Citizenship in the Faroe Islands: Participant, Parochial or Colonial?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoff, Jens Villiam; West, Hallbera Frida

2008-01-01

to female representation in the Faroese parliament and in government, seems better explained by the relative remoteness of the islands from the Scandinavian political and cultural mainstream (the parochialism hypothesis). Also the fact that the Faroese are much less confident in speaking at public meetings...

Black Berets and the Berry Amendment: Politics, Parochialism, and the Press

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Zeller, William E

2006-01-01

.... It also demonstrates how politics and parochialism can affect an otherwise benign and insignificant procurement of one piece of military headgear and move it to the center of public and political...

Accountability Accentuates Interindividual-Intergroup Discontinuity by Enforcing Parochialism

OpenAIRE

Wildschut, T.; Van Horen, F.; Hart, C.

2015-01-01

Interindividual-intergroup discontinuity is the tendency for relations between groups to be more competitive than relations between individuals. We examined whether the discontinuity effect arises in part because group members experience normative pressure to favor the ingroup (parochialism). Building on the notion that accountability enhances normative pressure, we hypothesized that the discontinuity effect would be larger when accountability is present (compared to absent). A prisoner’s dil...

An experiment on individual ‘parochial altruism’ revealing no connection between individual ‘altruism’ and individual ‘parochialism’

Science.gov (United States)

Corr, Philip J.; Hargreaves Heap, Shaun P.; Seger, Charles R.; Tsutsui, Kei

2015-01-01

Is parochial altruism an attribute of individual behavior? This is the question we address with an experiment. We examine whether the individual pro-sociality that is revealed in the public goods and trust games when interacting with fellow group members helps predict individual parochialism, as measured by the in-group bias (i.e., the difference in these games in pro-sociality when interacting with own group members as compared with members of another group). We find that it is not. An examination of the Big-5 personality predictors of each behavior reinforces this result: they are different. In short, knowing how pro-social individuals are with respect to fellow group members does not help predict their parochialism. PMID:26347703

Activity of Russian Orthodox clergy in establishing parochial schools in the second half of XIX — the beginning of the XX century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ikonnikov Sergei

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The article analyses activity of parish clergy of Voronezh Diocese in the area of national education in the second half of XIX and the beginning of the XX century. On the basis of archival and published sources the author have made a thorough research on the contribution of Orthodox clergy to improving the literacy rate of population through establishment of church schools on the example of Voronezh Diocese. Overwhelming quantity of peasants had absolutely no education then. Deep-rooted superstitions and prejudices were widespread among the population of Voronezh region. Local selfgovernment institutions carried out establishing national schools, but their eff orts were not suffi cient. Moreover, teachers of national schools weren’t loyal to the traditional orthodox values, preferring to teach children new “progressive” ideas. Church authorities made deacon a staff member in tructure of Russian orthodox parishes to provide more eff ective work. In 1884, government of Alexander III appealed to the church to make better contribution to national education among peasant population of the Empire. The clergy were aware of importance of the newly established responsibilities and actively engaged in the work on opening church schools. Local pastors conducted the work to raise awareness of importance of basic ducation among peasants. This article analyzes the work of Voronezh Diocese Clergy on development church schools, discusses both the positive aspects of activity of parochial clergy and obvious defects. The author comes to the conclusion that the priests had made a signifi cant contribution to the development of public education despite the lack of support from the state, the rejection of church schools by zemstvo and the diffi culties associated with poor economic standing of the clergy.

An experiment on individual ‘parochial altruism’ revealing no connection between individual ‘altruism’ and individual ‘parochialism’

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Shaun eHargreaves Heap

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Is parochial altruism an attribute of individual behaviour? This is the question we address with an experiment. We examine whether the individual pro-sociality that is revealed in the public goods and trust games when interacting with fellow group members helps predict individual parochialism, as measured by the in-group bias (i.e., the difference in these games in pro-sociality when interacting with own group members as compared with members of another group. We find that it is not. An examination of the Big 5 personality predictors of each behaviour reinforces this result: they are different. In short, knowing how ‘nice’ individuals are with respect to fellow group members does not help predict their parochialism.

In intergroup conflict, self-sacrifice is stronger among pro-social individuals, and parochial altruism emerges especially among cognitively taxed individuals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Dreu, C.K.W.; Dussel, D.B.; ten Velden, F.S.

2015-01-01

Parochial altruism is decomposed in a tendency to benefit the in-group along with a tendency to ignore, derogate, and harm rivaling out-groups. Building off recent work suggesting that decisions to cooperate can be relatively fast and intuitive, we examine parochial altruism in intergroup conflict

Moral parochialism and contextual contingency across seven societies

Science.gov (United States)

Fessler, Daniel M. T.; Barrett, H. Clark; Kanovsky, Martin; Stich, Stephen; Holbrook, Colin; Henrich, Joseph; Bolyanatz, Alexander H.; Gervais, Matthew M.; Gurven, Michael; Kushnick, Geoff; Pisor, Anne C.; von Rueden, Christopher; Laurence, Stephen

2015-01-01

Human moral judgement may have evolved to maximize the individual's welfare given parochial culturally constructed moral systems. If so, then moral condemnation should be more severe when transgressions are recent and local, and should be sensitive to the pronouncements of authority figures (who are often arbiters of moral norms), as the fitness pay-offs of moral disapproval will primarily derive from the ramifications of condemning actions that occur within the immediate social arena. Correspondingly, moral transgressions should be viewed as less objectionable if they occur in other places or times, or if local authorities deem them acceptable. These predictions contrast markedly with those derived from prevailing non-evolutionary perspectives on moral judgement. Both classes of theories predict purportedly species-typical patterns, yet to our knowledge, no study to date has investigated moral judgement across a diverse set of societies, including a range of small-scale communities that differ substantially from large highly urbanized nations. We tested these predictions in five small-scale societies and two large-scale societies, finding substantial evidence of moral parochialism and contextual contingency in adults' moral judgements. Results reveal an overarching pattern in which moral condemnation reflects a concern with immediate local considerations, a pattern consistent with a variety of evolutionary accounts of moral judgement. PMID:26246545

Moral parochialism and contextual contingency across seven societies.

Science.gov (United States)

Fessler, Daniel M T; Barrett, H Clark; Kanovsky, Martin; Stich, Stephen; Holbrook, Colin; Henrich, Joseph; Bolyanatz, Alexander H; Gervais, Matthew M; Gurven, Michael; Kushnick, Geoff; Pisor, Anne C; von Rueden, Christopher; Laurence, Stephen

2015-08-22

Human moral judgement may have evolved to maximize the individual's welfare given parochial culturally constructed moral systems. If so, then moral condemnation should be more severe when transgressions are recent and local, and should be sensitive to the pronouncements of authority figures (who are often arbiters of moral norms), as the fitness pay-offs of moral disapproval will primarily derive from the ramifications of condemning actions that occur within the immediate social arena. Correspondingly, moral transgressions should be viewed as less objectionable if they occur in other places or times, or if local authorities deem them acceptable. These predictions contrast markedly with those derived from prevailing non-evolutionary perspectives on moral judgement. Both classes of theories predict purportedly species-typical patterns, yet to our knowledge, no study to date has investigated moral judgement across a diverse set of societies, including a range of small-scale communities that differ substantially from large highly urbanized nations. We tested these predictions in five small-scale societies and two large-scale societies, finding substantial evidence of moral parochialism and contextual contingency in adults' moral judgements. Results reveal an overarching pattern in which moral condemnation reflects a concern with immediate local considerations, a pattern consistent with a variety of evolutionary accounts of moral judgement. © 2015 The Authors.

Leveling up? An inter-neighborhood experiment on parochialism and the efficiency of multi-level public goods provision

OpenAIRE

Gallier, Carlo; Goeschl, Timo; Kesternich, Martin; Lohse, Johannes; Reif, Christiane; Römer, Daniel

2017-01-01

Many public goods can be provided at different spatial levels. Evidence from social identity theory and in-group favoritism raises the possibility that where higher-level provision is more efficient, subjects’ narrow concern for local outcomes (parochialism) could harm efficiency. Building on the experimental paradigm of multi-level public good games and the ‘neighborhood attachment’ concept, we conduct an artefactual field experiment with 600 participants in a setting conducive to parochial...

Humans are parochial altruists: neurocognitive foundations with implications for intergroup negotiation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Dreu, C.K.W.; Martinovski, B.

2013-01-01

Humans have a stunning capacity for cooperation yet, at the same time, create and escalate conflict with often devastating consequences. Here I argue that both tendencies -- to cooperate and to aggress -- can be understood as manifestations of parochial altruism--the tendency to benefit, at a cost

Helping Catholic Schools Is Everyone's Business.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Bruce S.

1994-01-01

Since the Archdiocese of New York has been forced to reduce Catholic school subsidies, parochial schools will have to become more self-sufficient, merge with nearby schools, or close forever. Because these schools tackle some of the poorest (non-Catholic) students, provide them with an affordable drug and crime-free environment, and are not…

A 'Scottish Poor Law of Lunacy'? Poor Law, Lunacy Law and Scotland's parochial asylums.

Science.gov (United States)

Farquharson, Lauren

2017-03-01

Scotland's parochial asylums are unfamiliar institutional spaces. Representing the concrete manifestation of the collision between two spheres of legislation, the Poor Law and the Lunacy Law, six such asylums were constructed in the latter half of the nineteenth century. These sites expressed the enduring mandate of the Scottish Poor Law 1845 over the domain of 'madness'. They were institutions whose very existence was fashioned at the directive of the local arm of the Poor Law, the parochial board, and they constituted a continuing 'Scottish Poor Law of Lunacy'. Their origins and operation significantly subverted the intentions and objectives of the Lunacy Act 1857, the aim of which had been to institute a public district asylum network with nationwide coverage.

Nearby, Well Known. The Parochial Realm of Neighborhoods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margarethe Kusenbach

2011-03-01

urba neighborhoods often fail to notice that their research areas are typically slices of the parochial realm, meaning a social territory that is not unique to cities but also common in suburbs and even small towns. Of course, there can be huge differences between an urban hood and a small town quarter yet both share important characteristics which some urban scholars overlook in their belief that city boundaries, density and diversity, or a certain look and feel guarantee the urban-ness of their research areas.

Accountability Accentuates Interindividual-Intergroup Discontinuity by Enforcing Parochialism.

Science.gov (United States)

Wildschut, Tim; van Horen, Femke; Hart, Claire

2015-01-01

Interindividual-intergroup discontinuity is the tendency for relations between groups to be more competitive than relations between individuals. We examined whether the discontinuity effect arises in part because group members experience normative pressure to favor the ingroup (parochialism). Building on the notion that accountability enhances normative pressure, we hypothesized that the discontinuity effect would be larger when accountability is present (compared to absent). A prisoner's dilemma game experiment supported this prediction. Specifically, intergroup (compared to interindividual) interaction activated an injunctive ingroup-favoring norm, and accountability enhanced the influence of this norm on competitive behavior.

Economic and evolutionary hypotheses for cross-population variation in parochialism

OpenAIRE

Daniel Jacob Hruschka; Joseph eHenrich

2013-01-01

Human populations differ reliably in the degree to which people favor family, friends and community members over strangers and outsiders. In the last decade, researchers have begun to propose several economic and evolutionary hypotheses for these cross-population differences in parochialism. In this paper, we outline major current theories and review recent attempts to test them. We also discuss the key methodological challenges in assessing these diverse economic and evolutionary theories...

The Law, the Student, and the Catholic School.

Science.gov (United States)

Permuth, Steve; And Others

Providing explanatory information regarding the legal principles and issues affecting Catholic school educators, this handbook summarizes student rights, contractual arrangements, and state and federal requirements as they apply to parochial schools. The legal issues involved in torts of negligence, including establishment and violation of…

Accountability Accentuates Interindividual—Intergroup Discontinuity by Enforcing Parochialism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim eWildschut

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Interindividual-intergroup discontinuity is the tendency for relations between groups to be more competitive than relations between individuals. We examined whether the discontinuity effect arises in part because group members experience normative pressure to favor the ingroup (parochialism. Building on the notion that accountability enhances normative pressure, we hypothesized that the discontinuity effect would be larger when accountability is present (compared to absent. A prisoner’s dilemma game experiment supported this prediction. Specifically, intergroup (compared to interindividual interaction activated an injunctive ingroup-favoring norm, and accountability enhanced the influence of this norm on competitive behavior.

Sisyphus in Appalachia: Pluralism vs. Parochialism in a Newly Established State University.

Science.gov (United States)

Biddle, James R.

In the mid-1980s, a community college in a parochial Appalachian town became a state university. The new university was created at the behest of a powerful state politician despite the opposition of the faculty, administration, and board of the community college. A college of education was created and an interdisciplinary general education program…

“An Attractive Idea of Parochial Boards of Trustees…” (based on the documents from Eastern Siberian dioceses dated 1914–1917

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Tatiana A. Kattsina

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The article is based on research literature and published sources and it reveals charity work of parochial boards of trustees in the beginning of the XXth century. The historical analysis is limited by Eastern Siberia, serving as an example of religious aspect of civic activity genesis in pre-revolutionary Russia. The importance of parochial boards of trustees in material and non-material support to soldiers and their families during World War I is described. The factors that reduced the opportunities of parochial boards of trustees are emphasized in the evaluation of useful and necessary function of the boards. The following conclusion is drawn: different conditions in which the activity of this or that board of trustees developed influenced the differences in budgets and measures of support they gave.

Promoting Healthy Behaviors in Children: Applying Ignatian Values in Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Misty; Lauglin, Ann; Connelly, Susan; Potthoff, Meghan; Synowiecki, Barbara; Yager, Amy

2013-01-01

An innovative partnership between a college of nursing and local parochial schools provided opportunities for nursing students to offer basic health promotion and disease prevention services, provide health education, and participate in a service-learning, research endeavor. This partnership provided the nursing school with the ability to…

Collective action in culturally similar and dissimilar groups: An axperiment on parochialism, conditional cooperation, and their linkages

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopmans, R.; Rebers, S.

2009-01-01

This study examines the effects of ingroup favoritism and outgroup hostility ("parochialism"), as well as of conditionally cooperative strategies, in explaining contributions to experimental public goods games. The experimental conditions vary group composition along two culturally inheritable

Renewal: Remaking America's Schools for the Twenty-First Century

Science.gov (United States)

Kwalwasser, Harold

2012-01-01

Harold Kwalwasser has put together a call to action for education reform that makes a clear case for what has to be done in order to educate all children to their full potential. He visited forty high-performing and transforming school districts, charters, parochial, and private schools to understand why they have succeeded where others have…

The evolutionary interplay of intergroup conflict and altruism in humans: a review of parochial altruism theory and prospects for its extension.

Science.gov (United States)

Rusch, Hannes

2014-11-07

Drawing on an idea proposed by Darwin, it has recently been hypothesized that violent intergroup conflict might have played a substantial role in the evolution of human cooperativeness and altruism. The central notion of this argument, dubbed 'parochial altruism', is that the two genetic or cultural traits, aggressiveness against the out-groups and cooperativeness towards the in-group, including self-sacrificial altruistic behaviour, might have coevolved in humans. This review assesses the explanatory power of current theories of 'parochial altruism'. After a brief synopsis of the existing literature, two pitfalls in the interpretation of the most widely used models are discussed: potential direct benefits and high relatedness between group members implicitly induced by assumptions about conflict structure and frequency. Then, a number of simplifying assumptions made in the construction of these models are pointed out which currently limit their explanatory power. Next, relevant empirical evidence from several disciplines which could guide future theoretical extensions is reviewed. Finally, selected alternative accounts of evolutionary links between intergroup conflict and intragroup cooperation are briefly discussed which could be integrated with parochial altruism in the future. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

The evolutionary interplay of intergroup conflict and altruism in humans: a review of parochial altruism theory and prospects for its extension

Science.gov (United States)

Rusch, Hannes

2014-01-01

Drawing on an idea proposed by Darwin, it has recently been hypothesized that violent intergroup conflict might have played a substantial role in the evolution of human cooperativeness and altruism. The central notion of this argument, dubbed ‘parochial altruism’, is that the two genetic or cultural traits, aggressiveness against the out-groups and cooperativeness towards the in-group, including self-sacrificial altruistic behaviour, might have coevolved in humans. This review assesses the explanatory power of current theories of ‘parochial altruism’. After a brief synopsis of the existing literature, two pitfalls in the interpretation of the most widely used models are discussed: potential direct benefits and high relatedness between group members implicitly induced by assumptions about conflict structure and frequency. Then, a number of simplifying assumptions made in the construction of these models are pointed out which currently limit their explanatory power. Next, relevant empirical evidence from several disciplines which could guide future theoretical extensions is reviewed. Finally, selected alternative accounts of evolutionary links between intergroup conflict and intragroup cooperation are briefly discussed which could be integrated with parochial altruism in the future. PMID:25253457

The Meanings of Hebrew: Defining Bilingual Education in a Dual-Language Charter School

Science.gov (United States)

Avni, Sharon

2015-01-01

Using a discourse analytic framework that draws on theories of language ideologies, this paper analyzes the semiotics of a heritage language as it moves from the context of parochial education to the realm of public schooling. Specifically, it examines how Hebrew undergoes resemioticization when a Hebrew language charter school in the District of…

School Disaffection in Countries of Conflict

Science.gov (United States)

Shumer, Robert

2005-01-01

The reasons why students stay away from school are varied and complex. They are even more complicated in countries where conflict and warfare make the educational and social environments more treacherous and unpredictable for young people and adults. This article examines the conditions surrounding school attendance in Israel, the Palestinian…

Schools and Civil Society: Corporate or Community Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Ranson, Stewart

2012-01-01

School improvement depends upon mediating the cultural conditions of learning as young people journey between their parochial worlds and the public world of cosmopolitan society. Governing bodies have a crucial role in including or diminishing the representation of different cultural traditions and in enabling or frustrating the expression of…

Provocative questions in parochial sex education classes: higher incidence in younger students.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Megan; Breuner, Cora C; Lozano, Paula

2008-10-01

Recent data show US adolescents are engaging in sexual activity at earlier ages; however, little is known about young teens' sexual attitudes and behaviors. Examining teens' questions in sex education classes may provide insight into these attitudes and behaviors. Quasi cohort study Parochial middle school sex education classes 5(th) through 8(th) graders Students' anonymous written questions submitted at the outset of sex education classes between 2003 and 2005. Questions were classified into topic categories. Three additional variables were then coded for each question. Ethics/guidance questions included requests for advice or value judgments. Prohibited questions included the topics homosexuality, abortion, masturbation, and contraception. "Red flag" questions were those that suggested consideration of or engagement in sexual behavior. Among 473 questions submitted by 410 students, the most popular topics for 5(th)/6(th) graders were pregnancy and puberty, and for 7(th)/8(th) graders puberty and menstruation. 41 questions (8.6%) were prohibited. 29 questions (6.2%) asked about ethics/guidance. 18 questions (3.81%) were coded as red flag questions. A chi-square analysis showed that 5(th)/6(th) graders asked more questions in the ethics/guidance (8.3% versus 3.64%) and red flag question categories (5.53% versus 1.82%) (P < 0.05) than 7(th)/8(th) graders. Although provocative questions represent a minority of these middle students' queries, these requests suggest the urgency of providing appropriate guidance to young teens, given the risks of early sexual activity. The role of school education programs, physicians and parents in addressing questions of this sort should be considered.

Between Scylla and Charybdis: How Catholic High School Leaders Negotiate the Polarities of Contemporary U.S. Culture within the Catholic Educational Market

Science.gov (United States)

Ferdinandt, Kevin William

2009-01-01

This qualitative, comparative case study involves a multi-faceted approach to how lay leaders in four different Catholic high schools brand their schools within a broader Catholic educational marketplace. As compared with the parochial era (1884-1965), the approach of Catholic high school administrators, campus ministers, department chairs, and…

Mental health provision in schools: approaches and interventions in 10 European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Patalay, P; Gondek, D; Moltrecht, B; Giese, L; Curtin, C; Stanković, M; Savka, N

2017-01-01

The role of schools in providing community-based support for children's mental health and well-being is widely accepted and encouraged. Research has mainly focused on designing and evaluating specific interventions and there is little data available regarding what provision is available, the focus and priorities of schools and the professionals involved in providing this support. The current study presents these data from schools in 10 European countries. Online survey of 1466 schools in France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, UK and Ukraine. The participating countries were chosen based on their geographical spread, diversity of political and economic systems, and convenience in terms of access to the research group and presence of collaborators. Schools reported having more universal provision than targeted provision and there was greater reported focus on children who already have difficulties compared with prevention of problems and promotion of student well-being. The most common interventions implemented related to social and emotional skills development and anti-bullying programmes. Learning and educational support professionals were present in many schools with fewer schools reporting involvement of a clinical specialist. Responses varied by country with 7.4-33.5% between-country variation across study outcomes. Secondary schools reported less support for parents and more for staff compared with primary schools, with private schools also indicating more staff support. Schools in rural locations reported less student support and professionals involved than schools in urban locations. The current study provides up-to-date and cross-country insight into the approaches, priorities and provision available for mental health support in schools; highlighting what schools prioritise in providing mental health support and where coverage of provision is lacking.

Organization of training and educational process in the church school of Transbaikalia at the end of 19 th - early 20 th century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volnina Natal'ia

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The articledeals with the problemsof the educationalandupbringing process inparochial schoolsin Transbaikalia in the late XIX - earlyXXcenturies.This type ofschoolswasthe most widespread on the territory ofthe Transbikalregion.Parochial schoolsplayed an importantrole in the culturaldevelopment of the regionin thelate XIX - earlyXX centuries, they became an integralpart of thehistorical andcultural process.The history of their formation, analysis of their activitiesareof great scientifi c andpractical interestfor the history of culture, education, religious studies.The author concludesthat theeducational processinparochial schoolswas organized in the form of unifiededucational system, aimedat religiousand moral education ofcomprehensively developed personality. According to “Regulations on the parochial schools” (1884, the main purpose of-such a school is“to approvethe orthodox doctrineof the Christianfaith and morals among people, andto transfer the initialuseful knowledge”.Therefore,the most important componentof the educational systemof church-maintained schoolswas the subjects ofpurely religious education, but comprehensiveeducational componentof church-maintained schoolswas notso narrow too, as evidenced bythe schools’ schedule. In addition tothe Law of God, Church Slavonic languageandchurch musicstudents learnedreading, writing, arithmetic, history, geography, calligraphy, Russianlanguage, drawing. In some schoolsvocational classesand societies of crafts, drawing, choral singing were created. Educational process wasbuildingon the basisof main requirementsof the educational programs, the content of whichwassaturatedand to some extend included detailedlesson plans. Eachsection of the programwas provided by the list ofmanuals andguidelines for teachers. The church-maintained schools were run by parish priest, trustees. Schoolswere often locatedin the homes ofclergymen, but many priestsnoted thatonly havingits own building, the

In Intergroup Conflict, Self-sacrifice is Stronger among Pro-social Individuals and Parochial Altruism Emerges specially among Cognitively Taxed Individuals

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Carsten K.W. De Dreu

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Parochial altruism is decomposed in a tendency to benefit the in-group along with a tendency to ignore, derogate, and harm rivaling out-groups. Building off recent work suggesting that decisions to cooperate can be relatively fast and intuitive, we examine parochial altruism in intergroup conflict when cognitive deliberation is rendered difficult or not. Predictions were tested in an experiment using an incentivized Intergroup Prisoner’s Dilemma—Maximizing Differences Game (IPD-MD with ninety-five subjects classified as either pro-social or pro-self being randomly allocated to high vs. low impulse-control conditions. Results showed, first of all, that decisions to contribute and self-sacrifice were made faster than decisions not to contribute, and that longer decision time associated with less positive expectations of in-group members. Second, we observed that lowering impulse control with a difficult rather than easy Stroop Task increased the amount contributed to a pool that benefited in-group members while harming out-group members; thus reducing deliberation increased parochial altruism. Finally, results replicated earlier work showing that especially pro-social (versus pro-self individuals contributed more to the in-group and did not lower their contributions to the between-group pool that benefitted their in-group and, simultaneously, hurt the out-group. This pattern emerged independent of their impulse control. Thus, (in-group bounded cooperation is more prominent among individuals with strong rather than weak other-regarding preferences. Moreover, the intuitive tendency to cooperate may have evolved in the context of intergroup conflict and therefore is sharp-edged—in-group bounded and including willingness to aggress out-groups.

School factors associated with socio-emotional development in Latin American Countries

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Murillo, F.Javier

2011-09-01

Full Text Available We present the results of an international research that intends to identify key factors associated with school and classroom socio-emotional achievement of Primary Education Students in Latin America countries. This Multilevel Study has been conducted with 4 analysis levels; we studied 5,603 students from 248 classrooms from 98 schools in 9 countries. We worked with 4 product socio-affective variables (self-concept, academic behaviour, social interaction and satisfaction with the school. The results showed a series of classroom and school factors that explain the socio-emotional development, consistent with those found in research on school effectiveness to cognitive factors.

Does Competition Really Bring Out the Worst? Testosterone, Social Distance and Inter-Male Competition Shape Parochial Altruism in Human Males

Science.gov (United States)

Diekhof, Esther Kristina; Wittmer, Susanne; Reimers, Luise

2014-01-01

Parochial altruism, defined as increased ingroup favoritism and heightened outgroup hostility, is a widespread feature of human societies that affects altruistic cooperation and punishment behavior, particularly in intergroup conflicts. Humans tend to protect fellow group members and fight against outsiders, even at substantial costs for themselves. Testosterone modulates responses to competition and social threat, but its exact role in the context of parochial altruism remains controversial. Here, we investigated how testosterone influences altruistic punishment tendencies in the presence of an intergroup competition. Fifty male soccer fans played an ultimatum game (UG), in which they faced anonymous proposers that could either be a fan of the same soccer team (ingroup) or were fans of other teams (outgroups) that differed in the degree of social distance and enmity to the ingroup. The UG was played in two contexts with varying degrees of intergroup rivalry. Our data show that unfair offers were rejected more frequently than fair proposals and the frequency of altruistic punishment increased with increasing social distance to the outgroups. Adding an intergroup competition led to a further escalation of outgroup hostility and reduced punishment of unfair ingroup members. High testosterone levels were associated with a relatively increased ingroup favoritism and also a change towards enhanced outgroup hostility in the intergroup competition. High testosterone concentrations further predicted increased proposer generosity in interactions with the ingroup. Altogether, a significant relation between testosterone and parochial altruism could be demonstrated, but only in the presence of an intergroup competition. In human males, testosterone may promote group coherence in the face of external threat, even against the urge to selfishly maximize personal reward. In that way, our observation refutes the view that testosterone generally promotes antisocial behaviors and

Emotion Locomotion: Promoting the Emotional Health of Elementary School Children by Recognizing Emotions

Science.gov (United States)

McLachlan, Debra A.; Burgos, Teresa; Honeycutt, Holly K.; Linam, Eve H.; Moneymaker, Laura D.; Rathke, Meghan K.

2009-01-01

Emotion recognition is a critical life skill children need for mental health promotion to meet the complexities and challenges of growing up in the world today. Five nursing students and their instructor designed "Emotion Locomotion," a program for children ages 6-8 during a public health nursing practicum for an inner-city parochial school.…

Compulsory Schooling Laws and Migration Across European Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Aparicio Fenoll, Ainhoa; Kuehn, Zoë

2017-12-01

Educational attainment is a key factor for understanding why some individuals migrate and others do not. Compulsory schooling laws, which determine an individual's minimum level of education, can potentially affect migration. We test whether and how increasing the length of compulsory schooling influences migration of affected cohorts across European countries, a context where labor mobility is essentially free. We construct a novel database that includes information for 31 European countries on compulsory education reforms passed between 1950 and 1990. Combining this data with information on recent migration flows by cohorts, we find that an additional year of compulsory education reduces the number of individuals from affected cohorts who migrate in a given year by 9 %. Our results rely on the exogeneity of compulsory schooling laws. A variety of empirical tests indicate that European legislators did not pass compulsory education reforms as a reaction to changes in emigration rates or educational attainment.

Students’ sense of belonging at school in 41 countries: cross-cultural variability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chiu, M.M.; Chow, B.W.Y.; McBride, C.; Mol, S.T.

2016-01-01

This study examined whether students’ sense of belonging at school (SOBAS) differed across attributes of countries, families, schools, teachers, or students. Multilevel analyses of survey and test data from 193,073 15-year-old students in 41 countries yielded four main findings. First, students in

The Effects of Maternal Parenting Style and Religious Commitment on Self-Regulation, Academic Achievement, and Risk Behavior among African-American Parochial College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Abar, Beau; Carter, Kermit L.; Winsler, Adam

2009-01-01

This study explored relations between religiosity, both parent and student, and maternal parenting style and student academic self-regulation, academic achievement, and risk behavior among African-American youth attending a parochial college. Eighty-five students completed self-report survey measures of religiosity, self-regulation, academic…

New Literacies, Multiple Literacies, Unlimited Literacies: What Now, What Next, Where to? A Response to "Blue Listerine, Parochialism and ASL Literacy"

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Peter V.

2006-01-01

This article is a response to "Blue Listerine, Parochialism, and ASL Literacy" (Czubek, 2006). The author presents his views on the concepts of literacy and the new and multiple literacies. In addition, the merits of print literacy and other types of literacies are discussed. Although the author agrees that there is an American Sign…

Comparison of clinical practice education in dental hygiene schools in eight countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Inukai, Junko; Sakurai, Miwa; Nakagaki, Haruo

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVES: The profession of dental hygienist is one of the few in which the primary function of the practitioner is to prevent oral disease and to promote the well-being of patients. The aim of this study was to investigate clinical training conditions in schools of dental hygiene in eight coun...... are trained to perform local anaesthesia and to fill and extract deciduous teeth although the country does not have a specific qualification system. CONCLUSIONS: The contents of clinical training and education in schools of dental hygiene differ greatly among countries....... countries (the USA, Canada, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Thailand, South Korea and Japan). METHODS: In 2006, we sent out a questionnaire in which we asked dental hygiene schools about how they educate dental hygiene students. RESULTS: The techniques taught to students in schools in Western industrialised...

A Review Of Nutritional Guidelines And Menu Compositions For School Feeding Programs In 12 Countries.

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Ruzky eAliyar

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Study objectives: To analyze the nutritional guidelines and menu compositions of school meal provision in various different countries.Background: School feeding is the provision of food on-site or to take home, which aims to increase school enrolment, attendance and retention, and exist as a social safety net for households with very low income. Home-grown school feeding (HGSF, additionally, aims to stimulate local economies by providing a source of income for local smallholder farmers. Methods: Literature searches using the Ovid MEDLINE databases, gathered information from in-country stakeholders, and accessed the programme websites of various countries. Nutrient composition of these menus was calculated from nutritional guidelines and menu compositions using a nutrition linear programming tool (NUTVAL.Country comparisons: School feeding aims differ between countries of each income group. The implementation, delivery of service and nutritional content of foods also differ considerably between countries and income groups. In high-income countries, guidelines and standards have been recommended in an attempt to combat rising levels of overweight and obesity, and to model healthier lifestyle habits. In low-income countries there is a gap in terms of guidance on nutrition standards and menu composition.Conclusions: Provision of evidence-based guidance on nutrition standards to middle and low income countries who have recently established or are planning to establish school feeding has the potential to greatly enhance and improve the quality of service and improve the life of millions of children worldwide.

Acculturation, Dietary Practices and Risk for Childhood Obesity in an Ethnically Heterogeneous Population of Latino School Children in the San Francisco Bay Area

OpenAIRE

Wojcicki, Janet M.; Schwartz, Norah; Jiménez-Cruz, Arturo; Bacardi-Gascon, Montserrat; Heyman, Melvin B.

2012-01-01

Previous studies have found increased acculturation to the US lifestyle increases risk for obesity in Latinos. However, methodologies differ, and results in children are inconsistent. Moreover, previous studies have not evaluated risk factors within the heterogeneous US population. We recruited 144 self-identified Latino school children and their mother or father in grades 4–6 in San Francisco parochial schools and South San Francisco public schools using an information letter distributed to ...

Standardised Testing and Assessment in Comprehensive School in Scandinavian Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Karen Egedal; Eva, Hjörne,

Assessments can be considered to be an integrated part of formal educational settings, in different forms and used for different purposes. In this contribution we will discuss and analyse the use of assessments in comprehensive school in Scandinavian countries through time, as we will include....... If the comprehensive school is based on the general idea of a school for all, how can different ways of practising assessment support or work against this idea? What conclusions can be drawn from the experiences in the Scandinavian countries?...... different kinds of documentary and empirical studies in the argumentation. We will focus on which kinds of assessments has been used, for which purposes and the role of this in the perspective of society. More contemporary trends will be discussed, specially the use of standardised testing. Scandinavian...

Oral hygiene practices among middle-school students in 44 low- and middle-income countries.

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McKittrick, Terence R; Jacobsen, Kathryn H

2014-06-01

To examine the frequency of toothbrushing or cleaning among middle school students from 44 low- and middle-income countries. Secondary analysis of nationally representative data from 146,462 middle school students who participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) between 2003 and 2010. In 39 of the 44 countries, more than 80% of students reported brushing or cleaning their teeth at least once each day. In 23 countries, more than 5% of participants reported brushing their teeth less than once a day or never. In 37 countries, boys reported a significantly lower frequency of toothbrushing or cleaning than did girls. Countries where miswak (chewing stick) use is common reported lower toothbrushing or cleaning frequency, perhaps because the questionnaire item did not clarify that this counts as a form of tooth cleaning. School-based dental health education programmes that target early adolescents may help students to develop habits that improve their immediate and long-term health. © 2014 FDI World Dental Federation.

Educational Quality Differences in a Middle-Income Country: The Urban-Rural Gap in Malaysian Primary Schools

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Othman, Mariam; Muijs, Daniel

2013-01-01

Shortcomings of educational quality in rural schools remain a key focus in the literature related to developing countries. This paper studies whether rural primary schools in Malaysia, an upper middle-income developing country, are still experiencing lower levels of educational resources, school climate, school leadership, and parental involvement…

The Effect of Schooling on Basic Cognition in Selected Nordic Countries

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Bert Jonsson

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The present study investigated schooling effects on cognition. Cognitive data were collected as part of a research project (ProMeal that investigated school meals and measured the intake of school lunch in relation to children’s health, cognitive function, and classroom learning in four Nordic countries, among children between 10–11 years of age. It was found that Finnish pupils attending 4th grade were not, on any measure, outperformed by Norwegian and Icelandic pupils attending 5th and Swedish pupils attending 4th grade on a task measuring working memory capacity, processing speed, inhibition, and in a subsample on response- and attention control. Moreover, boys were found to perform superior to girls on tasks measuring processing speed. However, girls were found to perform better on tasks related to attention and self-control. The results are discussed in relation to the reciprocal association between cognition and schooling and whether these results reflect quality differences between schools in the four Nordic countries; most notably in comparison to Finland.

Country, School and Students Factors Associated with Extreme Levels of Science Literacy Across 25 Countries

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Alivernini, F.; Manganelli, S.

2015-08-01

A huge gap in science literacy is between students who do not show the competencies that are necessary to participate effectively in life situations related to science and technology and students who have the skills which would give them the potential to create new technology. The objective of this paper is to identify, for 25 countries, distinct subgroups of students with characteristics that appear to be associated with this proficiency gap. Data were based on the answers of 46,131 PISA 2006 students with scores classified below level 2 or above level 4, as well as the answers of their principals to school questionnaire and the OECD indicators of the financial and human resources invested in education at the national level for secondary school. The dependent variable of the analysis was a dichotomous variable the values of which represent the two different groups of students. The independent variables were the OECD indicators, and the items and indices derived from the student and school questionnaires. The analysis was based on classification trees and the findings were replicated and extended by the means of a multilevel logistic regression model. The results show that very specific levels of teachers' salaries, parental pressure on schools, school size, awareness of environmental issues, science self-efficacy and socio-economic status have a very important role in predicting whether 15 year olds in OECD countries will belong to the lower or the highest proficiency groups as regards their aptitude in the context of life situations involving problems of a scientific nature.

Affective, parochial or innovative? Aleppo traders on the margin of global capitalism

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Annika Rabo

2012-02-01

Full Text Available This article scrutinizes three different, and possible, ways to depict traders in contemporary Aleppo. They can be seen as sharing a distinct culture, as representatives of the petite bourgeoisie, or as examples of entrepreneurs. While all these approaches tell us something about the Aleppo traders, these approaches have great limitations, not least since the latter two – each in its own way – are utility-oriented. It is, I will rather argue, important to analyze Aleppo traders as affective, parochial and innovative, at the same time. Although Aleppo traders find themselves on the margins of global capitalism, they can, in fact, be studied in order to understand salient features of the contemporary world. We have a new affective economy where personalities, emotions and sensibilities are put on the market. The article is based on material collected during social anthropological fieldwork in Aleppo between 1997 and 2003, but mainly carried out in 1998-1999.

Intraclass correlation values for adolescent health outcomes in secondary schools in 21 European countries

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N. Shackleton

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Cluster randomised controlled trials (CRCTs are increasingly used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for improving health. A key feature of CRCTs is that individuals in clusters are often more alike than individuals in different clusters, irrespective of treatment. This similarity within clusters needs to be taken into account when planning CRCTs to obtain adequate sample sizes, and when analysing clustered data to obtain correct estimates. Methods: Nationally representative data from 15 to 16 year olds were analysed, from 21 of the 35 countries that participated in the 2007 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs. Within country school level intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs were calculated for substance use (self-reported alcohol use, regular alcohol use, binge drinking, any smoking, regular smoking, and illicit drug use and psychosocial health (depressive mood and self-esteem. Unadjusted and adjusted ICCs are presented. ICCs are adjusted for student sex and socioeconomic status. Results: ICCs ranged from 0.01 to 0.21, with the highest (0.21 reported for regular smoking. Within country school level ICCs varied substantially across health outcomes, and among countries for the same health outcomes. Estimated ICCs were consistently higher for substance use (range 0.01–0.21, than for psychosocial health (range 0.01–0.07. Within country ICCs for health outcomes varied by changes in the measurement of particular health outcomes, for example the ICCs for regular smoking (range 0.06–0.21 were higher than those for having smoked at all in the last month (range 0.03–0.17. Conclusions: For school level ICCs to be effectively utilised in informing sample size requirements for CRCTs and adjusting estimates from meta-analyses, the school level ICCs need to be both country and outcome specific. Keywords: Intra-class correlation, Schools, Adolescents, Substance use, Mental health

Is Child Labor a Barrier to School Enrollment in Low- and Middle-Income Countries?

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Putnick, Diane L.; Bornstein, Marc H.

2015-01-01

Achieving universal primary education is one of the Millennium Development Goals. In low- and middle-income developing countries (LMIC), child labor may be a barrier. Few multi-country, controlled studies of the relations between different kinds of child labor and schooling are available. This study employs 186,795 families with 7- to 14-year-old children in 30 LMIC to explore relations of children’s work outside the home, family work, and household chores with school enrollment. Significant negative relations emerged between each form of child labor and school enrollment, but relations were more consistent for family work and household chores than work outside the home. All relations were moderated by country and sometimes by gender. These differentiated findings have nuanced policy implications. PMID:26034342

School Facilities and Student Achievement in Industrial Countries: Evidence from the TIMSS

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Hopland, Arnt O.

2013-01-01

This paper studies the link between school facilities (buildings and grounds) and student achievement in eight countries using data from the TIMSS 2003 database. The results indicate a negative relationship, but the estimated coefficients are mainly insignificant. Interestingly, the coefficients differ heavily across countries. Whereas there seem…

Experiences of School Principals with Newcomers from War-Affected Countries in Africa

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Okoko, Janet Mola

2011-01-01

This article is based on the results of an exploratory study of experiences of 2 urban school principals about leading schools with immigrants from war-affected countries in Africa. It examines how they perceived their preparation for multicultural leadership, and explores lessons that leadership development institutions can learn from their…

Low-Fee Private Schools in England and in Less Economically Developed Countries. What Can Be Learnt from a Comparison?

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Walford, Geoffrey

2011-01-01

There has been a growing amount of research on low-fee private schools in less economically developed countries, but much less on low-fee private schools in developed countries. Yet, low-fee private schools have also been a recent feature of the educational landscape in countries such as Canada, the USA, Australia and Great Britain. This paper…

Mental health provision in schools: approaches and interventions in 10 European countries

OpenAIRE

Patalay, P.; Gondek, D.; Moltrecht, B.; Giese, L.; Curtin, C.; Stankovi?, M.; Savka, N.

2017-01-01

Background. The role of schools in providing community-based support for children's mental health and well-being is widely accepted and encouraged. Research has mainly focused on designing and evaluating specific interventions and there is little data available regarding what provision is available, the focus and priorities of schools and the professionals involved in providing this support. The current study presents these data from schools in 10 European countries. Methods. Online survey of...

