small high school adjustment is a WSU adjustment given to a small high school...

25 CFR 39.144 - What is the small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true What is the small high school adjustment? 39.144 Section... EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.144 What is the small high school adjustment? (a) The small high school adjustment is a WSU adjustment given to a small high school...

25 CFR 39.144 - What is the small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What is the small high school adjustment? 39.144 Section... EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.144 What is the small high school adjustment? (a) The small high school adjustment is a WSU adjustment given to a small high school...

25 CFR 39.144 - What is the small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What is the small high school adjustment? 39.144 Section... EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.144 What is the small high school adjustment? (a) The small high school adjustment is a WSU adjustment given to a small high school...

25 CFR 39.144 - What is the small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is the small high school adjustment? 39.144 Section... EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.144 What is the small high school adjustment? (a) The small high school adjustment is a WSU adjustment given to a small high school...

25 CFR 39.145 - Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment? 39.145 Section 39.145 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION THE INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School...

25 CFR 39.145 - Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Can a school receive both a small school adjustment and a small high school adjustment? 39.145 Section 39.145 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION THE INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School...

Telling It like It Is: Developing Social Stories[TM] for Children in Mainstream Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitehead, Jo

2007-01-01

In this article, the author reports on a practical strategy originally developed for use with pupils with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). Based on a small-scale research project, the article focuses on the use of Social Stories to promote pro-social behaviour with a group of non-ASC pupils. The topic was chosen for systematic enquiry by the…

Moving against the Grain? Investigating the Efficacy of a Touch-Based Intervention in a Climate of Suspicion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacIntyre, Helen; Colwell, Jennifer; Ota, Cathy

2010-01-01

This article considers the implications of a small-scale research project, undertaken by the authors, which used the example of the Massage in Schools Programme (a simple peer massage programme) to ascertain whether the planned use of touch-based activity can support the growth of social and emotional skills in the primary classroom. Such claims…

To Enter the Castle of Fear: Engendering Children's Story Writing from Home to School at KS2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millard, Elaine

2005-01-01

This paper describes a small-scale writing project in which a class of KS 2 primary pupils were invited to import their own narrative interests into a task designed by their teacher and the researcher within the constraints of the National Literacy Strategy. By employing an adventure genre, based on problem and puzzle solving, pupils were…

Big Data with Small Cases: A Method for Discovering Students Centered Contexts for Physics Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bülbül, M. S.

2015-01-01

This article proposes a methodology that could assist teachers in understanding their students' primary needs or interests to decide on the kind of examples or contexts to be used in the classroom. The methodology was tested on 100 volunteers from university (N = 50) and high school (N = 50) in Ankara, Turkey. The participants were asked to write…

The discourse of causal explanations in school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Tammy Jayne Anne

Researchers and educators working from a systemic functional linguistic perspective have provided a body of work on science discourse which offers an excellent starting point for examining the linguistic aspects of the development of causal discourse in school science, discourse which Derewianka (1995) claimed is critical to success in secondary school. No work has yet described the development of causal language by identifying the linguistic features present in oral discourse or by comparing the causal discourse of native and non-native (ESL) speakers of English. The current research responds to this gap by examining the oral discourse collected from ESL and non-ESL students at the primary and high school grades. Specifically, it asks the following questions: (1) How do the teachers and students in these four contexts develop causal explanations and their relevant taxonomies through classroom interactions? (2) What are the causal discourse features being used by the students in these four contexts to construct oral causal explanations? The findings of the social practice analysis showed that the teachers in the four contexts differed in their approaches to teaching, with the primary school mainstream teacher focusing largely on the hands-on practice , the primary school ESL teacher moving from practice to theory, the high school mainstream teacher moving from theory to practice, and the high school ESL teacher relying primarily on theory. The findings from the quantitative, small corpus approach suggest that the developmental path of cause which has been identified in the writing of experts shows up not only in written texts but also in the oral texts which learners construct. Moreover, this move appears when the discourse of high school ESL and non-ESL students is compared, suggesting a developmental progression in the acquisition of these features by these students. The findings also reveal that the knowledge constructed, as shown by the concept maps created from the discourse, follows a developmental path similar to the linguistic causal path, from the concrete, hands-on, observable items to more abstract, theoretical concepts. This study is the first systemic functional comparison of the oral discourse of primary and secondary learners as well as the first to compare ESL and non-ESL speakers in this way, and as such it helps map general trends in causal discourse development. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Children's understanding of area concepts: development, curriculum and educational achievement.

PubMed

Bond, Trevor G; Parkinson, Kellie

2010-01-01

As one part of a series of studies undertaken to investigate the contribution of developmental attributes of learners to school learning, a representative sample of forty-two students (age from 5 years and 3 months to 13 years and 1 month) was randomly selected from a total student population of 142 students at a small private primary school in northern Australia. Those children's understandings of area concepts taught during the primary school years were assessed by their performance in two testing situations. The first consisted of a written classroom test of ability to solve area problems with items drawn directly from school texts, school examinations and other relevant curriculum documents. The second, which focused more directly on each child's cognitive development, was an individual interview for each child in which four "area" tasks such as the Meadows and Farmhouse Experiment taken from Chapter 11 of The Child's Conception of Geometry (Piaget, Inhelder and Szeminska, 1960, pp. 261-301) were administered. Analysis using the Rasch Partial Credit Model provided a finely detailed quantitative description of the developmental and learning progressions revealed in the data. It is evident that the school mathematics curriculum does not satisfactorily match the learner's developmental sequence at some key points. Moreover, the children's ability to conserve area on the Piagetian tasks, rather than other learner characteristics, such as age and school grade seems to be a precursor for complete success on the mathematical test of area. The discussion focuses on the assessment of developmental (and other) characteristics of school-aged learners and suggests how curriculum and school organization might better capitalize on such information in the design and sequencing of learning experiences for school children. Some features unique to the Rasch family of measurement models are held to have special significance in elucidating the development/attainment nexus.

The Association between Environmental Lead Exposure and High School Educational Outcomes in Four Communities in New South Wales, Australia

PubMed Central

McCrindle, Jennifer; Green, Donna; Sullivan, Marianne

2017-01-01

The associations between environmental lead exposure and high school educational outcomes in four communities located in New South Wales, Australia, were examined in this ecological study. A mixed model analysis was performed to account for each school’s results being more similar than results for other schools. The effect of environmental lead exposure on mean results for five educational outcomes was examined. ‘Leaded’ schools with more than five per cent of students living in the highest lead risk areas were tested against non-leaded ‘comparison’ schools that were matched by a pre-defined socio-educational advantage rating. A small disadvantage was found for leaded schools for four out of five outcomes, which was statistically significant for three outcomes: Higher School Certificate English (p < 0.01), School Certificate Mathematics (p < 0.05), and Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank eligibility rate (p < 0.01). This study adds to the large body of evidence in Australia and elsewhere supporting the importance of primary prevention to protect health at multiple stages of development. PMID:29144415

Head Teachers and Teachers as Pioneers in Facilitating Dyslexic Children in Primary Mainstream Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaka, Fahima Salman

2015-01-01

This study explores the perceptions of school heads and teachers in facilitating young dyslexic children in primary mainstream schools of Pakistan. Through purposive sampling, the researcher selected eight participants: Four primary school heads and four primary teachers from elite schools of Karachi. The research instrument selected for this…

A Comparative Analysis of Teacher Supply and Pupils' Enrolment in Public and Private Primary Schools in Kwara and Ekiti States, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adeyemi, T. O.

2012-01-01

This study investigated teacher supply and pupils' enrolment in public and private primary schools in Kwara and Ekiti States, Nigeria. The study population comprised all the 811 primary schools in Kwara State and 810 primary schools in Ekiti State. Out of the forty-seven higher institutions that supply teachers to primary schools in the two…

Making Small Schools Work: A Handbook for Teachers in Small Rural Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sigsworth, Alan; Solstad, Karl Jan

This handbook addresses the provision of an equitable basic education in rural areas, particularly in developing countries, by means of small schools located close to the pupils' homes. It is based on beliefs that small schools can be good schools; the appropriate place for a small school and its teachers is within the community; and small schools…

A Study on Primary and Secondary School Students' Misconceptions about Greenhouse Effect (Erzurum Sampling)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gul, Seyda; Yesilyurt, Selami

2011-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine what level of primary and secondary school students' misconceptions related to greenhouse effect is. Study group consists of totally 280 students attended to totally 8 primary and secondary schools (4 primary school, 4 secondary school) which were determined with convenient sampling method from center of…

Geochemical Treasure Hunt for Primary School Children

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesmer, Maja; Frick, Daniel; Gerrits, Ruben; des GFZ-GeoWunderWerkstatt, Schülerlabor

2017-04-01

How can you inspire school children for geochemistry, and scientific exploratory urge? The key is to raise their curiosity and make learning new things a hands-on experience. The Fellows of the European Marie Curie Initial Training Network IsoNose designed and established a "Geochemical Treasure Hunt" to excite children for scientific investigations. This workshop explains primary school children the research and scientific methods of isotopic geochemistry, and their use to understand processes on the Earth's surface. From obtaining 'samples', performing various experiments, the school children gather clues leading them to the hidden treasure on the Telegrafenberg (campus of the GFZ Potsdam). The course was designed for school children to learn hands-on the meaning of elements, atoms and isotopes. In small groups the children conduct experiments of simplified methods being indispensable to any isotope geochemist. However, prior to working in any laboratory environment, a security briefing is necessary. For the course, two stages were implemented; firstly the use of harmful substances and dangerous equipment was minimised, and secondly children were equipped with size-matched personal protective equipment (lab coats, gloves, and safety googles). The purification of elements prior to isotopic analysis was visualised using colour chromatography. However, instead of using delicate mass spectrometers for the isotope ratio measurements, the pupils applied flame spectroscopy to analyse their dissolved and purified mineral solutions. Depending on the specific element present, a different colour was observed in the flame. The children plotted their colours of the flame spectroscopy onto a map and by interpreting the emerging colour patterns they localized the treasure on the map. In small teams they swarmed out on the Telegrafenberg to recover the hidden treasure. The project leading to this outreach activity has received funding from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013/ under REA grant agreement n° [608069].

Developing Early Literacy Skills: A Meta-Analysis of Alphabet Learning and Instruction.

PubMed

Piasta, Shayne B; Wagner, Richard K

2010-01-01

Alphabet knowledge is a hallmark of early literacy and facilitating its development has become a primary objective of pre-school instruction and intervention. However, little agreement exists about how to promote the development of alphabet knowledge effectively. A meta-analysis of the effects of instruction on alphabet outcomes demonstrated that instructional impacts differed by type of alphabet outcome examined and content of instruction provided. School-based instruction yielded larger effects than home-based instruction; small-group instruction yielded larger effects than individual tutoring programs. We found minimal evidence of transfer of alphabet instruction to early phonological, reading, or spelling skills. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Students' and teachers' cognitions about good teachers.

PubMed

Beishuizen, J J; Hof, E; van Putten, C M; Bouwmeester, S; Asscher, J J

2001-06-01

Good teachers have been studied ever since Plato described how Socrates taught by asking questions of his audience. Recent findings shed light on two characteristics of good teachers: their personality and their ability. However, more attention has been paid to teachers' practices and opinions than to students' views. The study reported here attempted to deepen our understanding of what students think about good teachers. Students of four age groups (7, 10, 13, and 16 years of age) and teachers from primary and secondary schools were asked to write an essay on the good teacher. The correspondence between conceptual items in the essays was investigated by determining the extent to which they were used in the same essays to describe good teachers. Correspondence analysis revealed two dimensions. The first dimension reflected the preference of students and teachers for describing the good teacher in terms of either personality or ability characteristics. The second dimension was interpreted as an orientation in the essays towards either attachment to, detachment from or commitment to school and teachers. Students and teachers were compared to establish the amount of (dis)agreement about what makes a good teacher. Primary school students described good teachers primarily as competent instructors, focusing on transfer of knowledge and skills, whereas secondary school students emphasised relational aspects of good teachers. Teachers, however, considered good teachers in the first place a matter of establishing personal relationships with their students. Consequently, primary school students and teachers disagreed about the characteristics of good teachers. In secondary education, disagreements between teachers and students were relatively small. The research method of collecting free essays and utilising correspondence analysis to represent conceptual items and groups of participants seems promising as long as a theoretical framework is available to interpret the resulting representation of similarities between items and groups of participants.

Teacher Ratings of Academic Achievement of Children between 6 and 12 Years Old from Intact and Non-Intact Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molepo, Lephodisa S.; Maunganidze, Levison; Mudhovozi, Pilot; Sodi, Tholene

2010-01-01

We investigated teacher ratings of the impact of parental divorce on academic achievement of children between 6 and 12 years old up to 12 months after their parents divorced. A purposive sample of 120 children attending four different primary schools in a small South African town took part in the study. One third (n = 40) of the children had…

Army Reserve Instructors' Perceptions regarding the Effectiveness of the Experiential Learning Model in Teaching Mid-Level Army Reserve Officers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Robert S.

2010-01-01

The Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Ft. Leavenworth is a fully accredited graduate school. The primary professional development program at CGSC has been for mid-level officers. This program is referred to as ILE (Intermediate Level Education) and is taught in small cohort groups of 12 to 18 students. CGSC has embraced the principles of…

Primary care careers among recent graduates of research-intensive private and public medical schools.

PubMed

Choi, Phillip A; Xu, Shuai; Ayanian, John Z

2013-06-01

Despite a growing need for primary care physicians in the United States, the proportion of medical school graduates pursuing primary care careers has declined over the past decade. To assess the association of medical school research funding with graduates matching in family medicine residencies and practicing primary care. Observational study of United States medical schools. One hundred twenty-one allopathic medical schools. The primary outcomes included the proportion of each school's graduates from 1999 to 2001 who were primary care physicians in 2008, and the proportion of each school's graduates who entered family medicine residencies during 2007 through 2009. The 25 medical schools with the highest levels of research funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2010 were designated as "research-intensive." Among research-intensive medical schools, the 16 private medical schools produced significantly fewer practicing primary care physicians (median 24.1% vs. 33.4%, p < 0.001) and fewer recent graduates matching in family medicine residencies (median 2.4% vs. 6.2%, p < 0.001) than the other 30 private schools. In contrast, the nine research-intensive public medical schools produced comparable proportions of graduates pursuing primary care careers (median 36.1% vs. 36.3%, p = 0.87) and matching in family medicine residencies (median 7.4% vs. 10.0%, p = 0.37) relative to the other 66 public medical schools. To meet the health care needs of the US population, research-intensive private medical schools should play a more active role in promoting primary care careers for their students and graduates.

Remediation for Students With Mathematics Difficulties: An Intervention Study in Middle Schools.

PubMed

Moser Opitz, Elisabeth; Freesemann, Okka; Prediger, Susanne; Grob, Urs; Matull, Ina; Hußmann, Stephan

As empirical studies have consistently shown, low achievement in mathematics at the secondary level can often be traced to deficits in the understanding of certain basic arithmetic concepts taught in primary school. The present intervention study in middle schools evaluated whether such learning deficits can be reduced effectively and whether the type of instruction influences students' progress. The sample consisted of 123 students in 34 classes, split among one control group and two intervention groups: (a) small group instruction and (b) independent work partially integrated into regular classrooms. Over a period of 14 weeks, students were taught basic concepts, such as place value and basic operations. In addition, they practiced fact retrieval and counting (in groups). Multilevel regression analyses demonstrated that the interventions can be used to reduce given deficits.

Beyond Electronic Brochures: An Analysis of Singapore Primary School Web Sites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Chun; Soong, Andrew Kheng Fah

2007-01-01

This study aims to investigate how Singapore primary schools use their web sites, what kind of information is contained in the web sites, and how the information is presented. Based on an analysis of 176 primary school web sites, which represent all but one of the country's primary schools, findings indicate that most of Singapore's primary school…

Thinking Big about Getting Small: An Ideological Genealogy of Small-School Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kafka, Judith

2008-01-01

Background: Support for small schools, and specifically for the creation of small, autonomous schools of choice, has grown considerably in the past decade--particularly in the context of urban schooling. Funded by private and public monies, small-school initiatives have been implemented in most of the nation's city school districts and have become…

Program Development for Primary School Teachers' Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boonjeam, Waraporn; Tesaputa, Kowat; Sri-ampai, Anan

2017-01-01

The objectives of this research were: 1) to study the elements and indicators of primary school teachers' critical thinking, 2) to study current situation, desirable situation, development technique, and need for developing the primary school teachers' critical thinking, 3) to develop the program for developing the primary school teachers'…

The Examination of the Views of Primary School Teachers and Pre-Service Primary Teachers on European Union Citizenship from the Point of Different Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Üner, Sadik Selman; Yesil, Rüstü

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the view of primary school teachers and pre-service primary teachers on European Union citizenship. This study is a descriptive and quantitative research in survey methodology. The data of the research was collected from 207 primary school teachers teaching in 22 primary school in the city center of Kirsehir…

Primary School Teachers' Perceptions of Adequacy and Quality of Physical Facilities in Public Primary Schools under Free Primary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muthima, Ndirangu Wahome; Udoto, Maurice O.; Anditi, Zephania O.

2016-01-01

The Free Primary Education (FPE) programme was commissioned in Kenya in January 2003 to provide basic education to all children of school going age and to ease the burden of cost sharing from the parents. However, even though the public primary school class teachers were to shoulder the greatest responsibility in the implementation of this…

25 CFR 39.143 - What is a small high school?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false What is a small high school? 39.143 Section 39.143... PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.143 What is a small high school? For purposes of this part, a small high school: (a) Is accredited under 25 U.S.C. 2001(b); (b) Is...

25 CFR 39.143 - What is a small high school?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is a small high school? 39.143 Section 39.143... PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.143 What is a small high school? For purposes of this part, a small high school: (a) Is accredited under 25 U.S.C. 2001(b); (b) Is...

25 CFR 39.143 - What is a small high school?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What is a small high school? 39.143 Section 39.143... PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.143 What is a small high school? For purposes of this part, a small high school: (a) Is accredited under 25 U.S.C. 2001(b); (b) Is...

25 CFR 39.143 - What is a small high school?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true What is a small high school? 39.143 Section 39.143 Indians... Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.143 What is a small high school? For purposes of this part, a small high school: (a) Is accredited under 25 U.S.C. 2001(b); (b) Is staffed with...

25 CFR 39.143 - What is a small high school?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What is a small high school? 39.143 Section 39.143... PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.143 What is a small high school? For purposes of this part, a small high school: (a) Is accredited under 25 U.S.C. 2001(b); (b) Is...

High school students' perceptions of nursing as a career choice.

PubMed

Kohler, P A; Edwards, T A

1990-01-01

Declining enrollments in nursing programs, coupled with the current shortage of practicing registered nurses, prompted this investigation of 306 high school students' beliefs about nurses and nursing. The study also identifies potential numbers of future nursing students from high school populations and their primary source of information about nursing. Using an investigator questionnaire, subjects responded to statements about educational requirements for registered nurses along with their working conditions, earning power, and social status. Findings reveal a projected continuing shortage of nurses based on the very small percentage of subjects even considering nursing as a career. Additional findings show that whereas some perceptions about nursing seem congruent with those of nurses themselves, other beliefs held by high school students are not consistent with the realities of professional nursing today. Results of this study can be used by nurse recruiters to correct misconceptions about nursing and to help high school students perceive the profession in a more positive way. Expanding the informational sources about nursing can facilitate the recruitment process.

Project FIT: A School, Community and Social Marketing Intervention Improves Healthy Eating Among Low-Income Elementary School Children.

PubMed

Alaimo, Katherine; Carlson, Joseph J; Pfeiffer, Karin A; Eisenmann, Joey C; Paek, Hye-Jin; Betz, Heather H; Thompson, Tracy; Wen, Yalu; Norman, Gregory J

2015-08-01

Project FIT was a two-year multi-component nutrition and physical activity intervention delivered in ethnically-diverse low-income elementary schools in Grand Rapids, MI. This paper reports effects on children's nutrition outcomes and process evaluation of the school component. A quasi-experimental design was utilized. 3rd, 4th and 5th-grade students (Yr 1 baseline: N = 410; Yr 2 baseline: N = 405; age range: 7.5-12.6 years) were measured in the fall and spring over the two-year intervention. Ordinal logistic, mixed effect models and generalized estimating equations were fitted, and the robust standard errors were utilized. Primary outcomes favoring the intervention students were found regarding consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grain bread during year 2. Process evaluation revealed that implementation of most intervention components increased during year 2. Project FIT resulted in small but beneficial effects on consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain bread in ethnically diverse low-income elementary school children.

Primary School Students of 1980s' Turkey Remembering Their Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saglam, Mehmet

2015-01-01

Primary school students of 1980s' Turkey remember their teachers in various aspects. Uncovering their reminiscences lets researchers see what factors become decisive in recontructing primary school teachers in the memories of their students. The priority of this paper is to discover the reasons why the 1980s primary school students remember their…

Literacy Infrastructure, Access to Books, and the Implementation of the School Literacy Movement in Primary Schools in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laksono, K.; Retnaningdyah, P.

2018-01-01

Literacy Infrastructure and access to books are the foundation of literacy activity. Indonesia has regulations from the Ministry of Education and Culture requiring that 15 minutes should be used each day before the learning begins to read books other than textbooks. However, many schools are not yet obeying this requirement. The purposes of this study are to describe the literacy infrastructure in primary schools in Indonesia, to analyze access to books in primary schools, to explain the School Literacy Movement implementation, and to identify issues around the implementation of reading strategies in a context in which there is limited access to books. The questionnaire and interview study were conducted in 30 primary schools in East Java, Indonesia. The study concluded that the literacy infrastructure and access to books in 30 primary schools are below standard, but the school community enthusiastically implements the objectives of the School Literacy Movement. Many primary schools are already implementing good many reading strategies although there are some problems related to teacher competence.

The potential contribution of yellow cassava to dietary nutrient adequacy of primary-school children in Eastern Kenya; the use of linear programming.

PubMed

Talsma, Elise F; Borgonjen-van den Berg, Karin J; Melse-Boonstra, Alida; Mayer, Eva V; Verhoef, Hans; Demir, Ayşe Y; Ferguson, Elaine L; Kok, Frans J; Brouwer, Inge D

2018-02-01

Introduction of biofortified cassava as school lunch can increase vitamin A intake, but may increase risk of other deficiencies due to poor nutrient profile of cassava. We assessed the potential effect of introducing a yellow cassava-based school lunch combined with additional food-based recommendations (FBR) on vitamin A and overall nutrient adequacy using Optifood (linear programming tool). Cross-sectional study to assess dietary intakes (24 h recall) and derive model parameters (list of foods consumed, median serving sizes, food and food (sub)group frequency distributions, food cost). Three scenarios were modelled, namely daily diet including: (i) no school lunch; (ii) standard 5d school lunch with maize/beans; and (iii) 5d school lunch with yellow cassava. Each scenario and scenario 3 with additional FBR were assessed on overall nutrient adequacy using recommended nutrient intakes (RNI). Eastern Kenya. Primary-school children (n 150) aged 7-9 years. Best food pattern of yellow cassava-based lunch scenario achieved 100 % RNI for six nutrients compared with no lunch (three nutrients) or standard lunch (five nutrients) scenario. FBR with yellow cassava and including small dried fish improved nutrient adequacy, but could not ensure adequate intake of fat (52 % of average requirement), riboflavin (50 % RNI), folate (59 % RNI) and vitamin A (49 % RNI). Introduction of yellow cassava-based school lunch complemented with FBR potentially improved vitamin A adequacy, but alternative interventions are needed to ensure dietary adequacy. Optifood is useful to assess potential contribution of a biofortified crop to nutrient adequacy and to develop additional FBR to address remaining nutrient gaps.

