Since the 1990s in Australia, education policies have created an environment in which competition among schools has increased and parental choice of school has been encouraged. This has been coupled with practices of corporatisation, marketisation and performativity, which have led to the proliferation of a new type of independent school, which operate in the outer suburbs of large cities, target a specific niche market, and charge low cost fees. This study examines the reasons parents are making the choice to send their children to a new, non-government schools in preference to other alternatives and the role of promotional material produced by the school in that choice. The case study of one such school, The Shelbyville College, involved in-depth interviewing of parents at the College as well as a Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough) of the College's prospectus and website which act as performative tools to measure the school's effectiveness in the market. Using Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and cultural capital, the study showed that parents interviewed were choosing this type of school to increase the educational and social status and career prospects of their children as 'extraordinary children'. Through such discourses, parents as consumers of particular schooling products and their engagement with the promotional activities of the College are produced as 'good parents'. Seeking and engaging with promotional material helped remove any dissonance that may occur from a long and expensive relationship with the institution. In choosing this particular school, parents were seeking 'good Christian values' and the freedom to actively engage in their children's education. The College, through its promotional efforts, promises to build on familial habitus and inculcate valued cultural capital in order to make students more successful academically and socially than their parents. The promotional materials of the website and prospectus emphasised the co-curricular involvement in music, speech and drama and invite parents into a discourse of success through the College's educational offering which creates 'extraordinary children'. The uniform mandated by the College is another 'text' in the production of extraordinary children as outlined in the prospectus and website and is an important site for identity production. The uniform demonstrates, not only the disciplinary regime and preparation for professional dress, but also the prestige and esteem derived from the consumption of high status products such as non-government schooling. It is expected that the findings of this study will have relevance for government schools that are the primary competition for new, non-government schools and will lose funding if they continue to lose students. The study will have some implications for CEO (Catholic Education Office) schools that have traditionally provided a low-cost alternative to the government sector. Parents in the study reported choosing the new, non-government school because of differences in values, and perceptions of safety and status improvement offered by these schools. The continued success of the new, non-government schools is also likely to have broader effects on social and educational inequality in Australia through their effects on the government school sector.

Este trabalho tem por objetivo analisar e compreender como as dinâmicas escolares elaboradas, gerenciadas e construídas pelas equipes escolares de duas escolas públicas, situadas em um município da região metropolitana de São Paulo (zona oeste), determinam a eficácia escolar no que diz respeito à produção e à concretização da aprendizagem dos seus alunos. A pesquisa partiu do pressuposto de que mudanças efetivas da escola só acontecem se forem construídas a partir do interior da escola e com o envolvimento e a participação dos profissionais inseridos nesse processo. Dessa perspectiva, propôs-se a analisar como os profissionais dessas escolas (diretores e professoras das 4as séries do ciclo I do ensino fundamental) vivenciam a construção do processo formativoeducativo, visando à eficácia e à efetividade escolar. Com base nos resultados da Prova Brasil (cuja avaliação serviu apenas como referência inicial para o trabalho empírico), foram escolhidas duas escolas dentre as que apresentaram aumento dos índices de desempenho na prova de 2007, comparada com a de 2005. As análises iniciais levaram a perceber que as escolas buscavam construir ações que corroborassem os resultados dos testes, e isso se refletia nos bons resultados alcançados tanto nas avaliações externas como nas internas. Buscou-se, então, identificar como os diretores e as professoras das 4as séries do ensino fundamental dessas escolas se organizam para manter as condições que resultam em índices satisfatórios de aprendizagem escolar, focalizando a compreensão que eles têm a respeito desse processo. Os dados obtidos por meio de entrevistas confirmam a presença dos fatores que a literatura aponta como determinantes da eficácia escolar, todavia, com grande ênfase sobre as relações escola-família. Em