A pilot study on acoustic regulations for schools – Comparison between selected countries in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Birgit; Guigou-Carter, Catherine

2016-01-01

of descriptors and limit values for acoustic requirements. The paper includes examples of acoustic regulations for schools, including specific sound insulation requirements on airborne and impact sound insulation, limit values for noise from traffic and from service equipment and in addition on reverberation......Acoustic regulations for schools exist in most countries in Europe, the main reasons being improving learning conditions for pupils and work conditions for teachers. As a pilot study, comparison between requirements in selected countries in Europe has been carried out. The findings show a diversity...... time for class rooms. Furthermore, the discrepancies between countries are being discussed and some priorities for adjusting acoustic regulations in some countries indicated....

Immigrant Students’ Emotional and Cognitive Engagement at School: A Multilevel Analysis of Students in 41 countries

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Chiu, Ming Ming; Pong, Suet-ling; Mori, Izumi; Chow, Bonnie Wing-Yin

2014-01-01

Central to student learning and academic success, the school engagement of immigrant children also reflects their adaptation to a primary institution in their new country. Analysis of questionnaire responses of 276,165 fifteen-year-olds (50 % female) and their 10,789 school principals in 41 countries showed that school engagement has distinct, weakly-linked cognitive and emotional components. Native students had weaker attitudes toward school (cognitive engagement) but greater sense of belonging at school (emotional engagement) than immigrant students or students who spoke a foreign language at home. Students with better teacher–student relationships, teacher support or a classroom disciplinary climate often had a greater sense of belonging at school and had better attitudes toward school than other students. While immigrant students often have solid attitudes toward school, teachers can help them feel a greater sense of belonging at school. PMID:22484548

Development of School Achievement in the Nordic Countries during Half a Century

Science.gov (United States)

Gustafsson, Jan-Eric; Blömeke, Sigrid

2018-01-01

The aim is to describe the development of achievement in compulsory school in the Nordic countries from the 1960s. The study relies on published results concerning literacy and numeracy from the international large-scale assessments between 1964 and 2012. Among others, the following conclusions are drawn: (1) for most countries, a small but…

Infant feeding and school attainment in five cohorts from low- and middle-income countries.

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Horta, Bernardo L; Bas, Abet; Bhargava, Santosh K; Fall, Caroline H D; Feranil, Alan; de Kadt, Julia; Martorell, Reynaldo; Richter, Linda M; Stein, Aryeh D; Victora, Cesar G

2013-01-01

Performance in intelligence tests tends to be higher among individuals breastfed as infants, but little is known about the association between breastfeeding and achieved schooling. We assessed the association of infant feeding with school achievement in five cohorts from low- and middle-income countries. Unlike high-income country settings where most previous studies come from, breastfeeding is not positively associated with socioeconomic position in our cohorts, thus reducing the likelihood of a spurious positive association. Participants included 10,082 young adults from five birth cohorts (Brazil, India, Guatemala, the Philippines, and South Africa). The exposures variables were whether the subject was ever breastfed, total duration of breastfeeding, and age at introduction of complementary foods. We adjusted the estimates for age at follow up, sex, maternal age, smoking during pregnancy, birthweight and socioeconomic position at birth. The key outcome was the highest grade achieved at school. In unadjusted analyses, the association between ever breastfeeding and schooling was positive in Brazil, inverse in the Philippines, and null in South Africa; in adjusted analyses, these associations were attenuated. In Brazil, schooling was highest among individuals breastfed for 3-12 months whereas in the Philippines duration of breastfeeding was inversely associated with schooling; and null associations were observed in South Africa and Guatemala. These associations were attenuated in adjusted models. Late introduction of solid foods was associated with lower schooling achievement in Brazil and South Africa. Measures of breastfeeding are not consistently related to schooling achievement in contemporary cohorts of young adults in lower and middle-income countries.

Infant feeding and school attainment in five cohorts from low- and middle-income countries.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernardo L Horta

Full Text Available Performance in intelligence tests tends to be higher among individuals breastfed as infants, but little is known about the association between breastfeeding and achieved schooling. We assessed the association of infant feeding with school achievement in five cohorts from low- and middle-income countries. Unlike high-income country settings where most previous studies come from, breastfeeding is not positively associated with socioeconomic position in our cohorts, thus reducing the likelihood of a spurious positive association.Participants included 10,082 young adults from five birth cohorts (Brazil, India, Guatemala, the Philippines, and South Africa. The exposures variables were whether the subject was ever breastfed, total duration of breastfeeding, and age at introduction of complementary foods. We adjusted the estimates for age at follow up, sex, maternal age, smoking during pregnancy, birthweight and socioeconomic position at birth. The key outcome was the highest grade achieved at school. In unadjusted analyses, the association between ever breastfeeding and schooling was positive in Brazil, inverse in the Philippines, and null in South Africa; in adjusted analyses, these associations were attenuated. In Brazil, schooling was highest among individuals breastfed for 3-12 months whereas in the Philippines duration of breastfeeding was inversely associated with schooling; and null associations were observed in South Africa and Guatemala. These associations were attenuated in adjusted models. Late introduction of solid foods was associated with lower schooling achievement in Brazil and South Africa.Measures of breastfeeding are not consistently related to schooling achievement in contemporary cohorts of young adults in lower and middle-income countries.

The importance of Evolutionary Medicine in developing countries: A case for Pakistan's medical schools.

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Enam, Syed Faaiz; Hashmi, Shumaila

2018-01-01

Evolutionary Medicine (EM) is a fundamental science exploring why our bodies are plagued with disease and hindered by limitations. EM views the body as an assortment of benefits, mistakes, and compromises molded over millennia. It highlights the role of evolution in numerous diseases encountered in community and family medicine clinics of developing countries. It enables us to ask informed questions and develop novel responses to global health problems. An understanding of the field is thus crucial for budding doctors, but its study is currently limited to a handful of medical schools in high-income countries. For the developing world, Pakistan's medical schools may be excellent starting posts as the country is beset with communicable and non-communicable diseases that are shaped by evolution. Remarkably, Pakistani medical students are open to studying and incorporating EM into their training. Understanding the principles of EM could empower them to tackle growing health problems in the country. Additionally, some difficulties that western medical schools face in integrating EM into their curriculum may not be a hindrance in Pakistan. We propose solutions for the remaining challenges, including obstinate religious sentiments. Herein, we make the case that incorporating EM is particularly important in developing countries such as Pakistan and that it is achievable in its medical student body.

Multi-Country, Cross-National Comparison of Youth Suicide Ideation: Findings from Global School-Based Health Surveys

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Page, Randy M.; Saumweber, Jacqueline; Hall, P. Cougar; Crookston, Benjamin T.; West, Joshua H.

2013-01-01

This study describes the prevalence of suicide ideation in 109 Global School-based Health Surveys (GSHS) conducted from 2003-2010 representing 49 different countries and 266,694 school-attending students aged 13-15 years primarily living in developing areas of the World. Prevalence of suicide ideation varied widely among and between countries,…

Environmental health assessment of primary schools in southeastern Nigeria: implication for a healthy school environment in developing countries.

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Ezeonu, C T; Anyansi, M N

2010-01-01

In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we used a validated school health program evaluation scale (SHPE) to assess the environmental health status of primary schools in Ebonyi State, southeastern Nigeria. Parameters assessed included water supply, sewage and refuse disposal, school building ventilation, lighting and seating, as well as the availability of toilet tissue, basins for washing hands, regular cleaning of toilets, and so forth. Of all the schools assessed, only two schools, both private, attained the minimum acceptable SHPE score of 57. The mean SHPE score of the private schools (50.40) was significantly higher than that of the public schools (28.69) (t-test, p=.00). Policy reforms are needed that would ensure a healthy primary school environment in Nigeria and in other developing countries with similar settings.

The academic effects of after-school paid and unpaid work among 14-year-old students in TIMSS countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Post, David; Pong, Suet-Ling

2009-01-01

What it means to be a 'student' varies within and between countries. Apart from the wide variety of school types and school quality that is experienced by young people, there also is, accompanying increased rates of school participation, a growing population of students who work part-time. The theoretical and actual consequences of student work have long been in dispute. This article reformulates the dispute as an empirical question that can be addressed using cross-national testing data and student background information from the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS). Drawing information from 20 countries with distinctive proportions of students who reported paid and unpaid work, this study first compares their academic achievement in each country. Next, regression analysis is used to control for students' home resources, and estimates are made of the effects of work and the differences in these effects cross-nationally. Finally, hierarchical linear models are estimated in each country so as to control for school effects, and to take into account the fact that working students may be clustered in lower-achieving schools. The results show that work after school, whether paid or unpaid, never positively affects academic achievement. However, after controlling for home resources and school effects, work negatively affects achievement only in certain countries. The article concludes with a discussion of the ways to interpret international differences in the effect of students' work.

School and teacher factors associated with frequency of ICT use by mathematics teachers: country comparisons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pelgrum, W.J.; Voogt, Joke

2009-01-01

This paper explores school and teacher factors that are associated with the frequency of use of ICT by mathematics teachers. The SITES 2006 data base was used to compare countries with a relative high percentage of frequently ICT-using mathematics teachers (HIMA countries) with countries with a

Mental health provision in schools: priority, facilitators and barriers in 10 European countries

OpenAIRE

Patalay, P.; Giese, L.; Stanković, M.; Curtin, C.; Moltrecht, B.; Gondek, D.

2016-01-01

Background: Although schools are a key setting for the provision of mental health support for young people, little is known about the facilitators and barriers for providing such support. This study aimed to collect information from schools in 10 European countries regarding the priority given to mental health support for students, existence of a mental health-related school policy, links with relevant external agencies, schools’ perceptions on whether they are providing sufficient mental hea...

Income Inequality or Performance Gap? A Multilevel Study of School Violence in 52 Countries.

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Contreras, Dante; Elacqua, Gregory; Martinez, Matias; Miranda, Álvaro

2015-11-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the association between income inequality and school violence and between the performance inequality and school violence in two international samples. The study used data from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2011 and from the Central Intelligence Agency of United States which combined information about academic performance and students' victimization (physical and social) for 269,456 fourth-grade students and 261,747 eighth-grade students, with gross domestic product and income inequality data in 52 countries. Ecological correlations tested associations between income inequality and victimization and between school performance inequality and victimization among countries. Multilevel ordinal regression and multilevel regression analyses tested the strength of these associations when controlling for socioeconomic and academic performance inequality at school level and family socioeconomic status and academic achievement at student level. Income inequality was associated with victimization rates in both fourth and eighth grade (r ≈ .60). Performance inequality shows stronger association with victimization among eighth graders (r ≈ .46) compared with fourth graders (r ≈ .30). Multilevel analyses indicate that both an increase in the income inequality in the country and school corresponds with more frequent physical and social victimization. On the other hand, an increase in the performance inequality at the system level shows no consistent association to victimization. However, school performance inequality seems related to an increase in both types of victimizations. Our results contribute to the finding that income inequality is a determinant of school violence. This result holds regardless of the national performance inequality between students. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Can Social-Emotional Learning Reduce School Dropout in Developing Countries?

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Wang, Huan; Chu, James; Loyalka, Prashant; Xin, Tao; Shi, Yaojiang; Qu, Qinghe; Yang, Chu

2016-01-01

An alarming number of students drop out of junior high school in developing countries. In this study, we examine the impacts of providing a social-emotional learning (SEL) program on the dropout behavior and learning anxiety of students in the first two years of junior high. We do so by analyzing data from a randomized controlled trial involving…

The Experiences of Host Country Nationals in International Schools: A Case-Study from Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Lucy

2015-01-01

Although there has been considerable research into expatriate children attending international schools, there has been little investigation into children who attend international schools within their own nation. Seeking to redress this imbalance, this article analyses interview data from a small-scale study of host country nationals attending an…

ASSOCIATION OF ISOMETRIC STRENGTH OF HIP AND KNEE MUSCLES WITH INJURY RISK IN HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS.

Science.gov (United States)

Luedke, Lace E; Heiderscheit, Bryan C; Williams, D S Blaise; Rauh, Mitchell J

2015-11-01

High school cross country runners have a high incidence of overuse injuries, particularly to the knee and shin. As lower extremity strength is modifiable, identification of strength attributes that contribute to anterior knee pain (AKP) and shin injuries may influence prevention and management of these injuries. To determine if a relationship existed between isometric hip abductor, knee extensor and flexor strength and the incidence of AKP and shin injury in high school cross country runners. Sixty-eight high school cross country runners (47 girls, 21 boys) participated in the study. Isometric strength tests of hip abductors, knee extensors and flexors were performed with a handheld dynamometer. Runners were prospectively followed during the 2014 interscholastic cross country season for occurrences of AKP and shin injury. Bivariate logistic regression was used to examine risk relationships between strength values and occurrence of AKP and shin injury. During the season, three (4.4%) runners experienced AKP and 13 (19.1%) runners incurred a shin injury. Runners in the tertiles indicating weakest hip abductor (chi-square = 6.140; p=0.046), knee extensor (chi-square = 6.562; p=0.038), and knee flexor (chi-square = 6.140; p=0.046) muscle strength had a significantly higher incidence of AKP. Hip and knee muscle strength was not significantly associated with shin injury. High school cross country runners with weaker hip abductor, knee extensor and flexor muscle strength had a higher incidence of AKP. Increasing hip and knee muscle strength may reduce the likelihood of AKP in high school cross country runners. 2b.

Country-level and individual correlates of overweight and obesity among primary school children: a cross-sectional study in seven European countries

OpenAIRE

Olaya, Beatriz; Moneta, Maria Victoria; Pez, Ondine; Bitfoi, Adina; Carta, Mauro Giovanni; Eke, Ceyda; Goelitz, Dietmar; Keyes, Katherine M.; Kuijpers, Rowella; Lesinskienė, Sigita; Mihova, Zlatka; Otten, Roy; Fermanian, Christophe; Haro, Josep Maria; Kovess, Viviane

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: The present study aims to estimate childhood overweight and obesity prevalence and their association with individual and population-level correlates in Eastern and Western European countries. METHODS: Data were obtained from the School Children Mental Health in Europe, a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2010 in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Turkey. The sample consists of 5,206 school children aged 6 to 11 years old. Information on socio-demog...

Outline of deaf schools on the level throughout the country : A study on architectural planning for the deaf school Part 1

OpenAIRE

平根, 孝光

1993-01-01

This paper is to make clear in outline of deaf schools on the level throughout the country in 1990s. The factors might supposedly exhibit the characteristics of deaf schools are as follows : 1) In deaf schools which have 4 departments and in which early-age education for such children of no less than 3 years of age is executed, babies, young children, children, and juveniles whose age cover a wide renge from 0 to 21 study in a same school, where great gaps are evidently noticed in such people...

AIDS risk among students attending Seventh-day Adventist school, in North America.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, G L; Hopp, J W; Marshak, H P; Neish, C; Rhoads, G

1998-04-01

In 1995, a survey was conducted among students attending 69 Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) high schools within the United States and Canada. The survey assessed the extent that these students practiced sexual and drug-use behaviors which place them at risk for contracting or transmitting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A total of 1,748 respondents enrolled in grades 9 through 12 completed questionnaires similar to the instrument used in the 1993 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Data were collected and compared to results from the 1993 YRBS. Students who attended SDA parochial schools reported lower rates of sexual intercourse compared to YRBS school counterparts (16.3% vs. 53.1%) and lower rates of all substances measured. Furthermore, respondents were more likely to engage in substance use and sexual intercourse if they had at least one parent who used tobacco, alcohol, or marijuana, as reported by the students.

Bullying victimization among 13 to 15-year-old school children: results from two comparative studies in 66 countries and regions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Due, Pernille; Holstein, Bjørn Evald

2008-01-01

AIM: to examine the prevalence of bullying victimization in 66 countries and territories from five continents based on data from two large international surveys: the 2001/2 Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey (HBSC) and the Global School-based Students Health Survey (GSHS). The surveys...... provide nationally representative, cross-sectional information on 13-15-year-old school children (N = 218,104). OUTCOME MEASURES: Bullying victimization, once or more within the past 2 months (HBSC)/30 days (GSHS). RESULTS: On average, 32.1% of the children were bullied at school at least once within...... the past 2 months in countries involved in the HBSC study and 37.4% of children were bullied at least one day within the past 30 days in countries involved in the GSHS study. In both surveys, a large variation in prevalence was found across countries. The lowest prevalence in the GSHS survey was observed...

Smoking in school-aged adolescents: design of a social network survey in six European countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lorant, Vincent; Soto, Victoria Eugenia; Alves, Joana; Federico, Bruno; Kinnunen, Jaana; Kuipers, Mirte; Moor, Irene; Perelman, Julian; Richter, Matthias; Rimpelä, Arja; Robert, Pierre-Olivier; Roscillo, Gaetano; Kunst, Anton

2015-01-01

In Western countries, smoking accounts for a large share of socio-economic inequalities in health. As smoking initiation occurs around the age of 13, it is likely that school context and social networks at school play a role in the origin of such inequalities. So far, there has been little generic

Mental health interventions in schools in low-income and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazel, Mina; Patel, Vikram; Thomas, Saji; Tol, Wietse

2014-10-01

Increasing enrolment rates could place schools in a crucial position to support mental health in low-income and middle-income countries. In this Review, we provide evidence for mental health interventions in schools in accordance with a public mental health approach spanning promotion, prevention, and treatment. We identified a systematic review for mental health promotion, and identified further prevention and treatment studies. Present evidence supports schools as places for promotion of positive aspects of mental health using a whole-school approach. Knowledge of effectiveness of prevention and treatment interventions is more widely available for conflict-affected children and adolescents. More evidence is needed to identify the many elements likely to be associated with effective prevention and treatment for children exposed to a range of adversity and types of mental disorders. Dissemination and implementation science is crucial to establish how proven effective interventions could be scaled up and implemented in schools. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

School-Based Interventions to Reduce Obesity Risk in Children in High- and Middle-Income Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Charlotte E L; Albar, Salwa Ali; Vargas-Garcia, Elisa J; Xu, Fei

2015-01-01

School-based interventions are relatively new and were first introduced in the United States in the 1990s. Early programs were mainly education based with many of the findings now embedded in school policy in the form of a healthy eating curriculum. More recent school programs have taken education outside the classroom and attempted to engage parents as well as teachers. Environmental changes such as improving the quality of foods available at lunchtime and at other times during the school day are now common. Reviews of evaluations of school-based programs have demonstrated that they are effective and successfully improve dietary quality such as increasing fruit and vegetable intake and decreasing sweet and savory snacks and sweetened drinks; not just in school but over the whole day and particularly in younger school children. School-based interventions are also effective at reducing obesity if components to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviors are also targeted but not if only dietary behaviors are tackled. Most of the high-quality evaluation studies using randomized controlled trials have been carried out in high-income countries as they are costly to run. However, middle-income countries have benefitted from the information available from these evaluation studies and many are now starting to fund and evaluate school-based programs themselves, resulting in unique problems such as concomitant under- and overnutrition being addressed. Action for the future demands more focus on populations most at risk of poor dietary quality and obesity in order to reduce inequalities in health and on adolescents who have not benefited as much as younger children from school-based interventions. This will involve innovative solutions within schools as well as targeting the food environment outside schools such as reducing the density of fast-food outlets and marketing of sweet and savory snacks and drinks. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

New literacies, multiple literacies, unlimited literacies: what now, what next, where to? A response to blue listerine, parochialism and ASL literacy.

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Paul, Peter V

2006-01-01

This article is a response to Blue Listerine, Parochialism, and ASL Literacy (Czubek, 2006). The author presents his views on the concepts of literacy and the new and multiple literacies. In addition, the merits of print literacy and other types of literacies are discussed. Although the author agrees that there is an American Sign Language (ASL) literacy, he maintains that there should be a distinction between conversational "literacy" forms (speech and sign) and secondary literacy forms (reading and writing). It might be that cognitive skills associated with print literacy and, possibly, other captured literacy forms, are necessary for a technological, scientific-driven society such as that which exists in the United States.

Cannabis and Amphetamine Use and Associated Factors among School-Going Adolescents in Nine African Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Peltzer, Karl; Pengpid, Supa

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of cannabis and amphetamine use and associated factors among adolescents in nine African countries. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 25,372 adolescents (mean age 14.3 years, SD = 1.6) from nine African countries that participated in the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) in…

Leadership Role Expectations and Relationships of Principals and Pastors in Catholic Parochial Elementary Schools: Part 1

Science.gov (United States)

Schafer, Duane F.

2004-01-01

Parish elementary schools in the United States have a governance structure that often precipitates conflict. The principal is the designated leader of the school, the educational administrator, and the supervisor of the faculty and students. By canon law, however, the pastor of the parish remains ultimately responsible for the spiritual and…

Content Analysis of Primary and Secondary School Textbooks Regarding Malaria Control: A Multi-Country Study

Science.gov (United States)

Nonaka, Daisuke; Jimba, Masamine; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Kobayashi, Jun; Yasuoka, Junko; Ayi, Irene; Jayatilleke, Achini C.; Shrestha, Sabina; Kikuchi, Kimiyo; Haque, Syed E.; Yi, Siyan

2012-01-01

Background In tropical settings, malaria education at school is potentially useful, but textbook content related to malaria education has so far received little attention. This study aimed to examine whether school textbooks contain sufficient knowledge and skills to help children in primary and lower secondary schools and their family members to cope with malaria. Methodology/Principal Findings This was a descriptive, cross-country study. We collected textbooks that were used by children in grades one to nine from nine countries endemic for malaria: Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Niger, Benin, and Ghana. Two reviewers per country identified descriptions about malaria by seeking the term “malaria” or a local word that corresponds to malaria in languages other than English. The authors categorized the identified descriptions according to the content of the descriptions. Additionally, the authors examined whether the identified contents addressed life skill messages. Of a total of 474 textbooks collected, 35 contained descriptions about malaria. The most commonly included content was transmission mode/vector (77.1%), followed by preventive measures (60.0%), epidemiology (57.1%), cause/agent (54.3%), signs/symptoms (37.1%) and treatment (22.9%). Treatment-related content was not included in any textbooks from four countries and textbooks failed to recommend the use of insecticide-treated bed nets in five countries. Very few textbooks included content that facilitated prompt treatment, protection of risk groups, and use of recommended therapy. Conclusion/Significance Textbooks rarely included knowledge and skills that are crucial to protect schoolchildren and their families from malaria. This study identified the need for improvement to textbook contents regarding malaria. PMID:22574203

Teachers' Perception of School Violence in a Sample from Three European Countries

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Linares, Jose Jesus Gazquez; Diaz, Adolfo Javier Cangas; Fuentes, Maria del Carmen Perez; Acien, Francisca Lucas

2009-01-01

The objective of the present study was to explore, in three European countries (Spain, Hungary and the Czech Republic), teachers' perception of the prevalence of different problematic aspects related to coexistence in schools, and of how they are personally affected by these aspects. The results reveal a high prevalence of fights, insults and…

The Influence of Classroom Disciplinary Climate of Schools on Reading Achievement: A Cross-Country Comparative Study

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Ning, Bo; Van Damme, Jan; Van Den Noortgate, Wim; Yang, Xiangdong; Gielen, Sarah

2015-01-01

Despite considerable interest in research and practice in the effect of classroom disciplinary climate of schools on academic achievement, little is known about the generalizability of this effect over countries. Using hierarchical linear analyses, the present study reveals that a better classroom disciplinary climate in a school is significantly…

Effects of Pelvic and Core Strength Training on High School Cross-Country Race Times.

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Clark, Anne W; Goedeke, Maggie K; Cunningham, Saengchoy R; Rockwell, Derek E; Lehecka, Bryan J; Manske, Robert C; Smith, Barbara S

2017-08-01

Clark, AW, Goedeke, MK, Cunningham, SR, Rockwell, DE, Lehecka, BJ, Manske, RC, and Smith, BS. Effects of pelvic and core strength training on high school cross-country race times. J Strength Cond Res 31(8): 2289-2295, 2017-There is only limited research examining the effect of pelvic and core strength training on running performance. Pelvic and core muscle fatigue is believed to contribute to excess motion along frontal and transverse planes which decreases efficiency in normal sagittal plane running motions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether adding a 6-week pelvic and core strengthening program resulted in decreased race times in high school cross-country runners. Thirty-five high school cross-country runners (14-19 years old) from 2 high schools were randomly assigned to a strengthening group (experimental) or a nonstrengthening group (control). All participants completed 4 standardized isometric strength tests for hip abductors, adductors, extensors, and core musculature in a test-retest design. The experimental group performed a 6-week pelvic and core strengthening program along with their normal training. Participants in the control group performed their normal training without additional pelvic and core strengthening. Baseline, 3-week, and 6-week race times were collected using a repeated measures design. No significant interaction between experimental and control groups regarding decreasing race times and increasing pelvic and core musculature strength occurred over the 6-week study period. Both groups increased strength and decreased overall race times. Clinically significant findings reveal a 6-week pelvic and core stability strengthening program 3 times a week in addition to coach led team training may help decrease race times.

Pre-Vocational Education in Seven European Countries: A Comparison of Curricular Embedding and Implementation in Schools

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Pilz, Matthias; Berger, Susanne; Canning, Roy

2014-01-01

This paper presents a comparative research project on pre-vocational education in lower secondary schools in seven European countries. The primary aim of the study was to better understand how the formal pre-vocational education curriculum is interpreted and shaped by individual teachers. The countries covered are Austria, Germany, Hungary,…

Cultural universality and specificity of student engagement in school: The results of an international study from 12 countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Shui-fong; Jimerson, Shane; Shin, Hyeonsook; Cefai, Carmel; Veiga, Feliciano H; Hatzichristou, Chryse; Polychroni, Fotini; Kikas, Eve; Wong, Bernard P H; Stanculescu, Elena; Basnett, Julie; Duck, Robert; Farrell, Peter; Liu, Yi; Negovan, Valeria; Nelson, Brett; Yang, Hongfei; Zollneritsch, Josef

2016-03-01

A comprehensive understanding of the contextual factors that are linked to student engagement requires research that includes cross-cultural perspectives. This study investigated how student engagement in school is associated with grade, gender, and contextual factors across 12 countries. It also investigated whether these associations vary across countries with different levels of individualism and socio-economic development. The participants were 3,420 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students from Austria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The participants completed a questionnaire to report their engagement in school, the instructional practices they experienced, and the support they received from teachers, peers, and parents. Hierarchical linear modelling was used to examine the effects at both student and country levels. The results across countries revealed a decline in student engagement from Grade 7 to Grade 9, with girls reporting higher engagement than boys. These trends did not vary across the 12 countries according to the Human Development Index and Hofstede's Individualism Index. Most of the contextual factors (instructional practices, teacher support, and parent support) were positively associated with student engagement. With the exception that parent support had a stronger association with student engagement in countries with higher collectivism, most of the associations between the contextual factors and student engagement did not vary across countries. The results indicate both cultural universality and specificity regarding contextual factors associated with student engagement in school. They illustrate the advantages of integrating etic and emic approaches in cross-cultural investigations. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Comparison of acoustic regulations for housing and schools in selected countries in Europe and South America – A pilot study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Machimbarrena, Maria; Rasmussen, Birgit

2016-01-01

Acoustic regulations for housing and schools exist in most countries in Europe, the main reasons being protection of health of citizens in their homes and optimizing learning conditions in schools. Comparative studies in Europe have shown a high diversity of descriptors and limit values for acous......Acoustic regulations for housing and schools exist in most countries in Europe, the main reasons being protection of health of citizens in their homes and optimizing learning conditions in schools. Comparative studies in Europe have shown a high diversity of descriptors and limit values...... of requirements. As a pilot study, acoustic regulations in three countries in South America, namely Argentina, Brazil and Chile, have been considered. The findings indicate weaker requirements than typical in Europe, and at both continents there is a joint challenge to review regulatory requirements in those...... includes examples of specific acoustic requirements on airborne and impact sound insulation, noise from traffic and from service equipment for housing and schools and in addition on reverberation time for class rooms and discusses the opportunities for future cooperation on optimizing acoustic regulations....

Prenatal care and child growth and schooling in four low- and medium-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaoying; Behrman, Jere R; Stein, Aryeh D; Adair, Linda S; Bhargava, Santosh K; Borja, Judith B; da Silveira, Mariangela Freitas; Horta, Bernardo L; Martorell, Reynaldo; Norris, Shane A; Richter, Linda M; Sachdev, Harshpal S

2017-01-01

The effectiveness of prenatal care for improving birth and subsequent child outcomes in low-income countries remains controversial, with much of the evidence to date coming from high-income countries and focused on early-life outcomes. We examined associations between prenatal care visits and birth weight, height-for-age at 24 months and attained schooling in four low- and middle-income countries. We pooled data from prospective birth-cohort studies from Brazil, Guatemala, Philippines and South Africa. We created a prenatal care utilization index based on the number and timing of prenatal visits. Associations were examined between this index and birth weight, height-for-age at 24 months, and highest attained schooling grade until adulthood. Among 7203 individuals in the analysis, 68.9% (Philippines) to 96.7% (South Africa) had at least one prenatal care visit, with most having at least four visits. Over 40% of Brazilians and Guatemalans had their first prenatal visit in the first trimester, but fewer Filipinos (13.9%) and South Africans (19.8%) did so. Prenatal care utilization was not significantly associated with birth weight (p>0.05 in pooled data). Each unit increase in the prenatal care utilization index was associated with 0.09 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.15) higher height-for-age z-score at 24 months and with 0.26 (95% CI 0.17 to 0.35) higher schooling grades attained. Although there was some heterogeneity and greater imprecision across sites, the results were qualitatively similar among the four different populations. While not related to birth weight, prenatal care utilization was associated with important outcomes later in life, specifically higher height-for-age at 24 months and higher attained school grades. These results suggest the relevance of prenatal care visits for human capital outcomes important over the lifecycle.

How did national life expectation related to school years in developing countries - an approach using panel data mining.

Science.gov (United States)

Jian, Wen-Shan; Huang, Chen-Ling; Iqbal, Usman; Nguyen, Phung-Anh; Hsiao, George; Li, Hsien-Chang

2014-03-01

The purpose of the study was to probe into the changes in life expectancy associated with schooling years found by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The study was based on the OECD database from the period 2000 to 2006. The data of thirty countries were constructed to allow comparisons over time and across these countries. Panel data analysis was used to estimate the relationship of national education, as defined as school years, with life expectancy. The control factors considered were numbers of practicing physicians, practicing nurses, hospital beds, and GDP. We used fixed effects of both country and time through linear regression, the coefficient of school years in relation to life expectancy was statistically significant but negative. This finding is not in accord with the hypothesis that investing in human capital through education stimulates better health outcomes. Within developing countries, educational attainment is no longer keeping the same pace with life expectancy as before. Therefore, we suggest that an effective education policy should cover diverse topics, for example, balancing economic growth and mental hygiene, to improve national life expectancy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acculturation and School Adjustment of Immigrant Youth in Six European Countries: Findings from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Science.gov (United States)

Schachner, Maja K; He, Jia; Heizmann, Boris; Van de Vijver, Fons J R

2017-01-01

School adjustment determines long-term adjustment in society. Yet, immigrant youth do better in some countries than in others. Drawing on acculturation research (Berry, 1997; Ward, 2001) and self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000), we investigated indirect effects of adolescent immigrants' acculturation orientations on school adjustment (school-related attitudes, truancy, and mathematics achievement) through school belonging. Analyses were based on data from the Programme for International Student Assessment from six European countries, which were combined into three clusters based on their migrant integration and multicultural policies: Those with the most supportive policies (Belgium and Finland), those with moderately supportive policies (Italy and Portugal), and those with the most unsupportive policies (Denmark and Slovenia). In a multigroup path model, we confirmed most associations. As expected, mainstream orientation predicted higher belonging and better outcomes in all clusters, whereas the added value of students' ethnic orientation was only observed in some clusters. Results are discussed in terms of differences in acculturative climate and policies between countries of settlement.

Oral Hygiene and Handwashing Practices among Middle School Students in 15 Latin American and Caribbean Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

McKittrick, T R; Jacobsen, K H

2015-06-01

To examine the relationship between infrequent toothbrushing and infrequent handwashing among middle school students from 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay). A secondary analysis was done of nationally-representative data from 33 174 middle school students who participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) between 2006 and 2011. In all 15 countries, the association between rarely brushing or cleaning teeth and rarely handwashing after using the toilet was significant for both boys and girls. The pooled odds ratio for this association was 6.7 (5.8, 7.7). Healthcare providers who notice signs of poor dental hygiene or infrequent bathing in adolescents should consider providing comprehensive hygiene education to their patients, since infrequent oral and body hygiene behaviours tend to co-exist and both are threats to health.

Views of parents in four European countries about the effect of food on the mental performance of primary school children.

Science.gov (United States)

Gage, H; Egan, B; Williams, P; Györei, E; Brands, B; López-Robles, J-C; Campoy, C; Koletzko, B; Decsi, T; Raats, M

2014-01-01

Several factors affect the mental performance of children. The importance that parents attribute to food-related determinants, compared with genetic, socio-economic and school environment, was investigated. Parents of school children (aged 4-11) were recruited through state primary schools in four European countries. Interviews were conducted in which participants were asked to sort 18 cards representing possible determinants of four elements of mental performance (attention, learning, mood and behaviour) according to perceived strength of effect. Determinants were identified from the literature and grouped in six categories: food-related, school environment, physical, social, psychological and biological. Effects were scored: 0=none; 1=moderate; and 2=strong. Views were compared between and within countries. Two hundred parents took part (England: 53; Germany: 45; Hungary: 52; Spain: 50). Differences existed between countries in the proportions reporting university education and being in employment. Taking all countries together, parents consider the food category (mean 1.33) to have a lower impact on a child's mental performance than physical (activity and sleep, 1.77), psychological (mood and behaviour, 1.69) and school environment (1.57). Social (1.12) and biological (0.91) determinants were ranked lower than food. Of determinants in the food category, parents thought regularity of meals had more influence on mental performance (1.58) than what a child eats now (1.36), food at school (1.35), nutrition as a baby/infant (1.02). Scope exists to improve parental awareness of the repercussions of their dietary choices for the mental performance of their children.

Motives for sickness presence among students at secondary school: a cross-sectional study in five European countries

Science.gov (United States)

Johansen, Vegard

2018-01-01

Objectives This article investigates various motives for sickness presence (SP) among students in secondary school. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting 25 secondary schools in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Italy and Latvia. Participants 5002 students between 16 and 19 years of age, 49% female. Results Almost half of the students reported two or more incidents of SP. The study indicated that the practice of SP was mainly extrinsically motivated. The most often reported motives for SP were that absence could affect grades negatively, that important curriculum material was explained at the school and attendance requirements. Some students practising SP expressed intrinsic motivation, such as maintaining their social network and interest in what was learnt at school. Conclusion The study investigated various motives for SP in secondary schools in five European countries. Extrinsic motivation for SP was more often reported than intrinsic motivation for SP. Multivariate analyses indicated that boys, students in vocational education, immigrants and students with low-educated parents more often reported intrinsic motivation for SP, while girls and students with high absence more often reported extrinsic motivation. There were also notable cross-country differences regarding reported motives for SP. PMID:29371281

Acculturation and School Adjustment of Immigrant Youth in Six European Countries: Findings from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maja K. Schachner

2017-05-01

Full Text Available School adjustment determines long-term adjustment in society. Yet, immigrant youth do better in some countries than in others. Drawing on acculturation research (Berry, 1997; Ward, 2001 and self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000, we investigated indirect effects of adolescent immigrants’ acculturation orientations on school adjustment (school-related attitudes, truancy, and mathematics achievement through school belonging. Analyses were based on data from the Programme for International Student Assessment from six European countries, which were combined into three clusters based on their migrant integration and multicultural policies: Those with the most supportive policies (Belgium and Finland, those with moderately supportive policies (Italy and Portugal, and those with the most unsupportive policies (Denmark and Slovenia. In a multigroup path model, we confirmed most associations. As expected, mainstream orientation predicted higher belonging and better outcomes in all clusters, whereas the added value of students’ ethnic orientation was only observed in some clusters. Results are discussed in terms of differences in acculturative climate and policies between countries of settlement.

Country-level and individual correlates of overweight and obesity among primary school children: a cross-sectional study in seven European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Olaya, Beatriz; Moneta, Maria Victoria; Pez, Ondine; Bitfoi, Adina; Carta, Mauro Giovanni; Eke, Ceyda; Goelitz, Dietmar; Keyes, Katherine M; Kuijpers, Rowella; Lesinskiene, Sigita; Mihova, Zlatka; Otten, Roy; Fermanian, Christophe; Haro, Josep Maria; Kovess, Viviane

2015-05-08

The present study aims to estimate childhood overweight and obesity prevalence and their association with individual and population-level correlates in Eastern and Western European countries. Data were obtained from the School Children Mental Health in Europe, a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2010 in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Turkey. The sample consists of 5,206 school children aged 6 to 11 years old. Information on socio-demographics, children's height and weight, life-style and parental attitude were reported by the mothers. Country-level indicators were obtained through several data banks. Overweight and obesity in children were calculated according to the international age and gender-specific child Body Mass Index cut-off points. Multivariable logistic regression models included socio-demographic, lifestyle, mothers' attitude, and country-level indicators to examine the correlates of overweight. Overall prevalence was 15.6% (95% CI = 19.3-21.7%) for overweight and 4.9% (95% CI = 4.3-5.6%) for obesity. In overweight (including obesity), Romanian children had the highest prevalence (31.4%, 95% CI = 28.1-34.6%) and Italian the lowest (10.4%, 95% CI = 8.1-12.6%). Models in the pooled sample showed that being younger (aOR = 0.93, 95% = CI 0.87-0.97), male (aOR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.07-1.43), an only child (aOR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.07-1.84), spending more hours per week watching TV (aOR = 1.01, 95% CI =1.002-1.03), and living in an Eastern Country were associated with greater risk of childhood overweight (including obesity). The same predictors were significantly associated with childhood overweight in the model conducted in the Eastern region, but not in the West. Higher Gross Domestic Product and Real Domestic Product, greater number of motor and passenger vehicles, higher percentage of energy available from fat, and more public sector expenditure on health were also associated with lower risk for childhood overweight after

The Relationship Between Immigrant School Composition, Classmate Support and Involvement in Physical Fighting and Bullying among Adolescent Immigrants and Non-immigrants in 11 Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walsh, Sophie D; De Clercq, Bart; Molcho, Michal

2016-01-01

Increasing numbers of migrant youth around the world mean growing numbers of heterogeneous school environments in many countries. Contradictory findings regarding the relationship between immigrant school composition (the percentage of immigrant versus non-immigrant students in a school) and adol...... influences levels of peer violence. The results highlight a need for school intervention programs encouraging positive relations in schools with immigrant populations.......) and adolescent peer violence necessitate further consideration. The current study examined the relationship between immigrant school composition and peer violence, considering classmate support as a potential moderator among 51,636 adolescents (50.1 % female) from 11 countries. The findings showed that a higher...

Library Education in the ASEAN Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Atan, H. B.; Havard-Williams, P.

1987-01-01

Identifies the hierarchy of library development in Southeast Asian countries that results in the neglect of public and school libraries. Developing local library school curricula which focus on the specific needs of each country and cooperation among library schools are suggested as methods of correcting this situation. (CLB)

Intervention Integrity in the Low Countries: Interventions Targeting Social-Emotional Behaviors in the School

Science.gov (United States)

Taal, Margot; Ekels, Elles; van der Valk, Cindel; van der Molen, Maurits

2017-01-01

The current study presents a review of intervention studies conducted in the Low Countries (i.e., The Netherlands and Flanders) focusing on social-emotional behaviors in the school. The primary purpose of this review was to assess whether studies included an operational definition of the intervention under study and reported data on the…

Limited potential of school textbooks to prevent tobacco use among students grade 1-9 across multiple developing countries: a content analysis study.

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Junko; Nonaka, Daisuke; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Kobayashi, Jun; Jayatilleke, Achini C; Shrestha, Sabina; Kikuchi, Kimiyo; Haque, Syed E; Yi, Siyan; Ayi, Irene; Jimba, Masamine

2013-01-01

To evaluate the content of school textbooks as a tool to prevent tobacco use in developing countries. Content analysis was used to evaluate if the textbooks incorporated the following five core components recommended by the WHO: (1) consequences of tobacco use; (2) social norms; (3) reasons to use tobacco; (4) social influences and (5) resistance and life skills. Nine developing countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Benin, Ghana, Niger and Zambia. TEXTBOOKS ANALYSED: Of 474 textbooks for primary and junior secondary schools in nine developing countries, 41 were selected which contained descriptions about tobacco use prevention. Of the 41 textbooks, the consequences of tobacco use component was covered in 30 textbooks (73.2%) and the social norms component was covered in 19 (46.3%). The other three components were described in less than 20% of the textbooks. A rather limited number of school textbooks in developing countries contained descriptions of prevention of tobacco use, but they did not fully cover the core components for tobacco use prevention. The chance of tobacco prevention education should be seized by improving the content of school textbooks.

Rural Schools in Developing Countries: A Case of Donon Manga in Eastern Tandjile in Chad

Science.gov (United States)

Ndoutorlengar, Médard; Djangrang, Man-na; Mamgue, Bassinang; Yongsi, H. B. Nguendo; Groza, Octavian

2014-01-01

The schools in rural areas in developing countries are often confronted with difficulties which are, in general, related to poverty, the quantitative and qualitative insufficiency of the professionals and the organization. Consequently, every year, the examinations results are unsatisfactory playing on the curriculum and excellence in the…

School-based obesity-prevention interventions in low- and middle-income countries: Do they really work?