Turkish Primary School Teachers' Perceptions of School Culture Regarding ICT Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tezci, Erdogan

2011-01-01

The current study aimed at identifying Turkish primary school teachers' perceptions of school culture regarding ICT integration in education. In addition, the current study was designed to investigate factors that might influence their perceptions. The participants were 1540 primary school teachers. The findings revealed that the teachers'…

Children in Their Free Time.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beck, T. M.

This report presents an investigation of after-school care for primary school children in Western Australia. The needs of primary school children are discussed, and care provided through schools and communities is examined. The headmasters of 110 primary schools, in response to a questionnaire, reported a strong belief that many children were…

Comparison between Primary Teacher Educators' and Primary School Teachers' Beliefs of Primary Geography Education Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bent, Gert Jan; Bakx, Anouke; den Brok, Perry

2016-01-01

In this study teacher educators' beliefs concerning primary geography education have been investigated and compared with primary school teachers' beliefs. In this study 45 teacher educators and 489 primary school teachers completed a questionnaire, and nine teacher educators have been interviewed as well. It has been found that teacher educators…

Educational Professionals' Experiences of Self-Harm in Primary School Children: "You Don't Really Believe, unless You See It"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simm, Rebecca; Roen, Katrina; Daiches, Anna

2008-01-01

This paper reports on an empirical study concerning educational professionals' understandings of self-harm in primary school children. There is little research available about self-harm in primary-school aged children, and literature searches for the current study have revealed no research on primary school professionals' understandings of…

Implementation of Mandatory Nutritional Guidelines in South Australian Primary School Canteens: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abery, Elizabeth; Drummond, Claire

2014-01-01

Primary schools are identified as being in a primary position to offer nutrition education. Moreover, primary schools can offer an environment which is conducive to the promotion of healthy eating while influencing eating behaviours of children to benefit their health, well-being and academic development and performance. School canteens are one…

Impact of Instructional Resources on Mathematics Performance of Learners with Dyscalculia in Integrated Primary Schools, Arusha City, Tanzania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yusta, Nyudule; Karugu, Geoffrey; Muthee, Jessica; Tekle, Tesfu

2016-01-01

Learners with dyscalculia in the integrated primary schools in Arusha have been performing poorly in the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). Thus, the journal sought to investigate the impact of instructional resources on mathematics performance of learners with dyscalculia in integrated primary schools found in Arusha city, Tanzania. The…

The Structure and Climate of Size: Small Scale Schooling in an Urban District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LeChasseur, Kimberly

2009-01-01

This study explores mechanisms involved in small scale schooling and student engagement. Specifically, this study questions the validity of arguments for small scale schooling reforms that confound the promised effects of small scale schooling "structures" (such as smaller enrollments, schools-within-schools, and smaller class sizes)…

Approaches to In-Servicing Training of Teachers in Primary Schools in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahlangu, Vimbi P.

2016-01-01

This paper focuses on the approaches used by school heads in helping their growth and their teachers in primary schools in Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces of South Africa. The Department of Basic Education expects school heads and teachers to bring change in their school performances. The problem is that in these primary schools heads and…

Academisation, School Collaboration and the Primary School Sector in England: A Story of Six School Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keddie, Amanda

2016-01-01

This paper presents data from a study of five English primary schools. It examines some of the challenges associated with school autonomy and collaboration for state primary schools amid the uncertainty and complexity of governance in the present English education context. The paper features the voices of six leaders gathered from interviews that…

Teacher-Reported Quality of Schooling Indicators in Botswana Primary Schools: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ntinda, Kayi; Ntinda, Magdalene Nakalowa; Mpofu, Elias

2015-01-01

This study examined teacher self-reported views on quality indicators in Botswana primary schools. A purposively selected sample of primary school teachers in the city of Gaborone, Botswana (N = 72, females = 56; males = 16; mean age = 39 years, SD = 7.17 years; mean years of service = 15.6; SD= 8 years; public schools = 65%; private schools =…

Measuring Inviting School Climate: A Case Study of a Public Primary School in an Urban Low Socioeconomic Setting in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okaya, Tom Mboya; Horne, Marj; Lamig, Madeleine; Smith, Kenneth H.

2013-01-01

The present study utilized the Inviting School Survey-Revised (ISS-R) (Smith, 2005b, 2013) based on Invitational Theory and Practice (Purkey & Novak, 2008) to examine the school climate of a public primary school in a low urban socio-economic setting in Kenya. School climate was defined as the perceptions of primary school teachers and pupils…

Renewing Spiritual Capital: The National Retreat for Catholic Headteachers and The National School of Formation: The Impact on Catholic Headteachers in The UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friel, Raymond

2018-01-01

This paper draws on the findings of a small-scale research study based on interviews with twenty serving Catholic headteachers from the primary and secondary phases and from the maintained and independent sectors. The focus of the study was to explore the concept of 'spiritual capital' among the headteachers and to evaluate the impact of two major…

Equal Opportunities for Girls: The Role of the Primary School. Report of the European Teachers' Seminar (36th, Donaueschingen, Federal Republic of Germany, June 22-27, 1987).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiner, Gaby

Speeches and small group working sessions were the major components of this sex equity seminar. Speeches given by Annika Thelin (Sweden) and Gaby Weiner (United Kingdom) presented an historical and analytical approach to equal opportunities, focusing on the often slow progress towards sex equality in the education of children in Sweden and the…

Small Schools in the Big City: Neoliberalism, Bureaucracy and the Sustainability of Small by Design Schools in Chicago

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitluck, Corrin

2010-01-01

Assuming the strength of small by design schools for poor urban students of color to be a settled question, this project attempts to analyze the sustainability of small by design schools in a large, complex urban district. Asking what causes small schools to converge toward or diverge from the small by design model, I analyze three sets of design…

Educators' Perceptions of School Climate and Health in Selected Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pretorius, Stephanus; de Villiers, Elsabe

2009-01-01

The aims in this research were to determine the perceptions of school climate held by educators of primary schools in the southern Cape. Six primary schools with a staff complement of 178 educators participated in the investigation. Two instruments were used: the Organisational Climate Description Questionnaire Rutgers Elementary (OCDQ-RE) and…

The Influence of Closing Poor Performing Primary Schools on the Educational Attainment of Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Witte, Kristof; Van Klaveren, Chris

2014-01-01

This paper examines whether the closure of poor performing primary schools improved students' educational attainment. It is believed that school closure affects children's educational outcomes positively because children switch to better primary schools. At the same time, school closure creates a social disturbance such that educational outcomes…

A systematic review of interventions for promoting active transportation to school

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Active transportation to school is an important contributor to the total physical activity of children and adolescents. However, active school travel has declined over time, and interventions are needed to reverse this trend. The purpose of this paper is to review intervention studies related to active school transportation to guide future intervention research. Methods A systematic review was conducted to identify intervention studies of active transportation to school published in the scientific literature through January 2010. Five electronic databases and a manual search were conducted. Detailed information was extracted, including a quantitative assessment comparing the effect sizes, and a qualitative assessment using an established evaluation tool. Results We identified 14 interventions that focused on active transportation to school. These interventions mainly focused on primary school children in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Almost all the interventions used quasi-experimental designs (10/14), and most of the interventions reported a small effect size on active transportation (6/14). Conclusion More research with higher quality study designs and measures should be conducted to further evaluate interventions and to determine the most successful strategies for increasing active transportation to school. PMID:21320322

A systematic review of interventions for promoting active transportation to school.

PubMed

Chillón, Palma; Evenson, Kelly R; Vaughn, Amber; Ward, Dianne S

2011-02-14

Active transportation to school is an important contributor to the total physical activity of children and adolescents. However, active school travel has declined over time, and interventions are needed to reverse this trend. The purpose of this paper is to review intervention studies related to active school transportation to guide future intervention research. A systematic review was conducted to identify intervention studies of active transportation to school published in the scientific literature through January 2010. Five electronic databases and a manual search were conducted. Detailed information was extracted, including a quantitative assessment comparing the effect sizes, and a qualitative assessment using an established evaluation tool. We identified 14 interventions that focused on active transportation to school. These interventions mainly focused on primary school children in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Almost all the interventions used quasi-experimental designs (10/14), and most of the interventions reported a small effect size on active transportation (6/14). More research with higher quality study designs and measures should be conducted to further evaluate interventions and to determine the most successful strategies for increasing active transportation to school. © 2011 Chillón P et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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 as respected, and the problem of the most common challenges as successfully solved.

Establishing and Enriching School-Community Ties in Small Schools. Small Schools Network Information Exchange Number 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement of the Northeast & Islands, Andover, MA.

This information packet contains 14 articles reprinted from various books and journals. Establishing and enriching school-community ties in small schools is the theme for this "Information Exchange Packet," the sixth in a series developed for Small Schools Network members. The articles and their authors are: "Skills in Building Support for…

The Effectiveness of a Brief Asthma Education Intervention for Child Care Providers and Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neuharth-Pritchett, Stacey; Getch, Yvette Q.

2016-01-01

Limited information exists about management of asthma in child care settings and primary school classrooms. The goal of this study was to evaluate a brief asthma management intervention for child care providers and primary school teachers. Child care providers and primary school teachers were recruited to participate in two 3-h workshops on asthma…

Investigation of Primary School Teachers' Conflict Resolution Skills in Terms of Different Variable

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bayraktar, Hatice Vatansever; Yilmaz, Kamile Özge

2016-01-01

In this study, it is aimed to determine the level of conflict resolution skills of primary school teachers and whether they vary by different variables. The study was organised in accordance with the scanning model. The universe of the study consists of primary school teachers working at 14 primary schools, two from each of the seven geographical…

Primary Schooling and Economic Development: A Review of the Evidence. World Bank Staff Working Paper No. 399.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colclough, Christopher

By reviewing pertinent studies and data, this paper seeks to define the economic benefits of primary schooling within a worldwide context. The author concludes that investment in primary schooling results in more productivity at work and in the home. The returns from primary schooling in most developing countries are higher than from other forms…

Introducing Evolution into the Primary Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scrase, Stuart

2015-01-01

The new National Curriculum for England requirements for primary science have created a few challenges and opportunities for primary schools. Implementation was not compulsory for year 6 (ages 10-11) until September 2015, but at the primary school in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets educators decided, as did many other primary schools, to start…

Flying the "Active School Flag": Physical Activity Promotion through Self-Evaluation in Primary Schools in Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chroinin, Deirdre Ni; Murtagh, Elaine; Bowles, Richard

2012-01-01

Primary schools are key sites where children can be active, advance their knowledge and understanding of how to participate in physical activity (PA) and develop an appreciation of its importance in their lives. This study explored the role of schools in promoting PA asking: how do primary schools approach the promotion of whole-school PA? Data…

Interventions for Primary School Children With Difficulties in Mathematics.

PubMed

Dowker, Ann

2017-01-01

Difficulty with arithmetic is a common problem for children and adults, though there has been some work on the topic for a surprisingly long time. This chapter will review some of the research that has been done over the years on interventions with primary school children. Interventions can be of various levels of intensiveness, ranging from whole-class approaches that take account of individual differences through small-group and limited-time individual interventions to extended-time individual interventions. Interventions discussed here include those involving peer tuition and group collaboration; those involving board and computer games; and those that involve assessing children's strengths and weaknesses in different components of mathematics; and targeting remedial activities to the assessed weaknesses. Most of the interventions discussed in this chapter specifically involve mathematics (usually mainly arithmetic), but there is also some discussion of attempts to improve mathematics by training children in domain-general skills, including Piagetian operations, metacognition, and executive functions. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality of Primary Education Inputs in Urban Schools: Evidence from Nairobi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngware, Moses W.; Oketch, Moses; Ezeh, Alex C.

2011-01-01

This article examines the quality of primary school inputs in urban settlements with a view to understand how it sheds light on benchmarks of education quality indicators in Kenya. Data from a school survey that involved 83 primary schools collected in 2005 were used. The data set contains information on school quality characteristics of various…

Effectiveness of School-Based Bullying Intervention Programs in Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogini, Eric U.

2012-01-01

Bullying behavior has reached pandemic proportions and is a growing concern in primary school. Most intervention programs in primary school are focused on bullying prevention or principally on the behavior of the bully. The purpose of this study was to explore whether a school-based bullying intervention program is an effective method for reducing…

Views of Primary School Administrators on Change in Schools and Change Management Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hosgörür, Vural

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the opinions of primary school administrators about change, and to reveal which strategies they use to manage change in schools. This is a qualitative study conducted in 2014 academic year in Mugla province. Research data were collected from primary school administrators through semi-structured interviews.…

"Knowledge" in English Primary Schools' Decision-Making about Sex and Relationships Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilder, Rachel

2018-01-01

Objective: To assess what kinds of knowledge policymakers in a sample of English primary schools utilised to make decisions about their school's sex and relationships education policy. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with policymakers at three primary schools in the southwest of England, and documentary analysis of the schools'…

Examining the Relationship between Teacher Organizational Commitment and School Health in Turkish Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sezgin, Ferudun

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between teachers' perceptions of organizational commitment and school health in Turkish primary schools. The Organizational Commitment Scale and the Organizational Health Inventory were used to gather data from 323 randomly selected teachers employed in 20 primary schools in Ankara.…

Self-Efficacy, School Resources, Job Stressors and Burnout among Spanish Primary and Secondary School Teachers: A Structural Equation Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Betoret, Fernando Domenech

2009-01-01

This study examines the relationship between school resources, teacher self-efficacy, potential multi-level stressors and teacher burnout using structural equation modelling. The causal structure for primary and secondary school teachers was also examined. The sample was composed of 724 primary and secondary Spanish school teachers. The changes…

The Implementation of Character Education Model Based on Empowerment Theatre for Primary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anggraini, Purwati; Kusniarti, Tuti

2016-01-01

This study aimed at constructing character education model implemented in primary school. The research method was qualitative with five samples in total, comprising primary schools in Malang city/regency and one school as a pilot model. The pilot model was instructed by theatre coach teacher, parents, and school society. The result showed that…

Campus Schools: The Search for Safe and Orderly Environment in Large School Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortiz, Monica

2012-01-01

Establishing "new small schools" is a major focus of school improvement, especially at the high school level, with the hopes of increasing academic success and reducing violence. Key arguments for small schools are the personalization of schooling and increased academic performance. The structures and process of small schools are…

25 CFR 39.140 - How does a school qualify for a Small School Adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... lower grades and has a diploma-awarding high school component with an average instructional daily... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How does a school qualify for a Small School Adjustment... INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.140...

25 CFR 39.140 - How does a school qualify for a Small School Adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... lower grades and has a diploma-awarding high school component with an average instructional daily... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true How does a school qualify for a Small School Adjustment... INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.140...

25 CFR 39.140 - How does a school qualify for a Small School Adjustment?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... lower grades and has a diploma-awarding high school component with an average instructional daily... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How does a school qualify for a Small School Adjustment... INDIAN SCHOOL EQUALIZATION PROGRAM Indian School Equalization Formula Small School Adjustment § 39.140...

Pedagogy--How Is It Influenced in Primary Schools? A Comparative Study of Literature about Pedagogical Influences in Primary Schools in England and Poland, with a Focus on English Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allison, Ewa Barbara

2010-01-01

This article is a critical review of recent literature comparing pedagogical influences in primary schools in England and Poland. It identifies curriculum, assessment, leadership, teacher perceptions and personal fears as immense influences on pedagogy and considers how these factors influence pedagogy. Comparison of England's prescriptive…

A study of primary school teachers’ conceptual understanding on states of matter and their changes based on their job locations (case study at Ambon island in Moluccas-Indonesia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banawi, A.; Sopandi, W.; Kadarohman, A.; Solehuddin, M.

2018-05-01

The research aims to describe primary school teachers’ conceptual understandings about states of matter and their changes. The method was descriptive which involved 15 primary school teachers from three different school locations. They were from urban school (CS1), sub-urban school (CS2), and rular school (CS3) at Ambon Island on 2016/2017 academic year. The research instrument was a multiple-choice test combined with both essay and confidence level of their answers. The test was used to measure teachers’ understanding levels about states of matter and their changes. They were macroscopic, sub-microscopic and symbolic levels. Teachers’ understanding levels were classified into following categorization, they were understand, partly understand, misconception, and do not understand. The results show that primary school teachers’ conceptual understanding is varied based on their job locations and primary school teachers’ level understanding. Generally, primary school teachers’ conceptual understandings at sub-urban location (CS2) are better than those of both of urban (CS1) and rular locations (CS3). The results suggest that teachers need improvement to make better primary school teachers’ conceptual understanding. It can be on the job training and in service training activities. We also need a further research in order to investigate the program effectiveness.

Inclusive Education in Government Primary Schools: Teacher Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Itfaq Khaliq; Hashmi, ShujahatHaider; Khanum, Nabeela

2017-01-01

The perceptions of primary school teachers towards inclusive education was investigated in mainstream government schools of Islamabad capital territory where inclusive education was being supported by Sight savers and other international organizations. The study was carried out involving 54 teachers in six randomly selected primary schools. The…

Organizational Learning in Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tas, Ali

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study is to make suggestions for primary schools to become organizational learning environments, by searching the relationship between the characteristics and behaviors of school administrators and the formation of an organizational learning environment in primary schools. The author used a survey model in this research and…

Easing the Policy Environments of Small Schools and Schools-within-Schools: Lessons from Six Cities. Policy Brief.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AEL, Inc., Charleston, WV.

Research shows that small schools and schools within schools can yield positive outcomes for students and improved satisfaction and effectiveness among school staff. Small schools can be less costly than larger ones if judged by expenditure per graduate instead of cost per pupil enrolled. Examination of the policy environments of urban schools in…

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.

Small Schools in Rural India: "Exclusion" and "Inequity" in Hierarchical School System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diwan, Rashmi

2015-01-01

Small schools have enjoyed rich traditions in the history of education. The Vedic-age gurukula small schools, an abode for children of the privileged few, followed a structured curriculum in the teaching of religion, scriptures, philosophy, literature, warfare, medicine, astrology and history. The rigvedic small schools, which were more…

How Small School Districts Can Organize to Afford Their Small Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Christine

2010-01-01

While the research continues to mount on the benefits of school downsizing and decentralizing efforts in urban areas, there exists a paradox for small school Administrators who continue to struggle against forces of consolidation. Small schools in rural and suburban districts have fought for their existence against the pressures of consolidation…

Child nutritional status and child growth in Kenya: socioeconomic determinants.

PubMed

Deolalikar, A B

1996-01-01

The determinants of weight and height are explored using nationally representative data for Kenya. The author also uses recall data on child birth weights to estimate conditional reduced-form demand relations for weight gain among 7907 children aged 0-5 years. Maternal education was found to be a significant determinant of weight, height, and weight gain, with secondary schooling having larger, but not significantly different effects than primary schooling. Per capita household expenditure is highly significant but with only small numerical effects. Birth weight has a large, negative effect upon subsequent weight gain, indicating almost complete catch-up growth by age one. The effect becomes more negative when birth weight is treated as an endogenous variable. There is no evidence of any catch-up growth beyond age three. The study results indicate that small deficits in birth weight are not likely to be permanent, with infants making up for birth weight deficits completely within the first year of life through biological catch-up growth.

What's So Big about Small Schools? The Case for Small Schools: Nationwide and in North Dakota. PEPG 05-05

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hylden, Jordan

2005-01-01

A growing body of evidence points to the size of schools as a significant determining factor in academic achievement. Large schools are often far less successful at educating students than small schools. This paper shall first examine the data which support this claim and the reasons why small schools might work better. Finally, our conclusions…

Improving the Teaching of Science and Technology in Primary Schools--A Cluster Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chambers, Paul

2017-01-01

The position of science and technology in Scottish primary schools is broadly similar to most other primary schools throughout Great Britain. There are certain schools and individuals that perform at a very high level but many schools are hampered by a lack of resources, a lack of confidence in teaching the topics and some significant gaps in the…

Out of School Activities during Primary School and KS2 Attainment. Centre for Longitudinal Studies Working Paper 2016/1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chanfreau, Jenny; Tanner, Emily; Callanan, Meg; Laing, Karen; Skipp, Amy; Todd, Liz

2016-01-01

The aims of this working paper were to investigate whether taking part in out of school activities during primary school is linked with end of primary school attainment and social, emotional and behavioural outcomes, for all children and specifically for children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The analysis is based on the Millennium…

Determinants of Schooling for Boys and Girls in Nigeria under a Policy of Free Primary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lincove, Jane Arnold

2009-01-01

This paper adds a measure of school costs to the model of determinants of schooling. Costs are estimated with controls for selection into school and the possibility of receiving free primary education (FPE). Controlling for costs, household wealth has a large, positive effect on primary school attendance with greater income elasticity for girls…

Primary School Councils: Organization, Composition and Head Teacher Perceptions and Values

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnitt, Michael; Gunter, Helen

2013-01-01

School councils have been an integral part of primary school life for the last decade and, despite not being mandatory in England, they are now to be found in the vast majority of primary schools. This research article aims to examine the current position of school councils in terms of their organization, the issues they address and the views held…

Enhancing STEM Education during School Transition: Bridging the Gap in Science Manipulative Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fadzil, Hidayah Mohd; Saat, Rohaida Mohd

2014-01-01

The lack of exposure to practical work in primary schools leads to incompetency in manipulative skills and students may carry this problem with them to secondary school. To address this issues, an in-depth qualitative study was conducted during transition from primary to secondary school. The research involved 10 primary school students (grade 6)…

Relational Aggression: The Voices of Primary School Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Botha, Johan

2014-01-01

The aim of this research was to explore and describe primary school learners' experiences of relational aggression at school. This was done within a qualitative research design with a phenomenological approach. In order to give a voice to primary school learners' lived experiences of relational aggression, 25 individual interviews were conducted…

Primary School Leadership Today and Tomorrow

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southworth, Geoff

2008-01-01

The article provides a retrospective and prospective view of primary school leadership. It begins with an analytic description of primary school leadership in the recent past. The second part looks at school leadership today, identifies contemporary issues and examines role continuities and changes. The third part looks at what the future might…

Exploring the Values of Chaplains in Government Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaacs, Amy Kate; Mergler, Amanda

2018-01-01

Minimal prior research has examined the school chaplaincy programme in Australia. This exploratory study sought to identify the values primary school chaplains feel are the most important to them personally, and in their role as chaplain. Eight chaplains working in government primary schools were interviewed. Inductive thematic analysis was used…

Management Philosophies of Primary School Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tas, Said

2011-01-01

The study aimed to determine the management philosophies of primary school principals. Stratification method of sampling was used in the study. The study sample consisted of 33 school principals and 132 teachers serving at primary education schools in Isparta in the academic year 2008-2009. The "Manager Philosophy Scale" developed by Tanriogen and…

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

Evaluation of a primary school drug drama project: methodological issues and key findings.

