The United States is in the midst of demographic transformation that will continue to diversify the cultural, ethnic, racial, and linguistic landscape of the country. Within the last decade, millions of immigrant families have emigrated to the U.S. to escape tremendous hardships in their native countries. These families are guided by the hope of creating a stable, safe, and comfortable environment for their children. Unfortunately, the pathway to citizenship and authorized entry into the U.S. is convoluted (Kremer, Moccio,& Hammell, 2009) and families are frequently assigned wait times that can last several years (U.S. Department of State, 2013). These very long wait times are an unfortunate reality for several families, which is one of the many reasons some families enter the U.S. without authorization. Upon arrival into the U.S., many immigrant families experience anti-immigrant attitudes, prejudicial law enforcement practices, and feel socially isolated. The U.S. born children of these immigrant families are at risk for being separated from their parents who lack authorized resident status. In this regard, over 100,000 parents of U.S. citizen children were deported between 1998 and 2007 (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2012). However, little is known about how these children cope with the loss of their parents. To date, no research has been conducted that measures the psychosocial impact of parental absence because of aggressive immigration enforcement. Thus, a patent need exists for research on the psychosocial implications of parental absence in a child's life because of deportation. This study addressed the psychosocial impact of parental loss because of aggressive immigration enforcement. All participants of this study completed a demographic questionnaire and two technically adequate standardized psychosocial assessments that measured emotional symptoms. A two-group independent samples design was employed that included a sample of youth who were homeless because their parents were impacted by immigration and customs enforcement and a sample of youth who were homeless for other reasons. The present study sought to answer the following questions: Are there significant differences in emotional symptoms between youth who are living on their own as a result of immigration enforcement in comparison to those youth who are living on their own for other reasons? Are there significant differences in emotional symptoms between U.S. citizen and non-U.S. citizen youth? Do significant differences exist in perceptions of school climate between youth who are living on their own as a result of immigration enforcement in comparison to those youth who are living on their own for other reasons? Is the quality of relationships with parents significantly different between youth who are living on their own as a result of immigration enforcement in comparison to those youth who are living on their own for other reasons? Do significant differences exist in emotional symptoms between youth whose parents have been impacted by immigration and customs enforcement (ICE; Impacted by ICE group) in comparison to youth whose parents have been impacted by immigration enforcement for other reasons (Homeless for Other Reasons group)? Lastly, are there significant differences in perception of school climate between U.S. citizen and non-U.S. citizen youth? Results of this study did not reveal significant differences in emotional symptoms between the Impacted by ICE group and the Homeless for Other Reasons group. However, in terms of how they perceived their relationships with their parents, the Impacted by Immigration group reported more positive relations with their parents. There were significant differences regarding perceptions of school climate between the Impacted by ICE and Homeless for Other Reasons groups. Intra-group analyses within the Impacted by Immigration group indicated significant differences in perceptions of school climate among authorized U.S. citizens and unauthorized non-U.S. citizens. Unauthorized non-U.S. citizens tended to perceive school climate more favorably than U.S. citizens.

Orientador: Alessandra de Morais / Resumo: Nesta dissertação de mestrado buscou-se avaliar o clima escolar em um processo de ressignificação da Educação com educadoras e educadores de uma Escola municipal de Educação Infantil e Ensino Fundamental I. O clima escolar é caracterizado por um conjunto de percepções dos integrantes da comunidade escolar com relação a diferentes aspectos que compõem a instituição, como os procedimentos de ensino e concernentes à aprendizagem, os relacionamentos sociais, a segurança, justiça, participação, infraestrutura e possibilidades de pertencimento. Então, para realizar uma avaliação do clima escolar é preciso investigar as percepções dos sujeitos inseridos nesse contexto, de modo a propiciar à unidade escolar a ampliação do conhecimento de sua realidade, podendo realizar propostas que visem sua transformação. Nesse sentido, esta pesquisa tem como objetivo geral compreender possíveis alterações na qualidade do clima escolar, a partir de um processo de ressignificação no âmbito da formação continuada de educadores. O recurso utilizado para a avaliação do clima escolar é um questionário específico, voltado para a realidade escolar brasileira e adaptado para o Ensino Fundamental I, que avalia as seguintes dimensões, na perspectiva dos estudantes: relações com o ensino e a aprendizagem; relações sociais e os conflitos; regras, sanções e segurança; situações de intimidação entre os alunos, relações entre a família, comunidade e a Escola, infraestrutura e a rede física da Escola. Trata-se de ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The aim of this workf is to evaluate the school climate in a process of ressignification of Education with male and female educators of an municipal school de Pre-kindergarten and Elementary School I. The school climate is characterized by na set of perceptions of the school community members with regards to diferente aspects that composse the institution, like the teaching procedures and concerning learning, the social relationships, safety, justice, participation, infrastructure and belonging possibilities. Than, to conduct a school climate assessment, it is necessary to the perceptions of the subjects inserted in this context, in order to provide to the school unit the expansion of knowledge and reality, being able to make proposals that aim its transformation. In this sense, this research have the overall goal to understand possible changes in the quality of the school climate, from a ressignifitacion within the scope of continuing formation of educators. The methodology to be used is through a specific survey, focused on the brazilian school reality and adapted for Elementary Education I, that evaluates the following dimensions, on the students’ perspectives: relations with teaching and learning; social relations and conflicts; rules, sanctions and security; intimidation situations bewteen students, relationships between family, community and school and infrastructure and the school’s physical network. This is an nearly experimental design research, with quanti-qualitati... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