Science.gov (United States)

Obesity is the most common nutrition-related health problem around the world, especially among children. Hundreds of studies have been conducted to test approaches to prevent obesity, and many were in children in schools. Most of these studies were conducted in higher-income countries. An article in...

Picking Linebackers or Athletes: Reframing the Risks in Teacher Recruitment

Science.gov (United States)

Pomson, Alex

2010-01-01

Set in a private parochial high school, this case invites consideration of the costs and benefits in a range of tactics that schools use for teacher recruitment. The case calls attention to the technical solutions that make one particular school an adept recruiter of teachers and to the extensive human and social capital at its disposal. At the…

Prayer Lessons to Promote Happiness among Kindergarten School Children: A Cross-Country Experimental Study

Science.gov (United States)

Pandya, Samta P.

2018-01-01

Based on a one-year longitudinal experimental study with 3,782 kindergarten school children across 15 countries, this article examines the association between prayer and happiness. Results show that the post-test scores on the faces scale were higher for the participant group who had taken the prayer lessons vis-à-vis the comparison group.…

Parochial trust and cooperation across 17 societies

Science.gov (United States)

Romano, Angelo; Balliet, Daniel; Liu, James H.

2017-01-01

International challenges such as climate change, poverty, and intergroup conflict require countries to cooperate to solve these complex problems. However, the political tide in many countries has shifted inward, with skepticism and reluctance to cooperate with other countries. Thus, cross-societal investigations are needed to test theory about trust and cooperation within and between groups. We conducted an experimental study in 17 countries designed to test several theories that explain why, who, and where people trust and cooperate more with ingroup members, compared with outgroup members. The experiment involved several interactions in the trust game, either as a trustor or trustee. We manipulated partner group membership in the trust game (ingroup, outgroup, or unknown) and if their reputation was at stake during the interaction. In addition to the standard finding that participants trust and cooperate more with ingroup than outgroup members, we obtained findings that reputational concerns play a decisive role for promoting trust and cooperation universally across societies. Furthermore, men discriminated more in favor of their ingroup than women. Individual differences in cooperative preferences, as measured by social value orientation, predicted cooperation with both ingroup and outgroup members. Finally, we did not find support for three theories about the cross-societal conditions that influence the degree of ingroup favoritism observed across societies (e.g., material security, religiosity, and pathogen stress). We discuss the implications for promoting cooperation within and between countries. PMID:29133403

The Reception of John Dewey’s Democratic Concept of School in Different Countries of the World

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yelena Rogacheva

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with John Dewey’s democratic concept of school and its international significance. The man of the XX century, John Dewey (1859-1952 has made great impact on the development of world pedagogy. The masterwork «Democracy and Education» published in 1916 by American scholar and educational reformer is in the focus of attention too. The main elements of John Dewey’s concept of child-oriented school are given along with the following three conditions: «democracy», «growth» and «experience». The author explains the reasons of Dewey’s influence on educational thought and practice in the XXth century. The experience of old European countries such as Great Britain, France, Turkey, as well as Japan, Russia and Latin America is touched upon in the paper. It is stressed that cultural interpretations of Dewey’s ideas and practices in different countries served as the instrument of modernization of the state and school reform stimulator. John Dewey’s democratic ideas brought him international reputation of an outstanding philosopher and the best educator of the XXth century alongside with the other three: George Kershensteiner, Maria Montessori and Anton Makarenko.

Advanced Energy Retrofit Guide: Practical Ways to Improve Energy Performance, K-12 Schools (Book)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2013-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy developed the Advanced Energy Retrofit Guides (AERGs) to provide specific methodologies, information, and guidance to help energy managers and other stakeholders plan and execute energy efficiency improvements. Detailed technical discussion is fairly limited. Instead, we emphasize actionable information, practical methodologies, diverse case studies, and unbiased evaluations of the most promising retrofit energy efficiency measures for each building type. A series of AERGs is under development, addressing key segments of the commercial building stock. K-12 schools were selected as one of the highest priority building sectors, because schools affect the lives of most Americans. They also represent approximately 8% of the energy use and 10% of the floor area in commercial buildings nationwide. U.S. K-12 school districts spend more than $8 billion each year on energy - more than they spend on computers and textbooks combined. Most occupy older buildings that often have poor operational performance - more than 30% of schools were built before 1960. The average age of a school is about 42 years - which is nearly the expected serviceable lifespan of the building. K-12 schools offer unique opportunities for deep, cost-effective energy efficiency improvements, and this guide provides convenient and practical guidance for exploiting these opportunities in the context of public, private, and parochial schools.

Education and Self-Reported Health: Evidence from 23 Countries on the Role of Years of Schooling, Cognitive Skills and Social Capital.

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Francesca Borgonovi

Full Text Available We examine the contribution of human capital to health in 23 countries worldwide using the OECD Survey of Adult Skills, a unique large-scale international assessment of 16-65 year olds that contains information about self-reported health, schooling, cognitive skills and indicators of interpersonal trust, which represents the cognitive dimension of social capital. We identify cross-national differences in education, skill and social capital gradients in self-reported health and explore the interaction between human capital and social capital to examine if and where social capital is a mediator or a moderator of years of schooling and cognitive abilities. We find large education gaps in self-reported health across all countries in our sample and a strong positive relationship between self-reported health and both literacy and trust in the majority of countries. Education and skill gradients in self-reported health appear to be largest in the United States and smallest in Italy, France, Sweden and Finland. On average around 5.5% of both the schooling gap in self-reported health and the literacy gap in self-reported health can be explained by the higher levels of interpersonal trust that better educated/more skilled individuals have, although the mediating role of trust varies considerably across countries. We find no evidence of a moderation effect: the relationships between health and years of schooling and health and cognitive skills are similar among individuals with different levels of trust.

School Choice Research in Five European Countries: The Circulation of Stephen Ball's Concepts and Interpretations

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van Zanten, Agnès; Kosunen, Sonja

2013-01-01

This article analyzes the influence of Stephen Ball's work on research on markets and school choice in five European countries (Finland, France, Norway, Spain, and Sweden). The main focus is on the intellectual circulation of ideas, but the authors also take into account the relationship between ideas and social and political changes, as well as…

The Critical Difference: Identifying the Dyslexic.

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Burgett, Russell; King, James

A study compared peripheral vision applied to letter-pair and Dolch word recognition. Subjects, 6 normal readers, 12 Chapter 1 students, and 34 learning disabled (and assumed dyslexic) students from grades one through three enrolled in a parochial school, a public school, and a university summer reading clinic, completed a test designed to…

Individualism and socioeconomic diversity at school as related to perceptions of the frequency of peer aggression in fifteen countries.

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Menzer, Melissa M; Torney-Purta, Judith

2012-10-01

The purpose of this study was to examine two aspects of context for peer aggression: national individualism and distributions of socioeconomic status in the school. School administrators for each school reported on their perceptions of the frequency of bullying and violence in their school. The sample comprised 990 school principals/headmasters from nationally representative samples of schools in 15 countries surveyed as part of the larger IEA Civic Education Study (Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Oswald, & Schulz, 2001). A national context of individualism was associated with violence but not bullying. Schools with high socioeconomic diversity had more bullying than homogeneously low or high socioeconomic status schools. In addition, diverse schools had more violence than affluent schools. Results suggest that bullying and violence should be investigated as separate constructs. Furthermore, contexts, such as national culture and school socioeconomic diversity, are important in understanding the prevalence of bullying and violence in schools internationally. Copyright © 2012 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outside school time: an examination of science achievement and non-cognitive characteristics of 15-year olds in several countries

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Suter, Larry E.

2016-03-01

Elementary and secondary students spend more hours outside of class than in formal school and thus have more time for interaction with everyday science. However, evidence from a large international survey, Program of International Student Assessment (PISA) (OECD 2012), found a negative relationship between number of hours attending after-school science and science assessment scores in many countries, raising questions about why. The secondary analysis of the 2006, 2009, and 2012 PISA surveys found that in most Western countries the longer students attended after-school science programs (in a typical week), the lower their PISA standardized science test score, but the higher their positive attitudes toward future science careers, interest in science, and self-confidence in science. Several potential hypotheses for this relationship are examined and rejected. Further analysis of a causal relationship between frequent attendance in after-school programs and student achievement and attitudes should clearly identify the content of the program so that the analysis could distinguish experiences closely related to regular school curricula from the informal science activities that are not. A new analysis also should include carefully designed longitudinal surveys to test the effectiveness of informal experiences on later life choices in career and study. Revision of a Paper prepared for AERA meetings in Chicago, 19 April 2015.

The effects of maternal parenting style and religious commitment on self-regulation, academic achievement, and risk behavior among African-American parochial college students.

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Abar, Beau; Carter, Kermit L; Winsler, Adam

2009-04-01

This study explored relations between religiosity, both parent and student, and maternal parenting style and student academic self-regulation, academic achievement, and risk behavior among African-American youth attending a parochial college. Eighty-five students completed self-report survey measures of religiosity, self-regulation, academic achievement, and risk behavior. Participants also completed youth report measures of parental religiosity and perceived maternal parenting style. Correlational analyses show authoritative parenting to be associated with high levels of academic performance and study skills. Additional correlations revealed that highly religious students tend to perform well academically, study better, and engage in fewer risk behaviors than youth less committed to religion. Although no direct relations were observed between parenting style and student religiosity, maternal parenting style was found to moderate relations between parental and student religiosity. Findings are discussed in terms of their relevance to the population studied.

Schools, Skills and Economic Development: Education Policies, Student Learning and Socioeconomic Outcomes in Developing Countries. Bulletin.

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Glewwe, Paul

This paper reviews recent research on the determinants of educational outcomes and the impact of those outcomes on other socioeconomic phenomena. It investigates the relationship between education and economic growth and development in emerging countries. The paper addresses school policies that are most cost-effective in producing students with…

Oral and Hand Hygiene Behaviour and Risk Factors among In-School Adolescents in Four Southeast Asian Countries

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Karl Peltzer

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate oral and hand hygiene behaviour and risk factors among 13 to 15 year-old in-school adolescents in four Southeast Asian countries. Data were collected by self-reported questionnaire from nationally representative samples (total 13,824 of school children aged 13 to 15 years in India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand. Results indicate that overall, 22.4% of school children reported sub-optimal oral hygiene (countries found sub-optimal hygiene behaviour. Several determinants of sub-optimal hygiene behaviour were identified that can inform programmes in order to improve oral and hand hygiene behaviour of this adolescent population.

Cross-Country Comparisons of Inattentive, Hyperactive and Impulsive Behaviour in School-Based Samples of Young Children

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Merrell, Christine; Styles, Irene; Jones, Paul; Tymms, Peter; Wildy, Helen

2013-01-01

This paper uses the Rasch measurement model to analyse data collected on children's attention, activity and impulsiveness at the end of their first year at school by teachers in England, Scotland and Australia. The analysis offers insights into differences in teachers' perceptions of children's behaviour between countries and changes with age. The…

A systematic review of the status of children's school access in low- and middle-income countries between 1998 and 2013: using the INDEPTH Network platform to fill the research gaps.

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Kamanda, Mamusu; Sankoh, Osman

2015-01-01

The framework for expanding children's school access in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has been directed by universal education policies as part of Education for All since 1990. In measuring progress to universal education, a narrow conceptualisation of access which dichotomises children's participation as being in or out of school has often been assumed. Yet, the actual promise of universal education goes beyond this simple definition to include retention, progression, completion, and learning. Our first objective was to identify gaps in the literature on children's school access using the zones of exclusion of the Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transition, and Equity as a framework. Second, we gave consideration to how these gaps can be met by using longitudinal and cross-country data from Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) sites within the International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Population and Their Health (INDEPTH) in LMICs. Using Web of Science, we conducted a literature search of studies published in international peer-reviewed journals between 1998 and 2013 in LMICs. The phrases we searched included six school outcomes: school enrolment, school attendance, grade progression, school dropout, primary to secondary school transition, and school completion. From our search, we recorded studies according to: 1) school outcomes; 2) whether longitudinal data were used; and 3) whether data from more than one country were analysed. The area of school access most published is enrolment followed by attendance and dropout. Primary to secondary school transition and grade progression had the least number of publications. Of 132 publications which we found to be relevant to school access, 33 made use of longitudinal data and 17 performed cross-country analyses. The majority of studies published in international peer-reviewed journals on children's school access between 1998 and 2013 were focused on three outcomes

A systematic review of the status of children's school access in low- and middle-income countries between 1998 and 2013: using the INDEPTH Network platform to fill the research gaps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mamusu Kamanda

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Background: The framework for expanding children's school access in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs has been directed by universal education policies as part of Education for All since 1990. In measuring progress to universal education, a narrow conceptualisation of access which dichotomises children's participation as being in or out of school has often been assumed. Yet, the actual promise of universal education goes beyond this simple definition to include retention, progression, completion, and learning. Objective: Our first objective was to identify gaps in the literature on children's school access using the zones of exclusion of the Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transition, and Equity as a framework. Second, we gave consideration to how these gaps can be met by using longitudinal and cross-country data from Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS sites within the International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Population and Their Health (INDEPTH in LMICs. Design: Using Web of Science, we conducted a literature search of studies published in international peer-reviewed journals between 1998 and 2013 in LMICs. The phrases we searched included six school outcomes: school enrolment, school attendance, grade progression, school dropout, primary to secondary school transition, and school completion. From our search, we recorded studies according to: 1 school outcomes; 2 whether longitudinal data were used; and 3 whether data from more than one country were analysed. Results: The area of school access most published is enrolment followed by attendance and dropout. Primary to secondary school transition and grade progression had the least number of publications. Of 132 publications which we found to be relevant to school access, 33 made use of longitudinal data and 17 performed cross-country analyses. Conclusions: The majority of studies published in international peer-reviewed journals on children

WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative: School nutrition environment and body mass index in primary schools.

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Wijnhoven, Trudy M A; van Raaij, Joop M A; Sjöberg, Agneta; Eldin, Nazih; Yngve, Agneta; Kunešová, Marie; Starc, Gregor; Rito, Ana I; Duleva, Vesselka; Hassapidou, Maria; Martos, Eva; Pudule, Iveta; Petrauskiene, Ausra; Sant'Angelo, Victoria Farrugia; Hovengen, Ragnhild; Breda, João

2014-10-30

Schools are important settings for the promotion of a healthy diet and sufficient physical activity and thus overweight prevention. To assess differences in school nutrition environment and body mass index (BMI) in primary schools between and within 12 European countries. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) were used (1831 and 2045 schools in 2007/2008 and 2009/2010, respectively). School personnel provided information on 18 school environmental characteristics on nutrition and physical activity. A school nutrition environment score was calculated using five nutrition-related characteristics whereby higher scores correspond to higher support for a healthy school nutrition environment. Trained field workers measured children's weight and height; BMI-for-age (BMI/A) Z-scores were computed using the 2007 WHO growth reference and, for each school, the mean of the children's BMI/A Z-scores was calculated. Large between-country differences were found in the availability of food items on the premises (e.g., fresh fruit could be obtained in 12%-95% of schools) and school nutrition environment scores (range: 0.30-0.93). Low-score countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Latvia and Lithuania) graded less than three characteristics as supportive. High-score (≥0.70) countries were Ireland, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden. The combined absence of cold drinks containing sugar, sweet snacks and salted snacks were more observed in high-score countries than in low-score countries. Largest within-country school nutrition environment scores were found in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Latvia and Lithuania. All country-level BMI/A Z-scores were positive (range: 0.20-1.02), indicating higher BMI values than the 2007 WHO growth reference. With the exception of Norway and Sweden, a country-specific association between the school nutrition environment score and the school BMI/A Z

Threat and parochialism in intergroup relations: lab-in-the-field evidence from rural Georgia.

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Schaub, Max

2017-10-25

Competition between groups is widely considered to foster cooperation within groups. Evidence from laboratory experiments hints at the existence of a proximate mechanism by which humans increase their level of cooperation with their ingroup when faced with an external threat. Further work suggests that ingroup cooperation should go along with aggressive behaviour towards the outgroup, although these theories are at odds with others that see high investments in outgroup relations as important means of stabilizing intergroup relations. Surprisingly, few of these arguments have been tested in the field, and existing studies are also limited by the lack of a direct measure of threat perception and aggressive behaviour. This study presents lab-in-the-field results from a rural context where exposure to an ethnic outgroup varies between villages. This context makes it possible to capture levels of threat perception, aggressive behaviour and cooperation without inducing intergroup competition artificially in the laboratory. All concepts are measured behaviourally. In- and outgroup cooperation was measured with a standard public goods game, and a novel experimental protocol was developed that measures perceived threat and aggressive behaviour: the threat game. The results show that levels of perceived threat, ingroup cooperation and aggressive behaviour are higher in regions more strongly exposed to ethnic outsiders. However, exposed regions also show high levels of outgroup cooperation and a concomitant lack of elevated ingroup bias. This pattern is explained by theorizing that communities show parochial altruism when faced with an ethnic outgroup, but balance aggressive behaviour with cooperative offers to diffuse tensions and to keep open channels of mutually beneficial exchange. © 2017 The Author(s).

WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative: School Nutrition Environment and Body Mass Index in Primary Schools

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Trudy M.A. Wijnhoven

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Schools are important settings for the promotion of a healthy diet and sufficient physical activity and thus overweight prevention. Objective: To assess differences in school nutrition environment and body mass index (BMI in primary schools between and within 12 European countries. Methods: Data from the World Health Organization (WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI were used (1831 and 2045 schools in 2007/2008 and 2009/2010, respectively. School personnel provided information on 18 school environmental characteristics on nutrition and physical activity. A school nutrition environment score was calculated using five nutrition-related characteristics whereby higher scores correspond to higher support for a healthy school nutrition environment. Trained field workers measured children’s weight and height; BMI-for-age (BMI/A Z-scores were computed using the 2007 WHO growth reference and, for each school, the mean of the children’s BMI/A Z-scores was calculated. Results: Large between-country differences were found in the availability of food items on the premises (e.g., fresh fruit could be obtained in 12%-95% of schools and school nutrition environment scores (range: 0.30-0.93. Low-score countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Latvia and Lithuania graded less than three characteristics as supportive. High-score (≥0.70 countries were Ireland, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden. The combined absence of cold drinks containing sugar, sweet snacks and salted snacks were more observed in high-score countries than in low-score countries. Largest within-country school nutrition environment scores were found in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Latvia and Lithuania. All country-level BMI/A Z-scores were positive (range: 0.20-1.02, indicating higher BMI values than the 2007 WHO growth reference. With the exception of Norway and Sweden, a country-specific association between the

WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative: School Nutrition Environment and Body Mass Index in Primary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Wijnhoven, Trudy M.A.; van Raaij, Joop M.A.; Sjöberg, Agneta; Eldin, Nazih; Yngve, Agneta; Kunešová, Marie; Starc, Gregor; Rito, Ana I.; Duleva, Vesselka; Hassapidou, Maria; Martos, Éva; Pudule, Iveta; Petrauskiene, Ausra; Farrugia Sant’Angelo, Victoria; Hovengen, Ragnhild; Breda, João

2014-01-01

Background: Schools are important settings for the promotion of a healthy diet and sufficient physical activity and thus overweight prevention. Objective: To assess differences in school nutrition environment and body mass index (BMI) in primary schools between and within 12 European countries. Methods: Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) were used (1831 and 2045 schools in 2007/2008 and 2009/2010, respectively). School personnel provided information on 18 school environmental characteristics on nutrition and physical activity. A school nutrition environment score was calculated using five nutrition-related characteristics whereby higher scores correspond to higher support for a healthy school nutrition environment. Trained field workers measured children’s weight and height; BMI-for-age (BMI/A) Z-scores were computed using the 2007 WHO growth reference and, for each school, the mean of the children’s BMI/A Z-scores was calculated. Results: Large between-country differences were found in the availability of food items on the premises (e.g., fresh fruit could be obtained in 12%−95% of schools) and school nutrition environment scores (range: 0.30−0.93). Low-score countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Latvia and Lithuania) graded less than three characteristics as supportive. High-score (≥0.70) countries were Ireland, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden. The combined absence of cold drinks containing sugar, sweet snacks and salted snacks were more observed in high-score countries than in low-score countries. Largest within-country school nutrition environment scores were found in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Latvia and Lithuania. All country-level BMI/A Z-scores were positive (range: 0.20−1.02), indicating higher BMI values than the 2007 WHO growth reference. With the exception of Norway and Sweden, a country-specific association between the school

National and School Policies on Restrictions of Teacher Smoking: A Multilevel Analysis of Student Exposure to Teacher Smoking in Seven European Countries

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Wold, Bente; Torsheim, Torbjorn; Currie, Candace; Roberts, Chris

2004-01-01

The paper examines the association between restrictions on teacher tobacco smoking at school and student exposure to teachers who smoke during school hours. The data are taken from a European Commission-funded study "Control of Adolescent Smoking" (the CAS study) in seven European countries. Multilevel modelling analyses were applied to…

Cultural Universality and Specificity of Student Engagement in School: The Results of an International Study from 12 Countries

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Lam, Shui-fong; Jimerson, Shane; Shin, Hyeonsook; Cefai, Carmel; Veiga, Feliciano H.; Hatzichristou, Chryse; Polychroni, Fotini; Kikas, Eve; Wong, Bernard P. H.; Stanculescu, Elena; Basnett, Julie; Duck, Robert; Farrell, Peter; Liu, Yi; Negovan, Valeria; Nelson, Brett; Yang, Hongfei; Zollneritsch, Josef

2016-01-01

Background: A comprehensive understanding of the contextual factors that are linked to student engagement requires research that includes cross-cultural perspectives. Aims: This study investigated how student engagement in school is associated with grade, gender, and contextual factors across 12 countries. It also investigated whether these…

Acculturation, Dietary Practices and Risk for Childhood Obesity in an Ethnically Heterogeneous Population of Latino School Children in the San Francisco Bay Area

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Schwartz, Norah; Jiménez-Cruz, Arturo; Bacardi-Gascon, Montserrat; Heyman, Melvin B.

2015-01-01

Previous studies have found increased acculturation to the US lifestyle increases risk for obesity in Latinos. However, methodologies differ, and results in children are inconsistent. Moreover, previous studies have not evaluated risk factors within the heterogeneous US population. We recruited 144 self-identified Latino school children and their mother or father in grades 4–6 in San Francisco parochial schools and South San Francisco public schools using an information letter distributed to all students. Children and parents had weights, heights, demographic information, dietary patterns and lifestyle variables collected in English or Spanish through an interview format. A high percentage of our children were overweight [≥85th percentile body mass index (BMI)] (62.5%) and obese (≥95th percentile BMI) (45.2%). Correspondingly parents also had a high percentage of overweight (BMI ≥ 25 & obesity (BMI ≥ 30) (45.3%). Mexico was the country of origin for 62.2% of parents, and 26.6% were from Central or South America. In multivariate logistic analysis, speaking Spanish at home was an independent risk factor for obesity [odds ratio (OR) 2.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28–6.86]. Eating breakfast daily (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.15–0.78) and consumption of tortas (a Mexican fast food sandwich) (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21–1.00) were associated with decreased risk. In stratified analysis, significant differences in risk factors existed between Mexican origin versus Central/South American Latino children. The processes of acculturation likely impact eating and lifestyle practices differentially among Latino groups. Interventions should focus on ensuring that all children eat a nutritious breakfast and take into consideration ethnicity when working with Latino populations. PMID:22101726

The prevalence of underweight, overweight, obesity and associated risk factors among school-going adolescents in seven African countries.

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Manyanga, Taru; El-Sayed, Hesham; Doku, David Teye; Randall, Jason R

2014-08-28

The burden caused by the coexistence of obesity and underweight in Low and Middle Income Countries is a challenge to public health. While prevalence of underweight among youth has been well documented in these countries, overweight, obesity and their associated risk factors are not well understood unlike in high income countries. Cross-sectional data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in seven African countries were used for this study. The survey used a clustered design to obtain a representative sample (n = 23496) from randomly selected schools. 53.6% of the sample was male, and participants ranged in age from 11-17 years old. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated using age and sex adjusted self-reported heights and weights. Classification of weight status was based on the 2007 World Health Organization growth charts (BMI-for-age and sex). Multivariable Logistic Regression reporting Odds Ratios was used to assess potential risk factors on BMI, adjusting for age, sex, and country. Statistical analyses were performed with Stata with an alpha of 0.05 and reporting 95% confidence intervals. Unadjusted rates of being underweight varied from 12.6% (Egypt) to 31.9% (Djibouti), while being overweight ranged from 8.7% (Ghana) to 31.4% (Egypt). Obesity rates ranged from 0.6% (Benin) to 9.3% (Egypt). Females had a higher overweight prevalence for every age group in five of the countries, exceptions being Egypt and Malawi. Overall, being overweight was more prevalent among younger (≤12) adolescents and decreased with age. Males had a higher prevalence of being underweight than females for every country. There was a tendency for the prevalence of being underweight to increase starting in the early teens and decrease between ages 15 and 16. Most of the potential risk factors captured by the GSHS were not significantly associated with weight status. The prevalence of both overweight and underweight was relatively high, demonstrating the

Hygiene and mental health among middle school students in India and 11 other countries.

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Ranasinghe, Shamika; Ramesh, Swathi; Jacobsen, Kathryn H

2016-01-01

The Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) collects data from early adolescents who are approximately 13-15 years old and enrolled in middle schools (also known as junior secondary schools). We used logistic regression models to examine the associations between self-reported hygiene practices and mental health status as assessed by the 2007 India GSHS. Then, we used meta-analysis to compare the results from India with those from 11 other GSHS-participating countries in Asia and Africa (Djibouti, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Myanmar, the Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, and the United Arab Emirates). Among 7904 middle school students in India, 25.5% reported symptoms of depression, 8.6% reported loneliness, and 7.8% reported anxiety-related insomnia. Both males and females who reported symptoms of depression had an increased likelihood of poor hand and oral hygiene, including washing their hands rarely or never and brushing their teeth less than daily. The meta-analysis for this association yielded statistically significant pooled odds ratios for both boys and girls. In girls, loneliness was also associated with poor hand and oral hygiene. Reduced mental health status in adolescents may lead to worse hygiene behaviors and an increased risk of infections. Teachers, parents, healthcare workers, and other adults who observe suboptimal hygiene status in an adolescent should consider whether this indicates a mental health issue that requires clinical services. Copyright © 2015 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hygiene and mental health among middle school students in India and 11 other countries

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Shamika Ranasinghe

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS collects data from early adolescents who are approximately 13–15 years old and enrolled in middle schools (also known as junior secondary schools. We used logistic regression models to examine the associations between self-reported hygiene practices and mental health status as assessed by the 2007 India GSHS. Then, we used meta-analysis to compare the results from India with those from 11 other GSHS-participating countries in Asia and Africa (Djibouti, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Myanmar, the Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, and the United Arab Emirates. Among 7904 middle school students in India, 25.5% reported symptoms of depression, 8.6% reported loneliness, and 7.8% reported anxiety-related insomnia. Both males and females who reported symptoms of depression had an increased likelihood of poor hand and oral hygiene, including washing their hands rarely or never and brushing their teeth less than daily. The meta-analysis for this association yielded statistically significant pooled odds ratios for both boys and girls. In girls, loneliness was also associated with poor hand and oral hygiene. Reduced mental health status in adolescents may lead to worse hygiene behaviors and an increased risk of infections. Teachers, parents, healthcare workers, and other adults who observe suboptimal hygiene status in an adolescent should consider whether this indicates a mental health issue that requires clinical services. Keywords: Adolescents, Hygiene behavior, India, Mental health

Cross-national survey on science literacy and attitudes toward use of radiation among 7700 high-school students in seven FNCA countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Yasumasa

2005-01-01

A joint cross-cultural study was launched in 2002 in seven member countries of the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA---China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, The Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). It was intended to examine (1) personal interest, (2) information sources regarding science and technology, (3) general science literacy, (4) images of radiation (including ''Hiroshima-Nagasaki-Nuclear Weapon''), and (5) the extent and the kind of information needs for radiation, with a total of 1000 male and female high-school students serving as respondents in each country. Basic information thus obtained regarding the ''receivers'' should be able to serve for an appropriate selection of the ''message'', ''style'' and ''media'' by any ''potential communicators'' when they need to communicate with the receivers''---high-school students in this case. (author)

School-based vaccination programmes: a systematic review of the evidence on organisation and delivery in high income countries

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Sarah Perman

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many countries have recently expanded their childhood immunisation programmes. Schools are an increasingly attractive setting for delivery of these new immunisations because of their ability to reach large numbers of children in a short period of time. However, there are organisational challenges to delivery of large-scale vaccination programmes in schools. Understanding the facilitators and barriers is important for improving the delivery of future school-based vaccination programmes. Methods We undertook a systematic review of evidence on school-based vaccination programmes in order to understand the influence of organisational factors on the delivery of programmes. Our eligibility criteria were studies that (1 focused on childhood or adolescent vaccination programmes delivered in schools; (2 considered organisational factors that influenced the preparation or delivery of programmes; (3 were conducted in a developed or high-income country; and (4 had been peer reviewed. We searched for articles published in English between 2000 and 2015 using MEDLINE and HMIC electronic databases. Additional studies were identified by searching the Cochrane Library and bibliographies. We extracted data from the studies, assessed quality and the risk of bias, and categorised findings using a thematic framework of eight organisational factors. Results We found that most of the recent published literature is from the United States and is concerned with the delivery of pandemic or seasonal flu vaccination programmes at a regional (state or local level. We found that the literature is largely descriptive and not informed by the use of theory. Despite this, we identified common factors that influence the implementation of programmes. These factors included programme leadership and governance, organisational models and institutional relationships, workforce capacity and roles particularly concerning the school nurse, communication with parents and

What do parents think about parental participation in school-based interventions on energy balance-related behaviours? a qualitative study in 4 countries

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2011-01-01

Background Overweight and obesity in youth has increased dramatically. Therefore, overweight prevention initiatives should start early in life and target modifiable energy balance-related behaviours. Parental participation is often advocated as important for school-based interventions, however, getting parents involved in school-based interventions appears to be challenging based on earlier intervention experiences. The purpose of this study was to get insight into the determinants of and perspectives on parental participation in school-interventions on energy balance-related behaviours (physical activity, healthy eating, sedentary behaviours) in parents of ten- to twelve-year olds in order to develop an effective parental module for school-based interventions concerning energy balance-related behaviours. Methods Four countries (Belgium, Hungary, Norway and Spain) conducted the focus group research based on a standardised protocol and a semi-structured questioning route. A variation in parental socio-economic status (SES) and parental school involvement was taken into account when recruiting the parents. The audio taped interviews were transcribed, and a qualitative content analysis of the transcripts was conducted in each country. Results Seventeen focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 92 parents (12 men, 80 women). Physical activity was considered to be a joint responsibility of school and parents, nutrition as parent's responsibility but supported by the school, and prevention of sedentary behaviours as parent's sole responsibility. Parents proposed interactive and practical activities together with their child as the best way to involve them such as cooking, food tasting, nutrition workshops, walking or cycling tours, sport initiations together with their child. Activities should be cheap, on a convenient moment, focused on their children and not on themselves, not tutoring, not theoretical, and school-or home-based. Conclusions Parents want to

20 CFR 416.1338 - If you are participating in an appropriate program of vocational rehabilitation services...

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2010-04-01

... AGED, BLIND, AND DISABLED Suspensions and Terminations § 416.1338 If you are participating in an... or blindness may be continued after your impairment is no longer disabling, you are no longer blind... services, or other support services; or (B) A public, private or parochial school that provides or...

Acculturation and school adjustment of immigrant youth in six European countries : Findings from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schachner, M.K.; He, J.; Heizmann, B.; van de Vijver, F.J.R.

2017-01-01

School adjustment determines long-term adjustment in society. Yet, immigrant youth do better in some countries than in others. Drawing on acculturation research (Berry, 1997; Ward, 2001) and self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000), we investigated indirect effects of adolescent immigrants’

Is the DOTS strategy sufficient to achieve tuberculosis control in low- and middle-income countries? 1. Need for interventions in universities and medical schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Caminero, J A

2003-06-01

Now that progress is gradually being made in the implementation of the DOTS strategy in low-income countries, we must take into account the fact that nearly 30% of all tuberculosis (TB) cases worldwide occur in middle-income countries, which usually have an adequate health infrastructure and sufficient economic resources for TB control. These countries nevertheless have other limitations that make it necessary to develop other aspects in addition to the DOTS strategy. These can be summarised in three main themes: 1) adequate coordination of all health structures involved in TB management, ensuring that they follow the basic norms of the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP), 2) direct intervention in universities and medical schools, which are ubiquitous in such countries, and 3) specific collaboration with specialists and physicians in private practice, an important obstacle to the success of NTPs in several countries. A detailed analysis is presented of strategies that need to be implemented in different countries depending on their economic resources and their TB situation. The need to carry out specific interventions in addition to training in DOTS in universities and medical schools in order to improve TB control is discussed. A specific project in this area developed by the IUATLD in Latin America is described.

Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among schoolchildren: efforts in middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Wijesinha-Bettoni, Ramani; Orito, Aya; Löwik, Marianne; Mclean, Catherine; Muehlhoff, Ellen

2013-03-01

To reverse the trend of rising child obesity rates in many middle-income countries, recommendations include increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. Schools can positively impact children's eating behavior, and multicomponent interventions that include the curriculum, school food environments, and parental involvement are most effective. To find out how fruits and vegetables feature in the dietary guidelines provided to schools, what specific schemes are available for providing these foods, the extent to which nutrition education is included in the curriculum, and how vegetables and fruits are procured in primary schools. In 2008, a survey questionnaire previously validated and revised was sent electronically to national program managers and focal points for school feeding programs in 58 middle-income countries. The rationale was to obtain information relevant to the entire country from these key informants. The survey response rate was 46%. The information provided by 22 respondents in 18 countries was included in the current study. On average, respondents answered 88% of the questions analyzed in this paper. Of the respondents, 73% worked for the national authority responsible for school food programs, with 45% at the program coordinator or director level. Few countries have any special fruit and vegetable schemes; implementation constraints include cost and lack of storage facilities. Although 11 of 18 countries have both nutrient-based guidelines and school food guidelines for meals, fruits and vegetables are often not adequately specified. In some countries, nutrition education, special activities, school gardens, and parental participation are used to promote fruits and vegetables. Specific schemes are needed in some, together with school food guidelines that include fruits and vegetables.

Factores escolares asociados al desarrollo socio-afectivo en Iberoamérica. [School factors associated with socio-emotional development in Latin American Countries].

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murillo, F. Javier

2011-09-01

Full Text Available We present the results of an international research that intends to identify key factors associated with school and classroom socio-emotional achievement of Primary Education Students in Latin America countries. This Multilevel Study has been conducted with 4 analysis levels; we studied 5,603 students from 248 classrooms from 98 schools in 9 countries. We worked with 4 product socio-affective variables (self-concept, academic behaviour, social interaction and satisfaction with the school. The results showed a series of classroom and school factors that explain the socio-emotional development, consistent with those found in research on school effectiveness to cognitive factors. Se presentan los resultados de una investigación internacional que pretende identificar los factores de escuela y de aula asociados al logro socio-afectivo de los estudiantes de Educación Primaria en Iberoamérica. Se realizó un estudio Multinivel con 4 niveles de análisis, se analizaron 5.603 alumnos de 248 aulas correspondientes a 98 escuelas de 9 países. Se trabajó con cuatro variables de producto socio-afectivo (Autoconcepto, Comportamiento académico, Convivencia social y Satisfacción con la escuela. Los resultados arrojaron una serie de factores de aula y escuela que explican el desarrollo socio-afectivo, coherentes con los hallados en la investigación sobre eficacia escolar con factores cognitivos.

Where in the World Is School Psychology?: Examining Evidence of School Psychology around the Globe

Science.gov (United States)

Jimerson, Shane R.; Skokut, Mary; Cardenas, Santiago; Malone, Heather; Stewart, Kaitlyn

2008-01-01

This study examined each of the 192 Member States of the United Nations to address three important questions: (1) how many countries have professionals who provide school psychology services; (2) which countries do and do not have school psychologists; (3) what evidence of school psychology is available in each country. Of the 192 Member States of…

Do Differences in School's Instruction Time Explain International Achievement Gaps in Maths, Science and Language? Evidence from Developed and Developing Countries. CEE DP 118

Science.gov (United States)

Lavy, Victor

2010-01-01

There are large differences across countries in instructional time in public schooling institutions. For example, among European countries such as Belgium, France and Greece, pupils aged 15 have an average of over a thousand hours per year of total compulsory classroom instruction while in England, Luxembourg and Sweden the average is only 750…

The Role of Global Understanding within Multicultural Teacher Education for Culturally Isolated and Threatened Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, June A.

The role of international and comparative education in teacher education must be informed by the needs of American students which include overcoming cultural parochialism due to racial and cultural isolation and inadequate schooling. The urgency of economic and cultural survival for certain groups such as African-American, Appalachian, and Latino…

Adam Smith, Religion, and Tuition Tax Credits.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Kern

1983-01-01

Examines tuition tax credit programs in framework of Adam Smith's ideas on the economic impact of established churches. Finds that tuition tax credits would amount to state expenditures to relieve the financial burden of parochial school parents and would allow churches to invest commercially to maintain their charitable functions. (JW)

A Field Study in the Application of CONSULT-I to the Problem of Inconsistency in Diagnosis and Treatment of Reading Difficulties. Proffitt Grant Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Anabel P.; Metz, Elizabeth

A field study tested the application of the CONSULT-I (R) program, which uses artificial intelligence with statistical pattern recognition in constructing a diagnosis and recommending treatment of reading difficulties. Participants in the field study came from 10 southern and central Indiana school districts, both public and parochial, and one…

Parental, Sex-Role, and Interpersonal Correlates of Religiousness in Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Suziedelis, Antanas; Potvin, Raymond H.

Factorially derived aspects of religiousness, i.e., intrinsic, orthodoxy, practice, and cognitive, were examined in juxtaposition with indices of parental influence, sex-role identity and interpersonal style. The data were analyzed separately for boys (N=297) and girls (N=344) from several Catholic parochial schools. The results indicate that: (1)…

Studies of biochemistry and clinical biochemistry. Studies at sample medical schools in 13 EU countries regarding biochemistry and clinical biochemistry teaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, Petr; Sebesta, Ivan; Trnkova, Bohuslava; Zima, Tomas

2008-07-01

The study summarizes the results obtained during personal visits to 53 medical schools in the 13 original EU countries during 2004--2006. Data from the Czech Republic is shown for comparison. The possibilities of acquiring information from the websites of the medical schools in the local language and English are assessed. The admission process to medical schools and the organization of studies of medicine, dentistry, and non-medical healthcare fields are briefly characterized. Significant attention is paid to the forms of education in biochemistry and clinical (bio)chemistry in the medical study field. The position of these subjects in the studies of dentistry and non-medical healthcare fields is also noted. In addition, the course of subject exams is described. The methods of funding and postgraduate studies at the medical schools are also briefly addressed.

Nisaidie Nif Anye Mwenyewe, Pomogi Mne Eto Sdelat' Samomu: A Comparative Case Study of the Implementation of Montessori Pedagogy in the United Republic of Tanzania and the Russian Federation

Science.gov (United States)

Schnepf, Candy A.

2010-01-01

The system of education developed by Maria Montessori, noted Italian feminist, anthropologist and physician, is the single largest pedagogy in the world with over 22,000 public, private, parochial, and charter schools on six continents, enduring even as other teaching methods have waxed and waned. Despite its international diffusion and longevity,…

Immunizing Children against the Negative Effects of Reward.

Science.gov (United States)

Amabile, Teresa M.; And Others

To determine whether training could counter deleterious effects of reward on intrinsic motivation and creativity, 68 students in grades 3, 4, and 5 at a parochial school in Massachusetts were assigned to one of four conditions in which intrinsic motivation training and rewards were either provided or withheld. In the intrinsic motivation training…

What do parents think about parental participation in school-based interventions on energy balance-related behaviours? a qualitative study in 4 countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Van Lippevelde Wendy

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Overweight and obesity in youth has increased dramatically. Therefore, overweight prevention initiatives should start early in life and target modifiable energy balance-related behaviours. Parental participation is often advocated as important for school-based interventions, however, getting parents involved in school-based interventions appears to be challenging based on earlier intervention experiences. The purpose of this study was to get insight into the determinants of and perspectives on parental participation in school-interventions on energy balance-related behaviours (physical activity, healthy eating, sedentary behaviours in parents of ten- to twelve-year olds in order to develop an effective parental module for school-based interventions concerning energy balance-related behaviours. Methods Four countries (Belgium, Hungary, Norway and Spain conducted the focus group research based on a standardised protocol and a semi-structured questioning route. A variation in parental socio-economic status (SES and parental school involvement was taken into account when recruiting the parents. The audio taped interviews were transcribed, and a qualitative content analysis of the transcripts was conducted in each country. Results Seventeen focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 92 parents (12 men, 80 women. Physical activity was considered to be a joint responsibility of school and parents, nutrition as parent's responsibility but supported by the school, and prevention of sedentary behaviours as parent's sole responsibility. Parents proposed interactive and practical activities together with their child as the best way to involve them such as cooking, food tasting, nutrition workshops, walking or cycling tours, sport initiations together with their child. Activities should be cheap, on a convenient moment, focused on their children and not on themselves, not tutoring, not theoretical, and school-or home

The effect of video interviews with STEM professionals on STEM-subject attitude and STEM-career interest of middle school students in conservative Protestant Christian schools

Science.gov (United States)

Alsup, Philip R.