PubMed

Starkey, F; Orme, J

2001-10-01

This paper describes the impact evaluation of a primary school drug drama project developed by a health promotion service and a theatre's education department in England. The project targeted 10-11 year olds in 41 schools with an interactive drama production and workshop day on attitudes, choices, decisions and risks of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug use. Parents were also involved in parents' evenings and watching children's performances. The research consisted of both process evaluation, consultation with pupils, teachers, parents, actors and health promotion staff on the project itself, and impact evaluation which looked at potential changes in children's knowledge, attitudes and decision-making skills. This paper reports findings of the impact evaluation, from six of the schools participating in the project. The impact evaluation consisted of pre- and post-project testing using a 'draw and write' and a problem-solving exercise. These findings suggest that the project had a significant impact on the children's knowledge of names of specific illegal drugs, and on their awareness that alcohol and cigarettes were also drugs, and secondly encouraged the children to think in less stereotypical terms about drugs and drug users. The problem-solving exercise, involving decision-making scenarios, showed small but positive trends between pre- and post-project solutions in more than half of the response categories. Methodological difficulties relating to evaluating such a project are discussed.

Primary School Teachers' Inspection in Turkey: Primary School Teachers' Expectations about Inspectors' Guidance Roles and the Realisation Level of These Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polat, Soner; Ugurlu, Celal Teyyar

2008-01-01

The aim of this research is to point out primary school teachers' expectations about inspectors' guidance roles and the realisation level of these expectations. The data used in this research that will be done in descriptive scanning model is collected from the views of primary school teachers selected randomly from Balikesir, Batman and Hatay.…

Improving the primary school science learning unit about force and motion through lesson study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phaikhumnam, Wuttichai; Yuenyong, Chokchai

2018-01-01

The study aimed to develop primary school science lesson plan based on inquiry cycle (5Es) through lesson study. The study focused on the development of 4 primary school science lesson plans of force and motion for Grade 3 students in KKU Demonstration Primary School (Suksasart), first semester of 2015 academic year. The methodology is mixed method. The Inthaprasitha (2010) lesson study cycle was implemented in group of KKU Demonstration Primary School. Instruments of reflection of lesson plan developing included participant observation, meeting and reflection report, lesson plan and other document. The instruments of examining students' learning include classroom observation and achievement test. Data was categorized from these instruments to find the issues of changing and improving the good lesson plan of Thai primary school science learning. The findings revealed that teachers could develop the lesson plans through lesson study. The issues of changing and improving were disused by considering on engaging students related to societal issues, students' prior knowledge, scientific concepts for primary school students, and what they learned from their changing. It indicated that the Lesson Study allowed primary school science teachers to share ideas and develop ideas to improve the lesson. The study may have implications for Thai science teacher education through Lesson Study.

Strengthening Collaborative Leadership for Thai Primary School Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samriangjit, Prapaporn; Tesaputa, Kowat; Somprach, Kanokorn

2016-01-01

The objectives of this research were: 1) to investigate the elements and indicators of collaborative leadership of primary school administrators, 2) to explore the existing situation and required situation of collaborative leadership of primary school administrators, 3) to develop a program to enhance collaborative leadership of primary school…

[What Can We Learn from the English Primary Schools? Questions and Answers from My Fulbright Administrative Exchange.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firlik, Russell J.

This paper discusses the primary education system in England as a whole and the operation of primary schools in Leicestershire in particular. It also contains questions and answers concerning English primary education. The paper describes the organization, funding, and administration of English primary schools, which provide the first 6 years of…

Primary school compliance with school canteen guidelines in Fiji and its association with student obesity

PubMed Central

Bullen, C.; Tayler-Smith, K.; Van Den Bergh, R.; Khogali, M.

2013-01-01

Setting: Childhood obesity is of growing public health concern in Fiji. The study setting was primary schools in Fiji’s Western Division. Objective: 1) To assess primary schools’ compliance with national school canteen guidelines, 2) to understand reasons for non-compliance, and 3) to assess the relationship between compliance with the guidelines and students’ body mass index (BMI). Design: Cross-sectional analysis of data collected in 2010 by public health dieticians of the Ministry of Health on annual visits to primary schools. Results: Among 230 schools, 33 (14%) had no canteen data. Of the 197 schools with data, only 31 (16%) were fully compliant with national school canteen guidelines, while the remaining 166 (84%) did not fully comply with the guidelines. This was irrespective of school location or whether the canteen was school or commercially operated. In a random sample (n = 44 schools), overweight and obesity were more common among children in non-compliant schools than in fully compliant schools (40% vs. 32%, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Most primary schools in Fiji’s Western Division did not comply with school canteen guidelines, which is worrying given the increasing rates of overweight children. Given the association between non-compliance and student overweight/obesity, further action is needed to ensure that these guidelines are implemented. PMID:26393002

Girls' Drop-Out from Primary Schooling in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and Alternatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehrah, Golnar

The present situation in the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) regarding primary school drop-out and repetition, with special reference to the situation of the girl child, is examined in this study. The in-school as well as out-of-school causes of primary school drop-out are examined, and solutions that help reduce or eliminate the…

The Effects of Teacher Certification and Experience on Student Achievement on Primary School Examination in Belizean Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Carmen Jane

2012-01-01

The Ministry of Education has the largest portion of the national budget of 21% in Belize. Related studies in the region and around the world reveals that rural schools are not provided with highly qualified teachers. Likewise, multi-grade schools in the region and in Belize repeatedly perform lower on the Primary School Examination than their…

The Effects of School-Based Maum Meditation Program on the Self-Esteem and School Adjustment in Primary School Students

PubMed Central

Yoo, Yang Gyeong; Lee, In Soo

2013-01-01

Self-esteem and school adjustment of children in the lower grades of primary school, the beginning stage of school life, have a close relationship with development of personality, mental health and characters of children. Therefore, the present study aimed to verify the effect of school-based Maum Meditation program on children in the lower grades of primary school, as a personality education program. The result showed that the experimental group with application of Maum Meditation program had significant improvements in self-esteem and school adjustment, compared to the control group without the application. In conclusion, since the study provides significant evidence that the intervention of Maum Meditation program had positive effects on self-esteem and school adjustment of children in the early stage of primary school, it is suggested to actively employ Maum Meditation as a school-based meditation program for mental health promotion of children in the early school ages, the stage of formation of personalities and habits. PMID:23777717

Effect of an environmental school-based obesity prevention program on changes in body fat and body weight: a randomized trial.

PubMed

Williamson, Donald A; Champagne, Catherine M; Harsha, David W; Han, Hongmei; Martin, Corby K; Newton, Robert L; Sothern, Melinda S; Stewart, Tiffany M; Webber, Larry S; Ryan, Donna H

2012-08-01

This study tested the efficacy of two school-based programs for prevention of body weight/fat gain in comparison to a control group, in all participants and in overweight children. The Louisiana (LA) Health study utilized a longitudinal, cluster randomized three-arm controlled design, with 28 months of follow-up. Children (N = 2,060; mean age = 10.5 years, SD = 1.2) from rural communities in grades 4-6 participated in the study. Seventeen school clusters (mean = 123 children/cluster) were randomly assigned to one of three prevention arms: (i) primary prevention (PP), an environmental modification (EM) program, (ii) primary + secondary prevention (PP+SP), the environmental program with an added classroom and internet education component, or (iii) control (C). Primary outcomes were changes in percent body fat and BMI z scores. Secondary outcomes were changes in behaviors related to energy balance. Comparisons of PP, PP+SP, and C on changes in body fat and BMI z scores found no differences. PP and PP+SP study arms were combined to create an EM arm. Relative to C, EM decreased body fat for boys (-1.7 ± 0.38% vs. -0.14 ± 0.69%) and attenuated fat gain for girls (2.9 ± 0.22% vs. 3.93 ± 0.37%), but standardized effect sizes were relatively small (<0.30). In conclusion, this school-based EM programs had modest beneficial effects on changes in percent body fat. Addition of a classroom/internet program to the environmental program did not enhance weight/fat gain prevention, but did impact physical activity and social support in overweight children.

Effect of an Environmental School-based Obesity Prevention Program On Changes in Body Fat and Body Weight: A Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Williamson, D.A.; Champagne, C.M.; Harsha, D.; Han, H.; Martin, C.K.; Newton, R.L.; Sothern, M.; Stewart, T.M.; Webber, L.S.; Ryan, D.

2012-01-01

This study tested the efficacy of two school-based programs for prevention of body weight/fat gain in comparison to a control group, in all participants and in overweight children. The Louisiana (LA) Health study utilized a longitudinal, cluster randomized 3-arm controlled design, with 28 months of follow-up. Children (N=2060; M age = 10.5 years, SD = 1.2) from rural communities in Grades 4 to 6 participated in the study. 17 school clusters (M = 123 children/cluster) were randomly assigned to one of three prevention arms: 1) Primary Prevention (PP), an environmental modification program, 2) Primary + Secondary Prevention (PP+SP), the environmental program with an added classroom and internet education component, or 3) Control (C). Primary outcomes were changes in percent body fat and body mass index z scores. Secondary outcomes were changes in behaviors related to energy balance. Comparisons of PP, PP+SP, and C on changes in body fat and BMI z scores found no differences. PP and PP+SP study arms were combined to create an environmental modification arm (EM). Relative to C, EM decreased body fat for boys (−1.7% ± 0.38% versus −0.14% ± 0.69%) and attenuated fat gain for girls (2.9% ± 0.22% versus 3.93% ± 0.37%), but standardized effect sizes were relatively small (< 0.30). In conclusion, this school-based environmental modification programs had modest beneficial effects on changes in percent body fat. Addition of a classroom/internet program to the environmental program did not enhance weight/fat gain prevention, but did impact physical activity and social support in overweight children. PMID:22402733

The Complexities of Operating Multiple Small Schools in a High School Conversion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallach, Catherine A.

2010-01-01

School reformers hope that converting comprehensive high schools into collections of small schools will produce results similar to those realized in freestanding small schools. Three themes--personalization, professional community, and shared decision making--exemplify the early successes in conversions. But the challenge of sustaining these gains…

Going Small: Progress & Challenges of Philadelphia's Small High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartmann, Tracey; Reumann-Moore, Rebecca; Evans, Shani Adia; Haxton, Clarisse; Maluk, Holly; Neild, Ruth Curran

2009-01-01

Between 2003 and 2007, and without significant outside funding, the School District of Philadelphia created 25 new small high schools. This study, begun by Research for Action in 2006, follows the start-up and early implementation of these small high schools in Philadelphia. The study found that parents and students are interested in small high…

Creating New Small Schools for Urban Youth: Understanding Early Design Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cade, Vilicia

2010-01-01

Discussions about the ways of improving high schools have frequently considered school size and many "new" schools reduce the size to personalize the school experience and produce more positive student outcomes. Interest in designing new small schools has increased. Embedded in many of the small school design initiatives is the belief that new…

Primary Schools and the Delivery of Relationships and Sexuality Education: The Experience of Queensland Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Rebecca L.; Sendall, Marguerite C.; McCuaig, Louise A.

2014-01-01

Primary school provides an appropriate opportunity for children to commence comprehensive relationships and sexuality education (RSE), yet many primary school teachers avoid teaching this subject area. In the absence of teacher confidence and competence, schools have often relied on health promotion professionals, external agencies and/or one-off…

Primary School Leadership Practice: How the Subject Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spillane, James P.

2005-01-01

Teaching is a critical consideration in investigations of primary school leadership and not just as an outcome variable. Factoring in instruction as an explanatory variable in scholarship on school leadership involves moving away from views of teaching as a monolithic or unitary practice. When it comes to leadership in primary schools, the subject…

Perspectives on English Teacher Development in Rural Primary Schools in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ping, Wang

2013-01-01

Questionnaires are used to examine Chinese rural primary school English teachers' needs and challenges and perceptions in the implementation of Standards for Teachers of English in Primary Schools as professional development in rural school contexts in China. A total of 300 teachers participated in the research. Their feedback illustrates that…

Music without a Music Specialist: A Primary School Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Vries, Peter A.

2015-01-01

This case study focuses on generalist primary (elementary) school teachers teaching music in an Australian school. With the onus for teaching music moving away from the specialist music teacher to the generalist classroom teacher, this case study adds to a growing body of literature focusing on generalist primary school teachers and music…

Development of Program to Enhance Team Building Leadership Skills of Primary School Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sairam, Boonchauy; Sirisuthi, Chaiyuth; Wisetrinthong, Kanjana

2017-01-01

Team building leadership skills are important to understandings of how the primary school administrators might work towards creating more effective teamwork in the school. This research aimed 1) to study the components of team building leadership skills needed for primary school administrators, 2) to examine the current states and desirable…

Melinda: De Facto Primary School Music Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Vries, Peter

2013-01-01

A series of reviews dating back to the 1960s and a body of research literature points to the inadequate delivery of music education by generalist primary school teachers in Australian schools. Despite recommendations for specialist music teachers to teach music in all Australian primary schools to counter this ongoing trend, such an approach has…

The Effects of Servant Leadership on Teachers' Organizational Commitment in Primary Schools in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cerit, Yusuf

2010-01-01

This study examines the effects of servant leadership behaviours of primary school principals on teachers' school commitment. The research data were collected from 563 teachers working in primary schools in Duzce. Servant leadership behaviours of principals were measured with a servent organizational leadership assessment scale, and the teachers'…

The Changing Roles of Science Specialists during a Capacity Building Program for Primary School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herbert, Sandra; Xu, Lihua; Kelly, Leissa

2017-01-01

Science education starts at primary school. Yet, recent research shows primary school teachers lack confidence and competence in teaching science (Prinsley & Johnston, 2015). A Victorian state government science specialist initiative responded to this concern by providing professional learning programs to schools across Victoria. Drawing on…

Does Small High School Reform Lift Urban Districts? Evidence from New York City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stiefel, Leanna; Schwartz, Amy Ellen; Wiswall, Matthew

2015-01-01

Research finds that small high schools deliver better outcomes than large high schools for urban students. An important outstanding question is whether this better performance is gained at the expense of losses elsewhere: Does small school reform lift the whole district? We explore New York City's small high school reform in which hundreds of new…

UPGRADING ISOLATED SMALL SCHOOL PROGRAMS, THE WESTERN STATES SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GANN, ELBIE L.

THE HISTORY OF SMALL SCHOOLS REVEALS THAT EVEN AFTER MASSIVE REDISTRICTING IN THE 1950'S THERE WERE OVER 5000 SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES WHICH COULD NOT BE REDISTRICTED. MOST OF THESE SCHOOLS WERE FINANCIALLY UNABLE TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO THEIR PROGRAMS, AND AS A RESULT MANY BECAME INVOLVED IN PROJECTS (10 ARE DESCRIBED HERE) WHICH…

Changing Teaching and Learning in the Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Rosemary, Ed.

2006-01-01

In this topical book, leading academics in primary education evaluate New Labour's Education policy. They draw on the findings of the latest research to discuss the impact of policies on primary school practice and on the views and experiences of primary school teachers and pupils. Current issues and initiatives are analyzed to identify the extent…

Reflective Teaching Practices in Turkish Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tok, Sukran; Dolapcioglu, Sevda Dogan

2013-01-01

The objective of the study is to explore the prevalence of reflective teaching practices among Turkish primary school teachers. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used together in the study. The sample was composed of 328 primary school teachers working in 30 primary education institutions in the town of Antakya in the province of…

Prospective Primary School Teachers' Misconceptions about States of Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatar, Erdal

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify prospective primary school teachers' misconceptions about the states of matter. The sample of the study was 227 fourth-year prospective primary school teachers in a Department of Primary Education in Turkey. Researcher asked from every participant to write a response to an open ended question about…

A Survey of Rural Primary School Music Education in Northeastern China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Zuodong; Leung, Bo Wah

2014-01-01

China has been instituting national basic education curriculum reforms since 2001. This study provides an updated understanding of present-day, rural primary school music education in Northeastern China's Tonghua region. A total of 126 rural primary music teachers and 674 students from 28 primary schools in the region were surveyed using a…

INNOVATIONS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL IMPROVEMENT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CUSHMAN, M.L.; STURGES, A.W.

THE CATSKILL AREA PROJECT IN SMALL SCHOOL DESIGN, THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN AREA PROJECT FOR SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS, THE WESTERN STATES SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECT, AND THE TEXAS SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECT ARE DESCRIBED AND COMPARED. FINANCIAL SUPPORT COMPARISONS ARE MADE. METHODS OF IMPROVING INSTRUCTION ARE DIVIDED INTO TEACHER-CENTERED AND ADMINISTRATOR-CENTERED…

The causal effect of increased primary schooling on child mortality in Malawi: Universal primary education as a natural experiment.

PubMed

Makate, Marshall; Makate, Clifton

2016-11-01

The primary objective of this analysis is to investigate the causal effect of mother's schooling on under-five health - and the passageways through which schooling propagates - by exploiting the exogenous variability in schooling prompted by the 1994 universal primary schooling program in Malawi. This education policy, which saw the elimination of tuition fees across all primary schooling grades, creates an ideal setting for observing the causal influence of improved primary school enrollment on the under-five fatality rates of the subsequent generation. Our analysis uses data from three waves of the nationally representative Malawi Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 2000, 2004/05, and 2010. To address the potential endogeneity of schooling, we employ the mother's age at implementation of the tuition-free primary school policy in 1994 as an instrumental variable for the prospect of finishing primary level instruction. The results suggest that spending one year in school translated to a 3.22 percentage point reduction in mortality for infants and a 6.48 percent reduction for children under age five years. For mothers younger than 19 years, mortality was reduced by 5.95 percentage points. These figures remained approximately the same even after adjusting for potential confounders. However, we failed to find any statistically meaningful effect of the mother's education on neonatal survival. The juvenile fatality estimates we find are weakly robust to several robustness checks. We also explored the potential mechanisms by which increased maternal schooling might help enhance child survival. The findings indicated that an added year of motherly learning considerably improves the prospect of prenatal care use, literacy levels, father's educational level, and alters fertility behavior. Our results suggest that increasing the primary schooling prospects for young women might help reduce under-five mortality in less-industrialized regions experiencing high under-five fatalities such as in sub-Saharan Africa. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Population-based Study Evaluating the Association between Surgery in Early Life and Child Development at Primary School Entry.

PubMed

O'Leary, James D; Janus, Magdalena; Duku, Eric; Wijeysundera, Duminda N; To, Teresa; Li, Ping; Maynes, Jason T; Crawford, Mark W

2016-08-01

It is unclear whether exposure to surgery in early life has long-term adverse effects on child development. The authors aimed to investigate whether surgery in early childhood is associated with adverse effects on child development measured at primary school entry. The authors conducted a population-based cohort study in Ontario, Canada, by linking provincial health administrative databases to children's developmental outcomes measured by the Early Development Instrument (EDI). From a cohort of 188,557 children, 28,366 children who underwent surgery before EDI completion (age 5 to 6 yr) were matched to 55,910 unexposed children. The primary outcome was early developmental vulnerability, defined as any domain of the EDI in the lowest tenth percentile of the population. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age at first surgery (less than 2 and greater than or equal to 2 yr) and frequency of surgery. Early developmental vulnerability was increased in the exposed group (7,259/28,366; 25.6%) compared with the unexposed group (13,957/55,910; 25.0%), adjusted odds ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.08. Children aged greater than or equal to 2 yr at the time of first surgery had increased odds of early developmental vulnerability compared with unexposed children (odds ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.10), but children aged less than 2 yr at the time of first exposure were not at increased risk (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.10). There was no increase in odds of early developmental vulnerability with increasing frequency of exposure. Children who undergo surgery before primary school age are at increased risk of early developmental vulnerability, but the magnitude of the difference between exposed and unexposed children is small.

Leadership for Primary Schools: An Examination of Innovation within an Austrian Educational Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heißenberger, Petra

2016-01-01

This study examined relationships between the work of innovative school principals and innovative primary schools determined by defining eight areas of school leadership: Instructional Development, Classroom Management, School Organization, Social Interaction, Personnel Development, Cooperation, Infrastructure and School Marketing. A questionnaire…

School Based Factors Affecting Learning of Kenyan Sign Language in Primary Schools for Hearing Impaired in Embu and Isiolo Counties, Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rwaimba, Samuel Muthomi

2016-01-01

This was a descriptive survey study design which sought to establish the school based factors that affect the learning of Kenyan Sign Language in primary schools for learners with hearing impairment in Embu and Isiolo counties in Kenya. The target population was all teachers teaching in primary schools for learners with hearing impairment in the…

Primary school teacher as a primary health care worker.

PubMed

Nayar, S; Singh, D; Rao, N P; Choudhury, D R

1990-01-01

School children (1608) were examined for three items (nails, scalp hairs and teeth) relating to personal hygiene and relevant infective conditions from two sets of villages i.e. one set where primary school teacher was working as primary health care worker (Group I) and the other set where Community Health Volunteer (CHV) was delivering primary health care (Group II). The objective was to evaluate the efficiency of school teachers' role vis-a-vis CHVs' in imparting health education to school children. Out of 1608 school children, 801 belonged to Group I villages and the remaining 807 to Group II villages. From the results, it was evident that children of Group I villages were better with respect to all the items related to personal hygiene and infective conditions excepting scalp infections, where difference was not statistically significant, indicating teachers' superiority over the CHVs' in imparting health education to school children.

Instructional Implications for Small Schools: A Review of the Literature. Administrative Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raze, Nasus

Drawing on information from 15 sources, this literature review discusses advantages/disadvantages of small schools and summarizes practices for both rural and urban small schools to follow to maintain educational quality despite dwindling enrollments and resources. Small school disadvantages in the areas of staff, instructional program, and…

Examining School Culture in Flemish and Chinese Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhu, Chang; Devos, Geert; Tondeur, Jo

2014-01-01

The aim of this research is to gain understanding about school culture characteristics of primary schools in the Flemish and Chinese context. The study was carried out in Flanders (Belgium) and China, involving a total of 44 Flemish schools and 40 Chinese schools. The School Culture Scales were used to measure five school culture dimensions with…

Cooperative Learning in Science: Follow-up from primary to high school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thurston, Allen; Topping, Keith J.; Tolmie, Andrew; Christie, Donald; Karagiannidou, Eleni; Murray, Pauline

2010-03-01

This paper reports a two-year longitudinal study of the effects of cooperative learning on science attainment, attitudes towards science, and social connectedness during transition from primary to high school. A previous project on cooperative learning in primary schools observed gains in science understanding and in social aspects of school life. This project followed 204 children involved in the previous project and 440 comparison children who were not as they undertook transition from 24 primary schools to 16 high schools. Cognitive, affective, and social gains observed in the original project survived transition. The implications improving the effectiveness of school transition by using cooperative learning initiatives are explored. Possibilities for future research and the implications for practice and policy are discussed.