face disso, privilegiou-se esse aspecto nas análises. Ficou evidenciado que as escolas estudadas desenvolvem diferentes práticas e estratégias para estreitar seus vínculos com as famílias com vistas a obter um melhor aprendizado dos alunos. Contudo, os diretores e as professoras entrevistados entendem que a maior responsabilidade pelo não sucesso escolar dos alunos deve-se à família, sobretudo, ao seu nível socioeconômico e à não participação dos pais na vida escolar dos filhos. Seus discursos revelam traços de ideologias que disseminam concepções hegemônicas, normativas e idealizadas da família, levando-os a entender que a desestrutura familiar é o mais forte determinante do fracasso escolar dos alunos. Esses dados não são conclusivos, mas indicativos dos modos como a escola tem traduzido e operacionalizado as propostas atuais que pressionam/estimulam os sistemas de ensino a estabelecerem vínculos mais fortes e efetivos com a família. Espera-se que tais elementos favoreçam uma compreensão maior do processo de construção da eficácia escolar e subsidiem a atuação das equipes escolares a desenvolverem, de modo crítico, ações de maior protagonismo por parte dos diferentes segmentos que almejam transformar a instituição escolar hoje. / This work has as its objective to analyze and understand how the school dynamics created, managed, and constructed by the school staff from two public schools located in a municipality from the (western region of the) Metropolitan Area of São Paulo determine the school effectiveness concerning the production and materialization of their pupils\' learning. The study started with the assumption that effective changes of the school can only happen if they are built from within the school, and with the participation and commitment of the professionals included in the process. From such perspective, the study set out to analyze how the staff from these two schools (principals and teachers of the 4th grade of the First Cycle of Fundamental Education) experience the construction of the formative-educative process aiming at school efficacy and effectiveness. Based on the results from Prova Brasil [Brazil Exam] (whose assessment served only as an initial reference for the empirical work), two schools were chosen from among those that presented improved performance levels in 2007 as compared to 2005. Initial analyses revealed that these schools were trying to build actions that corroborated the test results, and that was reflected in the good results they achieved both in internal and in external assessments. An effort was then made to identify how the principals and 4th grade teachers from these two schools organized themselves to sustain the conditions that resulted in satisfactory levels of pupil learning, focusing on the understanding they have of the process. The information gathered from interviews confirmed the presence of the factors pointed out in the literature as decisive for school effectiveness, revealing, however, a strong emphasis on family-school relations. In view of these results, the study privileged this aspect in the analyses. It became clear that the schools researched develop several practices and strategies to keep close links with the families, with the purpose of improving pupil learning. However, the principals and teachers interviewed were seen to understand that the larger responsibility for pupil failure lies with the family, particularly with their socioeconomic level, and with the lack of participation of the parents in their children\'s school life. Their discourse betrays the influence of remnants of ideologies that help disseminating hegemonic, normative, and idealized conceptions of family, leading them to believe that an \"unstructured family\" is the sharpest determinant of pupils\' school failure. These are not conclusive data, but indications of the ways in which the school has translated and put in operation the current policies that push the system schools to establish stronger and more effective ties with families. It is hoped that such results may lead to a better understanding of the process of construction of school effectiveness, offering elements for the work of school teams to develop, in a critical manner, actions of a higher degree of protagonism from the various segments that currently seek to transform the school institution.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T16:33:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Juliana Andrade Alvarez.pdf: 220897 bytes, checksum: 19b16152227ec029115d0bca37533d8c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-05-09 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The purpose of this study is to identify if there is teacher prejudice with regard to students of the classes of Young and Adult Education and if the teacher expectancy affects their self-esteem. This study was focused in the CEJA - Centro Educacional de Jovens e Adultos (Young and Adult Educational Center) in the city of Bauru in the state of São Paulo, and it has applied the theoretical collaborations of the Critical Theory of Society, and especially the authors T. W. Adorno