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Recently a variety of national reports have been completed which call for school reform. Additionally, there has been an abundance of research which attempts to identify the characteristics of effective schools. Throughout the literature on school reform and effectiveness, school climate is consistently identified as an important factor in effective schools. However, questions concerning how schools improve their climate and what the effects and obstacles of such efforts are remain unanswered. School climate improvement efforts tend to fall into two major categories which can be referred to as either formal systematic approaches or informal non-systematic approaches. Formal approaches exist where the developer of the approach states specific steps and procedures which are followed by a school to improve its climate. Informal approaches are also being used by schools where the principal and staff identify and implement various actions which are undertaken to improve the school's climate for learning. This study identified and described both a formal and an informal approach to school climate and determined the effects and obstacles encountered with each approach. Two secondary schools using each type of approach were studied and compared. The procedures and activities used by each of the four schools under study were described. The outcomes and obstacles encountered in each school's climate improvement process were identified. The findings of the study were that all four schools in the study had positive outcomes regardless of the approach used. Common obstacles occurred in all four schools. They included lack of staff time to address school concerns, some staff did not support the school's efforts and students and parents were slow to respond positively to the staff's efforts. / Doctor of Education

M.S.

Lee Chi On. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 132-145). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

The aim of this research was to determine the perceptions of school climate of 178 educators of six primary schools in the Southern Cape. Two instruments, namely The Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire Rutgers Elementary (OCDQ-RE) and Dimensions of Organizational Health Inventory of Elementary Schools (OHI-E) were used. The results indicated that primary school educators in the Southern Cape perceived their relations with their principals as more closed, while educator-educator relations were being perceived as more open of nature. The typical climate prototype for the relevant primary schools, was an engaged school climate. Regarding the overall organizational health of primary schools, average health profiles were found. A significant relationship was found between the perceptions of primary school educators with regard to organizational climate and organizational health. A significant difference between educators of different primary schools was found regarding their perceptions of all the different dimensions of both organizational climate and health. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

This study is about the School Governing Bodies (SGBs) which currently run schools in the country and it was done in a school in Soweto as a case study. The participants were the vice-chairperson, principal, deputy, secretary and treasurer because these are the core of the executive membership of the SGBs. The role of each is fully described in the policy documents of the Department of Basic Education. The focus of the study was to find out whether the SGBs do indeed create an educative atmosphere in schools as laid down in the government policies or have the discretion and leeway to deviate from such without incurring the wrought of the Department. The research was conducted through the qualitative approach because it involved a series of in-depth interviews. The study used a purposive sampling method to identify a few participants who are actually involved in the management of the selected school. Hence, the research findings are such that the interviewees claim that they knew very little of their new responsibilities, duties and functions when they took office but gradually they acquired the necessary information, knowledge and skills to discharge their exacting mandate. They point out that the South Africa School’s Act 84 of 1996 is the most informative policy document that guided and also assisted them in carrying out their responsibilities with confidence. In the final analysis, the study revealed that workshops on skills development are very much important because they are empowering. From the research findings various themes emerged which formed the basis upon which the following proposal was made, i.e. that: a methodological theoretical framework that has at its core the SGB with other important stakeholders in the periphery contributing towards creating an educative climate in the school be established. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management and Leadership)