An Inside Look at School Reform: What We Have Learned about Assessing Student Learning in a Nongraded Primary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Tracey E.; Baker, Scott

This paper provides background information on school reform and describes efforts to implement an assessment system for students with disabilities in 12 nongraded primary classrooms. Background information briefly covers the school restructuring movement, the history of nongraded primary education, alternative assessment strategies which focus on…

Socio-Economic Factors Affecting Parents' Involvement in Homework: Practices and Perceptions from Eight Johannesburg Public Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ndebele, Misheck

2015-01-01

This paper examines socio-economic factors influencing parental involvement in homework at the Foundation Phase in eight Johannesburg public primary schools. The research was conducted among over 600 parents from schools in different geographical and socio-economic areas such as the inner city, suburban and township. Two primary schools were…

Mathematics Performance and Principal Effectiveness: A Case Study of Some Coastal Primary Schools in Sri Lanka

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egodawatte, Gunawardena

2012-01-01

This mixed method research study is situated in the school effectiveness research paradigm to examine the correlation between the effectiveness of urban, primary school principals and their students' performance in mathematics. Nine, urban, primary schools from Negombo, a coastal fishing area in Sri Lanka, were selected; their student achievements…

Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of a National Primary School HIV Intervention in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maticka-Tyndale, Eleanor; Wildish, Janet; Gichuru, Mary

2007-01-01

This study examined the impact of a primary-school HIV education initiative on the knowledge, self-efficacy and sexual and condom use activities of upper primary-school pupils in Kenya. A quasi-experimental mixed qualitative-quantitative pre- and 18-month post-design using 40 intervention and 40 matched control schools demonstrated significant…

Analysing the Correlations between Primary School Teachers' Teaching Styles and Their Critical Thinking Disposition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sen, Özgür

2018-01-01

This study aims to analyse the correlations between teaching styles primary school teachers prefer to use and their critical thinking disposition. The research was conducted with the participation of 380 primary school teachers teaching in schools located in Ankara. The study employs relational survey model. In this study "Teaching Styles…

Primary School Teachers' Views on Intergenerational Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polat, Soner; Kazak, Ender

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the views of primary school teachers on intergenerational learning (IGL). The study group consists of eight primary schools in the central district of Düzce during the 2013-2014 academic year and 13 teachers who teach in these schools. Participants were selected among teachers working in Düzce's city…

Developing and Implementing a Mobile Conservation Education Unit for Rural Primary School Children in Lao PDR

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansel, Troy; Phimmavong, Somvang; Phengsopha, Kaisone; Phompila, Chitana; Homduangpachan, Khiaosaphan

2010-01-01

In this article, the authors examine the implementation and success of a mobile conservation education unit targeting primary schools in central Lao PDR (People's Democratic Republic). The mobile unit conducted 3-hour interactive programs for school children focused on the importance of wildlife and biodiversity around the primary schools in rural…

Positioning the School in the Landscape: Exploring Black History with a Regional Australian Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeegers, Margaret

2011-01-01

This paper deals with a project establishing an Indigenous Australian artists-in-residence program at a regional Australian primary school to foreground its Black History. Primary school students worked with Indigenous Australian story tellers, artists, dancers and musicians to explore ways in which they could examine print and non-print texts for…

Trigger Happy: The Troubling Trend of Primary School Closures in Glasgow City Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koch, Joshua F.

2010-01-01

This paper examines the continuing trend of school closures in Glasgow, Scotland. Particular attention will be paid to Stonedyke Primary School, which Glasgow City Council was proposing to close at the time of this research. Current statistical data and research is used to better examine the current crisis Stonedyke Primary faces. Furthermore,…

Effects of Continuing Professional Development on Group Work Practices in Scottish Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurston, A.; Christie, D.; Howe, C. J.; Tolmie, A.; Topping, K. J.

2008-01-01

The present study investigated the effects of a continuing professional development (CPD) initiative that provided collaborative group work skills training for primary school teachers. The study collected data from 24 primary school classrooms in different schools in a variety of urban and rural settings. The sample was composed of 332 pupils,…

Analyzing the Learning Styles of Pre-Service Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özdemir, Muhammet; Kaptan, Fitnat

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research is to analyze the learning styles of pre-service primary school teachers by various variables. The universe of the research is composed of 2136 pre-service primary school teachers study in freshman (first year) and senior (fourth year) classes of Faculty of Education School Teaching department in Gazi University,…

The Effects of Servant Leadership Behaviours of School Principals on Teachers' Job Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cerit, Yusuf

2009-01-01

This article examines the effects of servant leadership behaviours of primary school principals on teacher job satisfaction. The population of this study is 29 primary schools in Duzce, Turkey. Data were collected from 595 teachers working in primary schools in Duzce province of Turkey. Servant leadership behaviours of principals were determined…

Children's Experiences of the First Year of Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Einarsdottir, Johanna

2010-01-01

This article describes a study with first grade children and their views on the primary school curriculum, as well as their influence on decision-making in school. The study was conducted with 20 six- and seven-year-old children in one primary school in Reykjavik, Iceland. The data gathered includes varied research methods such as group…

Tipping Points: Teachers' Reported Reasons for Referring Primary School Children for Excessive Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinchliffe, Kaitlin J.; Campbell, Marilyn A.

2016-01-01

The current study explored the reasons that primary school teachers reported were tipping points for them in deciding whether or not and when to refer a child to the school student support team for excessive anxiety. Twenty teachers in two Queensland primary schools were interviewed. Content analysis of interview transcripts revealed six themes…

Narrative Skills and Genre Knowledge: Ways of Telling in the Primary School Grades.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hicks, Deborah

1990-01-01

Primary school children, after viewing a silent film, were asked to narrate a segment of the film and recount its events both as a news story and as an embellished story. The results indicate that primary school children have only nascent ability to apply genre knowledge to school language tasks. (55 references) (Author/JL)

Perceptions of Learning: Interviews with First and Second Graders in a Hungarian Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habók, Anita; Babarczy, Anna

2018-01-01

The paper discusses children' attitudes towards school and learning soon after entering primary school in Hungary. First and second grade primary school students (N = 33) were interviewed. The interviews explored the following questions: What are the teachers' and the children's roles in the classroom? What is learning? Where do children learn?…

Changes in physical activity during the transition from primary to secondary school in Belgian children: what is the role of the school environment?

PubMed

De Meester, Femke; Van Dyck, Delfien; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deforche, Benedicte; Cardon, Greet

2014-03-19

Key life periods have been associated with changes in physical activity (PA). This study investigated (1) how PA changes when primary school children transfer to secondary school, (2) if school environmental characteristics differ between primary and secondary schools and (3) if changes in school environmental characteristics can predict changes in PA in Belgian schoolchildren. Moderating effects of gender and the baseline level of PA were investigated for the first and third research question. In total, 736 children (10-13 years) of the last year of primary school participated in the first phase of this longitudinal study. Two years later, 502 of these children (68.2%) agreed to participate in the second phase. Accelerometers, pedometers and the Flemish Physical Activity Questionnaire were used to measure PA. School environmental characteristics were reported by the school principals. Cross-classified regression models were conducted to analyze the data. Self-reported active transport to school and accelerometer weekday moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) increased after the transition to secondary school while self-reported extracurricular PA and total PA decreased. Pedometer weekday step counts decreased, but this decrease was only apparent among those who achieved the PA guidelines in primary school.Secondary schools scored higher on the school environmental characteristics: provision of sports and PA during lunch break, active schoolyards and playgrounds and health education policy but lower on sports and PA after-school than primary schools. Changes in the school environmental characteristics: active commuting to school, active schoolyards and playgrounds and health education policy resulted in changes in self-reported extracurricular PA, total PA , pedometer/accelerometer determined step counts and accelerometer determined MVPA. Moderating effects were found for baseline PA and gender. PA changed after the transition to secondary school. In general, secondary schools seem more likely to foster strategies to promote PA during school hours than primary schools who seem more likely to foster strategies to promote PA after school. Changes in school environmental characteristics may contribute to changes in PA. Thus, if confirmed in future studies, efforts are needed to implement these components in schools as early as possible to positively affect the change in PA.

Patterns in Student Perceptions of Start-Up and Conversion Small High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldman, Jay; O'Dwyer, Anne

2010-01-01

Schools created as part of the small schools movement have been in operation for almost a decade, allowing identification of patterns in their growth. This study examines 4 years of survey data on 12 start-up and 13 conversion small high schools. Start-up small schools, almost all of which began with one grade level and grew by one grade per year,…

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…

Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Headley, Clea; Campbell, Marilyn A.

2013-01-01

This study examined primary school teachers' knowledge of anxiety and excessive anxiety symptoms in children. Three hundred and fifteen primary school teachers completed a questionnaire exploring their definitions of anxiety and the indications they associated with excessive anxiety in primary school children. Results showed that teachers had an…

A cluster randomized controlled trial of the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) curriculum.

PubMed

Humphrey, Neil; Barlow, Alexandra; Wigelsworth, Michael; Lendrum, Ann; Pert, Kirsty; Joyce, Craig; Stephens, Emma; Wo, Lawrence; Squires, Garry; Woods, Kevin; Calam, Rachel; Turner, Alex

2016-10-01

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated the efficacy of the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies curriculum (PATHS; Kusche & Greenberg, 1994) as a means to improve children's social-emotional competence (assessed via the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS); Gresham & Elliot, 2008) and mental health outcomes (assessed via the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ); Goodman, 1997). Forty-five schools in Greater Manchester, England, were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Allocation was balanced by proportions of children eligible for free school meals and speaking English as an additional language via minimization. Children (N=4516) aged 7-9years at baseline in the participating schools were the target cohort. During the two-year trial period, teachers of this cohort in schools allocated to the intervention group delivered the PATHS curriculum, while their counterparts in the control group continued their usual provision. Teachers in PATHS schools received initial training and on-going support and assistance from trained coaches. Hierarchical linear modeling of outcome data was undertaken to identify both primary (e.g., for all children) and secondary (e.g., for children classified as "at-risk") intervention effects. A primary effect of the PATHS curriculum was found, demonstrating increases in teacher ratings of changes in children's social-emotional competence. Additionally, secondary effects of PATHS were identified, showing reductions in teacher ratings of emotional symptoms and increases in pro-social behavior and child ratings of engagement among children identified as at-risk at baseline. However, our analyses also identified primary effects favoring the usual provision group, showing reductions in teacher ratings of peer problems and emotional symptoms, and secondary effects demonstrating reductions in teacher ratings of conduct problems and child ratings of co-operation among at-risk children. Effect sizes were small in all cases. These mixed findings suggest that social and emotional learning interventions such as PATHS may not be as efficacious when implemented outside their country of origin and evaluated in independent trials. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does Teaching English in Saudi Primary Schools Affect Students' Academic Achievement in Arabic Subjects?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aljohani, Othman

2016-01-01

The global trend of introducing second language learning, namely, English, in primary schools is increasing. In Saudi Arabia, where English has never been taught in primary schools, the government to implement English as a second language at the primary level in 2005; however, this generated controversy. Opposition to the learning of English has…

Who Drops out from Primary Schools in China? Evidence from Minority-Concentrated Rural Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Meichen; Cui, Manlin; Shi, Yaojiang; Chang, Fang; Mo, Di; Rozelle, Scott; Johnson, Natalie

2016-01-01

One of the Millennium Development Goals is to ensure universal access to primary education by 2015. However, primary school dropout remains a challenge in many developing countries. While official statistics in China report aggregated primary school dropout of only 0.2%, almost no independent, survey-based studies have sought to verify these…

Norovirus prevention and the prevalence of asymptomatic norovirus infection in kindergartens and primary schools in Changzhou, China: Status of the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and requirements.

PubMed

Qi, Rui; Ye, Chao; Chen, Cong; Yao, Ping; Hu, Feifei; Lin, Qin

2015-08-01

We estimated the status of norovirus infection and prevention in kindergartens and primary schools and identified poor areas for which future education is needed. We evaluated the knowledge, attitude, behavior, requirements of outbreak prevention, and rate of asymptomatic carriers. Two self-administered questionnaires were conducted for data collection. Five hundred seventy-four teachers from kindergartens and primary schools and 3,114 students from primary schools in Changzhou city were sampled for questionnaire investigation. In addition, 511 rectal swabs from healthy children were taken for norovirus detection. Twenty-one of 511 children were asymptomatically infected with norovirus. The rate of asymptomatic norovirus infection children in kindergartens was 2.7% and 4.7% in primary schools. Nineteen of 21 positive samples were GII strains, the other 2 were GI strains. In addition, we found that primary schools were less prepared to prevent norovirus outbreaks than kindergartens. Settings in the suburban counties needed more education on norovirus prevention. The results of this study emphasize the need for training of primary schools and suburban schools about norovirus prevention. Asymptomatic norovirus infection should receive more attention. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hilton College Farm School, Natal, South Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beveridge, Sue

1989-01-01

The Hilton College Farm School is a primary school providing for the educational needs of children in a rural area of Natal, South Africa. Described are the school's historical development, funding sources, staffing, and development of an affiliated pre-primary school. (JDD)

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Relevance Strategic Designs: 6. Perspectives Charter School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Small High Schools on a Larger Scale: The Impact of School Conversions in Chicago

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahne, Joseph E.; Sporte, Susan E.; de la Torre, Marisa; Easton, John Q.

2008-01-01

This study examines 4 years of small school reform in Chicago, focusing on schools formed by converting large traditional high schools into small autonomous ones. Analyzing systemwide survey and outcome data, the authors assess the assumptions embedded in the reform's theory of change. They find that these schools are characterized by more…

Rich Schools, Poor Schools. Hidden Resource Inequalities between Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poesen-Vandeputte, Mayke; Nicaise, Ides

2015-01-01

Background: There has been relatively little analysis of school context including a large number of elements from the broader social, political and economic influences. However, primary schools in Flanders (Belgium) are supposed to consider their school context when implementing the Flemish policy on equal opportunities in education. Purpose: In…

Autonomy and job satisfaction for a sample of Greek teachers.

PubMed

Koustelios, Athanasios D; Karabatzaki, Despina; Kousteliou, Ioanna

2004-12-01

Analysing the relation between Job Satisfaction and Autonomy in a sample of 300 Greek teachers (114 men and 186 women, 28 to 59 years old) from primary and secondary schools, showed statistically significant positive correlations between Job Satisfaction and Autonomy. Particularly, Autonomy was correlated with Job Itself (.21), Supervision (.22), and the Organizational as a Whole (.27), aspects of Job Satisfaction. Findings are in line with previous studies conducted in different cultural contexts. Percent common variance accounted for is small.

Four Considerations Regarding the Viability of Small Rural Schools in New Zealand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, Ken

1993-01-01

Reviews a New Zealand report titled, "Report of the Economic and Educational Viability of Small Schools Review." Discusses the four aspects of small schools considered in the report: (1) educational viability; (2) economic viability; (3) relationships of small schools with their communities; and (4) conflict between availability and…

The Strathclyde Evaluation of Children's Active Travel (SE-CAT): study rationale and methods.

PubMed

McMinn, David; Rowe, David A; Murtagh, Shemane; Nelson, Norah M

2011-12-30

The school commute is a prime opportunity to increase children's physical activity levels. However, active commuting has decreased over the past 40 years. Strategies that increase walking to school are therefore needed. Travelling Green (TG) is a school-based active travel resource aimed at increasing children's walking to school. The resource consists of a curriculum-based program of lessons and goal setting activities. A previous study found that children who received the TG intervention increased self-reported distance travelled to school by active modes and reduced the distance travelled by inactive modes. This study was limited by self-reported outcome measures, a small sample, and no follow-up measures. A more robust evaluation of TG is required to address these limitations. This paper describes the rationale and methods for such an evaluation of Travelling Green, and describes the piloting of various active commuting measures in primary school children. Measures of active commuting were piloted in a sample of 26 children (aged 8-9 years) over one school week. These measures were subsequently used in an 18-month quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effect of TG on commuting behaviour. Participants were 166 children (60% male) aged 8-9 years from 5 primary schools. Two schools (n = 79 children) received TG in September/October 2009. Three schools (n = 87 children) acted as a comparison group, and subsequently received TG at a later date. Physical activity was measured using Actigraph GT1M accelerometers. Personal and environmental determinants of active commuting were measured via parent and child questionnaires, as were factors related to the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the construct of habit. Measures were taken pre- and post-intervention and at 5 and 12 months follow-up. The piloted protocol was practical and feasible and piloted measures were reliable and valid. All study data, including 5 and 12 month follow-up, have been collected and processed. Data analysis is ongoing. Results will indicate whether TG successfully increases active commuting in a sample of Scottish school children and will inform future efforts in school active travel promotion.

The Strathclyde Evaluation of Children's Active Travel (SE-CAT): study rationale and methods

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The school commute is a prime opportunity to increase children's physical activity levels. However, active commuting has decreased over the past 40 years. Strategies that increase walking to school are therefore needed. Travelling Green (TG) is a school-based active travel resource aimed at increasing children's walking to school. The resource consists of a curriculum-based program of lessons and goal setting activities. A previous study found that children who received the TG intervention increased self-reported distance travelled to school by active modes and reduced the distance travelled by inactive modes. This study was limited by self-reported outcome measures, a small sample, and no follow-up measures. A more robust evaluation of TG is required to address these limitations. This paper describes the rationale and methods for such an evaluation of Travelling Green, and describes the piloting of various active commuting measures in primary school children. Methods/Design Measures of active commuting were piloted in a sample of 26 children (aged 8-9 years) over one school week. These measures were subsequently used in an 18-month quasi-experimental design to evaluate the effect of TG on commuting behaviour. Participants were 166 children (60% male) aged 8-9 years from 5 primary schools. Two schools (n = 79 children) received TG in September/October 2009. Three schools (n = 87 children) acted as a comparison group, and subsequently received TG at a later date. Physical activity was measured using Actigraph GT1M accelerometers. Personal and environmental determinants of active commuting were measured via parent and child questionnaires, as were factors related to the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the construct of habit. Measures were taken pre- and post-intervention and at 5 and 12 months follow-up. Discussion The piloted protocol was practical and feasible and piloted measures were reliable and valid. All study data, including 5 and 12 month follow-up, have been collected and processed. Data analysis is ongoing. Results will indicate whether TG successfully increases active commuting in a sample of Scottish school children and will inform future efforts in school active travel promotion. PMID:22208498

[Analysis on absentees due to injury during 2012-2013 school year from 32 primary schools in Hubei province].

PubMed

Tan, Li; Yan, Weirong; Wang, Ying; Fan, Yunzhou; Jiang, Hongbo; Yang, Wenwen; Nie, Shaofa

2014-09-01

To analyze absentees due to injury among primary school pupils in Hubei, 2012-2013; and to provide theoretical basis for the prevention and control of injuries. A total of 32 primary schools in Qianjiang city and Shayang county were sampled to conduct injury absenteeism surveillance, and the total number of students was 21 493. The surveillance contents included absent dates, genders, grades, initial or return absent, and the detailed absent reasons. The classification of injury was based on the 10th Revision of the international classification of diseases developed by WHO. Data from 2012-2013 school-year were extracted from the surveillance system for analysis. The total surveillance period was 182 days, of which the fall semester was 98 days and the spring semester was 84 days. The absenteeism rate and injury rate in different characteristics of primary school students were compared by χ² test, and the possible risk factors of injury were preliminary explored by calculating the RR (95% CI) value. The total daily injury absenteeism rate was 8.26/100 100 during 2012-2013 school-year in 32 primary schools in Hubei province, which was higher in fall semester (9.16/100 000), Qianjiang area (9.63/100 000), rural primary schools (13.44/100 000), boys (9.57/100 000), 1-2 grades (10.41/100 000), and the differences were significant (P < 0.05). The total injury rate was 0.46%. Rural primary schools (RR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.46-3.70), boys (RR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.23-2.87), and 3-4 grades (RR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.10-3.09) were identified as high-risk factors, while using city primary schools, girls, and 5-6 grades as references, respectively. The injury absenteeism rate and injury rate were more higher in rural primary schools, boys and low or middle grades in Hubei province during 2012 to 2013 school year, so monitoring and preventive measures should be focused on those students.

A Research Report of Small High Schools in the United States in Regards to Curricular Offerings, Micro-Computer Usage, and Correspondence Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Bruce O.; Petersen, Paul D.

Using a questionnaire, researchers surveyed 319 public high schools, each with fewer than 500 students, in 46 states to determine the extent and use of microcomputers in small high schools, to assess the use and users of correspondence courses in small schools, to identify the most frequently offered courses in small high school curricula, and to…

Small Schools, Big Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halsey, R. John

2011-01-01

Historically, small schools have played a very important role in the provision of schooling in Australia. Numerically, using an enrollment of 200 or less, small schools represent approximately 45% of the schools in Australia. Population growth and the consequences of this, in particular for food production, water and energy, mean that the…

Are Small Schools and Private Schools Better for Adolescents' Emotional Adjustment?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watt, Toni Terling

2003-01-01

Uses National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health 1994 to determine whether adolescents benefit from small and/or private schools. Examines depression, suicide and violent dispositions. Refutes claims that students attending these schools are more emotionally adjusted. Discovers these small and/or private schools may actually be detrimental to…

Shared Services: Opportunities for Small Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark County School District, Las Vegas, NV.

An approach used in the Virgin Valley High School, a small, rural school in Mesquite, Nevada, in finding the solution to shortages of personnel created by involvement in educational changes is discussed. Shared services in a small school are described with relationship to school personnel, community personnel, and other governmental agencies. The…

Health, safety and environment conditions in primary schools of Northern Iran.

PubMed

Behzadkolaee, Seyed Mohammad Asadi; Mirmohammadi, Seyed Taghi; Yazdani, Jamshid; Gorji, Ali Morad Heidari; Toosi, Ameneh; Rokni, Mohammad; Gorji, Mohammad Ali Heidari

2015-01-01

People spend a considerable part of their childhood time in the schools, a phase that coincides with their physical and mental growth. A healthy educational environment is vital to student's health and wellbeing. This study is a descriptive study conducted in 100 primary schools (both state and nonprofit schools) from Sari's Districts 1 and 2 in Iran. Sampling was performed by census and data were collected using the standard questionnaire by direct interview. Data were analyzed by Excel and SPSS software (Version 20.0. IBM Corp, Armonk), NY: IBM Corp using independent numerical T2 testing. Significant relationship was observed between the kind of schools (P = 0.045) and their locations (P = 0.024), however the health, safety and environment (HSE) ratings among boys only versus girls only schools were similar (P = 0.159). Interestingly private and nongovernment schools and primary schools from Sari's districts one had consistently higher HSE ratings. The differential and higher HSE ratings in primary schools run by Private organizations and primary schools from Sari's districts one could be due to manager's awareness and implementation of recommended HSE standards, schools neglecting and overlooking these standards had lower HSE ratings. It is necessary that schools with lower HSE ratings are made aware of the guidelines and necessary infrastructures allocated to improve their HSE ratings.