No description available.

The problem addressed in this study was the lack of consistency of implementation of instructional leadership practices by elementary principals. Little research existed at the time of this study to inform current practitioners about specific instructional leadership practices that positively effect student growth based on the perceptions of successful practitioner. The purpose of this study was to describe specific instructional leadership behaviors perceived by elementary school principals to have a positive effect on student growth and to describe the contextual factors that affect the different levels of implementation of these behaviors. The conceptual framework for this study was instructional leadership. The research questions were created to collect data that described specific instructional leadership practices as well as contextual factors that positively affect student growth and influence the different levels of implementation of instructional leadership practices. Using qualitative case study design, data were collected from a sample of 16 elementary principals serving students in 1 school district in a southeastern state identified by student consistent performance on the Progress and School Climate components of the College and Career Readiness Performance Index. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Coding and thematic analysis were used to analyze interview data. Key themes included an emphasis on data driven decision making, the importance of a clearly defined mission and a positive school climate. This research may contribute to positive social change as consistent implementation of the specific instructional leadership practices identified in this study could have a positive effect on student growth and learning in elementary schools.

Research studies emphasize the need for a supportive educator-parent relationship in promoting teaching and learning in Life Orientation. This study is based on the assumption that educators are supposed to supplement the teaching of values by building on what parents have already taught at home and this means that learners need the support of their parents in their academic achievement especially in Life Orientation. The aim of this study is to explore the role that educators and learners expect parents to play in creating a positive climate in the teaching of Life Orientation. A qualitative approach was applied in this study in order to get in-depth information about the experiences of educators and learners of parental involvement in creating a positive climate for the teaching of Life Orientation. The researcher collected data through semi-structured interviews from four Life Orientation educators and Grade 10 learners from two Secondary schools at Phokoane Circuit. The data was analysed resulting with themes and sub-themes. The researcher ensured that data collected enhance trustworthiness. Both educators and learners experienced minimal parental involvement in the teaching of Life Orientation. They both recommended partnership, openness and regular meetings amongst partners for effective teaching of life orientation. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