Inspiring learners toward career options available in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is important not only for economic development but also for maintaining creative thinking and innovation. Limited amounts of research in STEM education have focused on the population of students enrolled in religious and parochial schools, and given the historic conflict between religion and science, this sector of American education is worthy of examination. The purpose of this quantitative study is to extend Gottfredson's (1981) Theory of Circumscription and Compromise as it relates to occupational aspirations. Bem's (1981) Gender Schema Theory is examined as it relates to the role of gender in career expectations, and Crenshaw's (1989) Intersectionality Theory is included as it pertains to religion as a group identifier. Six professionals in STEM career fields were video recorded while being interviewed about their skills and education as well as positive and negative aspects of their jobs. The interviews were compiled into a 25-minute video for the purpose of increasing understanding of STEM careers among middle school viewers. The research questions asked whether middle school students from conservative, Protestant Christian schools in a Midwest region increased in STEM-subject attitude and STEM-career interest as a result of viewing the video and whether gender interacted with exposure to the video. A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control groups, pretest/posttest factorial design was employed to evaluate data collected from the STEM Semantic Survey. A Two-Way ANCOVA revealed no significant differences in dependent variables from pretest to posttest. Implications of the findings are examined and recommendations for future research are made. Descriptors: STEM career interest, STEM attitude, STEM gender disparity, Occupational aspirations, Conservative Protestant education.

Inter-group conflict and cooperation: field experiments before, during and after sectarian riots in Northern Ireland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio S Silva

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The idea that cooperative groups out-compete less cooperative groups has been proposed as a theoretical possibility for the evolution of cooperation through cultural group selection. Previous studies have found an association between increased cooperation and exposure to inter-group violence, but most have not been able to identify the specific target of cooperation and are based on correlational data making it difficult to establish causality. In this study we test the hypothesis that inter-group conflict promotes parochial altruism (i.e. in-group altruism and out-group hostility by using longitudinal data of a real-world measure of cooperation – charity and school donations – sampled before, during and after violent sectarian riots between Catholics and Protestants in Belfast, Northern Ireland. We find that conflict is associated with reductions in all types of cooperation, with reduced donations to a neutral charity, and both in-group and out-group primary schools. After the conflict, both in-group and out-group donations increased again. In this context we find no evidence that inter-group conflict promotes parochial altruism.

Estimation of CO{sub 2}-emissions from Fires in Dwellings, Schools and Cars in the Nordic Countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blomqvist, Per; Simonson McNamee, Margaret

2009-07-01

Updated estimates of emissions from fires in dwellings, schools, pre schools and cars are presented for the Nordic countries with the exception of Iceland. The updated emissions are calculated based on fire statistics from 2007 and are compared to results previously presented for 1994 in Sweden. To put the fire emissions data into perspective they are also compared to national estimates of CO{sub 2} emissions as reported by the Swedish EPA to the EU in their National Inventory Report for 2007. The statistical data on fires for Sweden for 2007 is more reliable compared with the data for 1994, which strengthens the updated emission estimate. The major uncertainty in the fire data used for the emission estimate is the interpretation of fire spread which is based on rather crude assumptions. In particular in the case of houses the fire spread area used for the estimate may be an exaggeration thereby giving a possible overestimation of the estimated emissions. Data indicates that the total emission of CO{sub 2} from fires in dwellings (including single family homes, semi-detached houses, summer houses and apartments) in Sweden 2007 is 15,5 kton. Similar values for Denmark (4,1 kton), Finland (6,9 kton) and Norway (6,4 kton). Similar data for school/preschool and car fires indicate that emissions in Sweden are higher than in the other Nordic countries for these categories as well although not by as great an amount. Finally, a comparison between emissions data from other sources of CO{sub 2} and those from fires indicate that emissions of CO{sub 2} from fires are minor compared to most other sources. The previous study based on statistics from 1994 also concluded that fires are a minor source of CO{sub 2} but a relatively significant source of, e.g., particulate matter, VOC, PAH and other large organic species

A Consideration on the Description of the History of Own Country in U.S. School History Textbooks

OpenAIRE

中野, 和光

2007-01-01

This paper examined the description of the history of own country in U.S. school history textbooks. At first, the conflicts over U.S. history textbooks was examined. It is pointed out through this examination that there were many conflicts through the history of American history textbook and that these conflicts were the fights toward national identity of the United States. In this meaning, national identity is always on the developing process. Neverthlesss, there was a master narrative in Am...

School food, politics and child health.

Science.gov (United States)

Bundy, Donald A P; Drake, Lesley J; Burbano, Carmen

2013-06-01

An analysis undertaken jointly in 2009 by the UN World Food Programme, The Partnership for Child Development and the World Bank was published as Rethinking School Feeding to provide guidance on how to develop and implement effective school feeding programmes as a productive safety net and as part of the efforts to achieve Education for All. The present paper reflects on how understanding of school feeding has changed since that analysis. Data on school feeding programme outcomes were collected through a literature review. Regression models were used to analyse relationships between school feeding costs (from data that were collected), the per capita costs of primary education and Gross Domestic Product per capita. Data on the transition to national ownership, supply chains and country examples were collected through country case studies. School feeding programmes increase school attendance, cognition and educational achievement, as well as provide a transfer of resources to households with possible benefits to local agricultural production and local market development. Low-income countries exhibit large variations in school feeding costs, with concomitant opportunities for cost containment. Countries are increasingly looking to transition from externally supported projects to national programmes. School feeding is now clearly evident as a major social programme in most countries with a global turnover in excess of $US 100 billion. This argues for a continuing focus on the evidence base with a view to helping countries ensure that their programmes are as cost-effective as possible. Clear policy advice has never been more important.

Women School Leaders: Entrepreneurs in Low Fee Private Schools in Three West African Nations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula A. Cordeiro

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This study explores the opportunities and challenges of women who own low-fee private schools in three West African nations. With the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs in 2000 and the Sustainable Development Goals in 2016, it has become obvious to policymakers that school leadership needs to be a policy priority around the world. Increased school autonomy and a greater focus on schooling and school results have made it essential to understand and support the role of school leaders. Few countries however have strong and systematic initiatives to professionalize school leadership and to nurture and support current school leaders. This becomes even more complex for governments given the rise of private schooling in low and middle-income countries worldwide; thus, it is crucial for governments to understand the importance of leadership at the school level and how to nurture and professionalize it. In this study, the authors examine the roles of women school leaders in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Liberia within the context of MDG 3: promote gender equality and empower women. Because of the many challenges in the public sector in education in low and middle-income countries, the private sector has responded by creating thousands of small businesses. Since a large and growing number of women are leading these private schools, this study presents the findings on the nature of the leadership of these women entrepreneurs. Fourteen school proprietors participated in face-to face interviews about their reasons for founding a school as well as the supports and challenges they face. Findings discuss the limited professional learning opportunities for school leaders in these nations. The study describes the school leaders’ desires to help build their nations, and the unique cultural and contextual factors in each country.

Risky internet behaviors of middle-school students: communication with online strangers and offline contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgess Dowdell, Elizabeth

2011-06-01

In today's world, more adolescents are using the Internet as an avenue for social communication and a source of information and to experiment with risky online behaviors. To better understand how early adolescents are using the Internet, a study was undertaken to more clearly identify online use and online risky behaviors and to describe any online relationships with strangers middle-school students may be participating in. This exploratory study adapted the Youth Internet Safety Survey of Finkelhor et al to identify the usage and characteristics of online youth, solicitation of youth, and risky behaviors. Four hundred and four students, with a mean age of 12 years, were recruited from public and parochial schools located in the Northeast. Findings from this study indicate that of a total sample of 404 middle-school students, a small grouping (n = 59; 14.6%) are beginning risky online communication behaviors with strangers. Students who communicated online with strangers were older and had higher rates of posting personal information, risky online behaviors, and stealing. The majority of this group (84%) met offline with the online stranger, and three students reported having been assaulted. Findings suggest that early adolescents are beginning risky online and offline behaviors. Understanding their experiences is important since they highlight how middle-school students are undertaking risks in a new environment that many adults and parents do not fully understand. Clinicians, educators, healthcare providers, and other professionals need to be informed of Internet behaviors in order to assess for risk, to make referrals, to intervene, and to educate.

Evaluating the predictability of distance race performance in NCAA cross country and track and field from high school race times in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Brusa, Jamie L

2017-12-30

Successful recruiting for collegiate track & field athletes has become a more competitive and essential component of coaching. This study aims to determine the relationship between race performances of distance runners at the United States high school and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) levels. Conditional inference classification tree models were built and analysed to predict the probability that runners would qualify for the NCAA Division I National Cross Country Meet and/or the East or West NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Preliminary Round based on their high school race times in the 800 m, 1600 m, and 3200 m. Prediction accuracies of the classification trees ranged from 60.0 to 76.6 percent. The models produced the most reliable estimates for predicting qualifiers in cross country, the 1500 m, and the 800 m for females and cross country, the 5000 m, and the 800 m for males. NCAA track & field coaches can use the results from this study as a guideline for recruiting decisions. Additionally, future studies can apply the methodological foundations of this research to predicting race performances set at different metrics, such as national meets in other countries or Olympic qualifications, from previous race data.

Decomposing Cross-Country Differences in Skills:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albæk, Karsten; Rosdahl, Anders

2017-01-01

This paper performs multivariate analysis of skill differences in the Nordic countries as assessed by OECD’s PIACC survey of adults aged 16-65. We decompose the differences in average skills between Finland and each of the three Scandinavian countries into a component that is due to different skill...... levels in subgroups of the population and a component that is due to differences in the composition of subgroups. The decompositions show that the high Finnish average skill level compared to the three Scandinavian countries can be attributed the low share of immigrants in Finland and to high scores...... among Finns with high school and less than high school education. The Finnish average score is pulled substantially downwards as a consequence of the low numeracy skill level among older Finns, which is consistent with an increase in the quantity or quality of Finnish education over time, relative...

Solomon Islands School Autonomy and Accountability : SABER Country Report 2013

OpenAIRE

World Bank

2013-01-01

Education in the Solomon Islands is highly decentralized. While education policy is the sole responsibility of the Ministry of education, school boards are responsible for delivery. The entire organization of the school system is based on checks and balances to ensure accountability. Budgetary autonomy is established. The school board controls the school budget, with input from parents. Pe...

A Tale of Five Countries: Background and Confidence in Preservice Primary Teachers in Drama Education across Five Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Russell-Bowie, Deirdre E.

2013-01-01

In many public primary schools across different countries, generalist primary teachers are required to teach all subjects, including music, dance, drama and visual arts. This study investigates the background and confidence of preservice primary teachers from five countries in relation to drama and drama education. It also examines if there is a…

Ethical Challenges of Educational Leadership in the Countries of the CIS

Science.gov (United States)

Zagoumennov, Iouri

2010-01-01

There is no school administrators' pre-service training in the CIS (Former USSR) countries. As for the in-service training, it has been traditionally focused on educational management. As a result, schools in the CIS countries are run as well-oiled machines but there is a big question mark over whether these machines are running in the right…

Returns to Schooling in Less Developed Countries: New Evidence from Zambia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Helena Skyt; Westergård-Nielsen, Niels Chr.

2001-01-01

In our analysis of returns to schooling in Zambia, we look at the rural and urban population separately, and estimate the returns to schooling in each region based on a selection model in two stages. For urban areas we find that the returns to primary schooling are nil whereas the returns to scho...... to schooling beyond primary school are higher. For rural areas we find that the returns to primary schooling are positive and no different from the returns to education beyond primary school. Udgivelsesdato: JAN...

The Impacts of a School Garden Program on Urban Middle School Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, Dennis W.; Collins, Ashley; Fuhrman, Nicholas E.; Knauft, David Alan; Berle, David C.

2016-01-01

School gardens have been an active part of United States schools since 1890, when the first school garden was established in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Since the turn of the 20th century school gardens have greatly expanded to include inner city schools in some of the largest metropolitan areas of the country. Since the early 1990s, school gardens…

The Story of Women

Science.gov (United States)

Grady, Marilyn L.

2008-01-01

In this article, the author shares Elizabeth Ann Seton's story as a woman's story. Seton was born in 1774 to a New York family. Through her work in Maryland, Seton was credited with being the founder of the parochial Catholic school system in the U.S. Seton formed a group of sisters known as the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph. The sisters…

Determinants of educational participation and gender differences in education in six Arab countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smits, J.P.J.M.; Huisman, A.H.M.

2013-01-01

We study the determinants of educational participation and gender differences in education for young children in six Arab countries: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. Although these countries have made much progress in getting young children into school, school dropout after age 11

The Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System: Its Impact on Air Force Acquisition Thirteen Years Later

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-01

PAROCHIALISM : OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND THE REQUIREMENTS GENERATION SYSTEM (RGS) ........................................................ 15 2003...SERVICE STOVEPIPES AND PAROCHIALISM : OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND THE REQUIREMENTS GENERATION SYSTEM (RGS) According to a 1974 General Accounting...The time had come to put aside service parochialism and self-interest and begin the march to joint capability development, joint concepts and

Comparative analysis of successful practices of corruption counteraction in the sphere of school education in foreign countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Objective to analyze the practice of corruption counteraction in the sphere of school education in foreign countries. Methods comparativelegal method polling content analysis of documents expert evaluation testing of experts with an international technique Questionnaire Profile of Demand. Results the need for the corruption counteraction program is stated in Art. 13.3 of the Federal Law ldquoOn corruption counteractionrdquoand Methodological recommendations of the Russian Ministry of Labor on corruption risks evaluation when implementing functions but no definite measures for corruption counteraction in educational organizations have been formulated. Nevertheless the controlling bodies inquire for information on such measures. As an example wecitean inquiry of Krasnoyarsk Oktyabrskiy region Prosecutorrsquos Office to educational organizations of October 21 2014 no. 86012014 ldquoOn measures for corruption counteraction in the sphere of educationrdquo. Scientific novelty summarizing the experience of corruption counteraction in the sphere of education in foreign countries and the expertsrsquo opinion of the specialist of international organizations allowed to formulate a number of recommendations for the Russian educational establishments. Practical value the experience of corruption counteraction in foreign countries will allow the head of an educational establishment to choose those of the proposed measures which will be efficient in corruption prevention and to elaborate an efficient program for corruption prevention. nbsp

Mitigating Negative Externalities Affecting Access and Equity of Education in Low-Resource Countries: A Study Exploring Social Marketing as a Potential Strategy for Planning School Food Programs in Malawi

Science.gov (United States)

Magreta-Nyongani, Martha

2012-01-01

School feeding programs enhance the efficiency of the education system by improving enrollment, reducing dropouts and increasing perseverance. They also have the potential to reach the poor, directly making them an effective social safety net. In many low-resource countries, school feeding programs are designed to protect children from the effects…

Social science teachers on citizenship education: a comparative study of three European countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jeliazkova, Margarita I.

2014-01-01

This paper presents a comparison of high school teachers’ views on citizenship education in three European countries – the Netherlands, Bulgaria, and Croatia. In all these countries, citizenship is an important part of school curriculum. The teachers need to find ways to deal with the everyday

Physical Education in Primary Education in EU Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Črtomir Matejek

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this paper is to compare the representation of physical education in primary education in the countries of European Union and to explain the effects of sports activities in child's development. For at least twenty years experts have pointed to the lack of spontaneous movement in childhood. Therefore, sports activity is suitable for maintaining good health and proper physical fitness. Physical education represents a large proportion of children's sports activities and has positive effects on a child’s holistic development. EU countries allocate physical education of children in primary school different amounts of attention. To physical education about half of European countries devote 10% of the total time of school curriculum, Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia to 15%, while Ireland only 4%. These findings suggest that among EU countries, there are very large differences in the number of hours devoted to physical education and that designers of primary education in Europe perceive physical education as less important than other subjects.

Historical Pages of Rendering Medical Help in Katerinoslavschyna — Dnipropetrovschyna

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.P. Chaban

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The paper is devoted to the charity of Princess Natalya Cherkaska (birth surname Katerynych in the end of the ХІХ century in Katerinoslavschyna-Dnipropetrovschyna. N.I. Cherkaska established a hospital and a school in the village of Lychkove. She was a curator of Pereschepine receiving room, honored guardian of Katerinoslav parochial secondary school for girls. The information about the visits of descendants of a famous scientist I.I. Mechnikov in Lychkove village in Magdalinovskyi district in Dnipropetrovsk region has been provided.

School Safety and Crisis Planning Considerations for School Psychologists. Crisis Management

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly-Wilson, Christina; Reeves, Melissa

2013-01-01

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, people across the country are asking if schools in their communities are safe. School psychologists not only play a pivotal role in answering that question, but they can also provide leadership in helping to ensure a safe school climate. A critical component to answering…

Medial tibial stress syndrome in high school cross-country runners: incidence and risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Plisky, Melody S; Rauh, Mitchell J; Heiderscheit, Bryan; Underwood, Frank B; Tank, Robert T

2007-02-01

Prospective cohort. To determine (1) the cumulative seasonal incidence and overall injury rate of medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) and (2) risk factors for MTSS with a primary focus on the relationship between navicular drop values and MTSS in high school cross-country runners. MTSS is a common injury among runners. However, few studies have reported the injury rate and risk factors for MTSS among adolescent runners. Data collected included measurement of bilateral navicular drop and foot length, and a baseline questionnaire regarding the runner's height, body mass, previous running injury, running experience, and orthotic or tape use. Runners were followed during the season to determine athletic exposures (AEs) and occurrence of MTSS. The overall injury rate for MTSS was 2.8/1000 AEs. Although not statistically different, girls had a higher rate (4.3/1000 AEs) than boys (1.7/1000 AEs) (P = .11). Logistic regression modeling indicated that only gender and body mass index (BMI) were significantly associated with the occurrence of MTSS. However, when controlled for orthotic use, only BMI was associated with risk of MTSS. No significant associations were found between MTSS and navicular drop or foot length. Our findings suggest that navicular drop may not be an appropriate measure to identify runners who may develop MTSS during a cross-country season; thus, additional studies are needed to identify appropriate preseason screening tools.

Promoting School Engagement: Attitudes toward School among American and Japanese Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Douglas C.; Ito, Ayako; Gruenewald, John; Yeh, Hsiu-Ling

2010-01-01

Students from the United States and Japan were surveyed with regard to their levels of satisfaction with school and factors that might facilitate or impede school satisfaction. Results indicated that females and younger students from both countries expressed greater satisfaction with school, with overall satisfaction declining in a linear fashion…

How Inclusive Education Is Understood by Principals of Independent Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Gous, Jennifer Glenda; Eloff, Irma; Moen, Melanie Carmen

2014-01-01

Inclusive education has become a practice that has been adopted by many schools across the globe and most usually in first-world countries. As a whole-school system, it occurs less frequently in developing countries including South Africa which unlike many developing countries has a sound infrastructure and many excellent schools in both the state…

Pharmacology and Therapeutics Education in the European Union Needs Harmonization and Modernization: A Cross-sectional Survey Among 185 Medical Schools in 27 Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Brinkman, D J; Tichelaar, J; Okorie, M; Bissell, L; Christiaens, T; Likic, R; Mačìulaitis, R; Costa, J; Sanz, E J; Tamba, B I; Maxwell, S R; Richir, M C; van Agtmael, M A

2017-11-01

Effective teaching in pharmacology and clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) is necessary to make medical students competent prescribers. However, the current structure, delivery, and assessment of CPT education in the European Union (EU) is unknown. We sent an online questionnaire to teachers with overall responsibility for CPT education in EU medical schools. Questions focused on undergraduate teaching and assessment of CPT, and students' preparedness for prescribing. In all, 185 medical schools (64%) from 27 EU countries responded. Traditional learning methods were mainly used. The majority of respondents did not provide students with the opportunity to practice real-life prescribing and believed that their students were not well prepared for prescribing. There is a marked difference in the quality and quantity of CPT education within and between EU countries, suggesting that there is considerable scope for improvement. A collaborative approach should be adopted to harmonize and modernize the undergraduate CPT education across the EU. © 2017 The Authors Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

School Meals Do Not Have a Given Place in Swedish School's Quality Management

Science.gov (United States)

Olsson, Cecilia; Waling, Maria

2016-01-01

Objectives: Sweden is one of three countries worldwide which has a legal requirement to ensure that pupils in compulsory school should be offered free, nutritious school meals. Furthermore, the law states that school meal provision should be included in schools' internal quality management (IQM) system. The objective of this study was to examine…

Aboard the "Moving School."

Science.gov (United States)

Ainscow, Mel; Hopkins, David

1992-01-01

In many countries, education legislation embodies contradictory pressures for centralization and decentralization. In the United Kingdom, there is growing government control over policy and direction of schools; schools are also being given more responsibility for resource management. "Moving" schools within Improving the Quality of…

U.S. Counterterrorism Landscape: An Examination of Policy and Strategy Using a Conceptual Approach

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-12

areas of strategy, policy, and parochialism apply to the strategic security environment. The analysis concludes that the counterterrorism landscape and...and the decision to invade Iraq in 2003. In particular, several lessons in the areas of strategy, policy, and parochialism apply to the strategic...capacities, to the parochialisms inherent in their cultures.3 1 Graham Allison and Philip Zelikow. Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis

MODERN REQUIREMENTS TO THE GENERAL EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS LEADERS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES (FOREIGN EXPERIENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Malitskaya

2010-08-01

Full Text Available As a result of ICT integration into the school educational and administrative process, ICT competence is being included in normative educational documents and standards. In the article it has been considered modern requirements to the school leaders in foreign countries (The USA, Lithuania, European countries, it is presented the National educational technological standards (NETS•A. Performance indicators for administrators developed by International society for technology in education ISTE, which is used for development of their own standards in different foreign countries.

Early-stage primary school children attending a school in the Malawian School Feeding Program (SFP) have better reversal learning and lean muscle mass growth than those attending a non-SFP school.

Science.gov (United States)

Nkhoma, Owen W W; Duffy, Maresa E; Cory-Slechta, Deborah A; Davidson, Philip W; McSorley, Emeir M; Strain, J J; O'Brien, Gerard M

2013-08-01

In developing countries, schoolchildren encounter a number of challenges, including failure to complete school, poor health and nutrition, and poor academic performance. Implementation of school feeding programs (SFPs) in less developed countries is increasing and yet there is mixed evidence regarding their positive effects on nutrition, education, and cognition at the population level. This study evaluated cognitive and anthropometric outcomes in entry-level primary school children in Malawi with the aim of generating evidence for the ongoing debate about SFPs in Malawi and other developing countries. A total of 226 schoolchildren aged 6-8 y in 2 rural Malawian public primary schools were followed for one school year. Children attending one school (SFP school) received a daily ration of corn-soy blend porridge, while those attending the other (non-SFP school) did not. Baseline and post-baseline outcomes included the Cambridge Neurological Test Automated Battery cognitive tests of paired associate learning, rapid visual information processing and intra-extra dimensional shift, and anthropometric measurements of weight, height, and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC). At follow-up, the SFP subcohort had a greater reduction than the non-SFP subcohort in the number of intra-extra predimensional shift errors made (mean 18.5 and 24.9, respectively; P-interaction = 0.02) and also showed an increase in MUAC (from 16.3 to 17.0; P-interaction learning and catch-up growth in lean muscle mass in children in the SFP school compared with children in the non-SFP school. These findings suggest that the Malawian SFP, if well managed and ration sizes are sustained, may have the potential to improve nutritional and cognitive indicators of the most disadvantaged children.

Low health-related quality of life in school-aged children in Tonga, a lower-middle income country in the South Pacific.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Solveig; Swinburn, Boyd; Mavoa, Helen; Fotu, Kalesita; Tupoulahi-Fusimalohi, Caroline; Faeamani, Gavin; Moodie, Marjory

2014-01-01

Ensuring a good life for all parts of the population, including children, is high on the public health agenda in most countries around the world. Information about children's perception of their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its socio-demographic distribution is, however, limited and almost exclusively reliant on data from Western higher income countries. To investigate HRQoL in schoolchildren in Tonga, a lower income South Pacific Island country, and to compare this to HRQoL of children in other countries, including Tongan children living in New Zealand, a high-income country in the same region. A cross-sectional study from Tonga addressing all secondary schoolchildren (11-18 years old) on the outer island of Vava'u and in three districts of the main island of Tongatapu (2,164 participants). A comparison group drawn from the literature comprised children in 18 higher income and one lower income country (Fiji). A specific New Zealand comparison group involved all children of Tongan descendent at six South Auckland secondary schools (830 participants). HRQoL was assessed by the self-report Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0. HRQoL in Tonga was overall similar in girls and boys, but somewhat lower in children below 15 years of age. The children in Tonga experienced lower HRQoL than the children in all of the 19 comparison countries, with a large difference between children in Tonga and the higher income countries (Cohen's d 1.0) and a small difference between Tonga and the lower income country Fiji (Cohen's d 0.3). The children in Tonga also experienced lower HRQoL than Tongan children living in New Zealand (Cohen's d 0.6). The results reveal worrisome low HRQoL in children in Tonga and point towards a potential general pattern of low HRQoL in children living in lower income countries, or, alternatively, in the South Pacific Island countries.

Low health-related quality of life in school-aged children in Tonga, a lower-middle income country in the South Pacific

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Solveig Petersen

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Ensuring a good life for all parts of the population, including children, is high on the public health agenda in most countries around the world. Information about children's perception of their health-related quality of life (HRQoL and its socio-demographic distribution is, however, limited and almost exclusively reliant on data from Western higher income countries. Objectives: To investigate HRQoL in schoolchildren in Tonga, a lower income South Pacific Island country, and to compare this to HRQoL of children in other countries, including Tongan children living in New Zealand, a high-income country in the same region. Design: A cross-sectional study from Tonga addressing all secondary schoolchildren (11–18 years old on the outer island of Vava'u and in three districts of the main island of Tongatapu (2,164 participants. A comparison group drawn from the literature comprised children in 18 higher income and one lower income country (Fiji. A specific New Zealand comparison group involved all children of Tongan descendent at six South Auckland secondary schools (830 participants. HRQoL was assessed by the self-report Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0. Results: HRQoL in Tonga was overall similar in girls and boys, but somewhat lower in children below 15 years of age. The children in Tonga experienced lower HRQoL than the children in all of the 19 comparison countries, with a large difference between children in Tonga and the higher income countries (Cohen's d 1.0 and a small difference between Tonga and the lower income country Fiji (Cohen's d 0.3. The children in Tonga also experienced lower HRQoL than Tongan children living in New Zealand (Cohen's d 0.6. Conclusion: The results reveal worrisome low HRQoL in children in Tonga and point towards a potential general pattern of low HRQoL in children living in lower income countries, or, alternatively, in the South Pacific Island countries.

Schools in the Parochial Turmoil: Local Conflict and Dispute in the Province of Popayán in the State of New Granada, 1832-1851

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Ervin Prado Arellano

2018-01-01

Full Text Available One of the main goals of the State of New Granada (1832-1855 was the establishment of primary schools in every corner of the Republic. Part of this policy was regulated on May 19 1834, together with other policies (Law 2 of the 16th of May 1836 and Law 3 of the 13th of June 1844, which provided the framework within which the parish centers could establish these educational institutions. However, the policy, which promoted literacy in citizens, fostered conflict among local neighbors, be it because of the contributions that the inhabitants had to pay to fund these schools or because of the selection of the primary school teachers. This article examines such conflicts and, behind them, reveals the local rivalries and the factions in which the parish had been split into. The above unveils the dissemination of primary education as complex and torturous as the state process faced the web of local power.

Risk-Based School Inspections: Impact of Targeted Inspection Approaches on Dutch Secondary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Ehren, Melanie C.; Shackleton, Nichola

2016-01-01

In most countries, publicly funded schools are held accountable to one inspectorate and are judged against agreed national standards. Many inspectorates of education have recently moved towards more proportional risk-based inspection models, targeting high-risk schools for visits, while schools with satisfactory student attainment levels are…

Mechanisms of change in Dutch inspected schools: comparing schools in different inspection treatments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ehren, Melanie Catharina Margaretha; Shackleton, Nichola

2015-01-01

In many countries the need for education systems and schools to improve and innovate has become central to the education policy of governments. School inspections are expected to play an important role in promoting such continuous improvement and to help schools and education systems more generally

All About School People Who Accept "Gifts' from School Suppliers and Manufacturers

Science.gov (United States)

Monks, Robert

1974-01-01

A survey reveals that the school officials all over the country are being offered gifts by people who do business with schools. Most gift offering and accepting is done subtly and probably unconsciously. (Author/WM)

Improving School Leadership. Volume 1: Policy and Practice

Science.gov (United States)

OECD Publishing (NJ3), 2008

2008-01-01

As countries strive to reform education systems and improve student results, school leadership is high on education policy agendas. But in many countries, the men and women who run schools are overburdened, underpaid and near retirement. And few people are lining up for their jobs. Based on an OECD study of school leadership practices and policies…

School Motivation in Secondary Schools: A Survey of LGB and Heterosexual Students in Flanders

Science.gov (United States)

Aerts, Saskia; Van Houtte, Mieke; Dewaele, Alexis; Cox, Nele; Vincke, John

2015-01-01

This study focuses on the school motivation of LGB (lesbian, gay, and bisexual) students in Flanders, the northern part of Belgium, a fairly LGB-friendly country. The authors hypothesize that LGB students in Flemish secondary schools are less motivated for school than heterosexual students because they experience less sense of school belonging and…

HIGHER CHOREOGRAPHIC EDUCATION: THE EXPERIENCE OF GERMAN-SPEAKING COUNTRIES

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Iryna Tkachenko

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The current state of higher choreographic education and features of professional training of choreographers in the German-speaking countries, in particular Austria, Germany and Switzerland were analyzed. It is found that most of the German-speaking countries are Germany, Austria and Switzerland, which became the object of study. The considered the structure of higher choreographic education in the German-speaking countries. Universities, higher dance schools and higher art schools are functioning in Germany. Universities and academies are functioning in Austria and Switzerland. The institutions of theatre sciences, faculty of pedagogy and psychology, departments of performing arts are the structural units of the universities. The institutions of higher education have both private and state ownership. It is found out that the main areas for which training is future choreographers in the German-speaking countries there is a "Dance", "Dance pedagogy", "Modern dance", "Science of dance", "Choreography". German-speaking countries recognized by the training of specialists in the specialty choreography of Modern dance that has no analogues in Ukraine. The term of study is four (bachelor and two (master years. Higher choreographic education in these countries has a different approach and aims at mastering a separate specialty that provides future dance instructors completely and thoroughly master the basic knowledge and skills in this specialty. Specific conditions and rules of admission to the higher educational institutions of German-speaking countries.

School Nurse Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Borja, Mary C.; Amidon, Christine; Spellings, Diane; Franzetti, Susan; Nasuta, Mary

2009-01-01

This article features school nurses from across the country who are championing for school-located influenza immunization within their communities. These nurses are: (1) Mary C. Borja; (2) Christine Amidon; (3) Diane Spellings; (4) Susan Franzetti; and (5) Mary Nasuta. (Contains 6 figures.)

The relationship between cultural individualism-collectivism and student aggression across 62 countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergmüller, Silvia

2013-01-01

This study examined the relationship between countries' dominant cultural values (i.e., individualism and collectivism) and (a) school principals' perceptions of aggressive student behavior and (b) students' self-reports of being aggressively victimized in school. Data on student aggression and victimization were collected across 62 countries in nationally representative samples of fourth and eighth graders (N = 428,566) and their principals (N = 15,043) by the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007. Students were asked about three forms of aggressive victimization: physical, verbal, and relational; principals about two forms of aggressive student behavior: physical and verbal. Country-level regression analyses revealed that the level of cultural individualism, according to the individualism index (IDV) by Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov (2010), was not significantly related to either form of student-reported victimization. However, school principals reported aggressive student behavior more often the more individualist, and hence less collectivist, their country's culture. This relation was evident in the principals' reports on 4th and 8th grade students' aggressive behavior for both physical and verbal aggression. Multilevel analyses revealed that cultural individualism was still a powerful predictor of principal-reported aggressive student behavior after controlling for school and country characteristics. The discussion outlines reasons why principals' reports of aggressive student behavior are probably more valid indicators of student aggression than student self-reports of victimization, thereby supporting the hypothesis of culture-dependency of aggression. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Advanced Training in Mathematics Schools

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Advanced Training in Mathematics Schools (ATM Schools) are a joint effort of more than. 50 active researchers across the country with support from the National Board for Higher. Mathematics. The objective of these schools is to impart basic knowledge in algebra, analysis and topology in the Annual Foundation School ...

Financial Inequity in Basic Education in Selected OECD Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu; Mizunoya, Suguru; You, You; Tsang, Mun

2011-01-01

This is a study of financial disparities in primary and secondary education in OECD countries that have a relatively large population and a school finance system with decentralized features. These countries include the United States, Britain, Australia, Spain, Canada, and Japan. There are two major research questions: What are the trends in…

Ayurveda in Argentina and other Latin American countries

Science.gov (United States)

Berra, Jorge Luis; Molho, Rosana

2010-01-01

Over the past 20 years the Fundacion Salud de Ayurved Prema Argentina has spread the knowledge of Ayurveda throughout Latin America. The Fundacion is based in Buenos Aires in the Argentine Republic, where it now runs courses in two of the country’s major medical schools - at the School of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires, and the National University of Cordoba’s School of Medicine. Based on an MoU with Gujarat Ayurveda University, at Jamnagar, Gujarat, the Fundacion has been accredited as a Collaborating Center for teaching, assistance and research in the field of Ayurvedic Medicine in Argentina. This has led to successful missions to other countries in the region where the Fundacion and its associates have been able to start dialogues with governments, and in places hold sizeable courses. The knowledge of Ayurveda is now spreading throughout South and Central America and hardly a country remains untouched by it. PMID:21547054

The use of Museum Based Science Centres to Expose Primary School Students in Developing Countries to Abstract and Complex Concepts of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Science.gov (United States)

Saidi, Trust; Sigauke, Esther

2017-10-01

Nanotechnology is an emerging technology, and it is regarded as the basis for the next industrial revolution. In developing countries, nanotechnology promises to solve everyday challenges, such as the provision of potable water, reliable energy sources and effective medication. However, there are several challenges in the exploitation of nanotechnology. One of the notable challenges is the lack of adequate knowledge about how materials behave at the nanoscale. As nanotechnology is relatively new, the current generation of scientists have not had the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the technology at an early stage. Young students who are at the primary school level may follow the same trajectory if they are not exposed to the technology. There is a need to lay a strong foundation by introducing nanoscience and nanotechnology to students at the primary school level. It is during the early stages of child development that students master basic concepts for life long learning. Nevertheless, many primary school children, particularly those in developing countries are missing the chance of learning about nanoscience and nanotechnology because it is regarded as being abstract and complex. In this paper, we argue that despite the complexity of nanoscience and nanotechnology, science centres can be used as one of the platforms for exposing young students to the discipline. We use a case study of a museum-based science centre as an example to illustrate that young students can be exposed to nanoscience and nanotechnology using tactile and hands-on experience. The early engagement of primary school children with nanoscience and nanotechnology is important in raising the next generation of scientists who are firmly grounded in the discipline.

Instructional Leadership and Schools Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Daisy Kee Mui; Ponnusamy, Premavathy

With the influx of information technology through the Internet and the use of ICT in our daily lives, our future generation has traversed from a mere change of era to a dynamic era of change. Thus, the role of school leaders is becoming more challenging than ever. They need to make greater strides to ensure that they are able to make adjustments and readjustments in instructional practices to cater for the changing elements in their organization. In brief, the school leaders have to be creative, innovative with entrepreneurial drive in order to steer their subordinates (teachers) towards school excellence. Leadership of principal is therefore considered as a main criterion to create successful schools in country's educational advancement. Besides, the school effectiveness plays a crucial role in country's academic advancement. This paper focuses on a comprehensive review of literature on the relationship between instructional leadership and school effectiveness.

Parochial education in a global world? Teaching history and civics in Lebanon

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Rima Bahous

2013-08-01

Full Text Available This exploratory article is based on a research project which runs from 2011 to 2013 that examines how global processes are expressed in educational policies and pedagogical texts in Lebanon, Sweden and Turkey by focusing on school subjects like civics, history, geography, and religion. In this text we discuss the development of education in Lebanon, the development of history and civics after the civil war, and on opinions about these school subjects in order to make a preliminary analysis of how the future Lebanese citizen is depicted in policies, curricula, and textbooks. Lebanon is interesting because of its unique education system in which foreign international institutions rather than national ones have the task of preparing individuals for a globalized world. Material for the study were collected from a sample of curricula used in private and public or national schools for history and civics/citizenship education in grade 8 as well as interviews and conference proceedings and conversations with activists, teachers and principals. We also reviewed findings of relevant empirical studies conducted in Lebanon. Our data collection was guided by three questions: how is the right citizen depicted in the Lebanese material? How is the relationship between national and global perspectives treated in guidance documents and pedagogical texts? What civic rights and obligations are given attention and what individuals are included/ excluded? Our preliminary findings imply that there is no consensus on the importance of teaching a unified history and civics book and subjects in Lebanon. Other findings indicate that private and international schools have a greater impact than national schools on preparing Lebanese students as future citizens.

Independent State of Samoa School Autonomy and Accountability : SABER Country Report 2013

OpenAIRE

World Bank

2013-01-01

Education in the Samoa is highly decentralized. While education policy is the sole responsibility of the Ministry of education, school boards are responsible for delivery. The entire organization of the school system is based on checks and balances to ensure accountability. Budgetary autonomy is established. The school board controls the school budget, with input from parents. Personnel ma...

Interrelationship among School Characteristics, Parental Involvement, and Children's Characteristics in Predicting Children's Victimization by Peers: Comparison between the United States and Three Eastern Asia Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Gang; Kim, Yanghee

2016-01-01

To identify ways that national culture, school characteristics, and individual attributes impact the victimization of students in Grade 8, data from the United States and three East Asian countries (i.e., Japan, S. Korea, and Taiwan) were compared using the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Hierarchical Liner…

School leadership for equity and learning and the question of school autonomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlos Hatzopoulos

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The article draws from the work conducted in the context of the European Policy Network on School Leadership (EPNoSL. In particular, it is based on an in-depth review of school leadership policies in 21 European countries and the discourse that is taking place in EPNoSL’s webinars, national workshops and peer learning activities organised in several EU countries with the participation of a variety of school leadership stakeholders (including policy makers at European, national, and local levels, school leaders, teachers and other professionals, academics, researchers, parents and students. EPNoSL is a network of 42 European institutions that aims at improving policy on, and practice in, school leadership in Europe. The article discusses the question of school autonomy in the context of school leadership policy development in Europe. School autonomy is considered as a critical precondition for the development of comprehensive school leadership policies. Based on the comprehensive framework of school leadership policy development that has been developed in the context of this project, the article undertakes two main tasks. Firstly, it attempts to show that instead of searching for universal solutions on the question of school autonomy, it is important to reflect on context-specific policies on autonomy that aim at the attainment of concrete learning and equity goals. Secondly, it specifies seven general directions for policies on school autonomy that are adaptive to the divergent experiences of European education systems.

Assessing Children in the Nordic Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Karen Egedal; Hjörne, Eva

2014-01-01

Recent tendencies within assessment in comprehensive school in Nordic countries raise the question of the role of different practices of assessments, on how assessments are being used, for which purposes and the consequences of this. Assessments can be considered to be an integrated part of forma...

Teacher labor markets in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Vegas, Emiliana

2007-01-01

Emiliana Vegas surveys strategies used by the world's developing countries to fill their classrooms with qualified teachers. With their low quality of education and wide gaps in student outcomes, schools in developing countries strongly resemble hard-to-staff urban U.S. schools. Their experience with reform may thus provide insights for U.S. policymakers. Severe budget constraints and a lack of teacher training capacity have pushed developing nations to try a wide variety of reforms, including using part-time or assistant teachers, experimenting with pay incentives, and using school-based management. The strategy of hiring teachers with less than full credentials has had mixed results. One successful program in India hired young women who lacked teaching certificates to teach basic literacy and numeracy skills to children whose skills were seriously lagging. After two years, student learning increased, with the highest gains among the least able students. As in the United States, says Vegas, teaching quality and student achievement in the developing world are sensitive to teacher compensation. As average teacher salaries in Chile more than doubled over the past decade, higher-quality students entered teacher education programs. And when Brazil increased educational funding and distributed resources more equitably, school enrollment increased and the gap in student test scores narrowed. Experiments with performance-based pay have had mixed results. In Bolivia a bonus for teaching in rural areas failed to produce higher-quality teachers. And in Mexico a system to reward teachers for improved student outcomes failed to change teacher performance. But Vegas explains that the design of teacher incentives is critical. Effective incentive schemes must be tightly coupled with desired behaviors and generous enough to give teachers a reason to make the extra effort. School-based management reforms give decisionmaking authority to the schools. Such reforms in Central America

Mathematics in middle schools in Western European countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pelgrum, W.J.