and M. Horkheimer. We applied Likert Scales to 23 teachers to check if they showed any kind of prejudiced thinking with regard to students of EJA classes, which was the importance given to the accomplished work, and which was the expectancy of the school success they had about their students. We selected three teachers from these 23, who showed in the scales the biggest, the smallest and the average punctuation. After that, we applied Likert Scale to students of these three selected teachers, totalizing 47 students. Relating to the students, the scales collected information about the importance given to the school and the study, the relationship kept with the teachers, and about their self-esteem. We concluded that the teachers keep a high expectancy with regard to students. They attribute a great importance to the accomplished work in the EJA classes and do not show prejudiced thinking. The students give a lot of importance to the study and they have a good relationship with teachers, reflecting in a high self-esteem in the school environment / Nesta pesquisa tem-se como objetivo principal identificar se há preconceito do professor em relação aos alunos das classes de Educação de Jovens e Adultos e se a expectativa do professor afeta a auto-estima dos mesmos. A pesquisa concentrou-se no CEJA (Centro Educacional de Jovens e Adultos) do município de Bauru SP e utilizou as colaborações teóricas da Teoria Crítica da Sociedade, principalmente os autores T. W. Adorno e M. Horkheimer. Foram aplicadas escalas do tipo Likert a 23 professores para aferir se os mesmos apresentavam pensamento preconceituoso em relação aos alunos das classes de EJA, qual a importância atribuída ao trabalho realizado e qual à expectativa de êxito escolar que tinham de seus alunos. Desses 23 professores, selecionamos três que apresentaram, nas escalas, a maior pontuação, a menor pontuação e a pontuação mediana. A partir disso, aplicamos escalas do tipo Likert aos alunos desses três professores selecionados, somando-se 47 alunos. Em relação aos alunos, as escalas colheram informações a respeito da importância atribuída à escola e ao estudo, à relação que mantêm com os professores e sobre a auto-estima. Obteve-se como resultado que os professores mantêm uma alta expectativa em relação aos alunos, atribuem grande importância ao trabalho realizado nas classes de EJA e não apresentam pensamento preconceituoso. Os alunos atribuem muita importância ao estudo e à escola e tem uma boa relação com os professores, o que se reflete numa auto-estima elevada no ambiente escolar

Abstract The disquiet around parent-school relationships is the focus of this study. During transitioning to high school, the boundaries around this relationship changes. Few studies have addressed these changes, particularly from parents’ perspectives. It is parents’ voices which are central to this study. This dissertation uses the standpoint of parents, which is often absent or silent in educational literature and research. Within a critical and constructivist paradigm, and influenced by Institutional Ethnography, two elementary schools (divergent in race, social class, ethnicity and immigrant status) and one high school are the sites for interviews with 14 parents and 13 educators. 11 parents were re-interviewed after their children entered high school. Four questions were addresses: How has parent involvement come to be understood? How is the parent-school relationship experienced by parents and educators? How and why are decisions made around the transition and school choice process? Do parents’ perceptions align/vary from those of educators? Based on historically constructed notions and assumptions, parent involvement is usually understood as a visible and public demonstration of appropriate and caring parenting ignoring interactions outside of the public’s gaze. Illustrated through Parent Council membership, parent involvement is gendered, classed, culturally related and race, ethnic and immigrant status specific. Some parents had more social, cultural, economic and emotional capital to bring to the transition process, while others were marginalized and had to rely on/trust the education system. School and Board policies and procedures were examined and their varied affects on parents’ experiences and choices analysed. Educators assisted in disseminating assumptions around parent-school relationships and contributed to inequitable parent knowledge, partially as a result of too little training. By examining social, economic and cultural positioning of parents within local school communities, positive parent-school relationships can be nurtured, which political pundits and educationalists have failed to accomplish. During transitioning, organization and social discontinuities contributed to parent and school disconnects and constructed borderlands in the parent-child-school relationship. This study evidenced the fragility of the parent-school relationship, especially during this vulnerable time for parents and thus, reflective questions are presented in hope of initiating a crucial conversation in local school communities.