[pt] Considerando a centralidade do papel desempenhado pelo diretor escolar na condução da tarefa educativa da escola, este trabalho procura ampliar a discussão sobre as relações que podem ser estabelecidas entre a atuação do diretor e o trabalho docente, considerando os resultados dos alunos. A função do diretor escolar é analisada desde sua expressão política e de suas atribuições legais, tomando como referência analítica os conceitos de gestão escolar, liderança e clima escolar. Para tanto, uma ampla revisão bibliográfica sobre o tema foi realizada. O campo definido para a pesquisa considerou as escolas municipais do Rio de Janeiro que atendiam, em 2014, aos dois segmentos do ensino fundamental. A realização de um estudo exploratório com os dados disponibilizados pela Prova Brasil apontou possíveis relações entre a liderança do diretor e os resultados de aprendizagem dos alunos, porém, foram levantadas algumas limitações na utilização destes dados. Assim, este trabalho propõe a complementaridade das metodologias quantitativa e qualitativa em uma abordagem teórico-conceitual do tema. Com o objetivo de ampliar a possibilidade de acesso a informações que levassem à reflexão sobre as questões propostas por esta pesquisa, foram elaborados novos questionários dirigidos a diretores, coordenadores e professores. Os questionários foram testados e aplicados a uma amostra de 42 escolas, sendo sua validação completada a partir da construção de índices adequados para a mensuração dos diferentes aspectos que compõem as relações entre a atuação do diretor e o trabalho docente, considerando os resultados dos alunos. Com estes índices, uma modelagem exploratória foi realizada para averiguar as possíveis associações entre as dimensões estudadas, apontando a importância da percepção dos professores sobre a direção escolar (em diferentes variáveis) para a qualidade de seu trabalho e para a aprendizagem dos alunos. A partir da análise dos dados, foram selecionadas duas escolas da amostra para um retorno ao campo em uma abordagem qualitativa, envolvendo entrevistas e observação do cotidiano da gestão da escola (shadowing) e possibilitando o aprofundamento das relações apontadas pelo estudo quantitativo com vistas ao aprimoramento dos nossos instrumentos de pesquisa. Destaca-se que, no caso desta pesquisa, os dados pareceram indicar que a atuação presente do diretor, especialmente na construção e manutenção de um clima adequado ao trabalho escolar, é um fator significativo para a qualidade do trabalho docente e para a proficiência dos alunos. A fase qualitativa da pesquisa apontou duas diferentes formas de atuação do diretor na construção deste clima escolar, envolvendo suas estratégias de gestão e suas características de liderança construídas em cada contexto. Em síntese, o trabalho procura contribuir para a discussão sobre as características do trabalho do diretor e suas possíveis relações com o trabalho docente e a proficiência discente por três vias: 1) na realização de uma meta-análise, incluindo a revisão estruturada das recentes pesquisas sobre o tema; 2) da proposição e testagem de um novo instrumento de coleta de dados quantitativos sobre a gestão e o clima escolar; 3) da apresentação dos resultados de um estudo exploratório com os dados coletados, indicando importantes indícios para futuras pesquisas sobre as questões levantadas. / [en] Given the pivotal role played by the school principal in conducting the school s educational task, this study aimed at broadening the discussion on the relationships that can be established between the principals activity and both the teachers work and the students achievement. The role of the school principal was analyzed from the perspective of his/her political role and his/her legal duties, having as analytical reference the concepts of school management, leadership, and school climate. Therefore, a wide literature review on the topic was conducted. The proposed scope of research encompassed the municipal schools of Rio de Janeiro which in 2014 catered to both segments of elementary school. An exploratory study with data provided by Prova Brazil indicated possible relationships between the principal s leadership and the students achievement; however, potential limitations in the use of this data were raised. This work used complementary quantitative and qualitative methodologies in a theoretical and conceptual approach to the topic. To broaden the access to information that supports the discussion of the questions posed by this research, new questionnaires targeted at principals, coordinators, and teachers were developed. The questionnaires were tested and subsequently applied to a sample of 42 schools, having then been validated through the construction of indices that adequately synthesize the different aspects of the relationships between the principals’ activity and both the teachers work, considering students achievement. With these indices, an exploratory modeling was conducted to investigate possible associations between the dimensions studied, indicating the importance of the teachers perception of school principalship (through different variables) for the quality of their work and for student achievement. From the data analysis, two schools in the sample were selected for a return to the field in a qualitative approach involving interviews and observation of the school management (shadowing), enabling a deeper understanding of the relationships identified by the quantitative study as well as gathering information for the improvement of the questionnaires. It is noteworthy that, in the case of this research, the data seemed to indicate that a proactive principal, specially creating a positive environment to academic practices, is an important element for both teaching quality and student learning. The qualitative approach pointed out two different ways in which the principal s actions build this school climate , involving their leadership characteristics developed in each space. In summary, this study seeks to contribute to the discussion of the characteristics of the principal s work and its possible relationship with the teachers work and student learning by: 1) conducting a meta-analysis, including the structured review of recent research on the topic; 2) proposing and testing a new quantitative data collection instrument, focused on school management and school climate; 3) presenting the results of an exploratory study with the data collected, having found important clues that help address the issues in future researches on the field.