Active travel and physical activity across the school transition: the PEACH project.

PubMed

Cooper, Ashley R; Jago, Russell; Southward, Elissa F; Page, Angie S

2012-10-01

Physical activity in youth decreases with age, with the transition from primary to secondary school being a key period for change. Active travel to school has been associated with higher physical activity in youth compared with those who travel by car. This study investigated whether change in travel mode to/from school was associated with change in physical activity among young people transitioning from primary to secondary school. One thousand three hundred and seven final year UK primary school children (11.0 ± 0.4 yr) were recruited, of whom 953 (72.9%) were followed-up 1 yr later in their first year of secondary school. Physical activity was measured by accelerometer, and travel mode to/from school was self-reported. Change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) associated with change in travel mode between primary and secondary school was measured in 500 children who provided valid accelerometer data and used a consistent travel mode to/from school at each time point. Total MVPA was slightly higher in secondary school than primary school (60.6 ± 21.6 vs. 63.1 ± 23.6 min, respectively, P = 0.017). Daily MVPA increased by 11.4% in children who walked both to primary and secondary school (63.4 ± 22.0 vs. 70.6 ± 23.0 min, P < 0.001). In those who changed from walking to car travel, MVPA decreased by 15.5% (62.5 ± 22.0 vs. 52.8 ± 21.5 min, P = 0.003), whereas adoption of bus travel was associated with smaller reductions. A change from car travel to walking was associated with 16.1% more daily MVPA (50.1 ± 14.3 vs. 58.2 ± 20.6 min, P = 0.038). Change from active to passive transportation to school may contribute to the decline in physical activity seen between primary and secondary school.

Long-Term Effects of Primary Schools on Mathematics Achievement of Students at Age 17

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanwynsberghe, Griet; Vanlaar, Gudrun; Van Damme, Jan; De Fraine, Bieke

2017-01-01

In the field of educational effectiveness research, school effects are generally studied in the short term (i.e. during the same phase of schooling). The aim of this study is to investigate long-term primary school effects on students' achievement in mathematics at the end of secondary education. We also investigate which primary school…

The Effective Management of Primary Schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria: An Analytical Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adeyemi, T. O.

2009-01-01

This study investigated the management of education in primary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. As a correlational research, the study population comprised all the 694 primary schools in the State. Out of this, a sample of 320 schools was selected through the stratified random sampling technique. Two instruments were used to collect data for the…

Changes in Student Populations and Average Test Scores of Dutch Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luyten, Hans; de Wolf, Inge

2011-01-01

This article focuses on the relation between student population characteristics and average test scores per school in the final grade of primary education from a dynamic perspective. Aggregated data of over 5,000 Dutch primary schools covering a 6-year period were used to study the relation between changes in school populations and shifts in mean…

A Multidimensional Approach to Determinants of Computer Use in Primary Education: Teacher and School Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tondeur, J.; Valcke, M.; van Braak, J.

2008-01-01

The central aim of this study was to test a model that integrates determinants of educational computer use. In particular, the article examines teacher and school characteristics that are associated with different types of computer use by primary school teachers. A survey was set up, involving 527 teachers from 68 primary schools in Flanders. A…

Communication Strategies in Primary Schools in Botswana: Interventions Using Cooks, Teacher Aides and Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mokibelo, Eureka B.

2016-01-01

This paper examines the micro planning activities that schools engage in to address learners' needs to make education work in rural primary schools of Botswana. The national language plan prescribes the use of English and Setswana only as languages of instruction at the primary school level. However, this plan is not practical in some regions…

Developments in Motivation and Achievement during Primary School: A Longitudinal Study on Group-Specific Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hornstra, Lisette; van der Veen, Ineke; Peetsma, Thea; Volman, Monique

2013-01-01

To gain insight in developmental trajectories of motivation during upper primary school, the present study focused on how different aspects of students' motivation, i.e., task-orientation, self-efficacy, and school investment develop from grade three to six of primary school and how these developments differ for boys and girls, and students with…

Influence of Leadership Styles on Teachers' Job Satisfaction: A Case of Selected Primary Schools in Songea and Morogoro Districts, Tanzania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machumu, Haruni J.; Kaitila, Mafwimbo M.

2014-01-01

This study reports on the kind of school leadership style that best suits for promoting teachers' job satisfaction in primary schools in Tanzania. The study employed cross sectional research design with samples of 200 teachers from 20 selected primary schools in Songea and Morogoro districts. Interviews, documentary analysis and questionnaires…

Improving Achievement in Science in Primary and Secondary Schools. Improving Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, 2005

2005-01-01

This report is based on inspections of science in primary and secondary schools carried out between September 2000 and March 2004. In addition to schools inspected as part of the generational cycle, HMI also visited other primary and secondary schools to observe and describe aspects of best practice. The report also draws on other major sources of…

The Effect of Organizational Trust on the Culture of Teacher Leadership in Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demir, Kamile

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of the level of trust of primary school teachers towards their organization in relation to their perceptions of the school having a culture of teacher leadership. Participants of the study consisted of 378 teachers working in Burdur public primary schools. The data collection tool used two…

The psychosocial impact of NHS Digital Badges on a school-aged cohort.

PubMed

Alexander, Joanne H; Neill, Sarah

2018-01-01

Goal-oriented modalities of learning have long been used in educational settings to promote engagement and encourage a step-by-step approach to the acquisition of skills and knowledge. Historically, badges have been material, but in keeping with technological advancements there is a move towards encouraging greater digital engagement. Digital badges are today's version of the Scouts and Guides badge, a virtual non-material version, increasingly being utilized as a pedagogical resource in education and business settings. In 2015, National Health Service (NHS) England developed and launched its own digital badges aimed at supporting children and young people's education of health and well-being. This article presents findings from the first study to explore the psychosocial impact of NHS Digital Badges as perceived by primary school-aged children and their teachers. We conducted a small-scale evaluation involving children aged 8-10 ( n = 57) and their teachers ( n = 2), from a primary academy (school) in the north of England using NHS Digital Badges in their curriculum. Overwhelmingly, children and teachers reflected on the badges positively, as tools that have the capacity to build perseverance, develop emotional awareness, build relationships and enhance skill and knowledge acquisition. Some participants, though, raised vulnerability and safeguarding issues, and we explore the implications of these for future practice.

Role of school teachers in identifying attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among primary school children in Mansoura, Egypt.

PubMed

Awadalla, N J; Ali, O F; Elshaer, S; Eissa, M

2016-11-02

There is a knowledge gap in primary school teachers that affects their ability to detect attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study measured primary school teachers' knowledge about ADHD, and implemented a training programme to improve early detection of ADHD. The prevalence and risk factors of ADHD were also studied. The training programme was implemented through a 2-day workshop for 39 primary school teachers who completed a validated Arabic version of the ADHD Rating Scale for 873 primary school children. The children's parents completed the questionnaire to explore ADHD risk factors. The teachers' pre-training knowledge scores of ADHD ranged from 17.9 to 46.2%. Post-training, their scores improved significantly to 69.2-94.9%. Prevalence rate of ADHD was 12.60%. On logistic regression, independent predictors of ADHD were female gender, unemployed fathers and rural residence. In conclusion, ADHD is a significant health problem among primary school children in Mansoura, Egypt. Efforts should be made to improve teachers' knowledge about ADHD and control modifiable risk factors.

New Horizons for Primary Schools in Jamaica: Inputs, Outcomes and Impact. Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lockheed, Marlaine; Harris, Abigail; Gammill, Paul; Barrow, Karima; Jayasundera, Tamara

2006-01-01

The New Horizons for Primary Schools (NHP) was implemented in 72 government schools in Jamaica, from 1998-2005. The program provided support to schools on the basis of needs identified through the preparation of a School Development Plan (also called a School Improvement Plan). This independent evaluation report first compares the schools in the…

Changing from primary to secondary school highlights opportunities for school environment interventions aiming to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour: a longitudinal cohort study.

PubMed

Marks, Jennifer; Barnett, Lisa M; Strugnell, Claudia; Allender, Steven

2015-05-08

There is little empirical evidence of the impact of transition from primary to secondary school on obesity-related risk behaviour. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a change of school system on physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour in pre-early adolescents. Fifteen schools in Victoria, Australia were recruited at random from the bottom two strata of a five level socio-economic scale. In nine schools, students in year 6 primary school transitioned to a different school for year 7 secondary school, while in six schools (combined primary-secondary), students remained in the same school environment from year 6 to year 7. Time 1 (T1) measures were collected from students (N=245) in year 6 (age 11-13). Time 2 (T2) data were collected from 243 (99%) of the original student cohort when in year 7. PA and sedentary behaviour data were collected objectively (via ActiGraph accelerometer) and subjectively (via child self-report recall questionnaire). School environment data were collected via school staff survey. Change of behaviour analyses were conducted longitudinally i) for all students and ii) by change/no change of school. Mixed model regression analysis tested for behavioural interaction effects of changing/not changing school. Sixty-three percent (N=152) changed schools from T1 to T2. Across all students we observed declines in average daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (-4 min) and light PA (-23 min), and increases in average daily sedentary behaviour (16 min), weekday leisure screen time (17 min) and weekday homework screen time (25 min), all P<0.05. Compared to students who remained in the same school environment, students who changed school reported a greater reduction in PA intensity at recess and lunch, less likelihood to cycle to/from school, greater increase in weekday (41 mins) and weekend (45 mins) leisure screen time (P<0.05) and greater encouragement to participate in sport. School staff surveys identified that sport participation encouragement was greater in primary and combined primary-secondary than secondary schools (P<0.05). Transitioning from primary to secondary school negatively impacts on children's PA and sedentary behaviour, and has further compounding effects on behaviour type by changing school environments.

Tackling Behaviour in Your Primary School: A Practical Handbook for Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Ken; Morgan, Nicola S.

2012-01-01

"Tackling Behaviour in the Primary School" provides ready-made advice and support for classroom professionals and can be used, read and adapted to suit the busy everyday lives of teachers working in primary schools today. This valuable text sets the scene for managing behaviour in the primary classroom in the context of the Children Act 2004…

Primary School Teacher Perceived Self-Efficacy to Teach Fundamental Motor Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callea, Micarle B.; Spittle, Michael; O'Meara, James; Casey, Meghan

2008-01-01

Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) are a part of the school curricula, yet many Australian primary-age children are not mastering FMS. One reason may be a lack of perceived self-efficacy of primary teachers to teach FMS. This study investigated the level of perceived self-efficacy of primary school teachers to teach FMS in Victoria, Australia. A…

Learning about What Constitutes Effective Training from a Pilot Programme to Improve Music Education in Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Lynne; Hallam, Susan; Creech, Andrea; Preti, Costanza

2008-01-01

The new primary strategy in England has raised the profile of foundation subjects, including music, yet many primary school teachers lack skills and confidence in their ability to teach music. This research explores a year-long programme of training across 16 primary schools in England that sought to improve music education. The programme involved…

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Core Academic Strategic Designs: 2. Noble Street Charter High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Relevance Strategic Designs: 8. High Tech High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Personalization Strategic Designs: 9. MetWest High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Core Academic Strategic Designs: 3. University Park Campus School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Characteristics of competence and civic education materials curriculum in primary school in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmanto; Listyaningsih; Wijaya, R.

2018-01-01

Civic education is a compulsory subject within the structure of the primary school curriculum, junior high, and high schools in Indonesia. This study aimed to analyze the characteristic of the subject matter and competence of civic education in primary schools in Indonesia. The approach used in this study is a qualitative research. The results showed that the subjects of civic education at Indonesia serves as education, legal, political and educational value. Civic education as an education program in primary schools as a primary vehicle and have the essence of a democratic education carried out in order to achieve competency in the civic aspects of Intelligence, civic responsibility, and civic participation. Core competencies in civic education in primary school psychological-pedagogical competence of learners to integrate fully and coherently with the planting, development, and strengthening moral values of Pancasila; values and norms of the Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia 1945; values and the spirit of unity in diversity; as well as the insight and commitment of the Republic of Indonesia.

Remedial after-school support classes offered in rural Gambia (The SCORE trial): study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Boone, Peter; Camara, Alpha; Eble, Alex; Elbourne, Diana; Fernandes, Samory; Frost, Chris; Jayanty, Chitra; Lenin, Maitri; Silva, Ana Filipa

2015-12-16

Low education levels are endemic in much of the developing world, particularly in rural areas where traditional government-provided public services often have difficulty reaching beneficiaries. Providing trained para-teachers to teach regular after-school remedial education classes has been shown to improve literacy and numeracy in children of primary school age residing in such areas in India. This trial investigates whether such an intervention can also be effective in a West African setting with similarly low learning levels and difficult geographic access. cluster-randomized controlled trial. Clusters: villages or groups of villages with 15-300 households and at least 15 eligible children in the Lower River and North Bank Regions of The Gambia. children born between 1 September 2007 and 31 August 2009 planning to enter the first grade, for the first time, in the 2015-2016 school year in eligible villages. We anticipate enrolling approximately 150 clusters of villages with approximately 6000 children as participants. a program providing remedial after-school lessons, focusing on literacy and numeracy, 5 to 6 days a week for 3 years to eligible children, based on the intervention evaluated in the Support To Rural India's Public Education System (STRIPES) trial (PLoS ONE 8(7):e65775). both the intervention and control groups will receive small bundles of useful materials during annual data collection as recompense for their time. If the education intervention is shown to be cost-effective at raising learning levels, it is expected that the control group villages will receive the intervention for several years after the trial results are available. the primary outcome of the trial is a composite mathematics and language test score. Secondary outcomes include school attendance, enrollment, performance on nationally administered exams, parents' spending on education, spillover learning to siblings and family members, and school-related time use of parents and children. Subgroup analyses of the primary outcome will also be carried out based on ethnic group, gender, distance from the main highway, parents' education level, and school type. The trial will run by independent research and implementation teams and supervised by a Trial Steering Committee. Along with the overall impact of the intervention, we will conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis. There are no major ethical issues for this study. Current controlled trials ISRCTN12500245 . 1 May 2015.

The transmissibility estimation of influenza with early stage data of small-scale outbreaks in Changsha, China, 2005-2013.

PubMed

Chen, T M; Chen, Q P; Liu, R C; Szot, A; Chen, S L; Zhao, J; Zhou, S S

2017-02-01

Hundreds of small-scale influenza outbreaks in schools are reported in mainland China every year, leading to a heavy disease burden which seriously impacts the operation of affected schools. Knowing the transmissibility of each outbreak in the early stage has become a major concern for public health policy-makers and primary healthcare providers. In this study, we collected all the small-scale outbreaks in Changsha (a large city in south central China with ~7·04 million population) from January 2005 to December 2013. Four simple and popularly used models were employed to calculate the reproduction number (R) of these outbreaks. Given that the duration of a generation interval Tc = 2·7 and the standard deviation (s.d.) σ = 1·1, the mean R estimated by an epidemic model, normal distribution and delta distribution were 2·51 (s.d. = 0·73), 4·11 (s.d. = 2·20) and 5·88 (s.d. = 5·00), respectively. When Tc = 2·9 and σ = 1·4, the mean R estimated by the three models were 2·62 (s.d. = 0·78), 4·72 (s.d. = 2·82) and 6·86 (s.d. = 6·34), respectively. The mean R estimated by gamma distribution was 4·32 (s.d. = 2·47). We found that the values of R in small-scale outbreaks in schools were higher than in large-scale outbreaks in a neighbourhood, city or province. Normal distribution, delta distribution, and gamma distribution models seem to more easily overestimate the R of influenza outbreaks compared to the epidemic model.

A tuberculin skin test survey among Ghanaian school children.

PubMed

Addo, Kennedy Kwasi; van den Hof, Susan; Mensah, Gloria Ivy; Hesse, Adukwei; Bonsu, Christian; Koram, Kwadwo Ansah; Afutu, Felix Kwami; Bonsu, Frank Adae

2010-01-26

Ghana has not conducted a national tuberculin survey or tuberculosis prevalence survey since the establishment of the National Tuberculosis Control Programme. The primary objective of this study was therefore to determine the prevalence of tuberculin skin sensitivity in Ghanaian school children aged 6-10 years in 8 out of 10 regions of Ghana between 2004 and 2006. Tuberculin survey was conducted in 179 primary schools from 21 districts in 8 regions. Schools were purposively selected so as to reflect the proportion of affluent private and free tuition public schools as well as the proportion of small and large schools. Of the 24,778 children registered for the survey, 23,600 (95.2%) were tested of which 21,861 (92.6%) were available for reading. The age distribution showed an increase in numbers of children towards older age: 11% of the children were 6 years and 25%, 10 years. Females were 52.5% and males 47.5%. The proportion of girls was higher in all age groups (range 51.4% to 54.0%, p < 0.001). BCG scar was visible in 89.3% of the children. The percentage of children with a BCG scar differed by district and by age. The percentage of children with a BCG scar decreased with increasing age in all districts, reflecting increasing BCG vaccination coverage in Ghana in the last ten years. The risk of tuberculosis infection was low in the northern savannah zones compared to the southern coastal zones. Using a cut-off of 15 mm, the prevalence of infection ranged from 0.0% to 5.4% and the Annual Risks of Tuberculosis Infection 0.0% to 0.6%. There was an increase in the proportion of infected children after the age of 7 years. Children attending low and middle-class schools had a higher risk of infection than children attending upper-class schools. Tuberculosis infection is still a public health problem in Ghana and to monitor the trend, the survey needs to be repeated at 5 years interval.

New Small Autonomous Schools District Policy. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oakland Unified School District, CA.

Inspired by the gains in student achievement realized by the small schools movement in New York City, the Oakland Unified School District (California) has proposed creating a network of 10 new, small autonomous (NSA) schools over the next 3 years. School size will range between 250 and 500 students, depending on grade level. "Autonomous"…

Evidence that Smaller Schools Do Not Improve Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wainer, Howard; Zwerling, Harris L.

2006-01-01

If more small schools than "expected" are among the high achievers, then creating more small schools would raise achievement across the board, many proponents of small schools have argued. In this article, the authors challenge the faulty logic of such inferences. Many claims have been made about the advantages of smaller schools. One is…

Resourcing Change in Small Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Michelle; White, Simone

2011-01-01

The theme of this article is the challenge that school leaders face in creating the conditions for learning in small schools. We draw on the concepts of "social capital" and "social entrepreneurship" to identify tensions and possibilities for school leaders in a case study of a small rural school as they seek to find resources…

The Small Schools Movement: Implications for Health Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cleary, Michael; English, Gary

2005-01-01

Approximately 70% of American high schools enroll 1000 or more students each, while almost one half of high schools enroll more than 1500 students each. A growing booty of evidence, however, is showing that small schools, especially small secondary schools, result in positive benefits for students, families, and communities that go beyond letter…

The Implementation of Schools' Policy in the Development of the Local Content Curriculum in Primary Schools in Pacitan, Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryono

2016-01-01

This study aims to describe the culture and local potential in Pacitan, East Java, as well as the implementation of local content in primary schools in the area, and some factors that support and hinder their implementation. This research is a qualitative case study. There were five primary schools used as samples obtained through purposive…

Did the Vikings Really Have Helmets with Horns? Sources and Narrative Content in Swedish Upper Primary School History Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stolare, Martin

2017-01-01

The topic of this article is history education in upper primary school. Traditionally, the history subject has had a narrative orientation at this school level in Sweden, but it is also pattern that is discernible internationally. The recent Swedish upper primary school syllabus places more emphasis on the procedural aspects of the subject. In…

The Effect of Free Primary Education Policy on Late School Entry in Urban Primary Schools in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngware, Moses W.; Oketch, Moses; Ezeh, Alex C.; Mutisya, Maurice

2013-01-01

Late school entry is driven by several factors, one of the key ones being the cost barrier to schooling. Policies such as free primary education (FPE) that advocate for universal coverage are therefore partly aimed at removing the cost barrier. The Kenyan Government, like many in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), introduced FPE in 2003 with the aim of…

Exploring the Mediating Effects of Trust on Principal Leadership and Teacher Professional Learning in Hong Kong Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Lijuan; Hallinger, Philip; Walker, Allan

2016-01-01

This study attempted to identify effects of trust between principal leadership and teacher professional learning in Hong Kong primary schools. To verify the potential mediating effects of trust as a component of school capacity, survey data with a sample of 970 teachers from 32 local primary schools was used. Two questionnaires were combined to…

Reducing Physical Violence Toward Primary School Students With Disabilities.

PubMed

Devries, Karen; Kuper, Hannah; Knight, Louise; Allen, Elizabeth; Kyegombe, Nambusi; Banks, Lena Morgon; Kelly, Susan; Naker, Dipak

2018-03-01

We tested whether the Good School Toolkit reduces physical violence from peers and school staff toward students with and without disabilities in Ugandan primary schools. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial, with data collected via cross-sectional surveys in 2012 and 2014. Forty-two primary schools in Luwero District, Uganda, were randomly assigned to receive the Good School Toolkit for 18 months, or to a waitlisted control group. The primary outcome was past week physical violence from school staff, measured by primary 5, 6, and 7 students' (aged 11-14 years) self-reports using the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Child Abuse Screening Tool-Child Institutional. Disability was assessed through the six Short Set Washington Group questions on functioning. Analyses were by intention to treat. At endline, 53% of control group students with no functional difficulties reported violence from peers or school staff, versus 84% of students with a disability. Prevalence of past week physical violence from school staff was lower in intervention schools than in the control schools after the intervention, in students with no functional difficulties (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = .41, 95% confidence interval [CI .26-.65]), students with some functional difficulties (aOR = .36, 95% CI .21-.63), and students with disabilities (aOR = .29, 95% CI .14-.59). The intervention also reduced violence from peers in young adolescents, with no evidence of a difference in effect by disability status. The Good School Toolkit is an effective intervention to reduce violence perpetrated by peers and school staff against young adolescents with disabilities in Ugandan primary schools. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Indoor air quality in primary schools in Kecioren, Ankara.

PubMed

Babayiğit, Mustafa Alparslan; Bakir, Bilal; Tekbaş, Omer Faruk; Oğur, Recai; Kiliç, Abdullah; Ulus, Serdar

2014-01-01

To increase the awareness of environmental risk factors by determining the indoor air quality status of primary schools. Indoor air quality parameters in 172 classrooms of 31 primary schools in Kecioren, Ankara, were examined for the purpose of assessing the levels of air pollutants (CO, CO2, SO2, NO2, and formaldehyde) within primary schools. Schools near heavy traffic had a statistically significant mean average of CO and SO2 (P < 0.05). The classrooms that had more than 35 students had higher and statistically significant averages of CO2, SO2, NO2, and formaldehyde compared to classrooms that had fewer than 35 students (P < 0.05). Of all classrooms, 29% had 100 CFU/100 mL and higher concentrations of microorganisms, which were not pathogens. Indoor air quality management should continually be maintained in primary schools for the prevention and control of acute and chronic diseases, particularly considering biological and chemical pollution.