1988-01-01

The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement has conducted a number of cross-national studies in which Western European countries participated. Results from the Second International Mathematics Study regarding the content and outcomes of this study in some Western

Early School Leaving in Scandinavia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Vibeke; Bäckman, Olof; Lorentzen, Thomas

2015-01-01

countries and find the highest vocational track dropout rates in Norway and the lowest in Finland. The results indicate that the relative labour market effect of dropping out from a vocational track is most detrimental in Norway. It is also in Norway that we find the greatest gender differences......The article explores the extent to which the organization of vocational tracks in upper secondary school affects the labour market risks associated with early school exit. The Nordic countries share many features, but the upper secondary school systems differ significantly in how their vocational...... tracks are organized. Denmark and Norway have dual vocational tracks, that is, they combine school-based education and workplace apprenticeships, whereas in Finland and Sweden they are primarily school based. We analyse administrative longitudinal data from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s in the four...

WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative: School Nutrition Environment and Body Mass Index in Primary Schools

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijnhoven, T.M.A.; Raaij, van J.M.A.; Sjöberg, A.; Eldin, N.; Yngve, A.; Kunesova, M.; Stare, G.; Rito, A.I.; Duleva, V.; Hassapidou, M.; Martos, E.; Pudule, I.; Petrauskiene, A.; Farrugia Sant Angelo, V.; Hovengen, R.; Breda, J.

2014-01-01

Background: Schools are important settings for the promotion of a healthy diet and sufficient physical activity and thus overweight prevention. Objective: To assess differences in school nutrition environment and body mass index (BMI) in primary schools between and within 12 European countries.

The Media, Marketing, and Single Sex Schooling

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Martin

2004-01-01

The Australian media's interest in education, as in many Anglophone countries, is frequently dominated by concerns about boys in schools. In 2002, in a country region of the Australian State of Queensland, this concern was evident in a debate on the merits of single sex schooling that took place in a small local newspaper. The debate was fuelled…

Schooling, Nation Building, and Industrialization: a Gellnerian Approach (new version)

OpenAIRE

Ortega, J.; Hauk, E.

2015-01-01

We model a two-region country where value is created through bilateral production between masses and elites (bourgeois and landowners). Industrialization requires the elites to finance schools and the masses to attend them. Schooling raises productivity, particularly for matches between masses and bourgeois. At the same time, only country-wide education ("unified schooling") renders the masses mobile across regions. Alternatively, schools can be implemented in one region alone ("regional educ...

School staff autonomy and educational performance: within school type evidence

OpenAIRE

VERSCHELDE, Marijn; HINDRIKS, Jean; RAYP, Glenn; SCHOORS, Koen

2012-01-01

This paper shows the effect of school staff autonomy on educational performance. The distinctive feature with existing literature is that we employ variation in autonomy within the same country and within the same school type to reduce the omitted variables problems. To fully capture the informational advantage of local actors, we define autonomy as the operational empowerment of the school’s direction and teachers. The Flemish secondary school system in Belgium is analyzed as it displays uni...

To What Extent Should Schools Be Autonomous?

Science.gov (United States)

Goksoy, Suleyman

2014-01-01

The aim of the research is to present school managers' viewpoints about "school autonomy" program in our country and accordingly determine the degree of school managers' autonomy request. The research was made by using scanning method. The research consists of school managers who are working in preschools, elementary schools, secondary…

Endotoxin levels in settled airborne dust in European schools : The HITEA school study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jacobs, J. H.; Krop, E. J M; Borras-Santos, A.; Zock, J. P.; Taubel, M.; Hyvarinnen, A.; Pekkanen, J.; Doekes, G.; Heederik, D. J J

2014-01-01

Indoor exposure to microbial agents is known to influence respiratory health. Besides home exposure, exposure in schools can affect respiratory health. In this study, we measured endotoxin in settled dust in primary schools in three European countries from three different geographical regions with

The international school nurse asthma project: barriers related to asthma management in schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Svavarsdottir, Erla Kolbrun; Garwick, Ann W; Anderson, Lori S; Looman, Wendy S; Seppelt, Ann; Orlygsdottir, Brynja

2013-05-01

This article is a report of an international study of barriers to asthma care from the perspectives of school nurses in Reykjavik, Iceland and St. Paul, Minnesota, in the context of their schools, communities and countries. Globally, asthma affects the health and school performance of many adolescents. School nurses play a key role by providing care to adolescents with asthma in school settings. Understanding universal barriers to asthma management in schools is important for developing interventions that are effective in multiple societal contexts. Exploratory, descriptive study. Parallel studies were conducted from September 2008-January 2009, through six focus groups among school nurses (n = 32, in Reykjavik n = 17 and St. Paul n = 15) who were managing asthma in adolescents. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim in English or Icelandic. The Icelandic transcripts were translated into English. Descriptive content analytic techniques were used to systematically identify and categorize types of barriers to asthma care. School nurses in both countries identified common barriers, such as time constraints, communication challenges and school staff barriers. The primary difference was that St. Paul school nurses identified more socio-economic and health access barriers than school nurses in Reykjavik. Greater cultural and linguistic diversity and socio-economic differences in the student population in St. Paul and lack of universal healthcare coverage in the US contributed to school nurses' need to focus more on asthma management than school nurses in Reykjavik, who were able to focus more on asthma prevention and education. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

School Library Journal's Spending Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, Lesley; Shontz, Marilyn

2009-01-01

This year's "School Library Journal's" spending survey showed that, despite the recession, the vast majority of media centers around the country have retained their credentialed media specialists. For example, almost 85% of elementary schools and more than 95% of middle and high schools have a full-time certified librarian. In addition, salaries…

Current Problems in Schooling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrej Adam

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In this article, we try to analyze two things: (1 the characteristics of the neoliberal attack on school in general, in the age of “human capital”, and (2 what form this attack has acquired in our society. Today, one can see the subjugation of the school to economy in all developed capitalist countries, but if this subjugation is going on in some of the most developed countries, with unabated investment in education, then this attack is much more direct and raw in our society where government expects the subjugation of the school to the market while minimizing input into it. In both cases, it is a fact that this attack, which subordinates school to capital, could not have happened, or at least would have been less likely to occur, if it had not been accompanied by a new school discourse, to which teachers themselves contribute, either by remaining passive or by misunderstanding the contemporary school reality. The article mainly relies on the work of Christian Laval – L'École n'est pas une entreprise: Le néo-libéralisme à l'assaut de l'enseignement public.

Information Communication Technology Planning in Developing Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Malapile, Sandy; Keengwe, Jared

2014-01-01

This article explores major issues related to Information Communication Technology (ICT) in education and technology planning. Using the diffusion of innovation theory, the authors examine technology planning opportunities and challenges in Developing countries (DCs), technology planning trends in schools, and existing technology planning models…

Early smoking initiation and associated factors among in-school ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: This report examines the prevalence and common correlates of early smoking initiation among male and female school children across seven African countries. Method: The total sample included 17,725 school children aged 13 to 15 years from nationally representative samples in seven African countries.

Teaching English Language Skills for School Teachers: CTE Programme of IGNOU

OpenAIRE

Asha Khare

2011-01-01

India is a multilingual country. English is the second most important language in the country after the national language Hindi since it is taught as a compulsory subject in all the Indian schools. In the educational system of a multilingual country, it becomes imperative to improve the English Language teaching skills of the school teachers who come from various linguistic backgrounds. The school teacher plays a vital role in the development of linguistic skills of the students. What childre...

Can nurse practitioners and physicians beat parochialism into plowshares?

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Robert L; Harper, Doreen C; Wakefield, Mary; Green, Larry A; Fryer, George E

2002-01-01

Nurse practitioners have evolved into a large and flexible workforce. Far too often, nurse practitioner and physician professional organizations do not work together but rather expend considerable effort jousting in policy arenas. Turf battles interfere with joint advocacy for needed health system change and delay development of interdisciplinary teams that could help patients. A combined, consistent effort is urgently needed for studying, training, and deploying a collaborative, integrated workforce aimed at improving the health care system of tomorrow. The country can ill afford doctors and nurses who ignore one another's capabilities and fail to maximize each other's contributions cost-effectively.

Old Wine in New Bottles? Researching Effective Schools in Developing Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Fertig, Michael

2000-01-01

Examines the current status of effective-schools research in the developing world and identifies underlying concerns, including effects of World Bank structural-adjustment policies. Posits a contextually related view of school effectiveness--the need to eschew "objective" checklists and gather different stakeholders' perceptions about…

Potential Use of School Absenteeism Record for Disease Surveillance in Developing Countries, Case Study in Rural Cambodia

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Calvin K. Y.; Channarith, Hing; Cowling, Benjamin J.

2013-01-01

Background Disease surveillance allows prospective monitoring of patterns in disease incidence in the general community, specific institutions (e.g. hospitals, elderly care homes), and other important population subgroups. Surveillance activities are now routinely conducted in many developed countries and in certain easy-to-reach areas of the developing ones. However due to limited health resources, population in rural area that consisted of the most the vulnerable groups are not under surveillance. Cheaper alternative ways for disease surveillance were needed in resource-limited settings. Methods and Findings In this study, a syndromic surveillance system using disease specific absenteeism rates was established in 47 pre-schools with 1,417 students 3–6 y of age in a rural area of Kampot province, Cambodia. School absenteeism data were collected via short message service. Data collected between 1st January and 31st December 2012 was used for system evaluation for future potential use in larger scale. The system appeared to be feasible and acceptable in the rural study setting. Moderate correlation was found between rates of school absenteeism due to illness and the reference data on rates of attendance at health centers in persons absenteeism data is pre-existing, easily accessible and requires minimum time and resources after initial development, and our results suggest that this system may be able to provide complementary data for disease surveillance, especially in resource limited settings where there is very little information on illnesses in the community and traditional surveillance systems are difficult to implement. An important next step is to validate the syndromic data with other forms of surveillance including laboratory data. PMID:24155907

Socioeconomic position, macroeconomic environment and overweight among adolescents in 35 countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Due, P; Damsgaard, M T; Rasmussen, M; Holstein, B E; Wardle, J; Merlo, J; Currie, C; Ahluwalia, N; Sørensen, T I A; Lynch, J; Borraccino, A; Borup, I; Boyce, W; Elgar, F; Gabhainn, S N; Krølner, R; Svastisalee, C; Matos, M C; Nansel, T; Al Sabbah, H; Vereecken, C; Valimaa, R

2009-10-01

It is important to understand levels and social inequalities in childhood overweight within and between countries. This study examined prevalence and social inequality in adolescent overweight in 35 countries, and associations with macroeconomic factors. International cross-sectional survey in national samples of schools. A total of 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds from 35 countries in Europe and North America in 2001-2002 (N=162 305). The main outcome measure was overweight based on self-reported height and weight (body mass index cut-points corresponding to body mass index of 25 kg/m(2) at the age of 18 years). Measures included family and school affluence (within countries), and average country income and economic inequality (between countries). There were large variations in adolescent overweight, from 3.5% in Lithuanian girls to 31.7% in boys from Malta. Prevalence of overweight was higher among children from less affluent families in 21 of 24 Western and 5 of 10 Central European countries. However, children from more affluent families were at higher risk of overweight in Croatia, Estonia and Latvia. In Poland, Lithuania, Macedonia and Finland, girls from less affluent families were more overweight whereas the opposite was found for boys. Average country income was associated with prevalence and inequality in overweight when considering all countries together. However, economic inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient was differentially associated with prevalence and socioeconomic inequality in overweight among the 23-high income and 10-middle income countries, with a positive relationship among the high income countries and a negative association among the middle income countries. The direction and magnitude of social inequality in adolescent overweight shows large international variation, with negative social gradients in most countries, but positive social gradients, especially for boys, in some Central European countries. Macroeconomic factors are

Health-promoting schools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kwan, Stella Y L; Petersen, Poul Erik; Pine, Cynthia M

2005-01-01

Schools provide an important setting for promoting health, as they reach over 1 billion children worldwide and, through them, the school staff, families and the community as a whole. Health promotion messages can be reinforced throughout the most influential stages of children's lives, enabling...... them to develop lifelong sustainable attitudes and skills. Poor oral health can have a detrimental effect on children's quality of life, their performance at school and their success in later life. This paper examines the global need for promoting oral health through schools. The WHO Global School...... Health Initiative and the potential for setting up oral health programmes in schools using the health-promoting school framework are discussed. The challenges faced in promoting oral health in schools in both developed and developing countries are highlighted. The importance of using a validated...

Household Water Treatments in Developing Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Smieja, Joanne A.

2011-01-01

Household water treatments (HWT) can help provide clean water to millions of people worldwide who do not have access to safe water. This article describes four common HWT used in developing countries and the pertinent chemistry involved. The intent of this article is to inform both high school and college chemical educators and chemistry students…

The role of electron correlations in organic conductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedel, J.

2000-01-01

This is a parochial talk, based on my memory of events over a number of years. Thus I still remember the rather excited tone of Denis Jerome, telling me on the telephone twenty years ago that he had at last observed superconductivity in his organic compound. This was only at 1 K and under pressure; but the field soon developed into a new country which Orsay helped to conquer. This is what we are celebrating today. (orig.)

Fixing High Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins-Gough, Deborah

2005-01-01

Reports from national education organizations in the US indicate the sorry state of high schools in the country that are accused of failing to adequately prepare their graduates for college or for the workforce, highlighting what is a serious problem in light of the troubled state of the US economy. The need to improve high schools is urgent and…

Projecting social contact matrices in 152 countries using contact surveys and demographic data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiesha Prem

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Heterogeneities in contact networks have a major effect in determining whether a pathogen can become epidemic or persist at endemic levels. Epidemic models that determine which interventions can successfully prevent an outbreak need to account for social structure and mixing patterns. Contact patterns vary across age and locations (e.g. home, work, and school, and including them as predictors in transmission dynamic models of pathogens that spread socially will improve the models' realism. Data from population-based contact diaries in eight European countries from the POLYMOD study were projected to 144 other countries using a Bayesian hierarchical model that estimated the proclivity of age-and-location-specific contact patterns for the countries, using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation. Household level data from the Demographic and Health Surveys for nine lower-income countries and socio-demographic factors from several on-line databases for 152 countries were used to quantify similarity of countries to estimate contact patterns in the home, work, school and other locations for countries for which no contact data are available, accounting for demographic structure, household structure where known, and a variety of metrics including workforce participation and school enrolment. Contacts are highly assortative with age across all countries considered, but pronounced regional differences in the age-specific contacts at home were noticeable, with more inter-generational contacts in Asian countries than in other settings. Moreover, there were variations in contact patterns by location, with work-place contacts being least assortative. These variations led to differences in the effect of social distancing measures in an age structured epidemic model. Contacts have an important role in transmission dynamic models that use contact rates to characterize the spread of contact-transmissible diseases. This study provides estimates of mixing patterns for

Projecting social contact matrices in 152 countries using contact surveys and demographic data.

Science.gov (United States)

Prem, Kiesha; Cook, Alex R; Jit, Mark

2017-09-01

Heterogeneities in contact networks have a major effect in determining whether a pathogen can become epidemic or persist at endemic levels. Epidemic models that determine which interventions can successfully prevent an outbreak need to account for social structure and mixing patterns. Contact patterns vary across age and locations (e.g. home, work, and school), and including them as predictors in transmission dynamic models of pathogens that spread socially will improve the models' realism. Data from population-based contact diaries in eight European countries from the POLYMOD study were projected to 144 other countries using a Bayesian hierarchical model that estimated the proclivity of age-and-location-specific contact patterns for the countries, using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation. Household level data from the Demographic and Health Surveys for nine lower-income countries and socio-demographic factors from several on-line databases for 152 countries were used to quantify similarity of countries to estimate contact patterns in the home, work, school and other locations for countries for which no contact data are available, accounting for demographic structure, household structure where known, and a variety of metrics including workforce participation and school enrolment. Contacts are highly assortative with age across all countries considered, but pronounced regional differences in the age-specific contacts at home were noticeable, with more inter-generational contacts in Asian countries than in other settings. Moreover, there were variations in contact patterns by location, with work-place contacts being least assortative. These variations led to differences in the effect of social distancing measures in an age structured epidemic model. Contacts have an important role in transmission dynamic models that use contact rates to characterize the spread of contact-transmissible diseases. This study provides estimates of mixing patterns for societies for which

Assessment of eight HPV vaccination programs implemented in lowest income countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ladner Joël

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cervix cancer, preventable, continues to be the third most common cancer in women worldwide, especially in lowest income countries. Prophylactic HPV vaccination should help to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with cervical cancer. The purpose of the study was to describe the results of and key concerns in eight HPV vaccination programs conducted in seven lowest income countries through the Gardasil Access Program (GAP. Methods The GAP provides free HPV vaccine to organizations and institutions in lowest income countries. The HPV vaccination programs were entirely developed, implemented and managed by local institutions. Institutions submitted application forms with institution characteristics, target population, communication delivery strategies. After completion of the vaccination campaign (3 doses, institutions provided a final project report with data on doses administered and vaccination models. Two indicators were calculated, the program vaccination coverage and adherence. Qualitative data were also collected in the following areas: government and community involvement; communication, and sensitization; training and logistics resources, and challenges. Results A total of eight programs were implemented in seven countries. The eight programs initially targeted a total of 87,580 girls, of which 76,983 received the full 3-dose vaccine course, with mean program vaccination coverage of 87.8%; the mean adherence between the first and third doses of vaccine was 90.9%. Three programs used school-based delivery models, 2 used health facility-based models, and 3 used mixed models that included schools and health facilities. Models that included school-based vaccination were most effective at reaching girls aged 9-13 years. Mixed models comprising school and health facility-based vaccination had better overall performance compared with models using just one of the methods. Increased rates of program coverage and

Assessment of eight HPV vaccination programs implemented in lowest income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Ladner, Joël; Besson, Marie-Hélène; Hampshire, Rachel; Tapert, Lisa; Chirenje, Mike; Saba, Joseph

2012-05-23

Cervix cancer, preventable, continues to be the third most common cancer in women worldwide, especially in lowest income countries. Prophylactic HPV vaccination should help to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with cervical cancer. The purpose of the study was to describe the results of and key concerns in eight HPV vaccination programs conducted in seven lowest income countries through the Gardasil Access Program (GAP). The GAP provides free HPV vaccine to organizations and institutions in lowest income countries. The HPV vaccination programs were entirely developed, implemented and managed by local institutions. Institutions submitted application forms with institution characteristics, target population, communication delivery strategies. After completion of the vaccination campaign (3 doses), institutions provided a final project report with data on doses administered and vaccination models. Two indicators were calculated, the program vaccination coverage and adherence. Qualitative data were also collected in the following areas: government and community involvement; communication, and sensitization; training and logistics resources, and challenges. A total of eight programs were implemented in seven countries. The eight programs initially targeted a total of 87,580 girls, of which 76,983 received the full 3-dose vaccine course, with mean program vaccination coverage of 87.8%; the mean adherence between the first and third doses of vaccine was 90.9%. Three programs used school-based delivery models, 2 used health facility-based models, and 3 used mixed models that included schools and health facilities. Models that included school-based vaccination were most effective at reaching girls aged 9-13 years. Mixed models comprising school and health facility-based vaccination had better overall performance compared with models using just one of the methods. Increased rates of program coverage and adherence were positively correlated with the number of

School Segregation and Its Effects on Educational Equality and Efficiency in 16 OECD Comprehensive School Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Benito, Ricard; Alegre, Miquel Àngel; Gonzàlez-Balletbò, Isaac

2014-01-01

Using PISA data for 16 Western OECD countries having comprehensive school systems, we explore the conditions under which the socioeconomic composition of schools affects educational efficiency and equality, to a greater or lesser extent. First, a multilevel analysis is applied to examine and compare the effect of school socioeconomic composition…

Sustainability of outdoor school ground smoking bans at secondary schools : A mixed-method study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rozema, A. D.; Mathijssen, J. J. P.; Jansen, M. W. J.; Van Oers, J. A. M.

2017-01-01

Although increasing numbers of countries are implementing outdoor school ground smoking bans at secondary schools, less attention is paid to the post-implementation period even though sustainability of a policy is essential for long-term effectiveness. Therefore, this study assesses the level of

Does the school performance variable used in the International Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study reflect students' school grades?

Science.gov (United States)

Felder-Puig, Rosemarie; Griebler, Robert; Samdal, Oddrun; King, Matthew A; Freeman, John; Duer, Wolfgang

2012-09-01

Given the pressure that educators and policy makers are under to achieve academic standards for students, understanding the relationship of academic success to various aspects of health is important. The international Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire, being used in 41 countries with different school and grading systems, has contained an item assessing perceived school performance (PSP) since 1986. Whereas the test-retest reliability of this item has been reported previously, we determined its convergent and discriminant validity. This cross-sectional study used anonymous self-report data from Austrian (N = 266), Norwegian (N = 240), and Canadian (N = 9,717) samples. Students were between 10 and 17 years old. PSP responses were compared to the self-reported average school grades in 6 subjects (Austria) or 8 subjects (Norway), respectively, or to a general, 5-category-based appraisal of most recent school grades (Canada). Correlations between PSP and self-reported average school grade scores were between 0.51 and 0.65, representing large effect sizes. Differences between the median school grades in the 4 categories of the PSP item were statistically significant in all 3 samples. The PSP item showed predominantly small associations with some randomly selected HBSC items or scales designed to measure different concepts. The PSP item seems to be a valid and useful question that can distinguish groups of respondents that get good grades at school from those that do not. The meaning of PSP may be context-specific and may have different connotations across student populations from different countries with different school systems. © 2012, American School Health Association.

Empowerment, Leadership, and Teachers' Intentions to Stay in or Leave the Profession or Their Schools in North Carolina Charter Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Ndoye, Abdou; Imig, Scott R.; Parker, Michele A.

2010-01-01

Teacher attrition and migration plague many American schools. The situation is even more dire in charter schools across the country. On average, teacher attrition is 15 to 40% higher in charter schools than in traditional schools. This study examined the relationships among teacher empowerment, school leadership, and intentions to stay in or leave…

Surgical Residency Training in Developing Countries: West African College of Surgeons as a Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ajao, Oluwole Gbolagunte; Alao, Adekola

2016-01-01

In 1904, William Halsted introduced the present model of surgical residency program which has been adopted worldwide. In some developing countries, where surgical residency training programs are new, some colleges have introduced innovations to the Halsted's original concept of surgical residency training. These include 1) primary examination, 2) rural surgical posting, and 3) submission of dissertation for final certification. Our information was gathered from the publications on West African College of Surgeons' (WACS) curriculum of the medical schools, faculty papers of medical schools, and findings from committees of medical schools. Verbal information was also gathered via interviews from members of the WACS. Additionally, our personal experience as members and examiners of the college are included herein. We then noted the differences between surgical residency training programs in the developed countries and that of developing countries. The innovations introduced into the residency training programs in the developing countries are mainly due to the emphasis placed on paper qualifications and degrees instead of performance. We conclude that the innovations introduced into surgical residency training programs in developing countries are the result of the misconception of what surgical residency training programs entail. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Bullying victimization among 13 til 15 year old school children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Due, Pernille; Holstein, Bjørn Evald

2008-01-01

AIM: to examine the prevalence of bullying victimization in 66 countries and territories from five continents based on data from two large international surveys: the 2001/2 Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey (HBSC) and the Global School-based Students Health Survey (GSHS). The surveys...... provide nationally representative, cross-sectional information on 13-15-year-old school children (N = 218,104). OUTCOME MEASURES: Bullying victimization, once or more within the past 2 months (HBSC)/30 days (GSHS). RESULTS: On average, 32.1% of the children were bullied at school at least once within...... the past 2 months in countries involved in the HBSC study and 37.4% of children were bullied at least one day within the past 30 days in countries involved in the GSHS study. In both surveys, a large variation in prevalence was found across countries. The lowest prevalence in the GSHS survey was observed...

Variation in obesity among American secondary school students by school and school characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Malley, Patrick M; Johnston, Lloyd D; Delva, Jorge; Bachman, Jerald G; Schulenberg, John E

2007-10-01

Body mass index (BMI) is known to vary by individual characteristics, but little is known about whether BMI varies by school and by school characteristics. Nationally representative samples of United States schools and students are used to determine the extent to which BMI and percent of students at or above the 85th percentile of BMI vary by school and by school characteristics. Data from the 1991-2004 Monitoring the Future (MTF) study were analyzed in 2006 and 2007. A relatively small proportion of variance in BMI lies between schools; intraclass correlations are on the order of 3%. Still, this is sufficient variation to provide very different environments for students attending schools that are low versus high in average BMI. There is some modest variation by school type (public, Catholic private, non-Catholic private); school size (number of students in the sampled grade); region of the country; and population density. There is more variation as a function of school socioeconomic status (SES) and racial/ethnic composition of the school. School SES in particular was negatively associated with BMI levels, even after controlling individual-level SES and racial/ethnic status. The residual differences in BMI by school suggest that some characteristic of the school and/or community environment--perhaps cultural factors or peer role modeling or differences in school food, beverage, or physical education policies--facilitate obesity in schools with a high concentration of lower socioeconomic students, beyond individual-level factors.

Secondary School Fee Inflation: An Analysis of Private High Schools in Victoria, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Lye, Jenny; Hirschberg, Joe

2017-01-01

The recent growth in privately administered secondary education in many developed countries has been a widely observed phenomenon. The Australian private secondary school sector has grown faster than those in any other "OECD" nation, even though the average tuition fees charged by these schools have increased at double the nation's…

Do attitudes, intentions and actions of school food coordinators regarding public organic food procurement policy improve the eating environment at school? Results from the iPOPY study.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Chen; Perez-Cueto, Federico J A; Mikkelsen, Bent E

2014-06-01

The present study investigates whether public organic food procurement policies have the potential to induce changes in the school food service environment. A comparative cross-national survey was conducted in public primary and/or secondary schools in Finland, Germany and Italy. The school food coordinators completed a web-based questionnaire on their attitudes, intentions and actions towards organic school food provision. In Germany, 122 out of 2050 schools in the state of Hesse responded. In Finland, 250 out of 998 schools across the country responded. In Italy, 215 out of 940 schools from eight provinces responded. School food coordinators in the sample of schools in the three countries. The German and Finnish school food coordinators separately most agreed with the promotion of healthy eating habits (P environment.

CERN–Latin-American School of High-Energy Physics in Peru

CERN Multimedia

Nick Ellis, Organising Committee

2013-01-01

The 7th CERN–Latin-American School of High-Energy Physics was held in Arequipa, Peru, from 6 to 19 March 2013. The School is held every other year in a Latin-American country. This was the first time it had been hosted in Peru – a choice that reflects the increasing development of high-energy physics in the country, including collaboration in ALICE and experimental neutrino physics.   Participants in the 7th CERN–Latin-American School of High-Energy Physics in the grounds of the El Lago Estelar hotel in Arequipa, Peru. The 2013 School was attended by a total of 69 students, including 19 from Peru, selected from more than 130 applicants. About 80% of the students came from Latin-American countries, with most of the others coming from Europe. All in all, 18 different nationalities were represented. The lecturers and discussion group leaders were also from a variety of different countries including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Israel, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Switz...

Business School corporate brand identities

OpenAIRE

Syed Alwi, SF; CheHa, N; Yen, D

2013-01-01

The escalation in the number of business schools in Malaysia has created a competitive pressure to attract the best students and lecturers from both the national and international arenas. These business schools have, and, are developing competitive marketing strategies to augment their brand images in terms of university rankings as well as be seen as the top business school in the country. However, little is known to understand how these business schools position their brand images in order ...

Determinants of Parent Involvement in Romanian Schools

OpenAIRE

Diana Damean

2010-01-01

The paper is focused on exploring the factors that facilitate parent involvement in their child’s education and school life. A sample of 670 Romanian school principals from the Cross-National Survey of School Principals in South East Europe (SEE) countries 2008 was used. Two-step linear regressions were run in order to predict parent participation in school meetings, parent engagement in school activities and parent influence in school governance, as reported by school principals. The results...

Geriatric dentistry education and context in a selection of countries in 5 continents.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchini, Leonardo; Ettinger, Ronald; Chen, Xi; Kossioni, Anastassia; Tan, Haiping; Tada, Sayaka; Ikebe, Kazunori; Dosumu, Elizabeth Bosede; Oginni, Fadekemi O; Akeredolu, Patricia Adetokunbo; Butali, Azeez; Donnelly, Leeann; Brondani, Mario; Fritzsch, Bernd; Adeola, Henry A

2018-05-01

To summarize and discuss how geriatric dentistry has been addressed in dental schools of different countries regarding to (1) teaching students at the predoctoral level; (2) advanced training, and (3) research. A convenience sample of faculty members from a selection of high, upper-middle and lower-middle income countries were recruited to complete the survey. The survey had 5 open-ended main topics, and asked about (1) the size of their elderly population, (2) general information about dental education; (3) the number of dental schools teaching geriatric dentistry, and their teaching methods; (4) advanced training in geriatric dentistry; (5) scholarship/research in geriatric dentistry. (1) There is great variation in the size of elderly population; (2) duration of training and content of dental education curriculum varies; (3) geriatric dentistry has not been established as a standalone course in dental schools in the majority of the countries, (4) most countries, with the exception of Japan, lack adequate number of dentists trained in geriatric dentistry as well as training programs, and (5) geriatric dentistry-related research has increased in recent years in scope and content, although the majority of these papers are not in English. © 2018 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The association between organic school food policy and school food environment: results from an observational study in Danish schools.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Chen; Mikkelsen, Bent E

2014-03-01

School food in many countries has become the object of change and innovation processes, not only in relation to policies for healthier eating but also in relation to policies for more sustainable food consumption and procurement. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible influence that organic food sourcing policies in Danish school meal systems may have on the development of healthier school food environments. The study was a cross-sectional analysis undertaken among 179 school food coordinators (SFCs) through a web-based questionnaire (WBQ) in a sample of Danish public primary schools. The 'organic' schools were compared to 'non-organic' schools. The questionnaire explored the attitudes, intentions/policies and actions in relation to organic and healthy foods served in the schools. Data indicates that 20 'organic' schools were associated with the indicators of healthier school environments, including adopting a Food and Nutrition Policy (FNP) in the school (p = .032), recommending children to eat healthily (p = .004). The study suggests that organic food policies in schools may have potential to support a healthier school food environment.

A Model for Mission Dentistry in a Developing Country.

Science.gov (United States)

Tepe, Jan Hexamer; Tepe, Lawrence J

2017-01-01

Each year many dentists embark on mission trips to foreign countries. This article shares what one group learned in their journey over the course of 17 years to bring oral health to a rural community in Honduras. The group began by delivering acute dental care, but soon realized that this treatment would never change the status of oral health in the community. Year by year they learned what worked and what did not. A school-based dental prevention program was initiated using proven preventive techniques to demonstrate to the community that prevention of oral disease was possible. As of 2015, the school-based program had grown to over 10 schools and nearly 1,000 children had benefited from this program. Children in the program received all necessary treatments for the prevention and treatment of dental caries. As importantly, they and their families learned to understand how to be responsible for their own dental needs. In conclusion, it is possible to effect long-term change in a developing country by focusing on prevention of oral problems rather than focusing on the extraction hopeless teeth. The good intentions, time, and financial resources of volunteers can be put to best use by first learning about the needs and wants of a particular community. The authors recommend that volunteers partner with local health-care providers and research what other organizations are currently doing in their country of interest.

A Model for Mission Dentistry in a Developing Country

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Hexamer Tepe

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Each year many dentists embark on mission trips to foreign countries. This article shares what one group learned in their journey over the course of 17 years to bring oral health to a rural community in Honduras. The group began by delivering acute dental care, but soon realized that this treatment would never change the status of oral health in the community. Year by year they learned what worked and what did not. A school-based dental prevention program was initiated using proven preventive techniques to demonstrate to the community that prevention of oral disease was possible. As of 2015, the school-based program had grown to over 10 schools and nearly 1,000 children had benefited from this program. Children in the program received all necessary treatments for the prevention and treatment of dental caries. As importantly, they and their families learned to understand how to be responsible for their own dental needs. In conclusion, it is possible to effect long-term change in a developing country by focusing on prevention of oral problems rather than focusing on the extraction hopeless teeth. The good intentions, time, and financial resources of volunteers can be put to best use by first learning about the needs and wants of a particular community. The authors recommend that volunteers partner with local health-care providers and research what other organizations are currently doing in their country of interest.

International Schools as Sites of Social Change

Science.gov (United States)

Dunne, Sandra; Edwards, Julie

2010-01-01

This article examines the potential of international schools to act as agents of social transformation in developing countries. The method comprises a case study at two international schools in the Philippines. The case study explored ways in which schools foster host-national students' sense of social responsibility, particularly through…

The Waldorf Schools: An International School System.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogletree, Earl J.

1979-01-01

The focus of Waldorf education is on the developmental needs of the child. The movement has grown to 160 schools in 18 countries, including 14 in the United States. Available from Headmaster U.S.A., Post Office Box 21587, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33335; sc $4.00. (Author/MLF)

OECD Reviews of School Resources : Austria 2016

OpenAIRE

Theisens, Henno

2016-01-01

The effective use of school resources is a policy priority across OECD countries. The OECD Reviews of School Resources explore how resources can be governed, distributed, utilised and managed to improve the quality, equity and efficiency of school education. The series considers four types of resources: financial resources, such as public funding of individual schools; human resources, such as teachers, school leaders and education administrators; physical resources, such as location, buildin...

THE HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR BEFORE CONFLICTS AND THE SCHOOL VIOLENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rubén Sánchez-Carranza

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article aims to reflect on the figure and role of high school counselor in the task of addressing conflict situations in which students are immersed. The existence of a rising tide of violence in school conflicts and how important it is to know what countries in Europe , Asia and Latin America is done to promote a culture of peace is recognized. What happened it is exposed in a high school in Germany and how questions from the critical eye that are applicable to our Mexican reality are issued. Finally, it highlights the importance of skills that the counselor must possess or develop to prevent school conflicts escalate to levels of violence.Finally experience working with the School counselors S033 about this subject area is described.

The single most important education reform in developing country

Science.gov (United States)

Orija, O.

2007-05-01

I deciding teaching as peer educator and working with NGOs in my country, as method to need to consider students' background knowledge, environment, and their learning goals as well as standardized curriculum as determined by their school district. Strengthening relationships among students and adults, Improving engagement, alignment and rigor of teaching and learning in every classroom, every day. My single most reform achieves is the rural school and community trust is a national non-profit organization addressing the crucial relationship between good schools and thriving communities. Our mission is to help rural schools and communities get better together. Working in some of the poorest, most challenging places, the rural trust involves young people in learning linked to their communities, improves the quality of teaching and school leadership, and advocates in a variety of ways for appropriate state educational policies, including the key issue of equitable and national agenda (serve Peer Educator) where rural people and their issues are visible and credible for rural schools.

Correlates of healthy life expectancy in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

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Islam, Md Shariful; Mondal, Md Nazrul Islam; Tareque, Md Ismail; Rahman, Md Aminur; Hoque, Md Nazrul; Ahmed, Md Munsur; Khan, Hafiz T A

2018-04-11

Healthy life expectancy (HALE) at birth is an important indicator of health status and quality of life of a country's population. However, little is known about the determinants of HALE as yet globally or even country-specific level. Thus, we examined the factors that are associated with HALE at birth in low- and lower-middle-income countries. In accordance with the World Bank (WB) classification seventy-nine low- and lower-middle-income countries were selected for the study. Data on HALE, demographic, socioeconomic, social structural, health, and environmental factors from several reliable sources, such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Program, Population Reference Bureau, WB, Heritage Foundation, Transparency International, Freedom House, and International Center for Prison Studies were obtained as selected countries. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were performed to reach the research objectives. The lowest and highest HALE were observed in Sierra Leone (44.40 years) and in Sri Lanka (67.00 years), respectively. The mean years of schooling, total fertility rate (TFR), physician density, gross national income per capita, health expenditure, economic freedom, carbon dioxide emission rate, freedom of the press, corruption perceptions index, prison population rate, and achieving a level of health-related millennium development goals (MDGs) were revealed as the correlates of HALE. Among all the correlates, the mean years of schooling, TFR, freedom of the press, and achieving a level of health-related MDGs were found to be the most influential factors. To increase the HALE in low- and lower-middle-income countries, we suggest that TFR is to be reduced as well as to increase the mean years of schooling, freedom of the press, and the achievement of a level of health-related MDGs.

Towards Understanding Different Faces of School Violence in Different "Worlds" of One Country

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Lynette

2013-01-01

The legacy of South Africa's destructive history is still evident in the different worlds in which South Africans live. Quality education is compromised by violence occurring in schools and role-players must face school violence and take steps to deal with it. This can only be done if school violence is deeply understood within the various school…

School Belonging in Different Cultures: The Effects of Individualism and Power Distance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai S. Cortina

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Limited evidence exists on how the larger cultural framework affects psychological processes related to schooling. We investigated how the cultural dimensions of individualism/collectivism and power distance influence the sense of school belongingness using 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment survey data on 15-year-old students from 31 countries. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis indicated that power distance (i.e., hierarchical nature of social relationships is a better predictor of school belongingness on the cultural level than individualism/collectivism. Accordingly, students living in cultures with high degree of power distance (particularly East Asian countries in these data sets report lower school belongingness than students living in cultures with more lateral power relationships (Western countries. Positive teacher student relations and preference for cooperative learning environment predict higher school belongingness across cultures.

Routes and Reasons Out, Paths Back: The Influence of Push and Pull Reasons for Leaving School on Students' School Reengagement

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Boylan, Rebecca L.; Renzulli, Linda

2017-01-01

Dropout is a major issue facing our country's schools; however, many students who drop out of school later go on to finish their degree either by returning to high school or by earning a General Education Development (GED) credential. Despite this, there has been relatively little research on these students who "stopout" of high school.…

The Causes of Dropout in Rural Primary Schools in Malawi

OpenAIRE

谷口, 京子

2017-01-01

High dropout rates is a critical issue in most of developing countries. Malawi follows this trend of student nonpersistence; in 2013, the primary school dropout rate was approximately 12.2%.This study aims to find the causes of dropout in rural Malawian primary schools. There are two features: data were collected through survival analysis, which has been used to study dropout in developed countries; a multilevel logistic regression was used to classify individual, family, teacher and school f...

How Brazil turned one public health school into 40

OpenAIRE

2007-01-01

Brazil built its public health education system through the work of the renowned Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, which established courses across the whole country. The courses eventually became the core curriculum for small schools and now Brazil boasts 40 schools of public health. Foundation President Paulo Buss argues that there are ways that resource-poor countries can improve their public health education.

Egalitarianism in young children.

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Fehr, Ernst; Bernhard, Helen; Rockenbach, Bettina

2008-08-28

Human social interaction is strongly shaped by other-regarding preferences, that is, a concern for the welfare of others. These preferences are important for a unique aspect of human sociality-large scale cooperation with genetic strangers-but little is known about their developmental roots. Here we show that young children's other-regarding preferences assume a particular form, inequality aversion that develops strongly between the ages of 3 and 8. At age 3-4, the overwhelming majority of children behave selfishly, whereas most children at age 7-8 prefer resource allocations that remove advantageous or disadvantageous inequality. Moreover, inequality aversion is strongly shaped by parochialism, a preference for favouring the members of one's own social group. These results indicate that human egalitarianism and parochialism have deep developmental roots, and the simultaneous emergence of altruistic sharing and parochialism during childhood is intriguing in view of recent evolutionary theories which predict that the same evolutionary process jointly drives both human altruism and parochialism.

Global Journalism Ethics: Widening the Conceptual Base

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Stephen J. A. Ward

2008-01-01

Full Text Available For most of its history, journalism ethics has been highly practical in aim, in theorizing, and in application. Inquiry analyzed what was occurring inside newsrooms and its scope was parochial. Starting from the premise that a parochial approach no longer serves journalism, the study of journalism, or the public of journalism, in this paper it is argued that a major task of journalism ethics is to construct a more non-parochial ethics—a global journalism ethics informed by critical work from various disciplines and cultures. The discussion presented charts the trajectory of journalism ethics over several centuries to explain the role of parochialism and the limits of theorizing in journalism ethics. This historical perspective also serves as a foundation for outlining what a future journalism ethics might look like, if we widen the conceptual base by incorporating new knowledge of media from outside journalism ethics, and by redefining journalism ethics as a global enterprise.

Students' perceptions of school climate in the U.S. and China.

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Yang, Chunyan; Bear, George G; Chen, Fang Fang; Zhang, Wei; Blank, Jessica C; Huang, Xishan

2013-03-01

Although the construct of student climate has been studied extensively in the United States, we know little about how school climate is perceived in other countries. With large class sizes yet higher academic achievement and less disruptive and aggressive student behaviors, schools in China present a contrast to many schools in the United States. Differences in school climate between the two countries were examined in this study. The sample consisted of 10,400 American and 3,435 Chinese students across three grade levels (elementary, middle, and high school) in 85 American and 22 Chinese schools. Factor structure and measurement invariance across countries were first established for the Modified-Delaware School Climate Survey-Student. Differences in latent means were then tested. Across all three grade levels Chinese students scored significantly higher than American students on all four subscales (Teacher-Student Relations, Student-Student Relations, School Liking, and Fairness of School Rules). Effects sizes tended to be smallest in elementary schools and largest in middle schools. Significant differences between American and Chinese students exist in their perceptions of school climate. It is likely that those differences can be attributed to cultural differences in respect of authority, academic and social values, self-regulation and peer-regulation of behaviors, and teachers' classroom management. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Joint Study on Some Major Developments in Elementary School Curriculum in Asian and Pacific Countries: Research Design. Report of a Regional Workshop (Tokyo, Japan, February 28-March 15, 1984).