Abstract The disquiet around parent-school relationships is the focus of this study. During transitioning to high school, the boundaries around this relationship changes. Few studies have addressed these changes, particularly from parents’ perspectives. It is parents’ voices which are central to this study. This dissertation uses the standpoint of parents, which is often absent or silent in educational literature and research. Within a critical and constructivist paradigm, and influenced by Institutional Ethnography, two elementary schools (divergent in race, social class, ethnicity and immigrant status) and one high school are the sites for interviews with 14 parents and 13 educators. 11 parents were re-interviewed after their children entered high school. Four questions were addresses: How has parent involvement come to be understood? How is the parent-school relationship experienced by parents and educators? How and why are decisions made around the transition and school choice process? Do parents’ perceptions align/vary from those of educators? Based on historically constructed notions and assumptions, parent involvement is usually understood as a visible and public demonstration of appropriate and caring parenting ignoring interactions outside of the public’s gaze. Illustrated through Parent Council membership, parent involvement is gendered, classed, culturally related and race, ethnic and immigrant status specific. Some parents had more social, cultural, economic and emotional capital to bring to the transition process, while others were marginalized and had to rely on/trust the education system. School and Board policies and procedures were examined and their varied affects on parents’ experiences and choices analysed. Educators assisted in disseminating assumptions around parent-school relationships and contributed to inequitable parent knowledge, partially as a result of too little training. By examining social, economic and cultural positioning of parents within local school communities, positive parent-school relationships can be nurtured, which political pundits and educationalists have failed to accomplish. During transitioning, organization and social discontinuities contributed to parent and school disconnects and constructed borderlands in the parent-child-school relationship. This study evidenced the fragility of the parent-school relationship, especially during this vulnerable time for parents and thus, reflective questions are presented in hope of initiating a crucial conversation in local school communities.

Este trabalho tem por objetivo analisar e compreender como as dinâmicas escolares elaboradas, gerenciadas e construídas pelas equipes escolares de duas escolas públicas, situadas em um município da região metropolitana de São Paulo (zona oeste), determinam a eficácia escolar no que diz respeito à produção e à concretização da aprendizagem dos seus alunos. A pesquisa partiu do pressuposto de que mudanças efetivas da escola só acontecem se forem construídas a partir do interior da escola e com o envolvimento e a participação dos profissionais inseridos nesse processo. Dessa perspectiva, propôs-se a analisar como os profissionais dessas escolas (diretores e professoras das 4as séries do ciclo I do ensino fundamental) vivenciam a construção do processo formativoeducativo, visando à eficácia e à efetividade escolar. Com base nos resultados da Prova Brasil (cuja avaliação serviu apenas como referência inicial para o trabalho empírico), foram escolhidas duas escolas dentre as que apresentaram aumento dos índices de desempenho na prova de 2007, comparada com a de 2005. As análises iniciais levaram a perceber que as escolas buscavam construir ações que corroborassem os resultados dos testes, e isso se refletia nos bons resultados alcançados tanto nas avaliações externas como nas internas. Buscou-se, então, identificar como os diretores e as professoras das 4as séries do ensino fundamental dessas escolas se organizam para manter as condições que resultam em índices satisfatórios de aprendizagem escolar, focalizando a compreensão que eles têm a respeito desse processo. Os dados obtidos por meio de entrevistas confirmam a presença dos fatores que a literatura aponta como determinantes da eficácia escolar, todavia, com grande ênfase sobre as relações escola-família. Em face disso, privilegiou-se esse aspecto nas análises. Ficou evidenciado que as escolas estudadas desenvolvem diferentes práticas e estratégias para estreitar seus vínculos com as famílias com vistas a obter um melhor aprendizado dos alunos. Contudo, os diretores e as professoras entrevistados entendem que a maior responsabilidade pelo não sucesso escolar dos alunos deve-se à família, sobretudo, ao seu nível socioeconômico e à não participação dos pais na vida escolar dos filhos. Seus discursos revelam traços de ideologias que disseminam concepções hegemônicas, normativas e idealizadas da família, levando-os a entender que a desestrutura familiar é o mais forte determinante do fracasso escolar dos alunos. Esses dados não são conclusivos, mas indicativos dos modos como a escola tem traduzido e operacionalizado as propostas atuais que pressionam/estimulam os sistemas de ensino a estabelecerem vínculos mais fortes e efetivos com a família. Espera-se