Conflicts in Schools, Conflict Management Styles and the Role of the School Leader: A Study of Greek Primary School Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saiti, Anna

2015-01-01

Conflict may occur in any organization (and hence school) and, for schools, conflict management style is a joint activity and the degree of its effectiveness determines the type of impact of conflict on school performance. This empirical study investigates the potential sources of conflict in Greek primary schools, determine appropriate approaches…

Effects of family-togetherness on the food selection by primary and junior high school students: family-togetherness means better food.

PubMed

Kusano-Tsunoh, A; Nakatsuka, H; Satoh, H; Shimizu, H; Sato, S; Ito, I; Fukao, A; Hisamichi, S

2001-06-01

To see how different foods were selected depending on family-togetherness at breakfast and dinner, we investigated the meals of eight thousand primary and four thousand junior high school students by questionnaire. About 70% of primary school children but less than 50% of junior high school children ate breakfast with their family. The food, eaten by children who ate meals together with their family, took more time for cooking and was more traditional with rice as the staple. Food eaten by children who did not eat with their family lacked both preparation time and staple base. Family-togetherness affects the foods of primary school children more than those of junior high school students.

Evaluation of compliance with the self-regulation agreement of the food and drink vending machine sector in primary schools in Madrid, Spain, in 2008.

PubMed

Royo-Bordonada, Miguel A; Martínez-Huedo, María A

2014-01-01

To evaluate compliance with the self-regulation agreement of the food and drink vending machine sector in primary schools in Madrid, Spain. Cross-sectional study of the prevalence of vending machines in 558 primary schools in 2008. Using the directory of all registered primary schools in Madrid, we identified the presence of machines by telephone interviews and evaluated compliance with the agreement by visiting the schools and assessing accessibility, type of publicity, the products offered and knowledge of the agreement. The prevalence of schools with vending machines was 5.8%. None of the schools reported knowledge of the agreement or of its nutritional guidelines, and most machines were accessible to primary school pupils (79.3%) and packed with high-calorie, low-nutrient-dense foods (58.6%). Compliance with the self-regulation agreement of the vending machines sector was low. Stricter regulation should receive priority in the battle against the obesity epidemic. Copyright © 2013 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Factors Causing Poor Passing Rates and High Dropout Rates among Primary School Girls in Malawi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mzuza, Maureen Kapute; Yudong, Yang; Kapute, Fanuel

2014-01-01

Factors that cause poor examination passing rates and high dropout rates among primary school girls in Malawi were analysed. First hand data was collected by conducting a survey in all the three regions of Malawi. The respondents to the questionnaire were girls (402) who are repeating the last class in primary schools (Standard 8), primary school…

The Impact of the Advent of English in Primary Schools on the Development of College English in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Jun; Dai, Zhongxin

2011-01-01

This article discusses the impact of the advent of primary English on the development of College English in China. The advent of English in primary schools as a teaching subject has brought about a downward shift of focus of the English education system in China. Basic English education will be accomplished in primary and secondary schools. The…

School and University Partnerships: The Role of Teacher Education Institutions and Primary Schools in the Development of Preservice Teachers' Science Teaching Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Jacinta E.; Treagust, David F.

2014-01-01

Science in the Australian primary school context is in a state of renewal with the recent implementation of the Australian Curriculum: Science. Despite this curriculum renewal, the results of primary students in science have remained static. Science in Australia has been identified as one of the least taught subjects in the primary school…

"It's Better to Learn about Your Health and Things That Are Going to Happen to You than Learning Things That You Just Do at School": Findings from a Mapping Study of PSHE Education in Primary Schools in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Formby, Eleanor

2011-01-01

This article reports on recent findings from a mapping study of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education in schools in England, focusing on the data derived from primary school participants. It is based on a nationally representative survey of 923 primary school PSHE education leads, and follow-up in-depth interviews and discussion…

[At what age can children perform effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation? - Effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills among primary school children].

PubMed

Bánfai, Bálint; Pandur, Attila; Pék, Emese; Csonka, Henrietta; Betlehem, József

2017-01-01

In cardiac arrest life can be saved by bystanders. Our aim was to determine at what age can schoolchildren perform correct cardiopulmonary resuscitation. 164 schoolchildren (age 7-14) were involved in the study. A basic life support training consisted of 45 minutes education in small groups (8-10 children). They were tested during a 2-minute-long continuous cardiopulmonary resuscitation scenario using the "AMBU CPR Software". Average depth of chest compression was 44.07 ± 12.6 mm. 43.9% of participants were able to do effective chest compressions. Average ventilation volume was 0.17 ± 0.31 liter. 12.8% of participants were able to ventilate effectively the patient. It was significant correlation between the chest compression depth (p<0.001) and ventilation (p<0.001) and the children's age, weight, height and BMI. Primary school children are able to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The ability to do effective chest compressions and ventilation depended on the children's physical capability. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(4), 147-152.

The effectiveness of school-based sex education programs in the promotion of abstinent behavior: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Silva, Mónica

2002-08-01

This review presents the findings from controlled school-based sex education interventions published in the last 15 years in the US. The effects of the interventions in promoting abstinent behavior reported in 12 controlled studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the analysis indicated a very small overall effect of the interventions in abstinent behavior. Moderator analysis could only be pursued partially because of limited information in primary research studies. Parental participation in the program, age of the participants, virgin-status of the sample, grade level, percentage of females, scope of the implementation and year of publication of the study were associated with variations in effect sizes for abstinent behavior in univariate tests. However, only parental participation and percentage of females were significant in the weighted least-squares regression analysis. The richness of a meta-analytic approach appears limited by the quality of the primary research. Unfortunately, most of the research does not employ designs to provide conclusive evidence of program effects. Suggestions to address this limitation are provided.

Age Effects on Cerebral Oxygenation and Behavior in Children with Sleep-disordered Breathing.

PubMed

Tamanyan, Knarik; Walter, Lisa M; Weichard, Aidan; Davey, Margot J; Nixon, Gillian M; Biggs, Sarah N; Horne, Rosemary S C

2018-06-01

Childhood sleep-disordered breathing ranges in severity from primary snoring to obstructive sleep apnea and is associated with behavioral and neurocognitive deficits. It remains unknown why children with primary snoring, who do not experience peripheral oxygen desaturation or sleep fragmentation, experience similar daytime deficits as those with obstructive sleep apnea or why effects are age-dependent. To examine cerebral tissue oxygenation and oxygen extraction as an explanation for daytime deficits in children with primary snoring. Children referred for suspected sleep-disordered breathing and nonsnoring control subjects underwent overnight polysomnography with near-infrared spectroscopy. Children were categorized into 3- to 6-year (n = 87) and 7- to 12-year (n = 72) old groups, and according to the obstructive apnea-hypopnea index into primary snoring (≤1 event/h), mild (>1-5 events/h), and moderate/severe obstructive sleep apnea (>5 events/h). Cognitive and behavioral performance were assessed. In the 3- to 6-year group, there were no differences in cerebral oxygenation or oxygen extraction between severity groups. In the 7- to 12-year group, cerebral oxygenation was significantly lower, although these differences were small, in control subjects versus primary snoring during quiet wakefulness before sleep onset, N1, and REM. Oxygen extraction was significantly higher in control subjects versus primary snoring during N1 sleep, with no differences between primary snoring and obstructive sleep apnea groups. Cerebral oxygenation was not associated with cognitive performance in either age group or behavior in the 3- to 6-year group; however, it was associated with behavior in the school-aged children. Children with sleep-disordered breathing are able to maintain cerebral oxygenation, and the small changes observed are not related to cognitive deficits. However, in older children these differences were related to behavioral measures.

Children's Behavioral Adjustment in Pre-Primary Schools in Tanzania: A Multilevel Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shavega, Theresia J.; Brugman, Daniel; van Tuijl, Cathy

2014-01-01

Research Findings: The present study concerns children's behavioral adjustment in the context of pre-primary schools in Tanzania. Twenty teachers and 320 children from 20 pre-primary schools participated in the study. Teacher-child relationships, children's behavioral adjustment, and teachers' cultural beliefs were reported by teachers; classroom…

Do Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in Primary School Predict Adolescent Victimisation Trajectories?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lester, Leanne; Cross, Donna

2014-01-01

Chronic victimisation in adolescence is a traumatic experience with potential negative long-term health consequences. Given that victimisation has been shown to increase over the transition from primary to secondary school, longitudinal data from 1810 students transitioning from primary to secondary school were used to identify victimisation…

Primary School Teacher Candidates' Geometric Habits of Mind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Köse, Nilu¨fer Y.; Tanisli, Dilek

2014-01-01

Geometric habits of mind are productive ways of thinking that support learning and using geometric concepts. Identifying primary school teacher candidates' geometric habits of mind is important as they affect the development of their future students' geometric thinking. Therefore, this study attempts to determine primary school teachers' geometric…

Science and Technology Teachers' Views of Primary School Science and Technology Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz-Duban, Nil

2013-01-01

This phenomenographic study attempts to explicit science and technology teachers' views of primary school science and technology curriculum. Participants of the study were selected through opportunistic sampling and consisted of 30 science and technology teachers teaching in primary schools in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. Data were collected through an…

Job Satisfaction of Catholic Primary School Staff: A Study of Biographical Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Nobile, John J.; McCormick, John

2008-01-01

Purpose: This study's purpose is to examine the relationships between the biographical characteristics gender, age, years of experience and employment position, and job satisfaction of staff members in Catholic primary schools. Design/methodology/approach: Survey data were collected from 356 staff members from Catholic primary schools. Research…

Hope or Despair? Learning in Pakistan's Primary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warwick, Donald P.; Reimers, Fernando

This book reports on the research findings of the Pakistan Study, a collaboration between the Harvard Institute for International Development and other organizations in Pakistan. The focus is primarily on what affects student learning in Pakistan's government-sponsored primary schools. Chapter 1 discusses primary schools in Pakistan and the…

Strengthening the Creative Transformational Leadership of Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kallapadee, Yadapak; Tesaputa, Kowat; Somprach, Kanokorn

2017-01-01

This research and development aimed to: 1) study the components and indicators of creative transformational leadership of primary school teachers; 2) study the existing situation, and the desirable situation of creative transformational leadership of primary school teachers in the northeastern region of Thailand; 3) develop a program to strengthen…

Developing Primary Leadership in England: Adopting an Interpretivist Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Wei; Brundrett, Mark

2011-01-01

This paper aims to investigate the perceptions of primary school leaders about the efficacy of the National College programmes. The findings from six contextually different primary schools reveal that the programmes were perceived to have exerted the least influence on school leaders' personality change and pupil outcomes because many generalised…

Problem Solving Strategies among Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yew, Wun Thiam; Lian, Lim Hooi; Meng, Chew Cheng

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article was to examine problem solving strategies among primary school teachers. The researchers employed survey research design to examine their problem solving strategies. The participants of this study consisted of 120 primary school teachers from a public university in Peninsula Malaysia who enrolled in a 4-year Graduating…

Pre-Service Primary School Teachers' Logical Reasoning Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchis, Iuliana

2013-01-01

Logical reasoning skills are important for a successful mathematical learning and in students' future career. These skills are essential for a primary school teacher, because they need to explain solving methods and solutions to their pupils. In this research we studied pre-service primary school teachers' logical reasoning skills. The results…

Primary Teacher Identity, Commitment and Career in Performative School Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troman, Geoff

2008-01-01

The research reported here maps changes in primary teachers' identity, commitment and perspectives and subjective experiences of occupational career in the context of performative primary school cultures. The research aimed to provide in-depth knowledge of performative school culture and teachers' subjective experiences in their work of teaching.…

Case Study on Quality Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habib, Zahida

2011-01-01

Quality of Education, especially at Primary level, is an important issue to be discussed at the International Forum. This study highlights the quality of primary education through a comparison of the quality of Community Model Schools and Govt. Girls Primary Schools in Pakistan. Community Model Schools were established under Girls Primary…

The Development of Visionary Leadership Administrators in Thai Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yordsala, Suwit; Tesaputa, Kowat; Sri-Ampai, Anan

2014-01-01

This research aimed: 1) to investigate the current situations and needs in developing visionary leadership of Thai primary school administrators; 2) to develop visionary leadership development program of Thai primary school administrators, and; 3) to evaluate the implementation of the developed program of administrators visionary leadership…

The effect of increased primary schooling on adult women's HIV status in Malawi and Uganda: Universal Primary Education as a natural experiment.

PubMed

Behrman, Julia Andrea

2015-02-01

This paper explores the causal relationship between primary schooling and adult HIV status in Malawi and Uganda, two East African countries with some of the highest HIV infection rates in the world. Using data from the 2010 Malawi Demographic Health Survey and the 2011 Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey, the paper takes advantage of a natural experiment, the implementation of Universal Primary Education policies in the mid 1990s. An instrumented regression discontinuity approach is used to model the relationship between increased primary schooling and adult women's HIV status. Results indicate that a one-year increase in schooling decreases the probability of an adult woman testing positive for HIV by 0.06 (p < 0.01) in Malawi and by 0.03 (p < 0.05) in Uganda. These results are robust to a variety of model specifications. In a series of supplementary analyses a number of potential pathways through which such effects may occur are explored. Findings indicate increased primary schooling positively affects women's literacy and spousal schooling attainment in Malawi and age of marriage and current household wealth in Uganda. However primary schooling has no effect on recent (adult) sexual behavior. Copyright © 2014 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Do Local Contributions Affect the Efficacy of Public Primary Schools?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jimenez, Emmanuel; Paqueo, Vicente

1996-01-01

Uses cost, financial sources, and student achievement data from Philippine primary schools (financed primarily from central sources) to discover if financial decentralization leads to more efficient schools. Schools that rely more heavily on local sources (contributions from local school boards, municipal government, parent-teacher associations,…

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Relevance Strategic Designs: 4. Boston Arts Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Relevance Strategic Designs: 7. TechBoston Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Indoor environmental quality in a 'low allergen' school and three standard primary schools in Western Australia.

PubMed

Zhang, G; Spickett, J; Rumchev, K; Lee, A H; Stick, S

2006-02-01

To investigate indoor environmental quality in classrooms, assessments were undertaken in a 'low allergen' school and three standard primary schools in Western Australia. Dust allergens, air pollutants and physical parameters were monitored in the four schools at four times (summer school term, autumn holiday, winter school term and winter holiday) in 2002. The levels of particulate matter (PM(10)) and volatile organic compounds were similar between the four primary schools. Although slightly decreased levels of dust-mite and cat allergens were observed in the 'low allergen' school, the reductions were not statistically significant and the allergen levels in all schools were much lower than the recommended sensitizing thresholds. However, significantly lower levels of relative humidity and formaldehyde level during summer-term were recorded in the 'low allergen' school. In conclusion, the evidence here suggests that the 'low allergen' school did not significantly improve the indoor environmental quality in classrooms. Practical Implications School is an important environment for children in terms of exposure to pollutants and allergens. By assessing the levels of key pollutants and allergens in a low allergen school and three standard primary schools in Western Australia, this study provides useful information for implementation of healthy building design that can improve the indoor environment in schools.

Is there a relationship between primary school children's enjoyment of recess physical activities and health-related quality of life? A cross-sectional exploratory study.

PubMed

Hyndman, Brendon; Benson, Amanda C; Lester, Leanne; Telford, Amanda

2017-03-01

Issue addressed An important strategy for increasing children's physical activity is to enhance children's opportunities for school recess physical activities, yet little is known about the influence of school recess physical activities on children's health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between Australian primary school children's enjoyment of recess physical activities and HRQOL. Methods The study consisted of children at two Australian primary schools (n=105) aged 8-12 years. The Lunchtime Enjoyment Activity and Play questionnaire was used to measure school children's enjoyment of school recess physical activities. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 was used to measure children's HRQOL. Researchers applied linear regression modelling in STATA (ver. 13.0) to investigate the relationship between children's enjoyment of school recess physical activities and HRQOL. Results It was discovered that primary school children's enjoyment of more vigorous-type school recess physical activities and playing in a range of weather conditions was associated with children's improved HRQOL. Conclusion The findings from this study suggest that health providers and researchers should consider providing primary school children with opportunities and facilities for more vigorous-intensity school recess physical activities as a key strategy to enhance children's HRQOL. So what? Considering a social-ecological model framework of the key predictors of children's enjoyment of school recess physical activities may provide valuable insight for school health providers into the multiple levels of influence on children's HRQOL when developing school settings and activities for school recess.

The Impact of Personal Background and School Contextual Factors on Academic Competence and Mental Health Functioning across the Primary-Secondary School Transition

PubMed Central

Vaz, Sharmila; Parsons, Richard; Falkmer, Torbjörn; Passmore, Anne Elizabeth; Falkmer, Marita

2014-01-01

Students negotiate the transition to secondary school in different ways. While some thrive on the opportunity, others are challenged. A prospective longitudinal design was used to determine the contribution of personal background and school contextual factors on academic competence (AC) and mental health functioning (MHF) of 266 students, 6-months before and after the transition to secondary school. Data from 197 typically developing students and 69 students with a disability were analysed using hierarchical linear regression modelling. Both in primary and secondary school, students with a disability and from socially disadvantaged backgrounds gained poorer scores for AC and MHF than their typically developing and more affluent counterparts. Students who attended independent and mid-range sized primary schools had the highest concurrent AC. Those from independent primary schools had the lowest MHF. The primary school organisational model significantly influenced post-transition AC scores; with students from Kindergarten - Year 7 schools reporting the lowest scores, while those from the Kindergarten - Year 12 structure without middle school having the highest scores. Attending a school which used the Kindergarten - Year 12 with middle school structure was associated with a reduction in AC scores across the transition. Personal background factors accounted for the majority of the variability in post-transition AC and MHF. The contribution of school contextual factors was relatively minor. There is a potential opportunity for schools to provide support to disadvantaged students before the transition to secondary school, as they continue to be at a disadvantage after the transition. PMID:24608366

The impact of personal background and school contextual factors on academic competence and mental health functioning across the primary-secondary school transition.

PubMed

Vaz, Sharmila; Parsons, Richard; Falkmer, Torbjörn; Passmore, Anne Elizabeth; Falkmer, Marita

2014-01-01

Students negotiate the transition to secondary school in different ways. While some thrive on the opportunity, others are challenged. A prospective longitudinal design was used to determine the contribution of personal background and school contextual factors on academic competence (AC) and mental health functioning (MHF) of 266 students, 6-months before and after the transition to secondary school. Data from 197 typically developing students and 69 students with a disability were analysed using hierarchical linear regression modelling. Both in primary and secondary school, students with a disability and from socially disadvantaged backgrounds gained poorer scores for AC and MHF than their typically developing and more affluent counterparts. Students who attended independent and mid-range sized primary schools had the highest concurrent AC. Those from independent primary schools had the lowest MHF. The primary school organisational model significantly influenced post-transition AC scores; with students from Kindergarten--Year 7 schools reporting the lowest scores, while those from the Kindergarten--Year 12 structure without middle school having the highest scores. Attending a school which used the Kindergarten--Year 12 with middle school structure was associated with a reduction in AC scores across the transition. Personal background factors accounted for the majority of the variability in post-transition AC and MHF. The contribution of school contextual factors was relatively minor. There is a potential opportunity for schools to provide support to disadvantaged students before the transition to secondary school, as they continue to be at a disadvantage after the transition.

75 FR 21265 - Small, Rural School Achievement Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-23

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Small, Rural School Achievement Program AGENCY: Office of Elementary and... Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.358A. SUMMARY: Under the Small, Rural School Achievement... eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) to address the unique needs of rural school districts. In this...

76 FR 19758 - Small, Rural School Achievement Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-08

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Small, Rural School Achievement Program AGENCY: Office of Elementary and... Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.358A. SUMMARY: Under the Small, Rural School Achievement... eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) to address the unique needs of rural school districts. In this...

Discover Primary Science: Developing Primary Science in Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horner, Margaret; Palmer, Marion

2007-01-01

"Discover Primary Science" is a major project in primary science education in Ireland. In 2006-2007 it involves 2400 primary schools, 45 host centres, and two government departments. However, it started out as a local initiative taken by one state agency in 2002 involving four Institutes of Technology and 40 primary schools. The aim of…

Long-Term Effects of Primary Schools on Educational Positions of Students 2 and 4 Years after the Start of Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanwynsberghe, Griet; Vanlaar, Gudrun; Van Damme, Jan; De Fraine, Bieke

2017-01-01

Although the importance of primary schools in the long term is of interest in educational effectiveness research, few studies have examined the long-term effects of schools over the past decades. In the present study, long-term effects of primary schools on the educational positions of students 2 and 4 years after starting secondary education are…

Investigation Regarding the Pre-Service Trainings of Primary and Middle School Principals in the United States: The Case of the State of Michigan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gumus, Emine

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research is to determine the requirements of being a school principal and investigate the pre-service trainings of primary and middle school principals in the United States. In accordance with this aim, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 primary and middle school principals from the state of Michigan. In this…

Patterns of objectively measured sedentary time in 10- to 12-year-old Belgian children: an observational study within the ENERGY-project.

PubMed

Verloigne, Maïté; Ridgers, Nicola D; Chinapaw, Mai; Altenburg, Teatske M; Bere, Elling; Van Lippevelde, Wendy; Cardon, Greet; Brug, Johannes; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse

2017-06-14

This study examined the frequency of and differences in sedentary bouts of different durations and the total time spent in sedentary bouts on a weekday, a weekend day, during school hours, during after-school hours and in the evening period in a sample of 10- to 12-year-old Belgian children. Accelerometer data were collected as part of the ENERGY-project in Belgium (n = 577, 10.9 ± 0.7 years, 53% girls) in 2011. Differences in total sedentary time, sedentary bouts of 2-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30 and ≥30 min and total time accumulated in those bouts were examined on a weekday, a weekend day, during school hours, during after-school hours and in the evening period, using multilevel analyses in MLwiN 2.22. More than 60% of the participants' waking time was spent sedentary. Children typically engaged in short sedentary bouts of 2-5 and 5-10 min, which contributed almost 50% towards their total daily sedentary time. Although the differences were very small, children engaged in significantly fewer sedentary bouts of nearly all durations during after-school hours compared to during school hours and in the evening period. Children also engaged in significantly fewer sedentary bouts of 5-10, 10-20, and 20-30 min per hour on a weekend day than on a weekday. Although primary school children spend more than 60% of their waking time sedentary, they generally engaged in short sedentary bouts. Children's sedentary bouts were slightly longer on weekdays, particularly during school hours and in the evening period, although the differences were very small. These results suggest that in this age group, interventions focusing on reducing total sedentary time rather than interrupting prolonged sedentary time are needed.

[Research on health education and promotion in Spanish nursery and primary schools. A systematic review of studies published between 1995 and 2005].