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National Inst. for Educational Research, Tokyo (Japan).

A basic framework for undertaking a study of elementary curricula in Pacific and Asian countries is presented. The material, which emerged from a regional workshop, is divided into two sections. A chart in section 1 summarizes major features of elementary school curricula in Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand,…

A Cross-National Analysis of the Relations of School Choice and Effectiveness Differences between Private-Dependent and Public Schools

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Dronkers, Jaap; Avram, Silvia

2010-01-01

We apply propensity score matching to the estimation of differential school effectiveness between the publicly funded private sector and the public sector in a sample of 26 countries. This technique allows us to distinguish between school choice and school effectiveness processes and thus to account for selectivity issues involved in the…

Food Marketing in Irish Schools

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Kelly, Colette; Clerkin, Pauline; Gabhainn, Saoirse Nic; Mulvihill, Maureen

2010-01-01

Purpose: Schools are thought to represent a growing marketing opportunity for food advertisers in many countries. Marketing of unhealthy food to children is linked to the increased prevalence of obesity worldwide. This paper aims to explore ways in which schools respond to commercial activity around food marketing. Design/methodology/approach: A…

The shaping of organic & healthy school meal provision concepts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

He, Chen; Mikkelsen, Bent Egberg

2009-01-01

School food in Denmark has unlike many other European countries traditionally been the responsibility of parents. However publically driven healthy school food and nutrition strategies is increasingly being applied as a measure to counteract the growing prevalence of obesity among young people. I...... for studying this shaping process and thus has the potential to give valuable insight into the further development of healthy and organic school meals in Denmark.......School food in Denmark has unlike many other European countries traditionally been the responsibility of parents. However publically driven healthy school food and nutrition strategies is increasingly being applied as a measure to counteract the growing prevalence of obesity among young people....... In addition school food has become a major focus for public organic procurement strategies that seeks to create more sustainable public service provision. Since there are no national regulation of school food provision the school and its food supply in Denmark has become an arena for development...

School bullying

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

and relational practices – as well as the abjections by which subjects and social groups are formed – have inspired several of the articles, and the authors seek to reveal complex patterns of relating amongst children in school classes that are saturated by marginalisation and bullying practices. Foucault......School Bullying: New Theories in Context brings together the work of scholars who utilise ontological, epistemological and methodological approaches that challenge paradigm one, contributing to the shift in research on school bullying that we call paradigm two. Several of the authors have...... in these countries highlights both the similarities and differences amongst national school systems. Most importantly, the authors share an analytical ambition to understand bullying as a complex phenomenon that is enacted or constituted through the interactive/intra-active entanglements that exist between a variety...

School Boundaries: Finding Solutions While Gaining Community Support

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Lazarus, William

2010-01-01

Some of the most complicated issues facing school districts across the country revolve around resource allocation and student assignment planning. Determining school attendance boundaries, selecting sites for new schools, closing existing ones, balancing seat utilization while minimizing travel costs, and achieving socioeconomic diversity are all…

Leveling the Playing Field: Giving Girls An Equal Chance for Basic Education--Three Countries' Efforts. EDI Learning Resources Series.

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Stromquist, Nelly; Murphy, Paud

This booklet examines the efforts of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Malawi to increase the enrollment of girls in their schools. Each country has severe problems of access to education for girls; the gender gap in the gross enrollment rate at the primary school level is at least 10 percentage points in each country. What is noteworthy about these three…

Does Competition Improve Public School Efficiency? A Spatial Analysis

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Misra, Kaustav

2010-01-01

Proponents of educational reform often call for policies to increase competition between schools. It is argued that market forces naturally lead to greater efficiencies, including improved student learning, when schools face competition. In many parts of the country, public schools experience significant competition from private schools; however,…

Menstruation and School Absenteeism: Evidence from Rural Malawi

OpenAIRE

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

2013-01-01

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 southe...

Extended School Year. Information Capsule. Volume 0910

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Blazer, Christie

2010-01-01

Extended school years are being considered by districts around the country as educators search for new ways to raise student achievement. The addition of time to the school calendar is also supported by President Barack Obama, who recently stated that American students do not spend enough time in school. This Information Capsule addresses research…

Enablements and constraints to school leadership practice

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There are many schools in developing countries which, despite the challenges they face, defy the odds and continue to perform at exceptionally high levels. We cast our gaze on one of these resilient schools in South Africa, and sought to learn about the leadership practices prevalent in this school and the enablements and ...

Nutritional status of in-school children and its associated factors in Denkyembour District, eastern region, Ghana: comparing schools with feeding and non-school feeding policies.

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Kwabla, Mavis Pearl; Gyan, Charlotte; Zotor, Francis

2018-01-12

Childhood malnutrition still remains a major public health problem impacting negatively on the academic aptitude of school-aged children (SAC) particularly in limited resource countries. The Government of Ghana in collaboration with the Dutch Government introduced the school feeding programme (SFP) to boost the nutritional status of SAC in the country. This study sought to compare the nutritional status of SAC enrolled in schools with the SFP and SAC enrolled in schools without the SFP in place for the purpose of identifying which group has the higher rate of malnutrition. A multi-stage sampling was used to select 359 SAC between 5 and 12 years who are enrolled in primary one to six. Twelve public schools were selected, of which 6 schools benefit from the SFP and the other six do not. Anthropometric measurements were conducted for the subjects and SPSS version 20.0 was used for data entry and analysis. Chi square test was carried out to determine the difference between the two groups of schools. Of the total of 359 subjects, 55.1% were from schools that do not implement the SFP and 44.9% were from schools that implement the SFP. The prevalence of stunting among children in schools on the SFP was 16.2% compared with 17.2% among children in schools that do not implement the SFP. The prevalence of thinness was two times higher (9.3%) among children in schools on the SFP than in children in schools that do not implement the SFP (4.6%) (p = 0.028). The prevalence of overweight among children in schools on the SFP was 1.9% and 0.0% for children in schools that do not implement the SFP. Sub district, sex, age of pupil, area of residence and community type were significantly associated with stunting (p = 0.002), (p = 0.008), (p = 0.008), (p schools on SFP than in children in schools without SFP. An evaluation of the implementation of the school feeding programme is recommended for future studies.

Lessons learnt from human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in 45 low- and middle-income countries

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Natasha; Kabakama, Severin; Mounier-Jack, Sandra; Griffiths, Ulla K.; Feletto, Marta; Burchett, Helen E. D.; LaMontagne, D. Scott; Watson-Jones, Deborah

2017-01-01

Objective To synthesise lessons learnt and determinants of success from human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine demonstration projects and national programmes in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs). Methods Interviews were conducted with 56 key informants. A systematic literature review identified 2936 abstracts from five databases; after screening 61 full texts were included. Unpublished literature, including evaluation reports, was solicited from country representatives; 188 documents were received. A data extraction tool and interview topic guide outlining key areas of inquiry were informed by World Health Organization guidelines for new vaccine introduction. Results were synthesised thematically. Results Data were analysed from 12 national programmes and 66 demonstration projects in 46 countries. Among demonstration projects, 30 were supported by the GARDASIL® Access Program, 20 by Gavi, four by PATH and 12 by other means. School-based vaccine delivery supplemented with health facility-based delivery for out-of-school girls attained high coverage. There were limited data on facility-only strategies and little evaluation of strategies to reach out-of-school girls. Early engagement of teachers as partners in social mobilisation, consent, vaccination day coordination, follow-up of non-completers and adverse events was considered invaluable. Micro-planning using school/ facility registers most effectively enumerated target populations; other estimates proved inaccurate, leading to vaccine under- or over-estimation. Refresher training on adverse events and safe injection procedures was usually necessary. Conclusion Considerable experience in HPV vaccine delivery in LAMICs is available. Lessons are generally consistent across countries and dissemination of these could improve HPV vaccine introduction. PMID:28575074

SABER-School Finance: Data Collection Instrument

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King, Elizabeth; Patrinos, Harry; Rogers, Halsey

2015-01-01

The aim of the SABER-school finance initiative is to collect, analyze and disseminate comparable data about education finance systems across countries. SABER-school finance assesses education finance systems along six policy goals: (i) ensuring basic conditions for learning; (ii) monitoring learning conditions and outcomes; (iii) overseeing…

Business schools' international networks for faculty development

OpenAIRE

Pennarola F.

2008-01-01

Business schools are facing ever increasing internationalization: students are far less homogenous than before, faculty members come from different countries, and teaching is carried out in second (or even third) languages. As a result business schools and their teachers wrestle with new challenges as these changes accelerate. Teaching and Learning at Business Schools brings together contributions from business school managers and educators involved in the International Teachers Programm...

EPA urges schools to check for radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1989-01-01

In April recommended that schools test their facilities for radioactive radon gas after examining preliminary test data from 130 schools scattered across the country which indicated that elevated radon levels may be at least as prevalent in schools as in private residences. EPA is recommending that schools test 100 percent of frequently-used rooms on the basement-level and ground-level floors. The agency also recommends that testing be conducted in the cooler months of the year when doors and windows are likely to be closed. As part of a study to gather more information about measuring radon in schools, EPA tested approximately 3000 classrooms in 16 states. The states are widely distributed across the country. Of the total number of rooms, 54 percent had at least one room with a radon level above four picocuries per liter of air pCi/L. Nineteen percent had radon levels above four pCi/L. Three percent of the classrooms measured had radon level over 20 pCi/L. Each of the 16 states had a school with one measurement over four pCi/L, and one school had levels as high as 136 pCi/L

The Uneven Performance of Arizona's Charter Schools

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Chingos, Matthew M.; West, Martin R.

2015-01-01

Arizona enrolls a larger share of its students in charter schools than any other state in the country, but no comprehensive examination exists of the impact of those schools on student achievement. Using student-level data covering all Arizona students from 2006 to 2012, we find that the performance of charter schools in Arizona in improving…

Why medical students choose psychiatry - a 20 country cross-sectional survey

OpenAIRE

Farooq, Kitty; Lydall, Gregory J; Malik, Amit; Ndetei, David M; Bhugra, Dinesh

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Recruitment to psychiatry is insufficient to meet projected mental health service needs world-wide. We report on the career plans of final year medical students from 20 countries, investigating factors identified from the literature which influence psychiatric career choice. METHODS: Cross sectional electronic or paper survey. Subjects were final year medical students at 46 medical schools in participating countries. We assessed students' career intentions, motivations, medical sc...

Nutrition guidelines for undergraduate medical curricula: a six-country comparison

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Crowley J

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Jennifer Crowley,1 Lauren Ball,2 Celia Laur,3 Clare Wall,1 Bruce Arroll,4 Phillippa Poole,5 Sumantra Ray3 1Discipline of Nutrition, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 2Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; 3Need for Nutrition Education/Innovation Programme, Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, UK; 4Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, 5Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Aim: To assess nutrition curriculum guidelines for undergraduate medical education in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand to highlight potential opportunities for shared learning on the advancement of nutrition in medical education. Methods: A comprehensive list of professional bodies, councils, organizations, and other groups relevant to education or nutrition was compiled for each country after a review of relevant white and gray literature. All documents that were published from 2000 onwards, and that provided guidance on nutrition education within undergraduate medical education for one of the identified countries were included in the review. Each curriculum guideline was evaluated for 1 the organization's or group's role in undergraduate medical education; 2 the extent of nutrition-related recommendations; and 3 mandatory implementation. Results: In the countries reviewed, a total of six nutrition-related curriculum guidelines were identified. All countries, aside from the Republic of Ireland, currently have externally visible curriculum guidelines to inform medical schools in undergraduate nutrition education, yet there is little evidence of mandatory enforcement. Curriculum guidelines predominantly focus on basic nutrition principles, nutrition assessment, the role

Blueprint for Tomorrow: Redesigning Schools for Student-Centered Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Prakash

2014-01-01

The United States has about $2 trillion tied up in aging school facilities. School districts throughout the country spend about $12 billion every year keeping this infrastructure going. Yet almost all of the new money we pour into school facilities reinforces an existing--and obsolete--model of schooling. In "Blueprint for Tomorrow,"…

School Violence in Taiwan: Examining How Western Risk Factors Predict School Violence in an Asian Culture

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ji-Kang; Astor, Ron Avi

2010-01-01

The current study explores whether theorized risk factors in Western countries can be used to predict school violence perpetration in an Asian cultural context. The study examines the associations between risk factors and school violence perpetration in Taiwan. Data were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 14,022 students from…

Social science teachers on citizenship education: A comparative study of two post-communist countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jeliazkova, Margarita I.

2015-01-01

This paper presents some of the results of a comparative study of high school social science teachers in two post-communist European countries: Bulgaria and Croatia. In both countries, citizenship education was implemented as a part of the EU accession efforts. I discuss the ways teachers deal with

THE INTERNATIONAL WALDORF SCHOOL MOVEMENT.

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VON BARAVALLE, HERMANN

AN HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE WALDORF SCHOOL PLAN TRACES THE MOVEMENT FROM ITS FOUNDING IN STUTTGART, GERMANY IN 1919, BY THE WALDORF ASTORIA COMPANY AND UNDER THE DIRECTION OF RUDOLF STEINER, TO ITS INTRODUCTION INTO SWITZERLAND, OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, THE AMERICAS, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, AND SOUTH AFRICA, A TOTAL OF 175 SCHOOLS AS OF 1963. THE…

Menstruation and School Absenteeism: Evidence from Rural Malawi

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Monica; Lloyd, Cynthia; Mensch, Barbara

2013-01-01

The provision of toilets and menstrual supplies appears to be a promising strategy to promote adolescent girls' school attendance and performance in less developed countries. In this article, we use the first round of the Malawi Schooling and Adolescent Survey (MSAS) to examine the individual- and school-level factors associated with…

Teaching and assessment of communication skills in undergraduate dental education - a survey in German-speaking countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Rüttermann, S; Sobotta, A; Hahn, P; Kiessling, C; Härtl, A

2017-08-01

Teaching communication is perceived to be of importance in dental education. Several reports have been published worldwide in the educational literature describing modifications of the dental curriculum by implementing the teaching of communication skills. Surveys which evaluate the current state of training and assessment of communication skills in dental education in different countries exist already in some countries, but little information is available about German-speaking countries. In a cross-sectional study with the aim of a census, all 36 dental schools in Germany (30), Austria (3), and Switzerland (3) were surveyed. The present survey revealed that at 26 of the 34 dental schools (76%), communication skills training has been implemented. Training of communication skills mainly takes place between the 6th and the 9th semester. Ten schools were able to implement a partly longitudinal curriculum, while the other sites only offer stand-alone courses. Of the 34 dental schools, six assess communication skills in a summative way. Three of those schools also use formative assessments for their students. Another seven sites only use formative assessment. From the various formats of assessment, OSCE is mentioned most frequently. The necessity to train and assess communication skills has reached German-speaking dental schools. The present survey allows an overview of the training and assessment of communication skills in undergraduate dental education in German-speaking Europe. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Education in European countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petcu, N.

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Education, vocational training and lifelong learning play a vital role in both an economic and social context. The paper herein aims to identify Romania’s place within the UE-countries, considering a series of general indices: total public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP, private expenditure on education as % of GDP, annual expenditure on public and private educational institutions per pupil/student - by level of education, school expectancy, pupils and students, students - tertiary education, mobility of students in Europe, science and technology graduates, doctorate students in science and technology fields. Analysis methods: main components analysis, cluster analysis.

Why medical students choose psychiatry - a 20 country cross-sectional survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Farooq, Kitty; Lydall, Gregory J; Malik, Amit; Ndetei, David M; Bhugra, Dinesh

2014-01-15

Recruitment to psychiatry is insufficient to meet projected mental health service needs world-wide. We report on the career plans of final year medical students from 20 countries, investigating factors identified from the literature which influence psychiatric career choice. Cross sectional electronic or paper survey. Subjects were final year medical students at 46 medical schools in participating countries. We assessed students' career intentions, motivations, medical school teaching and exposure to psychiatry. We assessed students' attitudes and personality factors. The main outcome measure was likelihood of specializing in psychiatry. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the joint effect of factors upon the main outcome. 2198 of 9135 (24%) of students responded (range 4 to 91%) across the countries. Internationally 4.5% of students definitely considered psychiatry as a career (range 1 to 12%). 19% of students (range 0 to 33%) were "quite likely", and 25% were "definitely not" considering psychiatry. Female gender, experience of mental/physical illness, media portrayal of doctors, and positive attitudes to psychiatry, but not personality factors, were associated with choosing psychiatry. Quality of psychiatric placement (correlation coefficient = 0.22, p school, experience of psychiatric enrichment activities (special studies modules and university psychiatry clubs), experience of acutely unwell patients and perceived clinical responsibility were all associated with choice of psychiatry.Multilevel logistic regression revealed six factors associated with students choosing psychiatry: importance of own vocation, odds ratio (OR) 3.01, 95% CI 1.61 to 5.91, p school, OR 10.8 (5.38 to 21.8, p student selection and psychiatry teaching which affect career choice. Addressing these factors may improve recruitment to psychiatry internationally.

Leadership Development Challenges in South African Schools: The Advanced Certificate: Education (School Management and Leadership)

Science.gov (United States)

Ngcobo, T.

2012-01-01

A number of schools in South Africa appear to be struggling with the changes that the government is introducing to improve the quality of education and lay a strong foundation for the country's societal transformation. Leadership has been found to be one of the factors that are associated with how schools cope with change and its complexities.…

The Impact of School Violence on Self-Esteem and Depression among Taiwanese Junior High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ji-Kang; Wei, Hsi-Sheng

2011-01-01

The majority of research on the outcome of school violence has been conducted in Western countries. Empirical studies on how school violence impacts student psychological well-being in a Chinese cultural context are relatively limited. The aim of this study was to address this gap by exploring how student maltreatment by teachers, student…

World medical schools: The sum also rises.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigby, Perry G; Gururaja, Ramnarayan P

2017-06-01

There is a worldwide shortage of doctors, which is true in most countries and on most continents. To enumerate the number of medical schools in the world at two different times, showing the trends and relating this to population is a beginning. The number is actually going up and has done so for some time; this has increased the supply of physicians and broadened healthcare delivery. The number to count for geographic and regional information about the medical schools relates directly to the supply of doctors. Regions were chosen from WHO and Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research data to illustrate geographic distributions, physicians per patient and kinetics. The number of medical schools has consistently been rising around the world. However, world order is reverting to disorder, considering wars, disease and beleaguered stand-offs. None. Eight countries contain 40% of medical schools; however, several locations are rising faster than the rest. Some regions are stable, but sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, South Asia and South America have increased the most in percentage recently, but not uniformly. Medical schools are related not only by geography, political boundaries and population but are concentrated in some regions. Graduate Medical Education positions appear to be short on a worldwide basis, as well as in some regions and countries. The number of medical schools is increasing worldwide and the identification of rapidly rising geographic areas is useful in exploring, planning and comparing regions. Controversy continues in a variety of locations, especially concerning Graduate Medical Education. In addition to funding, faculty candidates and accreditation, new schools are confronting a variety of choices in standards and quality, sizing and regional concerns.

Leadership Styles and Decision-Making Styles in an Indonesian School Context

Science.gov (United States)

Hariri, Hasan; Monypenny, Richard; Prideaux, Murray

2014-01-01

School leadership has been well researched in developed countries. However, in Asia, particularly in Indonesia, school leadership has not been well explored. Using survey data from a sample of 475 teachers in six Lampung school districts, this paper examines the relationships between school principal leadership styles and school principal…

The nutritional status of school-aged children: why should we care?

Science.gov (United States)

Best, Cora; Neufingerl, Nicole; van Geel, Laura; van den Briel, Tina; Osendarp, Saskia

2010-09-01

The nutritional status of school-aged children impacts their health, cognition, and subsequently their educational achievement. The school is an opportune setting to provide health and nutrition services to disadvantaged children. Yet, school-aged children are not commonly included in health and nutrition surveys. An up-to-date overview of their nutritional status across the world is not available. To provide a summary of the recent data on the nutritional status of school-aged children in developing countries and countries in transition and identify issues of public health concern. A review of literature published from 2002 to 2009 on the nutritional status of children aged 6 to 12 years from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Eastern Mediterranean region was performed. Eligible studies determined the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies or child under- and overnutrition using biochemical markers and internationally accepted growth references. A total of 369 studies from 76 different countries were included. The available data indicate that the nutritional status of school-aged children in the reviewed regions is considerably inadequate. Underweight and thinness were most prominent in populations from South-East Asia and Africa, whereas in Latin America the prevalence of underweight or thinness was generally below 10%. More than half of the studies on anemia reported moderate (> 20%) or severe (> 40%) prevalence of anemia. Prevalences of 20% to 30% were commonly reported for deficiencies of iron, iodine, zinc, and vitamin A. The prevalence of overweight was highest in Latin American countries (20% to 35%). In Africa, Asia, and the Eastern Mediterranean, the prevalence of overweight was generally below 15%. The available data indicate that malnutrition is a public health issue in school-aged children in developing countries and countries in transition. However, the available data, especially data on micronutrient status, are limited. These findings emphasize

Socioeconomic inequality in exposure to bullying during adolescence: a comparative, cross-sectional, multilevel study in 35 countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Due, Pernille; Merlo, Juan; Harel-Fisch, Yossi

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVES: We examined the socioeconomic distribution of adolescent exposure to bullying internationally and documented the contribution of the macroeconomic environment. METHODS: We used an international survey of 162,305 students aged 11, 13, and 15 years from nationally representative samples...... of 5998 schools in 35 countries in Europe and North America for the 2001-2002 school year. The survey used standardized measures of exposure to bullying and socioeconomic affluence. RESULTS: Adolescents from families of low affluence reported higher prevalence of being victims of bullying (odds ratio [OR......] = 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10, 1.16). International differences in prevalence of exposure to bullying were not associated with the economic level of the country (as measured by gross national income) or the school, but wide disparities in affluence at a school and large economic...

Cannabis and Amphetamine Use Among Adolescents in Five Asian Countries

OpenAIRE

Karl Peltzer; Supa Pengpid

2017-01-01

Introduction: There has been a global increase in illicit drug use among young people. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lifetime cannabis and amphetamine use, as well as to explore factors associated with substance use among adolescents in five Asian countries: Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Vietnam. Methods: 38,941  school children (mean age 15.4 years, SD=1.5) completed the cross-sectional Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS). Topics covered in t...

Classroom disciplinary climate of schools and gender

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sortkær, Bent; Reimer, David

2018-01-01

Classroom disciplinary climate has emerged as a crucial factor with regard to student achievement. However, most previous studies have not explored potential gender differences in both students’ perceptions of the classroom disciplinary climate and the association between classroom disciplinary...... and students’ mathematics performance across countries. On the basis of an analysis of a pooled sample consisting of all 5 Nordic countries, we found that the correlation between classroom disciplinary climate of schools and maths achievement is significantly stronger for boys than for girls. Further analyses...... showed that this finding may partly be attributable to gender differences in the perception of the disciplinary climate of schools, whereby boys seemed to perceive the classroom disciplinary climate of schools more positively than girls....

Determinants of Parent Involvement in Romanian Schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Damean

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The paper is focused on exploring the factors that facilitate parent involvement in their child’s education and school life. A sample of 670 Romanian school principals from the Cross-National Survey of School Principals in South East Europe (SEE countries 2008 was used. Two-step linear regressions were run in order to predict parent participation in school meetings, parent engagement in school activities and parent influence in school governance, as reported by school principals. The results indicated that the level of parents’ organizations influence on school governance, school administration, and teaching methods is as important as the school background (size, location, budget, principal’s experience, and shares of vulnerable children.

Examining the Associations Among Home–School Dissonance, Amotivation, and Classroom Disruptive Behavior for Urban High School Students

OpenAIRE

Brown-Wright, Lynda; Tyler, Kenneth M.; Graves, Scott L.; Thomas, Deneia; Stevens-Watkins, Danelle; Mulder, Shambra

2011-01-01

The current study examined the association among home–school dissonance, amotivation, and classroom disruptive behavior among 309 high school juniors and seniors at two urban high schools in the Southern region of the country. Students completed two subscales of the Patterns of Learning Activities Scales (PALS) and one subscale of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). ANCOVA analyses revealed significant differences in classroom disruptive behaviors for the gender independent variable. Control...

Improving Middle School Quality in Poor Countries: Evidence from the Honduran "Sistema De Aprendizaje Tutorial"

Science.gov (United States)

McEwan, Patrick J.; Murphy-Graham, Erin; Torres Irribarra, David; Aguilar, Claudia; Rápalo, Renán

2015-01-01

This article evaluates the impact and cost-effectiveness of offering an innovative middle school model--the Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial (SAT)--to Honduran villages instead of traditional middle schools. We identified a matched sample of villages with either type of school and collected baseline data among primary school graduates eligible to…

„Small children are not able to ask that their essential needs be satisfied ...” – the role of Mariavite parochial communities in Łódź in helping children during the World War I [„Dziatwa mała nie jest w stanie prosić o zaspokojenie swych nieodzownych potrzeb”1 – rola łódzkich mariawickich wspólnot parafialnych w niesieniu pomocy dzieciom podczas I wojny światowej

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna SOSNOWSKA

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Since its very beginning, the life of the Mariavite community focused around parishes and churches. It was the parishes that satisfied the religious needs of their members but also performed social functions related to education, culture, and welfare issues. Before, as well as during. World War I, the Mariavite Church was one of the largest religious communities in Łódź. Mariavite parishes in Łódź were established several years before World War I, in the period when Mariavite parishes, independent from the Roman Catholic Church, were organised. The first Mariavite church was built in December 1906, the next in September 1907, and the third and the last after a year, in September 1908. Apart from churches and chapels erected with exceptional speed, institutions for adult parish members and their children were also established, such as libraries, reading rooms, classrooms for girls and boys, schools, shelters, and flats for poor families. They were supposed to serve Mariavite Church members. Directly after the outbreak of the World War I, Łódź Mariavite clergy joined aid campaigns organized in parishes. Food was provided for adults and children on a larger scale; meals were prepared and served in Mariavite parochial kitchens. In that period, care and education institutions for children continued to perform their tasks; however, they intensified their activities aimed at providing meals, clothes, and shoes. The overriding task of Mariavite shelters included care, religious and moral education, and helping children of pre-school age (3–7. Aid was provided to children from poor families of factory workers and craftsmen.

Reward School Leadership: Building a Good-to-Great Cycle of Excellence

Science.gov (United States)

Zadravec, Stephen

2016-01-01

For years, schools across the country have carried the label, and in many cases the reality, of being "schools in need of improvement." School improvement plans, deficit analyses, and theories for school organizational improvement have saturated the landscape of school communities. While much of this work has been focused on strategies…

Hebrew-Arabic bilingual schooling in Israel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hvid, Carmit Romano

2010-01-01

This paper deals with the policies and practices employed in the teaching of Arabic and Hebrew at a school belonging to the “Hand In Hand Centre for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel”. Its focus is on strategies that the school has developed in order to support the acquisition of biliteracy....... The “Hand In Hand Centre for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel” is a grass-root movement of bilingual, bi-national primary schools in which Jewish and Arab children study together. The first school was open in Jerusalem in 1998. Currently there are 4 schools throughout the country The schools’ rational is...

Local Reasons to Give Globally: Identity Extension and Global Cooperation.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchan, Nancy R; Jeong, Sophia Soyoung; Ward, A K

2017-11-14

Recent political events across the world suggest a retrenchment from globalization and a possible increase in parochialism. This inward-looking threat from parochialism occurs just as the global community faces growing challenges that require trans-national cooperation. In this research, we question if strong identification with an in-group necessarily leads to parochialism and ultimately is detrimental to global cooperation. Building on research on global social identification, we explore whether strong local identification can expand in inclusiveness to global identification, and among whom this is likely to happen. The results of our global public goods study - conducted in South Korea and the United States - show that high levels of social identification with a local group can extend to the global collective, particularly for individuals who are also high in concern-for-others. Furthermore, this identification translates into behavior that benefits the global, anonymous group at a cost to oneself. These results shed light on how to avoid the trap of parochialism and instead engender cooperative behavior with the broader global community.

The Russian Orthodox Church in Religious Space of Kazakhstan: Stages and Peculiarities of Institutional Model (XVIII – Beginning of ХХ Centuries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuliya A. Lysenko

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The article features attempts on analyzing the cultural – historic situation, which conditioned the formation of orthodox population and institutions of the Russian Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan in XVIII – beginning of XX centuries. The article also features the construction techniques of diocesan, parochial schools in the region and the main activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan. The results of complex analysis let determine the decree of integration effectiveness in cultural-religious space of the region, to reveal influential objective and subjective factors.

Taxing the Establishment Clause: —Revolutionary Decision of the Arizona Supreme Court

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin G. Welner

2000-07-01

Full Text Available This article explores the nature and implications of a 1999 decision of the Arizona Supreme Court, upholding the constitutionality of a state tax credit statute. The statute offers a $500 tax credit to taxpayers who donate money to non-profit organizations which, in turn, donate the money in grants to students in order to help defray the costs of attending private and parochial schools. The author concludes that the Arizona decision elevates cleverness in devising a statutory scheme above the substance of long-established constitutional doctrine.

Preparation of School/Educational Psychologists in Romania

Science.gov (United States)

Negovan, Valeria; Dinca, Margareta

2014-01-01

This article focuses on the academic and professional training of educational/school psychologists in Romania. Their training mirrors the country's history, legal provisions, social qualities, and current professional status of psychologists and their specialization. Efforts to increase the quality of training for educational/school psychologists…

Youth and Schools' Practices in Hyper-Diverse Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Malsbary, Christine Brigid

2016-01-01

The article presents findings from a multisited ethnography in two public high schools in Los Angeles and New York City. Schools were chosen for their hyper-diverse student populations. Students came from over 40 countries, speaking 20 languages in one school and 33 languages in another. Results of analysis found that despite contrasting missions,…

School Business Leadership: The Small School District Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefbauer, Christi J.

2012-01-01

Effective leadership is on everyone's mind this presidential election year as the country's citizens look for a strong candidate to guide them through the next four years. Effective leadership is just as critical in the nation's school districts where people prepare their young people to be the global citizens of tomorrow. In most school…

Virtual fetal pig dissection as an agent of knowledge acquisition and attitudinal change in female high school biology students

Science.gov (United States)

Maloney, Rebecca Scudari

One way to determine if all students can learn through the use of computers is to introduce a lesson taught completely via computers and compare the results with those gained when the same lesson is taught in a traditional manner. This study attempted to determine if a virtual fetal pig dissection can be used as a viable alternative for an actual dissection for females enrolled in high school biology classes by comparing the knowledge acquisition and attitudinal change between the experimental (virtual dissection) and control (actual dissection) groups. Two hundred and twenty-four students enrolled in biology classes in a suburban all-girl parochial high school participated in this study. Female students in an all-girl high school were chosen because research shows differences in science competency and computer usage between the genders that may mask the performance of females on computer-based tasks in a science laboratory exercise. Students who completed the virtual dissection scored significantly higher on practical test and objective tests that were used to measure knowledge acquisition. Attitudinal change was measured by examining the students' attitudes toward dissections, computer usage in the classroom, and toward biology both before and after the dissections using pre and post surveys. Significant results in positive gain scores were found in the virtual dissection group's attitude toward dissections, and their negative gain score toward virtual dissections. Attitudinal changes toward computers and biology were not significant. A purposefully selected sample of the students were interviewed, in addition to gathering a sample of the students' daily dissection journals, as data highlighting their thoughts and feelings about their dissection experience. Further research is suggested to determine if a virtual laboratory experience can be a substitute for actual dissections, or may serve as an enhancement to an actual dissection.

A cross-national profile of bullying and victimization among adolescents in 40 countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Craig, Wendy; Harel-Fisch, Yossi; Fogel-Grinvald, Haya

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVES: (1) To compare the prevalence of bullying and victimization among boys and girls and by age in 40 countries. (2) In 6 countries, to compare rates of direct physical, direct verbal, and indirect bullying by gender, age, and country. METHODS: Cross-sectional self-report surveys including...... items on bullying and being bullied were obtained from nationally representative samples of 11, 13 and 15 year old school children in 40 countries, N = 202,056. Six countries (N = 29,127 students) included questions about specific types of bullying (e. g., direct physical, direct verbal, indirect......). RESULTS: Exposure to bullying varied across countries, with estimates ranging from 8.6% to 45.2% among boys, and from 4.8% to 35.8% among girls. Adolescents in Baltic countries reported higher rates of bullying and victimization, whereas northern European countries reported the lowest prevalence. Boys...

Teaching English Language Skills for School Teachers: CTE Programme of IGNOU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asha Khare

2011-01-01

Full Text Available India is a multilingual country. English is the second most important language in the country after the national language Hindi since it is taught as a compulsory subject in all the Indian schools. In the educational system of a multilingual country, it becomes imperative to improve the English Language teaching skills of the school teachers who come from various linguistic backgrounds. The school teacher plays a vital role in the development of linguistic skills of the students. What children learn can affect their later success or failure in school, work, and their personal lives. As such, the school teachers need to improve their own English language skills if they are teaching without any previous English language training. This paper throws light on the communicative approach of English language teaching. It introduces the Certificate in Teaching of English (CTE programme of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU and outlines the syllabus and the methods used by the university to impart English Language Teaching skills to the elementary/secondary school teachers through this programme with the objective to enhance teacher’s understanding of  the learners and their learning process.

Country, age, and gender differences in the prevalence of screen-based behaviour and family-related factors among school-aged children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Pavelka

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: New information and communication technologies have become an important part of adolescents' everyday lives. However, the sedentary behaviour of young people in Central Europe has become more similar to that found in Western European countries. This study can provide baseline data for a future comparison and investigation of lifestyle and health behaviours in this region in the future. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess country, age, and gender differences in the prevalence of sedentary behaviour activities and family-related factors among school-aged children. Methods: Using the methodology of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC study was performed in 2013, collecting data from 11- and 15-year-old Slovak (n = 488 and Czech (n = 418 children. The data was explored using c2 tests to determine statistical significance. Results: Two-thirds of the respondents watch television or use a computer for at least two hours a day. The older children (older vs. younger: 73.6% vs. 53.9%, c2 = 35.6, p < .001 spent excessive amounts of time watching television. More than half of the children have a television (51.9% or a computer (73.0% in their bedroom. More than half of their parents rarely or never apply rules about how long they can watch TV (63.9% or time spent on the computer (55.5%. The Slovak children reported watching television together with their parents every day significantly more frequently than their Czech peers (Slovak vs. Czech children 31.0% vs. 18.7%, c2 = 17.9, p < .001. Conclusions: The prevalence of screen-based behaviour is relatively high, as is screen time spent together with parents, especially among the Slovak children. Moreover, many children reported that their parents rarely or never applied rules about the length and content of their television watching or time spent on the computer.

Prospects for Public School Revenues and Local School District Reorganization in Illinois in the 1980s.

Science.gov (United States)

Geske, Terry G.

Prospects for Illinois public school revenues and school district reorganization in the 1980's, considered in the context of prospects for the Great Lakes region as a whole, are affected by fundamental demographic and economic changes. The region has had a lower population growth rate since 1970 than the rest of the country, and a slower growth in…

Social Trust and the Growth of Schooling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørnskov, Christian

The paper develops a simple model to exemplify how social trust might affect the growth of schooling through lowering transaction costs. In a sample of 52 countries, the paper thereafter provides empirical evidence that trust has indeed led to faster growth of schooling in the period 1960...

Network for Astronomy School Education

Science.gov (United States)

Deustua, Susana E.; Ros, R. M.; Garcia, B.

2014-01-01

The Network for Astronomy School Education Project (NASE) was developed in response to the IAU's most recent 10 Years Strategic Plan to increase the efforts of the IAU in schools. NASE's mission is to stimulate teaching astronomy in schools, through professional development of primary and secondary school science teachers in developing and emerging countries. NASE's organizational principle is to build capacity by providing courses for three years in cooperation with a Local Organizing Committee (Local NASE Group). The Local NASE Group consists of 6-8 local university professors and education professional who will promote astronomy activities and organize future courses in subsequent years in their region of their country. NASE philosophy is to introduce low-tech astronomy, and has thus developed an a suite of activities that can be carried out with inexpensive, quotidian materials. Supporting these activities is a text for teachers, plus a complete set of instructional materials for each topic. These materials are available in English and Spanish, with future editions available in Chinese and Portuguese. We describe and discuss NASE activities in Central and South America from 2009 to the present.

SABER-School Finance : Data Collection Instrument

OpenAIRE

World Bank

2015-01-01

The aim of the SABER-school finance initiative is to collect, analyze and disseminate comparable data about education finance systems across countries. SABER-school finance assesses education finance systems along six policy goals: (i) ensuring basic conditions for learning; (ii) monitoring learning conditions and outcomes; (iii) overseeing service delivery; (iv) budgeting with adequate an...

[School refusal and dropping out of school: positioning regarding a Swiss perspective].

Science.gov (United States)

Walitza, Susanne; Melfsen, Siebke; Della Casa, André; Schneller, Lena

2013-01-01

This article deals with refusal to attend school and dropping out of school from the point of view of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychology, in German speaking countries and from the perspective of Swiss schools and their administrative bodies. General epidemiological data on refusal to attend school show that approximately 5% of children and adolescents are likely to try to avoid attending school at some point. There is very little data available on the frequency of school drop-out. In the past two years (2011 and 2012), approximately 2% of all patients seen for the first time at the department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Zurich, were referred because of failure to attend school, making this phenomenon one of the most common reasons for referral in child and adolescent psychiatry. After a discussion of the epidemiology, symptomatology, causes and its risk factors, the article presents examples drawn from practice and guidelines for intervention in cases of refusal to attend school, and discusses ways of preventing school drop-out from the point of view of schools, hospitals and bodies such as educational psychology services in Switzerland.

The international school of nuclear law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kus, S.

2007-01-01

The International School of Nuclear Law (ISNL) was established in 2000 by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the University of Montpellier 1. It benefits from the support of the International Nuclear Law Association (INLA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The school offers a high-quality educational programme acknowledged for its intensive courses, professional lecturers, as well as its academic and practical balance. In the past seven years, the ISNL has been attended by approximately 400 participants from 78 countries around the world. The NEA awards scholarships to enable certain meritorious students from its member countries to benefit from the course. The IAEA also awards a number of fellowships to participants from its member countries. This helps ensure broad representation from different countries and bestows the ISNL with the different views, experience and legal backgrounds of its participants. The applicants are mostly but not necessarily lawyers. Such diversity is welcomed as the interdisciplinary composition of classes contributes to the dialogue and mutual learning between lawyers and scientists or economists for example. (author)

Preventive youth health care in 11 European countries: An exploratory analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wieske, R.C.N.; Nijnuis, M.G.; Carmiggelt, B.C.; Wagenaar-Fischer, M.M.; Boere-Boonekamp, M.M.

2012-01-01

Objective To systematically identify similarities and differences in the way preventive youth health care (YHC) is organized in 11 European countries. Method Questionnaire survey to EUSUHM (European Union for School and University Health and Medicine) representatives. Results The greatest

Commentary on "Finance, Management, and Costs of Public and Private Schools in Indonesia" and "Do Local Contributions Affect the Efficiency of Public Primary Schools?"

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Mark C.

1996-01-01

Studies on Indonesia and the Philippines in this special issue examine how local financial control affects costs of providing primary schooling. In both countries, schools with greater financial decentralization operated more efficiently. These results have important implications for U.S. schools, where decentralization reforms in Kentucky and…

Effects of IMF programs on school enrollment in developing countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vranken, M.; Smits, J.P.J.M.; Jong, E. de

2011-01-01

The IMF is one of the most heavily criticized international financial institutions in the world and has been accused of having a negative effect on education. By using multi-level analyses, this paper estimates the effects of IMF supported programs on the growth in school enrollment in developing

Barriers to the successful implementation of school health services ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2009-08-14

Aug 14, 2009 ... Background: The level of development of a country is measured by the health status of its children. ... initiative and its interrelatedness to school health services ... children's health, knowledge and practices target schools.