que tais elementos favoreçam uma compreensão maior do processo de construção da eficácia escolar e subsidiem a atuação das equipes escolares a desenvolverem, de modo crítico, ações de maior protagonismo por parte dos diferentes segmentos que almejam transformar a instituição escolar hoje. / This work has as its objective to analyze and understand how the school dynamics created, managed, and constructed by the school staff from two public schools located in a municipality from the (western region of the) Metropolitan Area of São Paulo determine the school effectiveness concerning the production and materialization of their pupils\' learning. The study started with the assumption that effective changes of the school can only happen if they are built from within the school, and with the participation and commitment of the professionals included in the process. From such perspective, the study set out to analyze how the staff from these two schools (principals and teachers of the 4th grade of the First Cycle of Fundamental Education) experience the construction of the formative-educative process aiming at school efficacy and effectiveness. Based on the results from Prova Brasil [Brazil Exam] (whose assessment served only as an initial reference for the empirical work), two schools were chosen from among those that presented improved performance levels in 2007 as compared to 2005. Initial analyses revealed that these schools were trying to build actions that corroborated the test results, and that was reflected in the good results they achieved both in internal and in external assessments. An effort was then made to identify how the principals and 4th grade teachers from these two schools organized themselves to sustain the conditions that resulted in satisfactory levels of pupil learning, focusing on the understanding they have of the process. The information gathered from interviews confirmed the presence of the factors pointed out in the literature as decisive for school effectiveness, revealing, however, a strong emphasis on family-school relations. In view of these results, the study privileged this aspect in the analyses. It became clear that the schools researched develop several practices and strategies to keep close links with the families, with the purpose of improving pupil learning. However, the principals and teachers interviewed were seen to understand that the larger responsibility for pupil failure lies with the family, particularly with their socioeconomic level, and with the lack of participation of the parents in their children\'s school life. Their discourse betrays the influence of remnants of ideologies that help disseminating hegemonic, normative, and idealized conceptions of family, leading them to believe that an \"unstructured family\" is the sharpest determinant of pupils\' school failure. These are not conclusive data, but indications of the ways in which the school has translated and put in operation the current policies that push the system schools to establish stronger and more effective ties with families. It is hoped that such results may lead to a better understanding of the process of construction of school effectiveness, offering elements for the work of school teams to develop, in a critical manner, actions of a higher degree of protagonism from the various segments that currently seek to transform the school institution.

No description available.

This two phase study explored perspectives of play according to children and parents of Somali heritage and primary school practitioners, in a city in South West England. In an addition to the considerable research base concerning play, this study investigated the frequently overlooked cultural dimension of play and how this affects the education of Somali heritage children in England. The broader contentious concern of play’s role in Early Years and Primary education was also explored. A mixed methods pragmatic approach was employed in this study. In Phase One, a photograph sorting activity based on the Activity Apperception Story Procedure by Howard (2002), was used to enable the participation of young children and participants for whom English is not their first language. Established via this activity were definitions of play and work according to children and parents of Somali heritage and primary school practitioners. Exploratory Data Analysis was applied to examine this data. In Phase Two, a focus group design was used, with discussions drawing on cross-cultural conceptions of play (Gaskins, Haight & Lancy, 2007; Göncü, Tuermer, Jain & Johnson, 1999). This enabled the exploration of how parents of Somali heritage and primary school practitioners perceive play’s relationship to children’s development and learning, with consideration for their own experiences of childhood. Focus group data was analysed using thematic analysis, supported by the Cultural Historical Activity Theory framework. The findings of this study highlight shared and individual definitions of play, competing benefits of play and the cross-cultural importance of play being intrinsically motivated. Implications for practice centre on the need to recognise play as part of unique cultural milieus at a practitioner, school, educational psychology service and policy level.