PubMed

Davó, Mari Carmen; Gil-González, Diana; Vives-Cases, Carmen; Alvarez-Dardet, Carlos; La Parra, Daniel

2008-01-01

To identify the characteristics of health education and promotion interventions in Spanish nursery and primary schools, through the studies published in scientific journals. We performed a review of studies on health education and promotion interventions in Spanish nursery and primary schools, published from 1995 to 2005. The information sources were Medline (through Pubmed), Cinhal, Eric, Sociological Abstracts, Science Citation Index, and Isooc (CSIC). Studies performed in Spanish nursery and primary schools that incorporated health education and promotion interventions were selected. The studies' general features, main subject and aims, methodology, the kind of intervention described, and compliance with the criteria for Healthy Schools were analyzed. Only 26 of the 346 articles identified met the inclusion criteria. Health education programs focussed more on disease prevention than on health promotion and only a few studies were performed in nursery and primary schools. The criteria for health promotion in schools were included in 5 articles (19.2%). The importance of health institutions (n = 7; 26.9%) and universities (n = 8; 30.8%) as promoters of programs was notable. The most frequent subject was smoking (n = 11; 42.3%). Teachers play a lesser role in health promotion in schools than health institutions in the implementation and dissemination of health programs. Research into health promotion in nursery and primary schools is scarce.

Ability Grouping Practices in the Primary School: A Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallam, Susan; Ireson, Judith; Lister, Veronica; Chaudhury, Indrani Andon; Davies, Jane

2003-01-01

Surveys how British primary schools group their students for different school subjects, such as according to class ability or mixed ability grouping. Finds that most schools used the class ability groupings, either in mixed or ability groupings. Includes references. (CMK)

Exploring primary school headteachers' perspectives on the barriers and facilitators of preventing childhood obesity.

PubMed

Howard-Drake, E J; Halliday, V

2016-03-01

Headteachers of primary schools in England are a crucial partner for childhood obesity prevention. Understanding how this works in practice is limited by their views being underrepresented or missing from the evidence base. The aim of this study was to explore primary school headteachers' perspectives on childhood obesity and the perceived barriers and facilitators of prevention. A qualitative study with a purposive sample of 14 primary school headteachers from the Yorkshire and Humber region of England was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analysed using an inductive thematic approach. An extensive range of barriers and facilitators emerged within four key themes; understanding childhood obesity, primary school setting, the role of parents and external partners. A lack of knowledge, awareness and skills to deal with the sensitivity and complexity of childhood obesity across all school stakeholders presents the most significant barrier to effective action. Headteachers recognize primary schools are a crucial setting for childhood obesity prevention; however their school's often do not have the capability, capacity and confidence to make a meaningful and sustainable impact. To increase headteachers' ability and desire to prevent childhood obesity, schools require specialist and tailored training, resources and support from external partners such as public health teams and school nursing services. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Case Study of What Experiences Contribute to the Ideas of Energy Held by Primary School Students in Trinidad and Tobago

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maharaj-Sharma, Rawatee; Sharma, Amrit

2014-01-01

This case study explored what experiences contribute to the ideas of energy held by 30 purposively selected primary school students from one primary school in Trinidad and Tobago. The 30 students were selected from across all levels of the primary system. The study used the Interview About Events (IAE) approach to explore students' ideas about…

Environmental and nutrition impact of achieving new School Food Plan recommendations in the primary school meals sector in England

PubMed Central

Wickramasinghe, Kremlin; Rayner, Mike; Goldacre, Michael; Townsend, Nick; Scarborough, Peter

2017-01-01

Objectives The aim of this modelling study was to estimate the expected changes in the nutritional quality and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) of primary school meals due to the adoption of new mandatory food-based standards for school meals. Setting Nationally representative random sample of 136 primary schools in England was selected for the Primary School Food Survey (PSFS) with 50% response rate. Participants A sample of 6690 primary students from PSFS who consumed school meals. Outcome measures Primary School Food Plan (SFP) nutritional impact was assessed using both macronutrient and micronutrient quality. The environmental impact was measured by GHGEs. Methods The scenario tested was one in which every meal served in schools met more than half of the food-based standards mentioned in the SFP (SFP scenario). We used findings from a systematic review to assign GHGE values for each food item in the data set. The GHGE value and nutritional quality of SFP scenario meals was compared with the average primary school meal in the total PSFS data set (pre-SFP scenario). Prior to introduction of the SFP (pre-SFP scenario), the primary school meals had mandatory nutrient-based guidelines. Results The percentage of meals that met the protein standard increased in the SFP scenario and the proportion of meals that met the standards for important micronutrients (eg, iron, calcium, vitamin A and C) also increased. However, the SFP scenario did not improve the salt, saturated fat and free sugar levels. The mean GHGE value of meals which met the SFP standards was 0.79 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.81) kgCO2e compared with a mean value of 0.72 (0.71 to 0.74) kgCO2e for all meals. Adopting the SFP would increase the total emissions associated with primary school meals by 22 000 000 kgCO2e per year. Conclusions The universal adoption of the new food-based standards, without reformulation would result in an increase in the GHGEs of school meals and improve some aspects of the nutritional quality, but it would not improve the average salt, sugar and saturated fat content levels. PMID:28381419

Environmental and nutrition impact of achieving new School Food Plan recommendations in the primary school meals sector in England.

PubMed

Wickramasinghe, Kremlin; Rayner, Mike; Goldacre, Michael; Townsend, Nick; Scarborough, Peter

2017-04-05

The aim of this modelling study was to estimate the expected changes in the nutritional quality and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) of primary school meals due to the adoption of new mandatory food-based standards for school meals. Nationally representative random sample of 136 primary schools in England was selected for the Primary School Food Survey (PSFS) with 50% response rate. A sample of 6690 primary students from PSFS who consumed school meals. Primary School Food Plan (SFP) nutritional impact was assessed using both macronutrient and micronutrient quality. The environmental impact was measured by GHGEs. The scenario tested was one in which every meal served in schools met more than half of the food-based standards mentioned in the SFP (SFP scenario). We used findings from a systematic review to assign GHGE values for each food item in the data set. The GHGE value and nutritional quality of SFP scenario meals was compared with the average primary school meal in the total PSFS data set (pre-SFP scenario). Prior to introduction of the SFP (pre-SFP scenario), the primary school meals had mandatory nutrient-based guidelines. The percentage of meals that met the protein standard increased in the SFP scenario and the proportion of meals that met the standards for important micronutrients (eg, iron, calcium, vitamin A and C) also increased. However, the SFP scenario did not improve the salt, saturated fat and free sugar levels. The mean GHGE value of meals which met the SFP standards was 0.79 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.81) kgCO 2 e compared with a mean value of 0.72 (0.71 to 0.74) kgCO 2 e for all meals. Adopting the SFP would increase the total emissions associated with primary school meals by 22 000 000 kgCO 2 e per year. The universal adoption of the new food-based standards, without reformulation would result in an increase in the GHGEs of school meals and improve some aspects of the nutritional quality, but it would not improve the average salt, sugar and saturated fat content levels. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Core Academic Strategic Designs: 1. Academy of the Pacific Rim

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Relevance Strategic Designs: 5. Life Academy of Health and Bioscience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Voices of Experience: The Image of a Wheel Just Clicked with Me

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yarchi, Tracy

2007-01-01

The author had been a high school English teacher for 15 years when her district transformed two traditional high schools into 10 small schools of choice. In this article, the author shares how the staff of one small school, with the help of professional development and a true sense of empowerment, created a small school culture and aligned the…

Big Sky Legacy. In Montana, Small Schools Aren't a Bold New Idea. They're a Way of Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boss, Suzie

2000-01-01

Two-thirds of Montana's school districts are rural, and most students attend schools with enrollments under 300. Such recent trends as peer tutoring, multigrade classrooms, and project-based learning have always been practiced in these small schools. One small community's successful effort to save its school, classroom practices in one-room…

Small Schools, Large Districts: Small-School Reform and New York City's Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iatarola, Patrice; Schwartz, Amy Ellen; Stiefel, Leanna; Chellman, Colin C.

2008-01-01

Background/Context: High school reform is currently at the top of the education policy making agenda after years of stagnant achievement and persistent racial and income test score gaps. Although a number of reforms offer some promise of improving U.S. high schools, small schools have emerged as the favored reform model, especially in urban areas,…

Adaptive Behavior of Primary School Students with Visual Impairments: The Impact of Educational Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metsiou, Katerina; Papadopoulos, Konstantinos; Agaliotis, Ioannis

2011-01-01

This study explored the adaptive behavior of primary school students with visual impairments, as well as the impact of educational setting on their adaptive behavior. Instrumentation included an informal questionnaire and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Participants were 36 primary school students with visual impairments. The educational…

(Mis)Conceptions about Geometric Shapes in Pre-Service Primary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Žilková, Katarína; Guncaga, Ján; Kopácová, Janka

2015-01-01

During the last reform, Slovakia has reduced geometry in curriculum in primary mathematics education. Pre-school education schools devote more time to geometry in curriculum, but this is not mandatory for all the children. In the primary schools, teachers devote very little lessons time to this problem. These lessons are mainly focused on…

An Assessment of Well-Being of Principals in Flemish Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devos, G.; Bouckenooghe, D.; Engels, N.; Hotton, G.; Aelterman, A.

2007-01-01

Purpose: The goal of this inquiry is to indicate which individual, organisational and external environment factors contribute to a better understanding of the well-being of Flemish primary school principals. Design/methodology/approach: Data from a representative sample of primary schools in Flanders (n = 46) were gathered through questionnaires…

The Identification of Four Characteristics of Children's Spirituality in Australian Catholic Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyde, Brendan

2008-01-01

In taking its theoretical impetus from hermeneutic phenomenology, the qualitative research reported in this paper aimed to identify characteristics of children's spirituality in Australian Catholic primary schools. The videotaped life expressions of two groups of six children in each of three Australian Catholic primary schools formed the texts of…

Coordinating Mental Health Care across Primary Care and Schools: ADHD as a Case Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Power, Thomas J.; Blum, Nathan J.; Guevara, James P.; Jones, Heather A.; Leslie, Laurel K.

2013-01-01

Although primary care practices and schools are major venues for the delivery of mental health services to children, these systems are disconnected, contributing to fragmentation in service delivery. This paper describes barriers to collaboration across the primary care and school systems, including administrative and fiscal pressures, conceptual…

Influence of Examinations Oriented Approaches on Quality Education in Primary Schools in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackatiani, Caleb Imbova

2017-01-01

This paper provides a critical appraisal of the influence of examinations oriented approaches on quality education in primary schools in Kenya. The purpose of the study was to determine effects of examination oriented teaching approaches on learning achievement among primary school pupils in Kakamega County, Kenya. It explored the assumptions…

The Primary Program: Report from the Task Force on Improving Kentucky Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, Lexington, KY.

Because the primary years are the point where specific changes are required in teaching practice and school organization, a task force examined Kentucky's primary program through school visits, interviews, expert testimony, and research. The last three years have shown marked improvement in student performance in the basics (reading, writing, and…

Examining the Relationships between Primary School Principals' Power Styles and Teachers' Professional Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kosar, Serkan; Kilinç, Ali Çagatay; Er, Emre; Ögdem, Zeki; Savas, Gökhan

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between primary school principals' power styles and teacher professionalism. A total of 264 teachers employed in 10 primary schools in Kastamonu, Turkey, participated in this study. Kosar's (2008) "Power Styles Scale,"and the "Teacher Professionalism Scale"--originally…

Inclusive Education: Proclamations or Reality (Primary School Teachers' View)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slavica, Pavlovic

2010-01-01

This paper deals with 2 focal points of inclusive education, which is the integral segment of the current education reform in the Bosnia and Herzegovina: its position in various proclamations and in primary school teachers' reality, i.e., legislative aspects vs. everyday situation in primary schools. The survey research was carried out through the…

The Opinions of Primary School Teachers' Candidates towards Material Preparation and Usage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Genc, Zeynep

2016-01-01

Instruction materials help students to acquire more memorable information. Instruction materials have an important effect on providing more permanent and simple way of learning in every step of education. Instruction materials are the most frequently used by primary school teachers. Primary school teachers should support their lectures with…

Development of Effective Academic Affairs Administration System in Thai Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thongnoi, Niratchakorn; Srisa-ard, Boonchom; Sri-ampai, Anan

2013-01-01

This research aimed to: 1) study current situations and problems of academic affairs administration system in Primary Schools. 2) develop an effective academic affairs administration system, and 3) evaluate the implementation of the developed system in the primary school, Thailand. Research and Development (R&D) was employed which consisted of…

The Changing Experiences of Primary Teachers: Responding to Scenarios Involving Diverse Sexualities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Leent, Lisa; Ryan, Mary

2016-01-01

Sex education and diverse sexualities are controversial topics within the primary school arena. Concepts of childhood innocence have influenced sex education curriculum, policy development and teaching practices within schools. However, research shows that primary school-aged students are aware of and talk about sexualities. The aim of this…

Teaching about Human Relationships Education for Primary School Student-Teachers Using an Interactive CD-ROM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldman, Juliette D. G.; Torrisi-Steele, Geraldine

2009-01-01

Human Relationships Education is a very important part of primary school student-teacher education. All primary school children need sound guidance and enhanced knowledge about puberty, growing up successfully, and feeling competent and confident in themselves. An interactive multimedia CD-ROM was designed and developed for some Australian…

Connecting: A Resource Guide for the Primary Intervention Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prusso, Laurie Kay

This thesis is the result of a study to develop and evaluate a resource guide for use by paraprofessionals implementing the Primary Intervention Program (PIP) in public school settings. PIP is used to detect and prevent school adjustment problems in primary school students through observations of their play behaviors. The resource guide was…

Relationship between Professional Learning Community, Bureaucratic Structure and Organisational Trust in Primary Education Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalkan, Fatma

2016-01-01

This research uses relational survey method to determine the relationship between professional learning community, bureaucratic structure and organisational trust according to the perceptions of teachers who work in primary education schools. Data were collected from 805 teachers who work in primary education schools in the districts (Altindag,…

EFL Primary School Teachers' Attitudes, Knowledge and Skills in Alternative Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Nouh, Nowreyah A.; Taqi, Hanan A.; Abdul-Kareem, Muneera M.

2014-01-01

The study investigated female EFL primary school teachers' attitudes as well as teachers' knowledge and skills in alternative assessment. Data was collected via a questionnaire from 335 EFL primary school teachers randomly selected from six educational zones. An interview with principals and head teachers and a focus group interview with EFL…

What Teachers Want: Supporting Primary School Teachers in Teaching Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Angela; Schneider, Katrin

2013-01-01

Impending change can provide us with the opportunity to rethink and renew the things that we do. The first phase of the Australian Curriculum implementation offers primary school teachers the chance to examine their approaches to science learning and teaching. This paper focuses on the perceptions of three primary school teachers regarding what…

Success in Primary School. Success in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2010

2010-01-01

A quality education system is not measured solely by national test scores, but by whether all students are successful in primary school. This simply stated goal is surprisingly difficult to achieve where substantial numbers of children are at risk of failing to complete a primary education. This paper explores the challenges and the diverse…

Bullying and Victimization Behaviors in Boys and Girls at South Korean Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Su-Jin; Kim, Jae-Min; Kim, Sung-Wan; Shin, Il-Seon; Yoon, Jin-Sang

2006-01-01

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and correlates of bullying and victimization behaviors in boys and girls at South Korean primary schools. Method: In a cross-sectional survey, 1,344 fourth-grade primary school children completed a questionnaire on self-reported bullying and victimization behaviors, depression, anxiety, body image, coping…

Organisational Conditions to Boost or Limit Professional Development in the Cypriot Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loizou, Florentia

2014-01-01

In this article, I examine which organisational conditions can promote or limit the professional development of teachers in the Cypriot primary school. The discussion builds on findings from a study I conducted about Cypriot primary school teachers' reflective practices (Loizou 2011). The study was qualitative and used semi-structured interviews…

No Outsiders and "The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Child"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasmussen, Mary Lou

2011-01-01

"Interrogating Heteronormativity in Primary Schools: The No Outsiders Project" is a book that reflects on a research project based in primary schools and funded by The Economic and Social Research Council of the UK. This text is accompanied by another practice-focused work: "Undoing Homophobia in Primary Schools". The project…

Primary School Principals' Self-Monitoring Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konan, Necdet

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study is to identify primary school principals' self-monitoring skills. The study adopted the general survey model and its population comprised primary school principals serving in the city of Diyarbakir, Turkey, while 292 of these constituted the sample. Self-Monitoring Scale was used as the data collection instrument. In…

Primary Schools and Network Governance: A Policy Analysis of Reception Baseline Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts-Holmes, Guy; Bradbury, Alice

2017-01-01

Primary school reception baseline assessment was designed to produce a single "baseline" data figure on the basis of which young children's progress across primary school could be measured and accounted for. This paper suggests that within the context of punitive performativity, head teachers might be considered "irresponsible"…

Framing Literacy Policy: Power and Policy Drivers in Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Colin

2011-01-01

This article is linked to the theme of the special issue through its focus on micropolitical analysis of the changing role of "policy drivers", mediating national policy through interactions with primary school heads and teachers. The central arguments draw on case studies undertaken in two primary schools where changes related to…

Primary Literature as a Basis for a High-School Biology Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yarden, Anat; Brill, Gilat; Falk, Hedda

2001-01-01

Adopts primary literature as a means of developing scientific literacy among high-school biology majors. Reports on the development and implementation of a primary literature-based curriculum in developmental biology. Discusses the process of adapting original research articles to the high-school level, as well as a conversational model developed…

Humor Climate of the Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin, Ahmet

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the opinions primary school administrators and teachers on humor climates in primary schools. The study was modeled as a convergent parallel design, one of the mixed methods. The data gathered from 253 administrator questionnaires, and 651 teacher questionnaires was evaluated for the quantitative part of the…

The Supervision of Information Technology Classrooms in Turkey: A Nationwide Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Memisoglu, Salih Pasa

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify how primary school supervisors carry out their roles concerning information and communications technology (ICT) based classrooms in public primary schools in Turkey. Data were collected via a questionnaire from 583 primary school supervisors working in 17 different provinces. Statistical programs were used…

The Effects of a Professional Development Programme on Primary School Teachers' Perceptions of Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Jo; Cale, Lorraine; Musson, Hayley

2011-01-01

The impact of a professional development programme on primary school teachers' perceptions of physical education was investigated. Primary school teachers from five local education authorities in England provided data for the study via pre-course audits, course evaluations immediately following the programme, and focus groups and individual…

Relationships between Teacher Organizational Commitment, Psychological Hardiness and Some Demographic Variables in Turkish Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sezgin, Ferudun

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between teachers' organizational commitment perceptions and both their psychological hardiness and some demographic variables in a sample of Turkish primary schools. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 405 randomly selected teachers working at primary schools in Ankara…

A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Achievement Disparities in Guatemalan Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meade, Ben

2012-01-01

Although most Guatemalan rural students currently have access to primary school, there are large differences in the levels of learning that take place among different populations and in different contexts. This paper uses multiple data and methods to examine the interrelated factors underlying achievement disparities in Guatemalan primary schools.…

Primary School Students' Attitudes towards Computer Based Testing and Assessment in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yurdabakan, Irfan; Uzunkavak, Cicek

2012-01-01

This study investigated the attitudes of primary school students towards computer based testing and assessment in terms of different variables. The sample for this research is primary school students attending a computer based testing and assessment application via CITO-OIS. The "Scale on Attitudes towards Computer Based Testing and…

Factors Influencing Primary Students' Learning Achievement in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nath, Samir Ranjan

2012-01-01

Using "Education Watch" database of 2008, this article explores the factors associated with learning achievement of primary school students in Bangladesh. The sample consists of 7,093 fifth graders (final year of compulsory primary education) from 440 primary schools. Based on nationally adopted competencies for primary education, a…

Taking Stock: The Movement To Create Mini-Schools, Schools-within-Schools, and Separate Small Schools. Urban Diversity Series No. 108.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raywid, Mary Anne

Many educators see school downsizing efforts as the linchpin of school restructuring. Several forms that school downsizing efforts are taking are explored, along with a discussion of the reasons for which small schools are being established. The types of subschools that are being launched (houses, mini-schools, schools-within-schools) are…

Blood lead levels in children living in three communities, at different risks of lead pollution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abbritti, G.; Cicioni, C.; Gambelunghe, M.

1988-12-01

We carried out a survey on blood lead levels in children living in three different communities in Umbria, Italy: Corciano, a small community (12,500 inhabitants), free of lead-using factories and with light traffic; Perugia, a medium-sized city (146,500 inhabitants); Deruta, a small community (7500 inhabitants) whose economy is based mainly on the production of artistic pottery, mostly in small home-operated factories. The study sample was made up of 539 children (275 boys and 264 girls); 156 of them attended nursery school (aged 3-6) and 383 primary school (aged 6-11). The mean blood lead level was significantly higher in Deruta thanmore » in Corciano (9.7 vs 8.3 micrograms/dl); Deruta children whose parents were occupationally exposed to lead had significantly higher blood lead levels than children of lead-unexposed parents (10.7 vs 9.0 micrograms/dl). The mean blood lead level was higher in Perugia than in Corciano children. On the average boys had higher blood lead levels than girls in all of the groups. We conclude that blood lead levels were low in the groups of children studied. Nevertheless children of ceramic workers and children living in a medium-sized city had greater lead absorption than children living in the control area.« less

Chess in Schools: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jerrim, John; Macmillan, Lindsey; Micklewright, John; Sawtell, Mary; Wiggins, Meg

2016-01-01

Chess in Primary Schools is a whole-school approach to teaching primary school children how to play chess. Children take 30 hours of chess lessons delivered by a tutor who is an experienced chess player, and the school is given the option to set up a chess club as a lunchtime or after-school activity. Chess classes are delivered during the school…

Intercultural Communication in the Malaysian Vision Schools: Implications for the Management and Leadership in a Multicultural Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Othman, Azam; Ruslan, Norbaiduri; Ahmad, Ismail Sheikh

2012-01-01

This article discusses intercultural communication in Vision Schools in Malaysia. It also elaborates the extent to which the Vision Schools foster racial interaction across the three major ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese, and Indians. A total of 887 primary school students were surveyed across the Vision Schools. It was found that the intercultural…

Complementing the Australian Primary School Health and Physical Education (HPE) Curriculum: Exploring Children's HPE Learning Experiences within Varying School Ground Equipment Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyndman, Brendon; Mahony, Linda; Te Ava, Aue; Smith, Sue; Nutton, Georgie

2017-01-01

This paper unearths how primary school children experience and can complement the Australian HPE curriculum within three unique school ground equipment scenarios that include an "empty", "loose parts" and a "traditional" school ground context. Using direct observation, 490 scans were undertaken of the school grounds…

Determinants of School Efficiency: The Case of Primary Schools in the State of Geneva, Switzerland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huguenin, Jean-Marc

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is: to measure school technical efficiency and to identify the determinants of primary school performance. Design/Methodology/Approach: A two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) of school efficiency is conducted. At the first stage, DEA is employed to calculate an individual efficiency score for each school. At…

An Evaluation of Primary School Students' Views about Noise Levels in School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulunuz, Nermin; Bulunuz, Mizrap; Orbak, Ali Yurdun; Mulu, Nejla; Tavsanli, Ömer Faruk

2017-01-01

Effective education and teaching requires keeping classroom noise levels within specific limits. The purpose of this study is to evaluate students' views about the noise level in school, its effects, and control of it at two primary schools (one public school and one private school) located in a district of Bursa--within the scope of the TÜBITAK…

Degrees of Separation? Early Women Principals in New Zealand State Schools 1876-1926

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Kay Morris

2009-01-01

As a British colony, New Zealand had early to grapple with how best to implement a state system of schooling. Inspectors of primary schools and governing boards of secondary schools were responsible for appointing school principals. This paper examines the ways in which they dealt with new situations: in the case of the primary schools where there…

Virtual field trips: exploring a new approach to ocean education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cary, C.; Bryant, T.