At a time where technology is easily accessible, emotions are high, and students are dealing with more and more as they earn a basic education, in-person and cyberbullying add to students' stress. As 21st century students have easy access to technology, adolescents have multiple ways to encounter bullying and cyberbullying. The purpose of this study was three-fold: (a) to identify the relationship between bullying and cyberbullying and student engagement; (b) to identify the impact of school culture and climate on the incidences of bullying and cyberbullying; and (c) to identify how the integration of social and emotional learning (SEL) skills into the curriculum could mitigate the negative effects of bullying and cyberbullying. The five SEL core competencies are self-regulation, self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills. In this mixed methods study, district discipline data, a culture and climate survey, and focus groups were utilized to examine how each SEL competency impacted classroom engagement and school climate and culture and mitigated any negative effects of bullying and cyberbullying. Findings showed that a positive school culture and SEL can increase student engagement. In addition, SEL was shown to improve classroom engagement as well as mitigate the negative effects of bullying and cyberbullying among the studied participants.

A phenomenological research study was conducted to examine teacher perceptions of elementary principals’ behaviors affecting school culture and climate. The researcher gathered data from participant interviews. Participants were selected using purposeful sampling of teachers identified by their principals as meeting study criteria. The schools in which teachers were selected were also chosen using purposeful sampling based on superintendents’ perceptions of positive principal influence on school culture and climate. Data analysis provided insight to the researcher into the phenomenon being explored in this study. Teachers were asked to participate in an individual interview with the researcher and provide answers to open ended questions regarding their perceptions of their principals’ influence on culture and climate in the school. The findings of the study were aligned with the literature regarding principal influence on school culture and climate. There was a clear relationship between principal behaviors and positive school culture and climate based on teacher perceptions. Three themes emerged as common in the data including relationships, communication, and shared leadership.

Learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has included disruption, uncertainty, and additional stress for students. Adverse learning outcomes are a growing concern especially for vulnerable groups, such as middle school students. While COVID-19 research in academic fields is currently emerging, more research needs to address the specific experiences of middle school students. The current study examined the relationship between COVID-19 related stress (distress or fatigue) and student outcomes (student engagement and school aversion) for a sample of middle school students (N = 301). Specifically, coping (i.e., emotion regulation strategies) and perceptions of school climate were examined as mediators in the above relationship. Findings indicated that COVID-19 fatigue was inversely related to student engagement and positively related to school aversion. Emotion regulation mediated this relationship such that utilizing adaptive emotion regulation strategies promoted student engagement and dampened school aversion in relation to COVID-19 fatigue. School climate was also a significant mediator above and beyond the role of emotion regulation such that positive perceptions of school climate promoted engagement and reduced school aversion. A deeper explanation of the importance of regulation and the way middle schoolers perceive school rules and supports in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is discussed. / Graduate

The present study examined the relationship between individual, family, and school variables and both bullying and victimization. Approximately equal numbers of males and females (N = 1185 and 1174, respectively) were randomly selected from classrooms in 11 middle schools across 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Students completed questionnaires including items from each domain. Questionnaires assessed bullying and victimization, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, family factors, and school variables. In addition, teachers of the selected classrooms completed a brief rating scale on each of the students, which assessed student moodiness, behavioral difficulties, and learning problems. Achievement and discipline records data were obtained. Based on their responses to critical items, participants were categorized into Bully, Victim, Bully/Victim, and comparison Control groups. Multivariate analyses, with follow-up univariate and discriminant function analyses, tested the association of variables within the individual, family, teacher report, and school domains with bullying group membership. Analyses were examined by grade and gender effects as well. Results indicated that variables within each of the domains significantly contributed to differences between bullying groups, by grade and gender. Specifically, bullies and bully/victims appeared to have the poorest reported adjustment in terms of behavioral difficulties, family functioning, and school variables, while both victims and bully/victims experienced greater internalizing difficulties. Bullies and bully/victims tended to have the poorest outcomes; however, victims reported poorer peer relationships and perceptions of school. Overall, depression, anxiety, and the expression of anger accounted for the majority of group differences. School variables, particularly peer relationships, a sense of school spirit, and perceptions of climate and adult availability at school, played a secondary role in explaining differences among groups. These findings varied by gender and grade. Illustratively, bullying intervention programs could, in part, focus on those characteristics that are more strongly related to certain groups of students (i.e., anger expression for females and school conditions for younger students).