Ethnic Conflicts in Schools. Multicultural Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Banfield, Susan

This book for young readers explores ethnic conflict in the schools. Public schools in the United States are among some of the places where members of a country's different ethnic and racial groups are brought together and required to work together more closely. A racial group is a group of people who share certain physical traits and often share…

The effect of partners' education on women's reproductive and maternal health in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Adjiwanou, Vissého; Bougma, Moussa; LeGrand, Thomas

2018-01-01

The effect of partners' education on women's and children's health in developing countries has received relatively little attention to date. This study uses couple data from 37 recent Demographic and Health Surveys fielded in sub-Saharan African and Asian countries to assess the effect of partners' schooling on women's modern contraceptive use, frequency of antenatal care visits, and skilled birth attendance. Using multilevel logistic regressions, the study shows that partners' schooling has strong effects on their spouses' maternal healthcare utilization; especially when partners had secondary or higher levels of schooling. Overall, women whose partners had an above secondary level of education were 32% more likely to use modern contraceptives, 43% more likely to attend at least four antenatal care visits, and 55% more likely to deliver their most recent baby with a health professional, compared to women whose partner had no education, after controlling for individual and community-level covariates. Finally, interacting the partners' years of schooling, we found that an additional year of partners' schooling was 1) positively associated with modern contraceptive use when the women had low educational attainment (substitution effect), but negatively associated when women were better educated, 2) positively and increasingly associated with the frequency of antenatal care visits as women's education increased (multiplicative effect), and 3) positively and significantly associated with skilled birth attendance for less educated women (substitution effect). This study highlights the importance of male education in shaping their wife's health behaviours in developing countries and provides strong impetus for male education beyond primary level (as well as for women), something that has been neglected in past policy discourse. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Too Many Problems and Not Enough Help: Exploring the Need for School Social Workers in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Science.gov (United States)

Alhajjaj, Huda A.

2017-01-01

Social work encompasses many different fields of practice. School social workers provide services to students encountering a wide spectrum of psychosocial and behavioral challenges at school, home, and society. While school social workers exist in many countries across the globe, many countries such as Jordan remain without school social workers.…

Big Gods: Extended prosociality or group binding?

Science.gov (United States)

Galen, Luke W

2016-01-01

Big Gods are described as having a "prosocial" effect. However, this conflates parochialism (group cohesion) with cooperation extended to strangers or out-group members. An examination of the cited experimental studies indicates that religion is actually associated with increased within-group parochialism, rather than extended or universal prosociality, and that the same general mechanisms underlie both religious and secular effects.

National Best Practices Manual for Building High Performance Schools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2007-10-01

The Best Practices Manual was written as a part of the promotional effort for EnergySmart Schools, provided by the US Department of Energy, to educate school districts around the country about energy efficiency and renewable energy.

2016 Asia-Europe-Pacific School of High-Energy Physics

CERN Multimedia

2016-01-01

  Dear colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the 2016 Asia-Europe-Pacific School of High-Energy Physics. Details can be found here.  The third Asia-Europe-Pacific School of High-Energy Physics, AEPSHEP2016, to be held near Beijing, China, 12-25 October 2016, is open for applications (deadline 1st April 2016). AEPSHEP is held every second year, hosted in countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The first two schools in the series were held in Fukuoka, Japan, in 2012 and Puri, India, in 2014.  Applications to attend the school are invited particularly from students from countries in the Asia-Pacific region and from Europe, although applications from other regions will also be considered. The programme of the school will be at a level appropriate for PhD students in experimental particle physics. It is anticipated that students working on phenomenology (if not too far from experimental particle-physics) will also be accepted. The...

Alternative Education Programmes and Middle School Dropout in Honduras

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Jeffery H.; Aguilar, Claudia R.; Alas, Mario; Castellanos, Renán Rápalo; Castro, Levi; Enamorado, Ramón; Fonseca, Esther

2014-01-01

Honduras has made steady progress in expanding post-primary school coverage in recent years, but many rural communities still do not provide a middle (lower secondary) school. As a result, Honduras has implemented a number of middle school alternative programmes designed to meet the needs of at-risk populations throughout the country. This article…

High-Tech School Bus Teaches Students on the Road

Science.gov (United States)

Katims, Lauren

2011-01-01

Last year, kindergarten through high school students in the rural Hector, Arkansas, School District barely had the technology resources that keep kids interested in math and science. This year, they potentially have the most advanced resources in the country--before they even step into the classroom. One school bus in Arkansas' Pope County has…

Multiple-Micronutrient Fortified Non-Dairy Beverage Interventions Reduce the Risk of Anemia and Iron Deficiency in School-Aged Children in Low-Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (i-iv).

Science.gov (United States)

Aaron, Grant J; Dror, Daphna K; Yang, Zhenyu

2015-05-21

Multiple-micronutrient (MMN) fortification of beverages may be an effective option to deliver micronutrients to vulnerable populations. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the nutritional impacts of MMN fortified beverages in the context of low-middle income countries. A systematic search of published literature yielded 1022 citations, of which 10 randomized controlled trials (nine in school-aged children and one in pregnant women) met inclusion criteria. Results of school-aged children were included in the meta-analysis. Compared to iso-caloric controls, children who received MMN fortified beverages for 8 weeks to 6 months showed significant improvements in hemoglobin (+2.76 g/L, 95% CI [1.19, 4.33], p = 0.004; 8 studies) and serum ferritin (+15.42 pmol/L, [5.73, 25.12], p = 0.007; 8 studies); and reduced risk of anemia (RR 0.58 [0.29, 0.88], p = 0.005; 6 studies), iron deficiency (RR 0.34 [0.21, 0.55], p = 0.002; 7 studies), and iron deficiency anemia (RR 0.17 [0.06, 0.53], p = 0.02; 3 studies). MMN fortified beverage interventions could have major programmatic implications for reducing the burden of anemia and iron deficiency in school-aged children in low-middle income countries. Additional research is needed to investigate effects on other biochemical outcomes and population subgroups.

Parent-School Involvement in Nordic Countries: A Cross-National Comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Björk, Lars G.; Browne-Ferrigno, Tricia

2016-01-01

During the past three decades, the rise of the global economy stimulated a wide array of social, economic, and political changes in nations throughout the world. Heightened concern about the quality of schools launched what is arguably one of the most pervasive, intense, and protracted attempts at educational reform in recent history. A discussion…

Reducing child conduct problems and promoting social skills in a middle-income country: cluster randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker-Henningham, Helen; Scott, Stephen; Jones, Kelvyn; Walker, Susan

2012-08-01

There is an urgent need for effective, affordable interventions to prevent child mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries. To determine the effects of a universal pre-school-based intervention on child conduct problems and social skills at school and at home. In a cluster randomised design, 24 community pre-schools in inner-city areas of Kingston, Jamaica, were randomly assigned to receive the Incredible Years Teacher Training intervention (n = 12) or to a control group (n = 12). Three children from each class with the highest levels of teacher-reported conduct problems were selected for evaluation, giving 225 children aged 3-6 years. The primary outcome was observed child behaviour at school. Secondary outcomes were child behaviour by parent and teacher report, child attendance and parents' attitude to school. The study is registered as ISRCTN35476268. Children in intervention schools showed significantly reduced conduct problems (effect size (ES) = 0.42) and increased friendship skills (ES = 0.74) through observation, significant reductions to teacher-reported (ES = 0.47) and parent-reported (ES = 0.22) behaviour difficulties and increases in teacher-reported social skills (ES = 0.59) and child attendance (ES = 0.30). Benefits to parents' attitude to school were not significant. A low-cost, school-based intervention in a middle-income country substantially reduces child conduct problems and increases child social skills at home and at school.

2014 Asia-Europe-Pacific School of High-Energy Physics

CERN Multimedia

Nick Ellis, on behalf of the Organising Committee

2014-01-01

Dear Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the 2014 Asia-Europe-Pacific School of High-Energy Physics. Details can be found here. The second Asia-Europe-Pacific School of High-Energy Physics, AEPSHEP2014, to be held in Puri, India, from 4 to 17 November 2014, is now open for applications (deadline 11 April 2014). AEPSHEP is held every second year, hosted in countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The first School in the series was held in Fukuoka, Japan in 2012. Applications to attend the School are invited particularly from students from countries in the Asia-Pacific region and from Europe, although applications from other regions will also be considered. The programme of the school will be at a level appropriate for PhD students in experimental particle physics. It is anticipated that students working on phenomenology (if not too far from experimental particle-physics) will also be accepted. The School is open to junior post-docs (typically less than two years after completing their PhD), an...

Plate waste in school lunch programs in Beijing, China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Yao; Cheng, Shengkui; Liu, Xiaojie

2016-01-01

School plate waste is of particular concern worldwide due to its adverse impacts not only on resource use and the environment, but also on students' health, physical maturation, and academic achievement in the long term. Previous studies on school plate waste have all been conducted in industrial...... in China, and a good basis for further analysis in this field, and will be helpful in informing policy-making in relevant nutrition and education programs in schools in China.......School plate waste is of particular concern worldwide due to its adverse impacts not only on resource use and the environment, but also on students' health, physical maturation, and academic achievement in the long term. Previous studies on school plate waste have all been conducted...... in industrialized countries, and more studies are badly needed in developing countries. In this paper, we report a pilot study on the patterns and causes of plate waste in school lunch programs in Beijing, China, by a combination of physical weighing, questionnaire survey, and semi-structured interview approaches...

The reduction of measles transmission during school vacations.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klinkenberg, Don; Hahné, Susan Jm; Woudenberg, Tom; Wallinga, Jacco

2018-01-01

Historically, measles incidence has shown clear seasonal patterns driven by the school calendar, but since the start of mass vaccination in developed countries there are only occasional outbreaks, which may have changed the effect of school vacations on transmission. In 2013-2014 a large measles

The Rise of Networks: How Decentralized Management Is Improving Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Kelleher, Maureen

2014-01-01

School districts across the country are shifting away from their traditional management paradigm--a central office that directs its schools through uniform mandates and policies--toward a new vision where district leaders support autonomous schools while holding them accountable for student performance. The advent of new governance mechanisms…

School achievement of immigrant children : The decreasing influence of Ethnic concentration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gijsberts, Mérove; van der Ploeg, Rozemarijn

There is an ongoing debate in many countries about the assumed negative influence of ethnically concentrated schools on pupils’ cognitive development. This paper addresses the influence of concentrations of ethnic minority children in schools on the school achievement of their pupils. The analysis

Ecological, psychological, and cognitive components of reading difficulties: testing the component model of reading in fourth graders across 38 countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Ming Ming; McBride-Chang, Catherine; Lin, Dan

2012-01-01

The authors tested the component model of reading (CMR) among 186,725 fourth grade students from 38 countries (45 regions) on five continents by analyzing the 2006 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study data using measures of ecological (country, family, school, teacher), psychological, and cognitive components. More than 91% of the differences in student difficulty occurred at the country (61%) and classroom (30%) levels (ecological), with less than 9% at the student level (cognitive and psychological). All three components were negatively associated with reading difficulties: cognitive (student's early literacy skills), ecological (family characteristics [socioeconomic status, number of books at home, and attitudes about reading], school characteristics [school climate and resources]), and psychological (students' attitudes about reading, reading self-concept, and being a girl). These results extend the CMR by demonstrating the importance of multiple levels of factors for reading deficits across diverse cultures.

What School Leaders Need to Know about English Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Dormer, Jan Edwards

2016-01-01

School leaders have the unique opportunity and responsibility to play a crucial role in creating a culture of high expectations and an environment of support so that ELLs can succeed and continue to enrich the fabric of our country. "What School Leaders Need to Know About English Learners" offers school leaders the foundation, the ideas,…

Zimbabwean fourth social workers conference and winter school ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Such steps include running the Annual Social Workers Conference & Winter School. This annual observance creates a platform to showcase the goals and accomplishments of diverse social work professionals in the country, give a report on progress and convening a social work winter school for exchanging professional ...

Managing Talent for School Coherence: Learning from Charter Management Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

DeArmond, Michael; Gross, Betheny; Bowen, Melissa; Demeritt, Allison; Lake, Robin

2012-01-01

The current wave of new teacher evaluation systems around the country offers an opportunity to broaden the conversation surrounding teacher effectiveness and its relationship to school coherence, to look at how schools and school systems might take a more integrated and intentional approach to attracting, training, and managing high-quality…

Improving Immunization Coverage in a Rural School District in Pierce County, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Robin M.; Cook, Carolyn; Yerxa, Mary E.; Marshall, James H.; Pulos, Elizabeth; Rollosson, Matthew P.

2012-01-01

Washington State has some of the highest percentages of school immunization exemptions in the country. We compared school immunization records in a rural school district in Pierce County, Washington, to immunization records in the state immunization information system (IIS) and parent-held records. Correcting school immunization records resulted…

Obesity among adolescents in five Arab countries: relative to gender and age

OpenAIRE

A.O. Musaiger; M. Al-Mannai; O. Al-Lalla; S. Saghir; I. Halahleh; M. M. Benhamed; F. Kalam; E.Y.A. Ali

2013-01-01

Objective: To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in five Arab countries, relative to age and sex. Methods: A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used to select the secondary school students from five Arab countries (Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Syria and United Arab Emirates). The total sample was 3,302 (1,584 males, 1,718 females). Weight and height were measured, and body mass index was used to calculate the proportion of overweight and obesity...

Schools as potential vaccination venue for vaccines outside regular EPI schedule: results from a school census in Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Soofi, Sajid Bashir; Haq, Inam-Ul; Khan, M Imran; Siddiqui, Muhammad Bilal; Mirani, Mushtaq; Tahir, Rehman; Hussain, Imtiaz; Puri, Mahesh K; Suhag, Zamir Hussain; Khowaja, Asif R; Lasi, Abdul Razzaq; Clemens, John D; Favorov, Michael; Ochiai, R Leon; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A

2012-01-06

Vaccines are the most effective public health intervention. Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) provides routine vaccination in developing countries. However, vaccines that cannot be given in EPI schedule such as typhoid fever vaccine need alternative venues. In areas where school enrolment is high, schools provide a cost effective opportunity for vaccination. Prior to start of a school-based typhoid vaccination program, interviews were conducted with staff of educational institutions in two townships of Karachi, Pakistan to collect baseline information about the school system and to plan a typhoid vaccination program. Data collection teams administered a structured questionnaire to all schools in the two townships. The administrative staff was requested information on school fee, class enrolment, past history of involvement and willingness of parents to participate in a vaccination campaign. A total of 304,836 students were enrolled in 1,096 public, private, and religious schools (Madrasahs) of the two towns. Five percent of schools refused to participate in the school census. Twenty-five percent of schools had a total enrolment of less than 100 students whereas 3% had more than 1,000 students. Health education programs were available in less than 8% of public schools, 17% of private schools, and 14% of Madrasahs. One-quarter of public schools, 41% of private schools, and 43% of Madrasahs had previously participated in a school-based vaccination campaign. The most common vaccination campaign in which schools participated was Polio eradication program. Cost of the vaccine, side effects, and parents' lack of information were highlighted as important limiting factors by school administration for school-based immunization programs. Permission from parents, appropriateness of vaccine-related information, and involvement of teachers were considered as important factors to improve participation. Health education programs are not part of the regular school curriculum

Schools as potential vaccination venue for vaccines outside regular EPI schedule: results from a school census in Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soofi Sajid

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Vaccines are the most effective public health intervention. Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI provides routine vaccination in developing countries. However, vaccines that cannot be given in EPI schedule such as typhoid fever vaccine need alternative venues. In areas where school enrolment is high, schools provide a cost effective opportunity for vaccination. Prior to start of a school-based typhoid vaccination program, interviews were conducted with staff of educational institutions in two townships of Karachi, Pakistan to collect baseline information about the school system and to plan a typhoid vaccination program. Data collection teams administered a structured questionnaire to all schools in the two townships. The administrative staff was requested information on school fee, class enrolment, past history of involvement and willingness of parents to participate in a vaccination campaign. Results A total of 304,836 students were enrolled in 1,096 public, private, and religious schools (Madrasahs of the two towns. Five percent of schools refused to participate in the school census. Twenty-five percent of schools had a total enrolment of less than 100 students whereas 3% had more than 1,000 students. Health education programs were available in less than 8% of public schools, 17% of private schools, and 14% of Madrasahs. One-quarter of public schools, 41% of private schools, and 43% of Madrasahs had previously participated in a school-based vaccination campaign. The most common vaccination campaign in which schools participated was Polio eradication program. Cost of the vaccine, side effects, and parents' lack of information were highlighted as important limiting factors by school administration for school-based immunization programs. Permission from parents, appropriateness of vaccine-related information, and involvement of teachers were considered as important factors to improve participation. Conclusions Health

TENDENCIES OF ICT INTRODUCTION IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES EDUCATION SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iryna D. Malytska

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Importance of information and communication technologies introduction in education systems is admited by all foreign countries. Information processes, creation of uniform information space, using ICT, become one of priority approaches of the European states and Ukraine development. In the article the international documents of the European Union, the Great Britain, Russia, Ukraine, which form perspective approaches of education systems development are analysed. The priority areas of ICT introduction are outlined by the European countries, the basic tendencies concerning ICT use at schools of the Great Britain are defined, the basic initiatives of the Russian Federation and Ukraine on this problem are considered.

Population education in the schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherris, J D; Quillin, W F

1982-01-01

Formal population education is designed to teach children in school about basic population issues and, in many cases, to encourage them eventually to have smaller families. Some programs include specific units on human reproduction and family planning, while others do not. National population education programs began during the 1970s in about a dozen countries, mainly in Asia. These include Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Egypt, Tunisia, and El Salvador. A strong case can be made for including an important contemporary issue like population in the school curriculum. Nevertheless, educational innovation is a difficult and long-term process. As a rule, it takes 5 to 10 years before new material can be fully incorporated in a school curriculum. Curriculum changes must be carefully planned, thousands of teachers trained, and appropriate materials prepared for classroom use. Moreover, differences of opinion over the need, acceptability, goals, content, methods, and other aspects of population education have held back programs in some countries. Where population education programs have been implemented, student knowledge of population issues increases, but it is not yet clear whether in-school education has a measurable impact on fertility-related attitudes or behavior.

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) Scale in Chilean Adolescents and Its Association with School-Related Outcomes and Substance Use

Science.gov (United States)

Gaete, Jorge; Montero-Marin, Jesus; Rojas-Barahona, Cristian A.; Olivares, Esterbina; Araya, Ricardo

2016-01-01

School membership appears to be an important factor in explaining the relationship between students and schools, including school staff. School membership is associated with several school-related outcomes, such as academic performance and expectations. Most studies on school membership have been conducted in developed countries. The Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) scale (18 items: 13 positively worded items, 5 negatively worded items) has been widely used to measure this construct, but no studies regarding its validity and reliability have been conducted in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. This study investigates the psychometric properties, factor structure and reliability of this scale in a sample of 1250 early adolescents in Chile. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provide evidence of an excellent fit for a one-factor solution after removing the negatively worded items. The internal consistency of this new abbreviated version was 0.92. The association analyses demonstrated that high school membership was associated with better academic performance, stronger school bonding, a reduced likelihood of school misbehavior, and reduced likelihood of substance use. Analyses showed support for the reliability and validity of the PSSM among Chilean adolescents. PMID:27999554

Validation of the Spanish version of the Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale (PSSM in Chilean adolescents and its association with school-related outcomes and substance use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Gaete

2016-12-01

Full Text Available School membership appears to be an important factor in explaining the relationship between students and schools, including school staff. School membership is associated with several school-related outcomes, such as academic performance and expectations. Most studies on school membership have been conducted in developed countries. The Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM scale (18 items: 13 positively worded items, 5 negatively worded items has been widely used to measure this construct, but no studies regarding its validity and reliability have been conducted in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. This study investigates the psychometric properties, factor structure and reliability of this scale in a sample of 1250 early adolescents in Chile. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provide evidence of an excellent fit for a one-factor solution after removing the negatively worded items. The internal consistency of this new abbreviated version was 0.92. The association analyses demonstrated that high school membership was associated with better academic performance, stronger school bonding, a reduced likelihood of school misbehavior and reduced likelihood of substance use. Analyses showed support for the reliability and validity of the PSSM among Chilean adolescents.

The Role of Stress and Spirituality in Adolescent Substance Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Debnam, Katrina; Milam, Adam J; Furr-Holden, C Debra; Bradshaw, Catherine

2016-05-11

Substance use can occur as a result of coping with stress. Within the school context, youth are exposed to stressors related to school achievement and peer-relationships. Protective factors, such as spirituality, may moderate adolescents' engagement in substance use. The current study investigated the role of spirituality in the association between stress and substance use, in an effort to test the hypothesis that spirituality moderates the association between stress and substance use. This study used data from youth in grades 6-8 attending 40 parochial private schools. A total of 5,217 students participated in the web-based survey administered in Spring 2013. Multilevel structural equation models were used to examine the association between stress, spirituality, and substance use, while accounting for the nested nature of the data (i.e., students within schools). Higher stress was significantly associated with increased alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among youth (b =.306, p stress and substance use. Implications for increasing students' adaptive coping when confronted with school-related stressors and the role of school climate are discussed.

The Proportion of Anemia Associated with Iron Deficiency in Low, Medium, and High Human Development Index Countries: A Systematic Analysis of National Surveys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolai Petry

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Iron deficiency is commonly assumed to cause half of all cases of anemias, with hereditary blood disorders and infections such as hookworm and malaria being the other major causes. In countries ranked as low, medium, and high by the Human Development Index, we conducted a systematic review of nationally representative surveys that reported the prevalence of iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, and anemia among pre-school children and non-pregnant women of reproductive age. Using random effects meta-analyses techniques, data from 23 countries for pre-school children and non-pregnant women of reproductive age was pooled, and the proportion of anemia attributable to iron deficiency was estimated by region, inflammation exposure, anemia prevalence, and urban/rural setting. For pre-school children and non-pregnant women of reproductive age, the proportion of anemia associated with iron deficiency was 25.0% (95% CI: 18.0, 32.0 and 37.0% (95% CI: 28.0, 46.0, respectively. The proportion of anemia associated with iron deficiency was lower in countries where anemia prevalence was >40%, especially in rural populations (14% for pre-school children; 16% for non-pregnant women of reproductive age, and in countries with very high inflammation exposure (20% for pre-school children; 25% for non-pregnant women of reproductive age. Despite large heterogeneity, our analyses suggest that the proportion of anemia associated with iron deficiency is lower than the previously assumed 50% in countries with low, medium, or high Human Development Index ranking. Anemia-reduction strategies and programs should be based on an analysis of country-specific data, as iron deficiency may not always be the key determinant of anemia.

The Proportion of Anemia Associated with Iron Deficiency in Low, Medium, and High Human Development Index Countries: A Systematic Analysis of National Surveys

Science.gov (United States)

Petry, Nicolai; Olofin, Ibironke; Hurrell, Richard F.; Boy, Erick; Wirth, James P.; Moursi, Mourad; Donahue Angel, Moira; Rohner, Fabian

2016-01-01

Iron deficiency is commonly assumed to cause half of all cases of anemias, with hereditary blood disorders and infections such as hookworm and malaria being the other major causes. In countries ranked as low, medium, and high by the Human Development Index, we conducted a systematic review of nationally representative surveys that reported the prevalence of iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, and anemia among pre-school children and non-pregnant women of reproductive age. Using random effects meta-analyses techniques, data from 23 countries for pre-school children and non-pregnant women of reproductive age was pooled, and the proportion of anemia attributable to iron deficiency was estimated by region, inflammation exposure, anemia prevalence, and urban/rural setting. For pre-school children and non-pregnant women of reproductive age, the proportion of anemia associated with iron deficiency was 25.0% (95% CI: 18.0, 32.0) and 37.0% (95% CI: 28.0, 46.0), respectively. The proportion of anemia associated with iron deficiency was lower in countries where anemia prevalence was >40%, especially in rural populations (14% for pre-school children; 16% for non-pregnant women of reproductive age), and in countries with very high inflammation exposure (20% for pre-school children; 25% for non-pregnant women of reproductive age). Despite large heterogeneity, our analyses suggest that the proportion of anemia associated with iron deficiency is lower than the previously assumed 50% in countries with low, medium, or high Human Development Index ranking. Anemia-reduction strategies and programs should be based on an analysis of country-specific data, as iron deficiency may not always be the key determinant of anemia. PMID:27827838

The Proportion of Anemia Associated with Iron Deficiency in Low, Medium, and High Human Development Index Countries: A Systematic Analysis of National Surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Petry, Nicolai; Olofin, Ibironke; Hurrell, Richard F; Boy, Erick; Wirth, James P; Moursi, Mourad; Donahue Angel, Moira; Rohner, Fabian

2016-11-02

Iron deficiency is commonly assumed to cause half of all cases of anemias, with hereditary blood disorders and infections such as hookworm and malaria being the other major causes. In countries ranked as low, medium, and high by the Human Development Index, we conducted a systematic review of nationally representative surveys that reported the prevalence of iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, and anemia among pre-school children and non-pregnant women of reproductive age. Using random effects meta-analyses techniques, data from 23 countries for pre-school children and non-pregnant women of reproductive age was pooled, and the proportion of anemia attributable to iron deficiency was estimated by region, inflammation exposure, anemia prevalence, and urban/rural setting. For pre-school children and non-pregnant women of reproductive age, the proportion of anemia associated with iron deficiency was 25.0% (95% CI: 18.0, 32.0) and 37.0% (95% CI: 28.0, 46.0), respectively. The proportion of anemia associated with iron deficiency was lower in countries where anemia prevalence was >40%, especially in rural populations (14% for pre-school children; 16% for non-pregnant women of reproductive age), and in countries with very high inflammation exposure (20% for pre-school children; 25% for non-pregnant women of reproductive age). Despite large heterogeneity, our analyses suggest that the proportion of anemia associated with iron deficiency is lower than the previously assumed 50% in countries with low, medium, or high Human Development Index ranking. Anemia-reduction strategies and programs should be based on an analysis of country-specific data, as iron deficiency may not always be the key determinant of anemia.

Investing for Sustainable Turnaround. Sustaining School Turnaround at Scale. Brief 2

Science.gov (United States)

Education Resource Strategies, 2012

2012-01-01

The Federal government has brought the issue of low-performing schools to the forefront of public conversation by committing $3.5 billion over three years to turn around these schools. As of March 2011, over 1200 schools across the country had been awarded School Improvement Grants (SIG). Given the magnitude of this short-term investment and the…

Bang for the Buck: Autonomy and Charter School Efficiency in Milwaukee

Science.gov (United States)

Flanders, Will

2017-01-01

Charter schools are a relatively new phenomenon in American education. Since the first charter school opened in Minnesota in 1991, they have expanded to 42 states and represent 6.2% of all public schools in the country. This growth has been attributed to a number of factors, chief among them evidence that charter schools can improve performance…

Dynamics of Community Participation, Student Achievement and School Management: The Case of Primary Schools in a Rural Area of Malawi

Science.gov (United States)

Taniguchi, Kyoko; Hirakawa, Yukiko

2016-01-01

School management in many sub-Saharan African countries has been enhanced through community participation in an attempt to improve education quality. This study uses field research in a rural district of Malawi to assess how community and parent participation differs between schools, the intentions of communities and parents when carrying out…

Cultural and gender convergence in adolescent drunkenness: evidence from 23 European and North American countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuntsche, Emmanuel; Kuntsche, Sandra; Knibbe, Ronald; Simons-Morton, Bruce; Farhat, Tilda; Hublet, Anne; Bendtsen, Pernille; Godeau, Emmanuelle; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2011-02-01

To investigate time-trend changes in the frequency of drunkenness among European and North American adolescents. Cross-sectional surveys in the 1997/1998 and 2005/2006 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study (HBSC). High schools in 23 countries. A sample of 77 586 adolescents aged 15 years was analyzed by means of hierarchical linear modeling. The frequency of drunkenness. We observed a significant increase of about 40% in the mean frequency of drunkenness in all 7 participating Eastern European countries. This increase was evident among both genders, but most consistently among girls. Meanwhile, it declined in 13 of 16 Western countries, about 25% on average. Declines in Western countries were particularly notable among boys and in North America, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Despite this gender convergence, with few exceptions (Greenland, Norway, United Kingdom) boys continued to have a higher frequency of drunkenness in 2005/2006 than girls. The confirmed cultural convergence implies that adoption and implementation of evidence-based measures to mitigate the frequency of adolescent drunkenness such as tax increases and restricting alcohol access and advertisement should get the same priority in Eastern European countries as in Western countries. Policy measures that might facilitate decreases in drunkenness such as server training and the promotion of alcohol-free leisure-time activities should be reinforced in Western countries. The gender convergence implies that prevention policy should be less exclusively focused on male adolescents.

Sufficient Social Support as a Possible Preventive Factor against Fighting and Bullying in School Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Šmigelskas, Kastytis; Vaičiūnas, Tomas; Lukoševičiūtė, Justė; Malinowska-Cieślik, Marta; Melkumova, Marina; Movsesyan, Eva; Zaborskis, Apolinaras

2018-04-26

Background: This study aims to explore how sufficient social support can act as a possible preventive factor against fighting and bullying in school-aged children in 9 European countries. Methods : Data for this study were collected during the 2013/2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. The sample consisted of 9 European countries, involving 43,667 school children in total, aged 11, 13 and 15 years. The analysed data focus on social context (relations with family, peers, and school) as well as risk behaviours such as smoking, drunkenness, fighting and bullying in adolescents. The relationships between social support and violent behaviour variables were estimated using multiple regression models and multivariate analyses. Results : Bullying, across 9 countries, was more prevalent than fighting, except for Armenia, Israel, and Poland. The prevalence among countries differed considerably, with fighting being most expressed in Armenia and bullying—in Latvia and Lithuania. The strongest risk factors for bullying and fighting were male gender (less expressed for bullying), smoking and alcohol consumption. In addition, for bullying the social support was similarly strong factor like above-mentioned factors, while for fighting—less significant, but still independent. All forms of social support were significantly relate with lower violent behaviour of school children, and family support was associated most strongly. Regardless the socioeconomic, historical, and cultural differences among selected countries, the enhancement and reinforcement of the social support from possible many different resources should be taken into consideration in prevention programs against school violence behaviours.

Making Good Choices: Districts Take the Lead. Comprehensive School Reform.

Science.gov (United States)

North Central Regional Educational Lab., Oak Brook, IL.

Public schools across the country are aiming to improve student performance by engaging in comprehensive school reform (CSR). This guide was created to help school districts make CSR an integral part of their strategies for improving student achievement. Five components for CSR are described: (1) Strategizing, whereby the district supports CSR by…

Gender Inequality in Schooling: The Case of Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Rankin, Bruce H.; Aytac, Isik A.

2006-01-01

Drawing on recent research on education in developing countries, this article examines gender inequality in schooling in Turkey. Using a nationally representative sample of Turkish youths, it assesses the effects of macrostructure, family resources, and cultural attitudes and practices on primary and postprimary school attainment. The results show…

Women Teachers' Aspirations to School Leadership in Uganda

Science.gov (United States)

Sperandio, Jill; Kagoda, Alice Merab

2010-01-01

Purpose: The under-representation of women in the leadership of secondary schooling is a problem common to many developing countries, raising issues of social justice and sustainable development. It has its roots in societal understandings about leadership, the schooling and career aspirations of girls, the organizational characteristics of the…

Accounting for the Gender Gaps in Student Performance in Reading and Mathematics: Evidence from 31 Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Marks, Gary N.

2008-01-01

In most countries, girls perform better than boys in reading but worse in mathematics. However, there is much variation between countries. Explanations for the gender gaps include the organisation of the school system, students' expectations and macro-societal factors. The purpose of this paper is to account for gender differences in both reading…

Improving skills and institutional capacity to strengthen adolescent immunisation programmes and health systems in African countries through HPV vaccine introduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carine Dochez

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Several African countries have recently introduced or are currently introducing the HPV vaccine, either nationwide or through demonstration projects, while some countries are planning for introduction. A collaborative project was developed to strengthen country adolescent immunisation programmes and health systems in the African Region, addressing unique public health considerations of HPV vaccination: adolescents as the primary target group, delivery platforms (e.g. school-based and facility based, socio-behavioural issues, and the opportunity to deliver other health interventions alongside HPV vaccination.Following a successful “taking-stock” meeting, a training programme was drafted to assist countries to strengthen the integration of adolescent health interventions using HPV vaccination as an entry point. Two workshops were conducted in the Eastern and Southern African Regions. All countries reported on progress made during a final joint symposium.Of the 20 countries invited to participate in either of the workshops and/or final symposium, 17 countries participated: Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Countries that are currently implementing HPV vaccination programmes, either nationally or through demonstration projects, reported varying degrees of integration with other adolescent health interventions. The most commonly reported adolescent health interventions alongside HPV vaccination include health education (including sexually transmitted infections, deworming and delivering of other vaccines like tetanus toxoid (TT or tetanus diphtheria (Td.The project has successfully (a established an African-based network that will advocate for incorporating the HPV vaccine into national immunisation programmes; (b created a platform for experience exchange and thereby contributed to novel ideas of

Schools of public health in low and middle-income countries: an imperative investment for improving the health of populations?

Science.gov (United States)

Rabbani, Fauziah; Shipton, Leah; White, Franklin; Nuwayhid, Iman; London, Leslie; Ghaffar, Abdul; Ha, Bui Thi Thu; Tomson, Göran; Rimal, Rajiv; Islam, Anwar; Takian, Amirhossein; Wong, Samuel; Zaidi, Shehla; Khan, Kausar; Karmaliani, Rozina; Abbasi, Imran Naeem; Abbas, Farhat

2016-09-07

Public health has multicultural origins. By the close of the nineteenth century, Schools of Public Health (SPHs) began to emerge in western countries in response to major contemporary public health challenges. The Flexner Report (1910) emphasized the centrality of preventive medicine, sanitation, and public health measures in health professional education. The Alma Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care (PHC) in 1978 was a critical milestone, especially for low and middle-income countries (LMICs), conceptualizing a close working relationship between PHC and public health measures. The Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2005-2008) strengthened the case for SPHs in LMICs as key stakeholders in efforts to reduce global health inequities. This scoping review groups text into public health challenges faced by LMICs and the role of SPHs in addressing these challenges. The challenges faced by LMICs include rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, unfair terms of global trade, limited capacity for equitable growth, mass displacements associated with conflicts and natural disasters, and universal health coverage. Poor governance and externally imposed donor policies and agendas, further strain the fragile health systems of LMICs faced with epidemiological transition. Moreover barriers to education and research imposed by limited resources, political and economic instability, and unbalanced partnerships additionally aggravate the crisis. To address these contextual challenges effectively, SPHs are offering broad based health professional education, conducting multidisciplinary population based research and fostering collaborative partnerships. SPHs are also looked upon as the key drivers to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). SPHs in LMICs can contribute to overcoming several public health challenges being faced by LMICs, including achieving SDGs. Most importantly they can develop cadres of competent and well-motivated public health professionals

Schools of public health in low and middle-income countries: an imperative investment for improving the health of populations?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fauziah Rabbani

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Public health has multicultural origins. By the close of the nineteenth century, Schools of Public Health (SPHs began to emerge in western countries in response to major contemporary public health challenges. The Flexner Report (1910 emphasized the centrality of preventive medicine, sanitation, and public health measures in health professional education. The Alma Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care (PHC in 1978 was a critical milestone, especially for low and middle-income countries (LMICs, conceptualizing a close working relationship between PHC and public health measures. The Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2005–2008 strengthened the case for SPHs in LMICs as key stakeholders in efforts to reduce global health inequities. This scoping review groups text into public health challenges faced by LMICs and the role of SPHs in addressing these challenges. Main text The challenges faced by LMICs include rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, unfair terms of global trade, limited capacity for equitable growth, mass displacements associated with conflicts and natural disasters, and universal health coverage. Poor governance and externally imposed donor policies and agendas, further strain the fragile health systems of LMICs faced with epidemiological transition. Moreover barriers to education and research imposed by limited resources, political and economic instability, and unbalanced partnerships additionally aggravate the crisis. To address these contextual challenges effectively, SPHs are offering broad based health professional education, conducting multidisciplinary population based research and fostering collaborative partnerships. SPHs are also looked upon as the key drivers to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs. Conclusion SPHs in LMICs can contribute to overcoming several public health challenges being faced by LMICs, including achieving SDGs. Most importantly they can develop cadres of

Body image and weight control in youth: 9-year international trends from 24 countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Quick, V.; Nansel, T.; Liu, D.

2014-01-01

for weight loss were assessed in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey conducted in 24 countries cross-sectionally at three time points (2001/2002, 2005/2006 and 2009/2010). Logistic regression models examined change over time in overestimation of body size in non-overweight adolescents......-perceived overweight with increased odds of dieting diminished over time. CONCLUSIONS: Body size perceptions among adolescents may have changed over time concurrent with shifts in country-level body weight. However, controlling for country-level overweight prevalence did not impact trends in dieting for weight loss...

Computerizing primary schools in rural kenya

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ogembo, J.G.; Ngugi, B.; Pelowski, Matthew John

2012-01-01

questions surrounding this endeavour. Specifically: 1.) what problems do rural schools actually want to solve with computerization; 2.) is computerization the most important priority for rural schools; 3.) are schools ready, in terms of infrastructure, for a computer in the classroom; or 4.) might...... and protective roofing -posing severe challenges to the outstanding conception of computerization. We consider these results and make recommendations for better adapting programs for computer introduction, and also suggest the use of new innovative devices, such as cell phones, which might already have overcome......This paper investigates the outstanding challenges facing primary schools' computerization in rural Kenya. Computerization of schools is often envisaged as a 'magic', or at least a particularly efficient, solution to many of the problems that developing countries face in improving primary school...

Reducing child conduct problems and promoting social skills in a middle-income country: cluster randomised controlled trial†

Science.gov (United States)

Baker-Henningham, Helen; Scott, Stephen; Jones, Kelvyn; Walker, Susan

2012-01-01

Background There is an urgent need for effective, affordable interventions to prevent child mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries. Aims To determine the effects of a universal pre-school-based intervention on child conduct problems and social skills at school and at home. Method In a cluster randomised design, 24 community pre-schools in inner-city areas of Kingston, Jamaica, were randomly assigned to receive the Incredible Years Teacher Training intervention (n = 12) or to a control group (n = 12). Three children from each class with the highest levels of teacher-reported conduct problems were selected for evaluation, giving 225 children aged 3–6 years. The primary outcome was observed child behaviour at school. Secondary outcomes were child behaviour by parent and teacher report, child attendance and parents’ attitude to school. The study is registered as ISRCTN35476268. Results Children in intervention schools showed significantly reduced conduct problems (effect size (ES) = 0.42) and increased friendship skills (ES = 0.74) through observation, significant reductions to teacher-reported (ES = 0.47) and parent-reported (ES = 0.22) behaviour difficulties and increases in teacher-reported social skills (ES = 0.59) and child attendance (ES = 0.30). Benefits to parents’ attitude to school were not significant. Conclusions A low-cost, school-based intervention in a middle-income country substantially reduces child conduct problems and increases child social skills at home and at school. PMID:22500015

Maternal Risk Exposure and Adult Daughters’ Health, Schooling, and Employment: A Constructed Cohort Analysis of 50 Developing Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qingfeng; Tsui, Amy O.

2016-01-01

This study analyzes the relationships between maternal risk factors present at the time of daughters’ births—namely, young mother, high parity, and short preceding birth interval—and their subsequent adult developmental, reproductive, and socioeconomic outcomes. Pseudo-cohorts are constructed using female respondent data from 189 cross-sectional rounds of Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 50 developing countries between 1986 and 2013. Generalized linear models are estimated to test the relationships and calculate cohort-level outcome proportions with the systematic elimination of the three maternal risk factors. The simulation exercise for the full sample of 2,546 pseudo-cohorts shows that the combined elimination of risk exposures is associated with lower mean proportions of adult daughters experiencing child mortality, having a small infant at birth, and having a low body mass index. Among sub-Saharan African cohorts, the estimated changes are larger, particularly for years of schooling. The pseudo-cohort approach can enable longitudinal testing of life course hypotheses using large-scale, standardized, repeated cross-sectional data and with considerable resource efficiency. PMID:27154342

Maternal Risk Exposure and Adult Daughters' Health, Schooling, and Employment: A Constructed Cohort Analysis of 50 Developing Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qingfeng; Tsui, Amy O

2016-06-01

This study analyzes the relationships between maternal risk factors present at the time of daughters' births-namely, young mother, high parity, and short preceding birth interval-and their subsequent adult developmental, reproductive, and socioeconomic outcomes. Pseudo-cohorts are constructed using female respondent data from 189 cross-sectional rounds of Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 50 developing countries between 1986 and 2013. Generalized linear models are estimated to test the relationships and calculate cohort-level outcome proportions with the systematic elimination of the three maternal risk factors. The simulation exercise for the full sample of 2,546 pseudo-cohorts shows that the combined elimination of risk exposures is associated with lower mean proportions of adult daughters experiencing child mortality, having a small infant at birth, and having a low body mass index. Among sub-Saharan African cohorts, the estimated changes are larger, particularly for years of schooling. The pseudo-cohort approach can enable longitudinal testing of life course hypotheses using large-scale, standardized, repeated cross-sectional data and with considerable resource efficiency.

Charting a Path to Graduation. The Effect of Project GRAD on Elementary School Student Outcomes in Four Urban School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Snipes, Jason C.; Holton, Glee Ivory; Doolittle, Fred

2006-01-01

In the past decade, school districts around the country have sought to improve struggling urban high schools, where high dropout rates, poor student achievement, and low rates of graduation and college-going remain all too prevalent. In a field crowded with reform initiatives, Project Graduation Really Achieves Dreams (GRAD) stands out as…

Does Secondary School Size Make a Difference? A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, M.; Garrett, Z.; Elbourne, D.; Bradley, S.; Noden, P.; Taylor, J.; West, A.