2003-04-01

During the past four years with primary support from the National Science Foundation, the University of Delaware College of Marine Studies has launched the "Extreme series" of virtual field trips to get students and the public excited -- and learning -- about science by enabling them to follow along with researchers as they explore hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean. The Extreme series has blossomed from a small pilot project involving about 800 students in 14 schools primarily in Delaware, to a thriving program that last year welcomed aboard more than 500 schools representing over 42,000 students from across the United States and in several foreign countries. Participants range from small, rural schools on American Indian reservations and in the landlocked states of America's "heartland," to large public schools in major coastal cities such as New York and Los Angeles. Each participating teacher receives a resource package containing student guides, curricula, evaluation tools, and a documentary video. During the expedition, an interactive Web site serves as the program's "lifeline." Education coordinators aboard ship -- a UD graduate student and a schoolteacher -- post daily journals, conduct experiments submitted by classrooms, and relay photos and video clips back to shore each day for uploading to the Web site. The project also involves selected classrooms in teleconferences with scientists working live on the seafloor aboard the submersible Alvin. Evaluated for its educational quality and impact, the Extreme series continues to grow and develop with the enthusiastic support of teachers.

Executive Functions as Predictors of School Performance and Social Relationships: Primary and Secondary School Students.

PubMed

Zorza, Juan Pablo; Marino, Julián; Acosta Mesas, Alberto

2016-05-12

This study examined the relationship between executive functions (EFs) and school performance in primary and secondary school students aged 8 to 13 years (N = 146, M = 10.4, 45.8% girls). EFs were evaluated using the Trail Making Test (TMT), Verbal Fluency (VF), and the Stroop Test. Students' GPAs and teachers' assessment of academic skills were used to measure school performance. To evaluate the students' social behavior, participants were asked to rate all their classmates' prosocial behavior and nominate three students with whom they preferred to do school activities; teachers also provided evaluations of students' social skills. EF measures explained 41% (p = .003, f 2 = .694) of variability in school performance and 29% (p = .005, f 2 = .401) of variance in social behavior in primary school students. The predictive power of EFs was found to be lower for secondary school students, although the TMT showed significant prediction and explained 13% (p = .004, f 2 = .149) of variance in school performance and 15% (p = .008, f 2 = .176) in peer ratings of prosocial behavior. This paper discusses the relevance of EFs in the school environment and their different predictive power in primary and secondary school students.

Levels of Conformity to Leader in Normal and Critical Situations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gündüz, Yüksel

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine primary school, middle school, high school and university students' levels of conformity to leader in normal and critical situations. Experimental model was used in the research. Study group is comprised of 80 students chosen randomly from Karadeniz Bakir Primary School, Gazi Middle School, Kazim Karabekir…

School-Based Primary School Sexuality Education for Migrant Children in Beijing, China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Wenli; Su, Yufen

2014-01-01

In May 2007, Beijing Normal University launched a programme of school-based sexuality education for migrant children in Xingzhi Primary School in Beijing. Over the past seven years, the project team has developed a school-based sexuality education curriculum using the "International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education" published by…

Students with Developmental Disabilities in Catholic Schools: Examples in Primary and Secondary Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Meghan M.; Griffin, Megan M.

2016-01-01

While some Catholic schools include students with disabilities, few serve students with significant support needs. This paper offers two distinct models for including students with developmental disabilities in Catholic schools at the primary and secondary level. Describing programs at Children of Peace School and Notre Dame College Prep School,…

Islamic Primary Schools in the Netherlands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dronkers, Jaap

2016-01-01

During the last 20 years of the 20th century, Islamic primary schools were founded in the Netherlands thanks to its constitutional "freedom of education" (which allows state-funded religious schools), its voucher system (each school receives the same amount of money per pupil), and school choice by parents. This essay gives some…

Changing Paradigms in General Music Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özgül, Ilhan

2015-01-01

In Turkey, part of general music education in primary schools is music lessons, which are taught by primary school teachers for grades 1-4 and music teachers for grades 5-8. In the 21st century, the music education approach in schools has shifted from "school music" to "music in the school." This orientation is directly related…

The Interplay between Instructional and Entrepreneurial Leadership Styles in Cyprus Rural Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pashiardis, Petros; Savvides, Vassos

2011-01-01

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how school principals combine instructional and entrepreneurial aspects of leadership in their effort to build capacity for student learning. Four cases of successful school principals in rural primary schools in Cyprus are described as part of the International Successful School Principalship Project…

Portuguese School Libraries Evaluation Model: An Analysis of Primary Schools' Results for the "Reading and Literacy" Domain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martins, Jorge Tiago; Martins, Rosa Maria

2012-01-01

This paper reports the implementation results of the Portuguese School Libraries Evaluation Model, more specifically the results of primary schools self-evaluation of their libraries' reading promotion and information literacy development activities. School libraries that rated their performance as either "Excellent" or "Poor"…

Facilitating Certification and Professional Development for Small Schools. ERIC Digest: Small Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swift, Doug

Addressing the problems of recruiting and retaining qualified teachers for small and rural schools, this digest outlines improvements that could be made by teacher education programs, state education agencies, school superintendents, and teachers themselves. Suggested guidelines for teacher education programs stress nontraditional approaches that…

Is change in environmental supportiveness between primary and secondary school associated with a decline in children׳s physical activity levels?

PubMed

Coombes, Emma; Jones, Andy; Page, Angie; Cooper, Ashley R

2014-09-01

Using a sample of English schoolchildren, we evaluate whether a change in school local area environmental supportiveness between primary and secondary school is associated with changes in active travel behaviours and physical activity levels. Participant׳s activity levels and travel behaviours were recorded for a week during their primary school final year and secondary school first year. Environmental supportiveness was evaluated using a Geographical Information System. Children attending both a primary and secondary school with a more supportive local environment were more likely to maintain active travel behaviours than those with less supportive environments. However, no trends were apparent with change in school supportiveness and change in physical activity. Policies that focus on the maintenance and uptake of active travel behaviours may help maintain children׳s physical activity levels into adolescence. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention to enhance implementation of a healthy canteen policy in Australian primary schools: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Nathan, Nicole; Yoong, Sze Lin; Sutherland, Rachel; Reilly, Kathryn; Delaney, Tessa; Janssen, Lisa; Robertson, Katie; Reynolds, Renee; Chai, Li Kheng; Lecathelinais, Christophe; Wiggers, John; Wolfenden, Luke

2016-10-07

The implementation of school nutrition policies, which govern the provision of food in schools, is recommended as a public health strategy to support the development of healthy dietary behaviours in school-aged children. Despite this, research internationally and in Australia indicates that few schools implement such policies. This study aims to examine whether a theoretically designed, multi-strategy intervention was effective in increasing the implementation of a healthy canteen policy in Australian primary schools. A parallel group randomised controlled trial was conducted with all government and Catholic primary schools within one region in New South Wales, Australia who had an operational canteen that provided food to primary school aged children (5-12 years) and were not currently receiving an intervention to change their canteen practices. Schools randomised to the intervention arm received a 9-month multicomponent intervention including ongoing support, provision of resources, performance monitoring and feedback, executive support and recognition. The primary outcomes were the proportion of the schools with a canteen menu that: i) did not include 'red' or 'banned' items according to the healthy canteen policy; and ii) had more than 50 % 'green' items. The primary outcome was assessed via menu audit at baseline and follow up by dietitians blinded to group allocation. Fifty-three eligible schools were randomised to either the intervention or control group (28 intervention; 25 control). Analyses with 51 schools who returned school menus found that intervention schools were significantly more likely relative to control schools to have a menu without 'red' or 'banned' items (RR = 5.78 (1.45-23.05); p = 0.002) and have at least 50 % of menu items classified as green (RR = 2.03 (1.01-4.08); p = 0.03). This study found that a multi-component intervention was effective in improving primary schools' compliance with a healthy canteen policy. Given the lack of evidence regarding how best to support schools with implementing evidence-based policies to improve child diet, this trial for the first time provides high quality evidence to practitioners and policy makers seeking to improve nutrition policy implementation in schools. This trial was prospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN12614001148662 ) 30th October 2014.

Lowering the Overhead by Raising the Roof ...and Other Rural Trust Strategies To Reduce the Costs of Your Small School. A Report from the Rural School and Community Trust.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Barbara Kent

Thirteen strategies are presented for reducing the costs of renovating or building a small school. Advice for getting started includes understanding the resistance to small schools, examining existing state policy, questioning the "schools within a school" approach, and planning ahead. The thirteen strategies are: (1) don't build one; (2) maintain…

An Examination of Primary School Attendance and Completion among Secondary School Age Adolescents in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moyi, Peter

2013-01-01

Sierra Leone was ravaged by a civil war between 1991 and 2002. Since the end of the war, it has witnessed an unprecedented increase in school enrollments. Although school enrollment has increased, the number of school age children who are out of school remains high. The focus of international agencies is on children of primary school age, yet a…

Indoor volatiles of primary school classrooms in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico, are attractants to Aedes aegypti females.

PubMed

Torres Estrada, José Luis; Ríos Delgado, Silvany Mayoly; Takken, Willem

2013-09-01

We determined the behavioral response of Aedes aegypti females to volatile compounds collected in indoor primary school classrooms. Volatiles were collected from classrooms from 0800 through 1030 h and 1130 through 1400 h in urban and rural schools in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. Female responses to volatiles were assessed in a Y-tube olfactometer. Chemical compounds were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analysis. Volatiles from both schools were attractive when compared against their control. When such volatiles were compared, those from the rural school were more attractive than the ones from the urban school. Chromatographic profiles were similar between schools; however, the rural school showed more compounds. Attraction of Ae. aegypti females toward volatiles of primary school classrooms might increase dengue transmission probabilities in those sites.

Epidemiology of school accidents during a six school-year period in one region in Poland.

PubMed

Sosnowska, Stefania; Kostka, Tomasz

2003-01-01

The aim of the study was to analyse the incidence of school accidents in relation to school size, urban/rural environment and conditions of physical education classes. 202 primary schools with nearly 50,000 students aged 7-15 years were studied during a 6-year period in the Włocławek region in Poland. There were in total 3274 school accidents per 293,000 student-years. Accidents during breaks (36.6%) and physical education (33.2%) were most common. Most frequently accidents took place at schoolyard (29.7%), gymnasium (20.2%), and in the corridor and stairs (25.2%). After adjustment for students' age and sex, student-staff ratio and duration of school hours, urban environment increased the probability of accident (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.14-1.38). Middle-size schools (8-23 classes) had similar accident rate as small schools (OR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.83-1.04), while schools with 24-32 classes (OR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.10-1.43) and with > or = 33 classes (OR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.17-1.58) had increased accident rate. Presence of a gymnasium was also associated with increased probability of accident (OR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.38-1.61). Urban environment, larger school-size and equipment with full-size gymnasium are important and independent risk factors for school accidents. These findings provide some new insights into the epidemiology of school-related accidents and may be useful information for the planning of strategies to reduce accident incidence in schools.

A Comparative Study of the Influence of Head Teachers Management Styles on Pupils Performance in KCPE in Public and Private Primary Schools in Nakuru Municipality, Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shibo, Margaret Nekesa

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the influence of management styles of head teacher's on pupils' performance in private and public primary schools in Nakuru municipality at Kenya Certificate of Primary Education level. The population comprised of teachers and head teachers in public primary schools. The study adopted the ex post facto…

Results of the 2013 National Resident Matching Program: family medicine.

PubMed

Biggs, Wendy S; Crosley, Philip W; Kozakowski, Stanley M

2013-10-01

The percentage of US seniors who chose primary care careers remains well below the nation's future workforce needs. Entrants into family medicine residency programs, along with their colleagues entering other primary care-designated residencies, will compose the primary care workforce of the future. Data in this article are collected from the 2013 National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Main Residency Match and the 2013 American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Medical Education Residency Census. The information provided includes the number of applicants to graduate medical education programs for the 2013--2014 academic year, specialty choice, and trends in specialty selection. Family medicine residency programs experienced a modest increase in both the overall fill rate as well as the number of positions filled with US seniors through the NRMP in 2013 in comparison to 2012. Other primary care fields, primary care internal medicine positions, pediatrics-primary care, and internal medicine-pediatrics programs also experienced modest increases in 2013. The 2013 NRMP results show a small increase in medical students choosing primary care careers for the fourth year in a row. Changes in the NRMP Match process in 2013 make a comparison to prior years' Match results difficult. Medical school admission changes, loan repayment, and improved primary care reimbursement may help increase the number of students pursuing family medicine.

The Good School Toolkit for reducing physical violence from school staff to primary school students: a cluster-randomised controlled trial in Uganda.

PubMed

Devries, Karen M; Knight, Louise; Child, Jennifer C; Mirembe, Angel; Nakuti, Janet; Jones, Rebecca; Sturgess, Joanna; Allen, Elizabeth; Kyegombe, Nambusi; Parkes, Jenny; Walakira, Eddy; Elbourne, Diana; Watts, Charlotte; Naker, Dipak

2015-07-01

Violence against children from school staff is widespread in various settings, but few interventions address this. We tested whether the Good School Toolkit-a complex behavioural intervention designed by Ugandan not-for-profit organisation Raising Voices-could reduce physical violence from school staff to Ugandan primary school children. We randomly selected 42 primary schools (clusters) from 151 schools in Luwero District, Uganda, with more than 40 primary 5 students and no existing governance interventions. All schools agreed to be enrolled. All students in primary 5, 6, and 7 (approximate ages 11-14 years) and all staff members who spoke either English or Luganda and could provide informed consent were eligible for participation in cross-sectional baseline and endline surveys in June-July 2012 and 2014, respectively. We randomly assigned 21 schools to receive the Good School Toolkit and 21 to a waitlisted control group in September, 2012. The intervention was implemented from September, 2012, to April, 2014. Owing to the nature of the intervention, it was not possible to mask assignment. The primary outcome, assessed in 2014, was past week physical violence from school staff, measured by students' self-reports using the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Child Abuse Screening Tool-Child Institutional. Analyses were by intention to treat, and are adjusted for clustering within schools and for baseline school-level means of continuous outcomes. The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01678846. No schools left the study. At 18-month follow-up, 3820 (92·4%) of 4138 randomly sampled students participated in a cross-sectional survey. Prevalence of past week physical violence was lower in the intervention schools (595/1921, 31·0%) than in the control schools (924/1899, 48·7%; odds ratio 0·40, 95% CI 0·26-0·64, p<0·0001). No adverse events related to the intervention were detected, but 434 children were referred to child protective services because of what they disclosed in the follow-up survey. The Good School Toolkit is an effective intervention to reduce violence against children from school staff in Ugandan primary schools. MRC, DfID, Wellcome Trust, Hewlett Foundation. Copyright © 2015 Devries et al. Open access article published under the terms of CC BY. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Small High Schools and Student Achievement: Lottery-Based Evidence from New York City. NBER Working Paper No. 19576

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdulkadiroglu, Atila; Hu, Weiwei; Pathak, Parag A.

2013-01-01

One of the most wideranging reforms in public education in the last decade has been the reorganization of large comprehensive high schools into small schools with roughly 100 students per grade. We use assignment lotteries embedded in New York City's high school match to estimate the effects of attendance at a new small high school on student…

Custodians of Silences? School Principal Perspectives on the Incidence and Nature of Homophobic Bullying in Primary Schools in Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrelly, Gerard; O'Higgins Norman, James; O'Leary, Michael

2017-01-01

The research reported in this paper sought to determine the level of awareness among school principals in primary schools in Ireland where homophobic bullying is concerned. International research has previously shown that school leaders as animators of school climate are often lacking in their responses to this type of bullying [Walton, G. 2004.…

Upper Primary Level History Teachers' Attitudes toward the Use of School Field Trips as an Educational Aid throughout Schools in Irbid First Education Directorate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menazel, Basil H.

2015-01-01

The study aimed to identify upper primary level History teachers' attitudes toward the use of school field trips as an educational aid throughout schools in the Irbid First Education Directorate, through exploring the importance of school field trips in the creation of an interactive atmosphere and to encourage school administration attitudes…

Exploring Primary Children's Views and Experiences of the School Ground: The Case of a Greek School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christidou, Vasilia; Tsevreni, Irida; Epitropou, Maria; Kittas, Constantinos

2013-01-01

The present study explores the use of a conventional school ground of a primary school and its potential as a space for creative play and environmental learning. Children's play behavior and views of the school ground are explored, as well as their vision for its improvement. The research constitutes part of a wider school ground project and was…

Parents' asthma information needs and preferences for school-based asthma support.

PubMed

Al Aloola, Noha Abdullah; Nissen, Lisa; Alewairdhi, Huda Abdullaziz; Al Faryan, Nawaf; Saini, Bandana

2017-11-01

This study sought to investigate parents' needs and preferences for school-based asthma support in Saudi Arabian primary schools. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted in the period between November 2015 and February 2016, with a convenience sample that comprised Saudi parents and carers of children with asthma. Recruitment of participants was primarily driven through Saudi primary schools; passive snowballing and social networks were used to boost participation rates further. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated and data were thematically organised using a latent content analysis approach. Twenty interviews were conducted. Six themes emerged from the interviews and were grouped into three major categories: (1) general asthma management issues; (2) school-based asthma management issues; and (3) communication dissatisfaction. Participants expressed concern at schools' social and physical environments and a lack of confidence in the ability of schools to manage their child's asthma, especially when their child was ill. Most of the participants advocated for staff training and school community engagement to improve the management of asthma in Saudi primary schools. This research clearly describes a need for school-based asthma support, including asthma-related policies, procedures and education on asthma and first aid in Saudi primary schools.

The Personal and Contextual Contributors to School Belongingness among Primary School Students

PubMed Central

Vaz, Sharmila; Falkmer, Marita; Ciccarelli, Marina; Passmore, Anne; Parsons, Richard; Tan, Tele; Falkmer, Torbjorn

2015-01-01

School belongingness has gained currency among educators and school health professionals as an important determinant of adolescent health. The current cross-sectional study presents the 15 most significant personal and contextual factors that collectively explain 66.4% (two-thirds) of the variability in 12-year old students’ perceptions of belongingness in primary school. The study is part of a larger longitudinal study investigating the factors associated with student adjustment in the transition from primary to secondary school. The study found that girls and students with disabilities had higher school belongingness scores than boys, and their typically developing counterparts respectively; and explained 2.5% of the variability in school belongingness. The majority (47.1% out of 66.4%) of the variability in school belongingness was explained by student personal factors, such as social acceptance, physical appearance competence, coping skills, and social affiliation motivation; followed by parental expectations (3% out of 66.4%), and school-based factors (13.9% out of 66.4%) such as, classroom involvement, task-goal structure, autonomy provision, cultural pluralism, and absence of bullying. Each of the identified contributors of primary school belongingness can be shaped through interventions, system changes, or policy reforms. PMID:25876074

Gender differences in the schooling experiences of adolescents in low-income countries: the case of Kenya.

PubMed

Mensch, B S; Lloyd, C B

1998-06-01

Although a growing proportion of young people is spending some time in school between puberty and marriage, little research on education in developing countries has been focused on adolescent issues. This article examines the school environment in Kenya and the ways it can help or hinder adolescents. Gender differences are considered with a view toward illuminating some factors that may present particular obstacles or opportunities for girls. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, 36 primary schools in rural areas in three districts of Kenya are studied. These schools are chosen to reflect the spectrum of school quality in the country. The focus in this study is on primary schools because the majority of adolescents in school attend primary school. In these schools, where considerable variation in performance and parental educational status is found, disorganization coexists with strict punishment, minimal comforts are lacking, learning materials are scare, learning is by rote, and sex education is not provided. In the primary-school-leaving exam, girls' performance is poorer than that of boys. Teachers' attitudes and behavior reveal lower expectations for adolescent girls, traditional assumptions about gender roles, and a double standard about sexual activity.

Using the Van Hiele theory to analyze primary school teachers' written work on geometrical proof problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jupri, A.

2018-05-01

The lack of ability of primary school teachers in deductive thinking, such as doing geometrical proof, is an indispensable issue to be dealt with. In this paper, we report on results of a three-step of the field document study. The study was part of a pilot study for improving deductive thinking ability of primary school teachers. First, we designed geometrical proof problems adapted from literature. Second, we administered an individual written test involving nine master students of primary education program, in which they are having experiences as primary school mathematics teachers. Finally, we analyzed the written work from the view of the Van Hiele theory. The results revealed that even if about the half of the teachers show ability in doing formal proof, still the rest provides inappropriate proving. For further investigation, we wonder whether primary school teachers would show better deductive thinking if the teaching of geometry is designed in a systematic and appropriate manner according to the Van Hiele theory.

The Effect of Organizational Citizenship Behaviours of Primary School Teachers on Their Burnout

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inandi, Yusuf; Buyukozkan, Ayse Sezin

2013-01-01

It was examined in this study whether organizational citizenship behaviours of primary school teachers predict the level of their burnout. Correlation and multi regression analysis were used for this. Survey model was used in this descriptive study. Data were collected from 1699 primary school teachers working in Mersin. Maslach Burnout Inventory…

Tablet Use in Primary Education: Adoption Hurdles and Attitude Determinants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Deursen, Alexander J. A. M.; ben Allouch, Somaya; Ruijter, Laura P.

2016-01-01

In the Netherlands, six primary schools recently participated in a pilot program, creating an educational environment in which children use a tablet PC. In these six schools, two studies are conducted. The first study highlights the process by which primary schools adopted tablet PCs by means of interviews based on diffusion of innovation theory.…

Motivational Trajectories for Early Language Learning across the Primary-Secondary School Transition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Suzanne; Courtney, Louise; Tonkyn, Alan; Marinis, Theodoros

2016-01-01

The transition from primary to secondary school is an area of concern across a range of curriculum subjects and this is no less so for foreign language learning. Indeed problems with transition have been identified in England as an important barrier to the introduction of language learning to the primary school curriculum, with implications for…