2006-01-01

There is a vast body of literature on school size but comparatively few high quality empirical studies comparing outcomes in schools of different sizes. This systematic review synthesizes the results of the published research from 31 studies on the effects of secondary school size from OECD countries since 1990. Overall the directions and patterns…

Family Background, School Characteristics, and Children's Cognitive Achievement in Madagascar

Science.gov (United States)

Glick, Peter; Randrianarisoa, Jean Claude; Sahn, David E.

2011-01-01

This paper uses linked household, school, and test score data from Madagascar to investigate the relation of household characteristics and school factors to the cognitive skills of children ages 8-10 and 14-16. In contrast to most achievement test studies in developing countries, the study uses representative rather than school-based samples of…

Chartering Turnaround: Leveraging Public Charter School Autonomy to Address Failure

Science.gov (United States)

Corbett, Julie

2015-01-01

Persistently low-achieving public schools around the country have received $5.8 billion from the federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) program, in addition to districts and state funds, and other supplementary federal funds. Despite all of these sources of funding, most of the schools receiving them have failed to make a dramatic difference in…

Can the provision of breakfast benefit school performance?

Science.gov (United States)

Grantham-McGregor, Sally

2005-06-01

Studies of an association between school performance (enrollment, attendance, achievement, classroom behavior, and school drop-out) and nutritional status are discussed and the evidence of an effect of school meals evaluated. Many studies have shown associations between hunger, poor dietary intakes, stunting, underweight, and poor school performance after controlling for socioeconomic conditions. However, it remains possible that unmeasured socioeconomic variables could explain the relationship. Rigorous short-term studies of missing breakfast have generally found detrimental effects on children's cognition whereas studies of providing breakfast have shown benefits particularly in malnourished children. Classroom conditions may modify the effects of breakfast on behavior. There are extremely few longer term studies of the effects of giving school meals. Nearly all involved breakfast and very few had randomized controlled designs. Studies comparing participants with non-participants or comparing matched schools have found benefits (but bias due to self-selection) of receiving breakfast; inadequate matching of schools also remains possible. One longer term randomized controlled trial found benefits associated with attendance and arithmetic performance. In conclusion, most studies of giving breakfast have found benefits to school performance but many had serious design problems, were short-term, and were not conducted in the poorest countries. In order to advise policy makers correctly, there is an urgent need to run long-term randomized controlled trials of giving school meals in poor countries and to determine the effects of age and nutrition status of the children, the quality of the school, and the timing of the meal. The special needs of orphans should also be considered.

School Psychology Research and Practice in East Asia: Perspectives on the Past, Present, and Future Directions of the Field

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Jacqueline A.; Watanabe, Yayoi; Lee, Dong Hun; McIntosh, Kent

2016-01-01

To engage in a comparison of school psychology research and practice in eastern and western countries, the current study sought to identify key themes that have influenced the field of school psychology in East Asian countries. Forty-six leading school psychology professionals in Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan provided their…

Forms of Bullying Reported by Middle-School Students in Latin America and the Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

McClanahan, Molly; McCoy, Stephanie M.; Jacobsen, Kathryn H.

2015-01-01

Nationally representative data from more than 25,000 middle-school students in 15 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean who participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) between 2004 and 2009 were analyzed. The proportion of students by country who reported being the victim of a bully in the past month ranged from 17%…

Broadband in schools: towards a definition and model of broadband for South African schools

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Ford, Merryl

2017-05-01

Full Text Available South Africa is about to provide broadband internet connectivity to all schools in the country via the implementation of the national broadband policy. The challenge is to ensure a balance between the schools’ demand-side usage and supply...

Children and School Districts--Victims of the Same System.

Science.gov (United States)

Montoya, Renee Marie

1978-01-01

The Colorado school finance system, which has been sued as unconstitutional because of disparities among school district expenditures per pupil, is described. Inequalities in taxation and in the provision of education to economically disadvantaged and minority group students throughout the country are discussed. (GC)

Teaching molecular diffusion using an inquiry approach : diffusion activities in a secondary school inquiry-learning community

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Rens, L.; van der Schee, J.; Pilot, A.

2009-01-01

The Dutch chemistry curriculum for upper secondary schools has prescribed inquiry-based student learning since 1997. For some decades inquiry tasks have been a feature of school science in various countries (1). As in other countries, some of our chemistry teachers are used to recipe-geared

The CERN-JINR Joint Physics Schools Exhibition Science Bringing Nations Together

CERN Multimedia

1997-01-01

Since 1970, CERN and JINR have been holding joint Schools of Physics attended by young scientists from many countries of the world. Here they not only learn the latest ideas in elementary particle physics but also become involved in a process that leads to better mutual understanding and rapprochement of people from different countries. Such schools may seem natural natural now, but long before the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain collapsed, they provided a unique opportunity for contact between young people from countries with different political systems. This long-standing co-operation between CERN and JINR helps to bridge the gap between East and West and stabilize the political situation.

The CERN-JINR Joint Physics Schools Exhibition Science Bringing Nations Together

CERN Multimedia

1999-01-01

Since 1970, CERN and JINR have been holding joint Schools of Physics attended by young scientists from many countries of the world. Here they not only learn the latest ideas in elementary particle physics but also become involved in a process that leads to better mutual understanding and rapprochement of people from different countries. Such schools may seem natural now, but long before the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain collapsed, they provided a unique opportunity for contact between young people from countries with different political systems. This long-standing co-operation between CERN and JINR helps to bridge the gap between East and West and stabilize the political situation.

Asian school of nuclear medicine-how far we are?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizanul Hasan

2004-01-01

With a big aspiration the concept of Asian School of Nuclear Medicine was introduced about 3 years back in Bangkok. Since then the topic has been discussed in many meetings and now the concept is a reality with appointment of a Dean for the school.It is of great hope that the concept of the school has been accepted by all in tbe region. However to establish an school is not a very easy task. There is nostraight path for it. A regional school with involvement of many countries definitely need to be solved many questions before it really acts as an effective organization. With that sense it may besaid that ASNM is a successful organization at least in formation of an executive body of the school in less than three years time. The school has now a recognition, officially or unofficially, not only in Asia but in rest of the world also. This is the greatest achievement of ASNM. However, the school needs togo a long way before it actually contributes in development of nuclear medicine in the region. ARCCNM is projecting the school but more active support of the countries in the region is essentialin fulfilling the goal of ASNM. More close cooperation of other regional and international bodies likeAOFNMB, CJK will also be helpful. Support of IAEA who was interested in such type of school should be especially explored. The school has come into birth. Now it is our obligation and responsibility to nourish it and give the school a chance to grow healthy. (authors)

Rescuing Middle School Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Mayo, L. A.; Janney, D.

2010-12-01

There is a crisis in education at the middle school level (Spellings, 2006). Recent studies point to large disparities in middle school performance in schools with high minority populations. The largest disparities exist in areas of math and science. Astronomy has a universal appeal for K-12 students but is rarely taught at the middle school level. When it is taught at all it is usually taught in isolation with few references in other classes such as other sciences (e.g. physics, biology, and chemistry), math, history, geography, music, art, or English. The problem is greatest in our most challenged school districts. With scores in reading and math below national averages in these schools and with most state achievement tests ignoring subjects like astronomy, there is little room in the school day to teach about the world outside our atmosphere. Add to this the exceedingly minimal training and education in astronomy that most middle school teachers have and it is a rare school that includes any astronomy teaching at all. In this presentation, we show how to develop and offer an astronomy education training program for middle school teachers encompassing a wide range of educational disciplines that are frequently taught at the middle school level. The prototype for this program was developed and launched in two of the most challenged and diverse school systems in the country; D.C. Public Schools, and Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools.

Extra-Curricular and out-of-School Education in European Socialist Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Wegerich, Hans-Joachim

1988-01-01

Describes extra-curricular activities in East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, and the USSR, and provides an annotated bibliography that covers activities in the social sciences; science and technology; natural sciences; arts and culture; sports; tourism; mass media; after school centers; holiday activities; and youth…

School For The Future - Building a School in South African Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anja Planišček

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A team of students and mentors from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Ljubljana joined an international network of architectural schools for the construction of public buildings in developing countries. The network is led by an Austrian foundation called SARCH, Social Sustainable Architecture, from Vienna. The team has designed and built two school premises in the educational complex of Ithuba Community College in Magagula Heights Township, one of the shanty towns in Johannesburg in the Republic of South Africa. The first building was a classroom with a library in 2010, and the second a multipurpose hall in 2011.

Determinants for Bullying Victimization among 11–16-Year-Olds in 15 Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Multi-Level Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael L. Wilson

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Bullying is an issue of public health importance among adolescents worldwide. The present study aimed at explaining differences in bullying rates among adolescents in 15 low- and middle-income countries using globally comparable indicators of social and economic well-being. Using data derived from the Global School-based Health Survey, we performed bivariate analyses to examine differences in bullying rates by country and by bullying type. We then constructed a multi-level model using four fixed variables (age, gender, hunger and truancy at the individual level, random effects at the classroom and school levels and four fixed variables at the country level (Gini coefficient, per capita Gross Domestic Project, homicide rate and pupil to teacher ratio. Bullying rates differed significantly by classroom, school and by country, with Egypt (34.2% and Macedonia (3.6% having the highest and lowest rates, respectively. Eleven-year-olds were the most likely of the studied age groups to report being bullied, as was being a male. Hunger and truancy were found to significantly predict higher rates of bullying. None of the explanatory variables at the country level remained in the final model. While self-reported bullying varied significantly between countries, the variance between classrooms better explained these differences. Our findings suggest that classroom settings should be considered when designing approaches aimed at bullying prevention.

Carbon emissions from the Persian Gulf countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Shatti, A.M.

1991-01-01

The wealth of indigenous oil resources has largely determined the economic and energy use patterns in the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Sizable profits accrued from the inflation of world oil prices spurred tremendous economic growth across the Gulf during the 1970s. The GCC nations channeled this oil wealth into the rapid development of infrastructure and the creation of super-welfare states. Today, these highly affluent societies enjoy benefits ranging from free medical care, schooling and housing to subsidized electricity and gasoline supplies. The combination of great personal prosperity, abundant petroleum resources and highly subsidized energy prices has led to excessive energy use in the Gulf nations. These countries consume among the highest amounts of energy per capita in the world. Correspondingly, these nations generate among the highest levels of energy-related carbon per capita

Dropout of Children from schools in Nepal

OpenAIRE

Wagle, Dhirendra

2012-01-01

Nepal, a developing country of the south-asian region has bigger problem of children not completing the full cycle of basic education. In other words, large number of children dropout of schools, especially in the primary and secondary level of schooling. Especially, the situation is worse for those of the backward and socially disadvantaged populations and of the rural and the remote areas. Being in this frame, this study focused on the reasons of dropout of children from schools and the pos...

(Dis)empowerment: The Implementation of Corrective Mathematics in Philadelphia Empowerment Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Connor, Hannah

2011-01-01

The need to improve math education around the country has been well documented, especially in urban school systems like Philadelphia. In Spring 2010, only 56.6% of students in Philadelphia Public schools scored proficient or advanced on the Pennsylvania State Standardized Assessment (PSSA). In Philadelphia Empowerment Schools, the 107 lowest…

Menstrual hygiene management among adolescent schoolgirls in low- and middle-income countries: research priorities

OpenAIRE

Phillips-Howard, Penelope; Caruso, Bethany; Torondel, Belen; Zulaika, Garazi; Sahin, Murat; Sommer, Marni

2016-01-01

Background: A lack of adequate guidance on menstrual management; water, disposal, and private changing facilities; and sanitary hygiene materials in low- and middle-income countries leaves schoolgirls with limited options for healthy personal hygiene during monthly menses. While a plethora of observational studies have described how menstrual hygiene management (MHM) barriers in school impact girls’ dignity, well-being, and engagement in school activities, studies have yet to confirm if inade...

High-Performance Schools: Affordable Green Design for K-12 Schools; Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plympton, P.; Brown, J.; Stevens, K.

2004-08-01

Schools in the United States spend $7.8 billion on energy each year-more than the cost of computers and textbooks combined, according to a 2003 report from the National Center for Education Statistics. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that these high utility bills could be reduced as much as 25% if schools adopt readily available high performance design principles and technologies. Accordingly, hundreds of K-12 schools across the country have made a commitment to improve the learning and teaching environment of schools while saving money and energy and protecting the environment. DOE and its public- and private-sector partners have developed Energy Design Guidelines for High Performance Schools, customized for nine climate zones in U.S. states and territories. These design guidelines provide information for school decision makers and design professionals on the advantages of energy efficiency and renewable energy designs and technologies. With such features as natural day lighting, efficient electric lights, water conservation, and renewable energy, schools in all types of climates are proving that school buildings, and the students and teachers who occupy them, are indeed high performers. This paper describes high performance schools from each of the nine climate zones associated with the Energy Design Guidelines. The nine case studies focus on the high performance design strategies implemented in each school, as well as the cost savings and benefits realized by students, faculty, the community, and the environment.

The United States, the United Nations, and the Legitimation of the Use of Force

Science.gov (United States)

1993-06-01

powerful enough in its own right to impose its will in issues or in areas where its most powerful Members disagreed. These parochial interests began to...34 Realism is descriptive, not teleological (as is Rationalism) nor prescriptive (Revolutionism). [Ref. 8:pp. 18-24] 13 The three traditions provide a...a subset of international interests. The interests of a civitas maxima, definable and attainable, override any supposed parochial national interests

Exploring Indiana's Private Education Sector. School Survey Series

Science.gov (United States)

Catt, Andrew D.

2014-01-01

Indiana is at the national forefront on private school choice. With the broadest eligibility guidelines among the country's 22 other school voucher programs, Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program has seen enrollment more than double each year since being enacted in 2011. Today, when compared with voucher programs in 12 other states, Indiana has the…

Physical Education and Sport at School in Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Kerpanova, Viera; Borodankova, Olga

2013-01-01

"Physical Education and Sport at School in Europe" maps the state of play of physical education and sport activities at school in 30 European countries. The report covers primary and lower secondary education and provides an insight into the following topics: national strategies and large-scale initiatives where they exist, the status of…

Racialization, Schooling, and Becoming American: Asian American Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Stacey J.; Park, Eujin; Wong, Jia-Hui Stefanie

2017-01-01

Racial categories, inequalities, and hierarchies have shaped life in the United States since the formation of the country. For children and youth in the immigrant and second generations, schools are central sites of racialization. In this article, we focus on what the educational research suggests about the role of schooling in the racialization…

Third Culture Kids: Implications for Professional School Counseling

Science.gov (United States)

Limberg, Dodie; Lambie, Glenn W.

2011-01-01

The increase of international business, military placements, and immigration has led to an increase in students attending schools in a country other than where they were born: third culture kids (TCKs). TCKs have unique educational needs, necessitating the support of their school counselors. This article (a) defines and introduces the needs and…

Preparation of School Psychologists in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Joyce-Beaulieu, Diana; Rossen, Eric

2014-01-01

School psychology in the United States continues to evolve in response to shifts in the country's demographic characteristics, an increasing focus on the importance of child mental health, together with health and education reforms. The landscape of school psychological services in the United States also is shaped through the changing roles and…

Examining the Associations Among Home-School Dissonance, Amotivation, and Classroom Disruptive Behavior for Urban High School Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown-Wright, Lynda; Tyler, Kenneth M; Graves, Scott L; Thomas, Deneia; Stevens-Watkins, Danelle; Mulder, Shambra

2013-01-01

The current study examined the association among home-school dissonance, amotivation, and classroom disruptive behavior among 309 high school juniors and seniors at two urban high schools in the Southern region of the country. Students completed two subscales of the Patterns of Learning Activities Scales (PALS) and one subscale of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). ANCOVA analyses revealed significant differences in classroom disruptive behaviors for the gender independent variable. Controlling for gender in the multiple hierarchical regression analyses, it was revealed that home-school dissonance significantly predicted both amotivation and classroom disruptive behavior. In addition, a Sobel mediation analysis showed that amotivation was a significant mediator of the association between home-school dissonance and classroom disruptive behavior. Findings and limitations are discussed.

Examining the Associations Among Home–School Dissonance, Amotivation, and Classroom Disruptive Behavior for Urban High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Brown-Wright, Lynda; Tyler, Kenneth M.; Graves, Scott L.; Thomas, Deneia; Stevens-Watkins, Danelle; Mulder, Shambra

2015-01-01

The current study examined the association among home–school dissonance, amotivation, and classroom disruptive behavior among 309 high school juniors and seniors at two urban high schools in the Southern region of the country. Students completed two subscales of the Patterns of Learning Activities Scales (PALS) and one subscale of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). ANCOVA analyses revealed significant differences in classroom disruptive behaviors for the gender independent variable. Controlling for gender in the multiple hierarchical regression analyses, it was revealed that home–school dissonance significantly predicted both amotivation and classroom disruptive behavior. In addition, a Sobel mediation analysis showed that amotivation was a significant mediator of the association between home–school dissonance and classroom disruptive behavior. Findings and limitations are discussed. PMID:27081213

Income, income inequality and youth smoking in low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, David X; Guindon, G Emmanuel

2013-04-01

To examine the relationships between income, income inequality and current smoking among youth in low- and middle-income countries. Pooled cross-sectional data from the Global Youth Tobacco Surveys, conducted in low- and middle-income countries, were used to conduct multi-level logistic analyses that accounted for the nesting of students in schools and of schools in countries. A total of 169 283 students aged 13-15 from 63 low- and middle-income countries. Current smoking was defined as having smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days. Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was our measure of absolute income. Contemporaneous and lagged (10-year) Gini coefficients, as well as the income share ratio of the top decile of incomes to the bottom decile, were our measures of income inequality. Our analyses reveal a significant positive association between levels of income and youth smoking. We find that a 10% increase in GDP per capita increases the odds of being a current smoker by at least 2.5%, and potentially considerably more. Our analyses also suggest a relationship between the distribution of incomes and youth smoking: youth from countries with more unequal distributions of income tend to have higher odds of currently smoking. There is a positive association between gross domestic product and the odds of a young person in a low- and middle-income country being a current smoker. Given the causal links between smoking and a wide range of youth morbidities, the association between smoking and income inequality may underlie a substantial portion of the health disparities observed that are currently experiencing rapid economic growth. © 2012 The Authors, Addiction © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Mathematics Crises in our Schools: Causes and Remedies | Osafo ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The presentation will discuss findings from an NGO project - 'Improving Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in Basic Schools'. The project has taken the presenter to several schools across the country, observing and supporting teachers in their implementation of the curriculum. (Mathematics Connection: 2001 2: 4-6) ...

Sufficient Social Support as a Possible Preventive Factor against Fighting and Bullying in School Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kastytis Šmigelskas

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background: This study aims to explore how sufficient social support can act as a possible preventive factor against fighting and bullying in school-aged children in 9 European countries. Methods: Data for this study were collected during the 2013/2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC survey. The sample consisted of 9 European countries, involving 43,667 school children in total, aged 11, 13 and 15 years. The analysed data focus on social context (relations with family, peers, and school as well as risk behaviours such as smoking, drunkenness, fighting and bullying in adolescents. The relationships between social support and violent behaviour variables were estimated using multiple regression models and multivariate analyses. Results: Bullying, across 9 countries, was more prevalent than fighting, except for Armenia, Israel, and Poland. The prevalence among countries differed considerably, with fighting being most expressed in Armenia and bullying—in Latvia and Lithuania. The strongest risk factors for bullying and fighting were male gender (less expressed for bullying, smoking and alcohol consumption. In addition, for bullying the social support was similarly strong factor like above-mentioned factors, while for fighting—less significant, but still independent. All forms of social support were significantly relate with lower violent behaviour of school children, and family support was associated most strongly. Regardless the socioeconomic, historical, and cultural differences among selected countries, the enhancement and reinforcement of the social support from possible many different resources should be taken into consideration in prevention programs against school violence behaviours.

Cross-national trends in perceived school pressure by gender and age from 1994 to 2010

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klinger, Don A; Freeman, John G; Bilz, Ludwig

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Pressure within school can be a critical component in understanding how the school experience influences young people's intellectual development, physical and mental health and future educational decisions. METHODS: Data from five survey rounds (1993/1994, 1997/1998, 2001/2002, 2005....... These findings were consistent across countries. Regionally, children in North America reported the highest levels of school pressure, and students in the Germanic countries the lowest. CONCLUSION: Factors associated with child development and differences in societal expectations and structures, along...... with the possible, albeit, differential impact of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), may partially explain the differences and trends found in school pressure. School pressure increases alongside the onset of adolescence and the shift from elementary school to the higher demanding...

Hypothesis: Impregnated school uniforms reduce the incidence of dengue infections in school children.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilder-Smith, A; Lover, A; Kittayapong, P; Burnham, G

2011-06-01

Dengue infection causes a significant economic, social and medical burden in affected populations in over 100 countries in the tropics and sub-tropics. Current dengue control efforts have generally focused on vector control but have not shown major impact. School-aged children are especially vulnerable to infection, due to sustained human-vector-human transmission in the close proximity environments of schools. Infection in children has a higher rate of complications, including dengue hemorrhagic fever and shock syndromes, than infections in adults. There is an urgent need for integrated and complementary population-based strategies to protect vulnerable children. We hypothesize that insecticide-treated school uniforms will reduce the incidence of dengue in school-aged children. The hypothesis would need to be tested in a community based randomized trial. If proven to be true, insecticide-treated school uniforms would be a cost-effective and scalable community based strategy to reduce the burden of dengue in children. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage achievements in low and middle-income countries 2007-2016.

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Gallagher, Katherine E; Howard, Natasha; Kabakama, Severin; Mounier-Jack, Sandra; Burchett, Helen E D; LaMontagne, D Scott; Watson-Jones, Deborah

2017-12-01

Since 2007, HPV vaccine has been available to low and middle income countries (LAMIC) for small-scale 'demonstration projects', or national programmes. We analysed coverage achieved in HPV vaccine demonstration projects and national programmes that had completed at least 6 months of implementation between January 2007-2016. A mapping exercise identified 45 LAMICs with HPV vaccine delivery experience. Estimates of coverage and factors influencing coverage were obtained from 56 key informant interviews, a systematic published literature search of 5 databases that identified 61 relevant full texts and 188 solicited unpublished documents, including coverage surveys. Coverage achievements were analysed descriptively against country or project/programme characteristics. Heterogeneity in data, funder requirements, and project/programme design precluded multivariate analysis. Estimates of uptake, schedule completion rates and/or final dose coverage were available from 41 of 45 LAMICs included in the study. Only 17 estimates from 13 countries were from coverage surveys, most were administrative data. Final dose coverage estimates were all over 50% with most between 70% and 90%, and showed no trend over time. The majority of delivery strategies included schools as a vaccination venue. In countries with school enrolment rates below 90%, inclusion of strategies to reach out-of-school girls contributed to obtaining high coverage compared to school-only strategies. There was no correlation between final dose coverage and estimated recurrent financial costs of delivery from cost analyses. Coverage achieved during joint delivery of HPV vaccine combined with another intervention was variable with little/no evaluation of the correlates of success. This is the most comprehensive descriptive analysis of HPV vaccine coverage in LAMICs to date. It is possible to deliver HPV vaccine with excellent coverage in LAMICs. Further good quality data are needed from health facility based

Co-Operatives and Education in the Basque Country: The "Ikastolas" in the Final Years of Franco's Dictatorship

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Delgado, Ander

2014-01-01

This article analyses the creation of the schools called "ikastolas" throughout the Basque Country from the 1960s onwards. The name "ikastola" refers to a unique school model whose major characteristic is to teach the majority of subjects in the Basque language, or "euskera." It outlines the reasons why some of these…

Languages, Cultural Capital and School Choice: Distinction and Second-Language Immersion Programmes

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Smala, Simone; Paz, Jesus Bergas; Lingard, Bob

2013-01-01

This paper argues that languages, increasingly marginalised in schools in English-speaking countries, are gaining "elitist" ground as part of the "value-added" marketisation of schools and parents' desire for their children to gain "positional goods" through schooling. In arguing our case, the paper draws on survey…

Arguing for Computer Science in the School Curriculum

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Fluck, Andrew; Webb, Mary; Cox, Margaret; Angeli, Charoula; Malyn-Smith, Joyce; Voogt, Joke; Zagami, Jason

2016-01-01

Computer science has been a discipline for some years, and its position in the school curriculum has been contested differently in several countries. This paper looks at its role in three countries to illustrate these differences. A reconsideration of computer science as a separate subject both in primary and secondary education is suggested. At…

Developing the Profession of School Psychology in Vietnam

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Terjesen, Mark D.; Kassay, Kimberly S.; Bolger, Maria

2008-01-01

Building upon a successful prior initial trip to Vietnam in January 2008, students and faculty from St. John's University (STJ) School Psychology program returned to work with the faculty from Hanoi National University of Education (HNUE) in developing the profession of school psychology in that country. The purpose of this trip was twofold: (1)…

Estimation of the cost of large-scale school deworming programmes with benzimidazoles

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Montresor, A.; Gabrielli, A.F.; Engels, D.

2017-01-01

Summary This study estimates the cost of distributing benzimidazole tablets in the context of school deworming programmes: we analysed studies reporting the cost of school deworming from seven countries in four WHO regions. The estimated cost for drug procurement to cover one million children (including customs clearance and international transport) is approximately US$20 000. The estimated financial costs (including the cost of training of personnel, drug transport, social mobilization and monitoring) is, on average, equivalent to US$33 000 per million school-age children with minimal variation in different countries and continents. The estimated economic costs of distribution (including the time spent by teachers, and health personnel at central, provincial and district level) to cover one million children approximately corresponds to US$19 000. This study shows the minimal cost of school deworming activities, but also shows the significant contribution (corresponding to a quarter of the entire cost of the programme) provided by health and education systems in endemic countries even in the case of drug donations and donor support of distribution costs. PMID:19926104

The Role of Parent Governors in School Governance in Zimbabwe: Perceptions of School Heads, Teachers and Parent Governors

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Chikoko, Vitallis

2008-03-01

This paper reports on a study of the role of parent governors in five neighbouring rural primary schools in Zimbabwe. The study proposed that despite the presence of a legal decentralised school governance structure in which parents form the majority, they did not have the capacity to function effectively therein, and were still marginalised in school governance decision-making. Four areas of decision-making were investigated: school organisation; curriculum; employment and appraisal of teaching staff; and financial resources. Interviews were conducted with parent governors, school heads and teachers. Findings show that all the respondent groups perceived significant parental involvement in the area of school finances only. However, parents were perceived to lack the capacity to make decisions in all four areas. The study concludes that the role of parents in the running of schools in the country has not significantly grown from that of being school financiers and builders of infrastructure. Therefore, building school governance capacity among parents is necessary.

School-Based Sexuality Education in Portugal: Strengths and Weaknesses

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Rocha, Ana Cristina; Leal, Cláudia; Duarte, Cidália

2016-01-01

Portugal, like many other countries, faces obstacles regarding school-based sexuality education. This paper explores Portuguese schools' approaches to implementing sexuality education at a local level, and provides a critical analysis of potential strengths and weaknesses. Documents related to sexuality education in a convenience sample of 89…

Safe Is Not Enough: Better Schools for LGBTQ Students

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Sadowski, Michael

2016-01-01

"Safe Is Not Enough" illustrates how educators can support the positive development of LGBTQ students in a comprehensive way so as to create truly inclusive school communities. Using examples from classrooms, schools, and districts across the country, Michael Sadowski identifies emerging practices such as creating an LGBTQ-inclusive…

Determinants of Child Labour and Schooling in Botswana: Evidence ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

child labour and schooling in an upper middle-income country, Botswana. ... and schooling is positively and significantly influenced by child education level, the ..... teacher missing .... is exclusively formed by the precarious work of minors. ... not responsible for the entry of children into the Brazilian labour market, Barros and.

The Performing School: The Effects of Market & Accountability Policies

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Falabella, Alejandra

2014-01-01

Market and accountability educational reforms have proliferated around the globe, along with high expectations of solving countries' school quality deficits and inequities. In this paper I develop an analytical framework from a critical sociology angle for analyzing the effects of these policies within schools. First I discuss conceptually the…

School autonomy – a cross-national perspective. Can we compare the opinion of school principals?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Węziak-Białowolska, Dorota; Isac, Maria Magdalena

2014-01-01

Perception of school autonomy was measured by the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2009, allowing potential cross-national comparison. The possibility of a common, general scale for all countries participating in the study was investigated. Using multi-group confirmatory

Study of school zones with traffic signals : final report, June 2009.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-06-01

One of the most pressing and controversial problems faced by parents, school administrators, law enforcement and transportation professionals throughout the country is the safety of children on their way to and from school. To proactively address thi...

Governor's School students experience multidisciplinary research in a whole new way

OpenAIRE

Fay, Patrick

2010-01-01

High school students from the Virginia Governor's School were recently treated to a unique experience of immersive virtual reality technology and how it is used in understanding and solving real problems facing the commonwealth and the country.

Teacher Salary and National Achievement: A Cross-National Analysis of 30 Countries

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Akiba, Motoko; Chiu, Yu-Lun; Shimizu, Kazuhiko; Liang, Guodong

2012-01-01

Using national teacher salary data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and student achievement data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), this study compared secondary school teacher salary in 30 countries and examined the relationship between average teacher salary and national…

Parental Engagement Strategies in Greek and Nigerian Preschool Settings: Cross-Country Comparison

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Rentzou, Konstantina; Ekine, Adefunke

2017-01-01

Acknowledging the fact that parental engagement is more beneficial during early childhood compared to other developmental stages many countries have institutionalised parental engagement. In Nigeria, the government has taken initiatives in order to involve parents in their child's development by encouraging the establishment of School Management…

School-level predictors for the use of ICT in schools and students’ CIL in international comparison

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Julia Gerick

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The increasing relevance of information and communication technologies (ICT and society’s transition towards an information or knowledge society have led to the emergence of new challenges for schools and school systems. Thus, the need for students to develop new forms of skills like digital literacy or computer and information literacy (CIL is constantly gaining in importance. In the IEA’s (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement ICILS 2013 (International Computer and Information Literacy Study, the aforementioned competencies were investigated—along with CIL learning contexts and outcomes (such as school-level factors in different education systems—for the first time for secondary schools by applying computer-based student tests. The research presented in this paper focuses on the school-level factors that support or hinder the use of ICT by teaching staff and students’ CIL, drawing in the process on information obtained through school and teacher questionnaires. A multilevel approach was chosen for this research, drawing on representative data from four of the countries which participated in ICILS 2013, namely Australia, Germany, Norway and the Czech Republic. The results show that the relevance of school-level determinants for the use of ICT by teaching staff in schools differs between education systems. Only in Germany, for example, does pedagogical IT support seem to be crucial for the use of ICT in teaching. In the Czech Republic, the self-efficacy of teaching staff plays a key role, whereas in Australia, the participation of teaching staff in professional development activities can be identified as relevant for students’ acquisition of CIL. The results also show a statistically significant correlation between the teachers’ use of ICT in schools and students’ CIL for Germany, yet indicate no significant effects for Australia, Norway and the Czech Republic. In addition to these and

Alternative education programmes and middle school dropout in Honduras

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Marshall, Jeffery H.; Aguilar, Claudia R.; Alas, Mario; Castellanos, Renán Rápalo; Castro, Levi; Enamorado, Ramón; Fonseca, Esther

2014-05-01

Honduras has made steady progress in expanding post-primary school coverage in recent years, but many rural communities still do not provide a middle (lower secondary) school. As a result, Honduras has implemented a number of middle school alternative programmes designed to meet the needs of at-risk populations throughout the country. This article analyses dropout in three of the four main alternative lower secondary school programmes in Honduras over a three-year period for a cohort of roughly 5,500 students. The results show that these programmes are indeed reaching a vulnerable population in the country, but dropout rates are generally very high - upwards of 50 per cent in some cases - between Grades 7 and 9. Furthermore, even in the control school comparison samples made up of formal lower secondary schools, about 25 per cent of children leave school between Grades 7 and 9. The authors' analysis includes propensity score matching (PSM) methods that make more focused comparisons between students in alternative programmes and control samples. These results show that dropout rates in alternative programmes are not much different than in control schools, and only significant in one programme comparison, when taking into account family background characteristics like socioeconomic status (SES). Multivariate analysis within alternative programme samples finds that attrition is lower in those learning centres which have adopted key features of formal schools, such as university-educated teachers. The results highlight the tremendous variation in the alternative middle school sector in terms of programme features, school quality and student outcomes, as well as the challenges of expanding this sector to meet the growing demand for lower secondary schooling in Honduras.

Gender Violence in Schools in the Developing World

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Dunne, Mairead; Humphreys, Sara; Leach, Fiona

2006-01-01

This paper explores gender violence in schools in what is commonly known as the "developing world" through a review of recent research written in English. Violence in the school setting has only recently emerged as a widespread and serious phenomenon in these countries, with the consequence that our knowledge and understanding of it is embryonic;…

A survey of Sub-Saharan African medical schools.

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Chen, Candice; Buch, Eric; Wassermann, Travis; Frehywot, Seble; Mullan, Fitzhugh; Omaswa, Francis; Greysen, S Ryan; Kolars, Joseph C; Dovlo, Delanyo; El Gali Abu Bakr, Diaa Eldin; Haileamlak, Abraham; Koumare, Abdel Karim; Olapade-Olaopa, Emiola Oluwabunmi

2012-02-24

Sub-Saharan Africa suffers a disproportionate share of the world's burden of disease while having some of the world's greatest health care workforce shortages. Doctors are an important component of any high functioning health care system. However, efforts to strengthen the doctor workforce in the region have been limited by a small number of medical schools with limited enrolments, international migration of graduates, poor geographic distribution of doctors, and insufficient data on medical schools. The goal of the Sub-Saharan African Medical Schools Study (SAMSS) is to increase the level of understanding and expand the baseline data on medical schools in the region. The SAMSS survey is a descriptive survey study of Sub-Saharan African medical schools. The survey instrument included quantitative and qualitative questions focused on institutional characteristics, student profiles, curricula, post-graduate medical education, teaching staff, resources, barriers to capacity expansion, educational innovations, and external relationships with government and non-governmental organizations. Surveys were sent via e-mail to medical school deans or officials designated by the dean. Analysis is both descriptive and multivariable. Surveys were distributed to 146 medical schools in 40 of 48 Sub-Saharan African countries. One hundred and five responses were received (72% response rate). An additional 23 schools were identified after the close of the survey period. Fifty-eight respondents have been founded since 1990, including 22 private schools. Enrolments for medical schools range from 2 to 1800 and graduates range from 4 to 384. Seventy-three percent of respondents (n = 64) increased first year enrolments in the past five years. On average, 26% of respondents' graduates were reported to migrate out of the country within five years of graduation (n = 68). The most significant reported barriers to increasing the number of graduates, and improving quality, related to

A survey of Sub-Saharan African medical schools

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Chen Candice

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sub-Saharan Africa suffers a disproportionate share of the world's burden of disease while having some of the world's greatest health care workforce shortages. Doctors are an important component of any high functioning health care system. However, efforts to strengthen the doctor workforce in the region have been limited by a small number of medical schools with limited enrolments, international migration of graduates, poor geographic distribution of doctors, and insufficient data on medical schools. The goal of the Sub-Saharan African Medical Schools Study (SAMSS is to increase the level of understanding and expand the baseline data on medical schools in the region. Methods The SAMSS survey is a descriptive survey study of Sub-Saharan African medical schools. The survey instrument included quantitative and qualitative questions focused on institutional characteristics, student profiles, curricula, post-graduate medical education, teaching staff, resources, barriers to capacity expansion, educational innovations, and external relationships with government and non-governmental organizations. Surveys were sent via e-mail to medical school deans or officials designated by the dean. Analysis is both descriptive and multivariable. Results Surveys were distributed to 146 medical schools in 40 of 48 Sub-Saharan African countries. One hundred and five responses were received (72% response rate. An additional 23 schools were identified after the close of the survey period. Fifty-eight respondents have been founded since 1990, including 22 private schools. Enrolments for medical schools range from 2 to 1800 and graduates range from 4 to 384. Seventy-three percent of respondents (n = 64 increased first year enrolments in the past five years. On average, 26% of respondents' graduates were reported to migrate out of the country within five years of graduation (n = 68. The most significant reported barriers to increasing the number of

A survey of Sub-Saharan African medical schools

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Sub-Saharan Africa suffers a disproportionate share of the world's burden of disease while having some of the world's greatest health care workforce shortages. Doctors are an important component of any high functioning health care system. However, efforts to strengthen the doctor workforce in the region have been limited by a small number of medical schools with limited enrolments, international migration of graduates, poor geographic distribution of doctors, and insufficient data on medical schools. The goal of the Sub-Saharan African Medical Schools Study (SAMSS) is to increase the level of understanding and expand the baseline data on medical schools in the region. Methods The SAMSS survey is a descriptive survey study of Sub-Saharan African medical schools. The survey instrument included quantitative and qualitative questions focused on institutional characteristics, student profiles, curricula, post-graduate medical education, teaching staff, resources, barriers to capacity expansion, educational innovations, and external relationships with government and non-governmental organizations. Surveys were sent via e-mail to medical school deans or officials designated by the dean. Analysis is both descriptive and multivariable. Results Surveys were distributed to 146 medical schools in 40 of 48 Sub-Saharan African countries. One hundred and five responses were received (72% response rate). An additional 23 schools were identified after the close of the survey period. Fifty-eight respondents have been founded since 1990, including 22 private schools. Enrolments for medical schools range from 2 to 1800 and graduates range from 4 to 384. Seventy-three percent of respondents (n = 64) increased first year enrolments in the past five years. On average, 26% of respondents' graduates were reported to migrate out of the country within five years of graduation (n = 68). The most significant reported barriers to increasing the number of graduates, and improving

The rainbow school of physics

CERN Document Server

CERN Bulletin

2010-01-01

Students from 17 African countries took part in the first African School of Fundamental Physics and its Applications (ASP2010), which took place this month in South Africa. The school, organized by several physics laboratories including CERN, not only met but in some cases far exceeded the students’ expectations. Their enthusiasm made the organizers’ efforts worthwhile.   The participants to the first African School of Fundamental Physics and its Applications photographed with some of the school's organizers. The first ASP received a great deal of interest in the African community and the organizers had a hard time selecting between the very motivated applicants. “The participating students were selected to come from various backgrounds and education levels”, says the head organizer, Christine Darve. “At the school the students, lecturers and organizers shared the same dynamism and this allowed everybody to build durable networks in a physics worl...

The effects of community factors on school participation in Turkey: A multilevel analysis

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Gumus, Sedat

2014-05-01

Turkey, like many developing countries, is facing considerable problems in terms of low school attendance rates, late enrolment and early dropout of girls in particular. Numerous studies have already been conducted, both in Turkey and elsewhere, to determine the factors affecting school enrolment of boys and girls. Existing studies in Turkey, however, have focused extensively on the association between household-level factors and school participation, ignoring the role of the broader environment in which children live. Using a recent, large-scale and nationally representative data set, this paper investigates school participation at both primary and secondary levels in Turkey, giving specific attention to community- level factors. In taking into account socioeconomic context variables using the multilevel modelling method, this study contributes significantly to current school participation literature in Turkey. The author's findings highlight the importance of community/context factors in explaining low school enrolment in Turkey. The results of the study can help policy makers develop a systematic understanding of the relationship between socioeconomic context and school participation, and enable them to make more appropriate decisions for improving school participation across the country.

Teaching schools as teacher education laboratories

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Sarah Gravett

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study emanated from the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa. This Framework proposes that teaching schools should be established in the country to improve the teaching practicum component of pre-service teacher education. A generic qualitative study was undertaken to explore the affordances of a teaching school to enable student teacher learning for the teaching profession. The overarching finding of the study is that a teaching school holds numerous affordances for enabling meaningful student teacher learning for the teaching profession. However, the full affordances of a teaching school will not be realised if a teaching school is viewed merely as a practicum site. Foregrounding a laboratory view of practice work in a teaching school could enable true research-oriented teacher education. A teaching school as a teacher education laboratory would imply a deliberate inclusion of cognitive apprenticeship and an inquiry orientation to learning in the schoo

Examination on ICT Integration into Special Education Schools for Developing Countries

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Aksal, Fahriye Altinay; Gazi, Zehra Altinay

2015-01-01

Information, communication and technology (ICT) is a bridge in fostering learning who have special needs in education. It becomes a medium of connecting their way of lives and their socialization within education life. Integration of ICT plays a great role in special education. Most of the developing countries pay attention to ICT practices in…

Global Migration: The Need for Culturally Competent School Psychologists

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Vega, Desireé; Lasser, Jon; Plotts, Cynthia

2015-01-01

Never before have more children lived away from their home countries. Given the unique social, emotional, and academic needs of children who have migrated, school psychologists must be well prepared to meet these growing demands. Consequently, school psychology training programs must invest in the preparation of culturally competent future school…

School Proximity and Child Labor: Evidence from Rural Tanzania

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Kondylis, Florence; Manacorda, Marco

2012-01-01

Is improved school accessibility an effective policy tool for reducing child labor in developing countries? We address this question using microdata from rural Tanzania and a regression strategy that attempts to control for nonrandom location of households around schools as well as classical and nonclassical measurement error in self-reported…