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Being over age-for-grade has become a barrier to learning. More than 15% of learners in the South African school system are over age. This creates an enormous problem in terms of education spending per learner. In 1998 South Africa spent one-third of its education budget on over age learners who included repeaters and drop-outs. A clearer understanding of the educational needs of over age learners is needed. These learners are at risk of dropping out, being further retained or being promoted out of the school system. Thus far over age learners have been marginalised by the education system essentially due to the system's inability to deal with them. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to make a contribution to the understanding of the educational needs of over age learners. A qualitative approach provided a clear description of the factors that impact on the educational needs of over age learners. This study revealed the following: • Over age learners experience a sense of being educationally displaced. • The attitudes and beliefs of teachers directly influence their educational responses to the needs of over age learners. • Over age learners struggle with basic scholastic skills. • The provision of support comes primarily from classroom peers. It appears that teachers need a variety of educational skills to deal appropriately with the needs of over age learners. Furthermore, it appears that these learners need an educational space of their own within an inclusive education environment. It would further appear that over age learners need to be acknowledged as being a specific category of learners with learning barriers, otherwise their needs will continue to be marginalised by the educational system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit wil voorkom dat ouderdom 'n leerhindernis vir duisende leerders geword het. Meer as vyftien persent van leerders in die skoolsisteem is oorouderdom. Dit skep 'n probleem in terme van die opvoedingsonkoste per leerder. In 1998 is 'n derde van die Suid Afrikaanse begroting aan oorouderdom leerders gespandeer wat ook herhalers en skoolverlaters insluit. Daar is 'n behoefte aan groter begrip vir die behoeftes van oorouderdom leerders. Daar is 'n risiko dat hierdie leerders skool kan verlaat, terug gehou kan word, of uit die skoolsisteem bevorder kan word. Tot dusver is oorouderdom leerders deur die onderwyssisteem gemarginaliseer hoofsaaklik as gevolg van 'n gebrek aan kennis om hulle effektiefte akkommodeer. Die doel van hierdie studie was om 'n bydrae te lewer tot 'n beter begrip van die opvoedkundige behoeftes van oorouderdom leerders. 'n Kwalitatiewe benadering is verkies wat 'n duidelike beskrywing gee van die opvoedkundige behoeftes van oorouderdom leerders. Die studie het die volgende tendense aan die lig gebring: • Oorouderdom leerders ervaar hulself as misplaas binne die onderwys stelsel. • Opvoeders se houdings en oortuigings het 'n duidelike invloed op hul eie opvoedkundige response ten opsigte van die behoeftes van oorouderdom leerders. • Oorouderdom leerders worstel met basiese skolastiese vaardighede. • Oorouderdom leerders ontvang primêr opvoedkundige ondersteuning van medeleerders. Opvoeders benodig 'n verskeidenheid van opvoedkundige vaardighede om oorouderdom leerders se behoeftes toepaslik te hanteer. Dit blyk dat hierdie leerders 'n behoefte het aan hul eie opvoedkundige ruimte binne 'n inklusiewe omgewing. Daar kan geargumenteer word dat oorouderdom leerders 'n spesifieke kategorie leerders is met eiesoortige leerhindernisse. Indien bogenoemde nie erken word nie sal daar voort gegaan word met die miskenning van oorouderdom leerders se behoeftes deur die opvoedkundige gemeenskap.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Despite the fast-growing evidence of the importance of the psychosocial work environment for the health of adults there is a lack of research about the possible health effects of the work environment among pupils, that is, their school environment. This is especially true for the psychosocial aspects of the pupils' school situation. The overall aim of this thesis was to analyse the importance of the psychosocial school environment for the health of pupils in Swedish compulsory school from a gender perspective. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. A cluster sampling technique was used in order to select six different schools in three medium- sized industrial towns in the north of Sweden. The schools were chosen to represent different socio-economic areas. A three-year prospective study was started in 1994, including a cohort of 533 pupils (261 girls, 272 boys) in grade three and grade six. With age-adjusted questionnaires self-perceived health and psychosocial school environmental factors were measured at the baseline study as well as three years later. The total non-response rate was 0.9%. For the qualitative study, two classes (one from grade 2 and one from 5) were selected and followed with focus group interviews once a year for five years. Twenty-nine single-sex focus group interviews were conducted with themes such as: What they feel good and bad about at school; Strategies for enhanced well-being; What it means to have influence at school. High control in combination with low demands in the school situation was associated with the best health and feelings of self-worth. Multiple regression analyses showed that problems in relations with classmates was the most recurrent psychosocial factor at school pardy explaining ill health development and decreased self-worth. Girls had a more negative ill health development than boys between grades six and nine. A study of factors associated with ill health in grade nine showed that sexual harassment among girls and lack of classmate support among both boys and girls were significant risk factors for a high degree of psychological symptoms. Generally, social background factors were less important for pupils' health in this study than the psychosocial environment at school. The best predictors for health behaviour among boys and girls in grade nine were factors related to earlier health/health behaviour. The results also indicated that school-related factors could predict future health behaviour, especially in relation to low physical activity among girls. The qualitative study showed that the girls used 'alliance-building' and 'resistance', in order to increase their power, while 'responsibility-taking' and 'withdrawal' could mean maintained subordination. The boys used mastering techniques (various types of abuse, claiming to be the norm, acting-out behavior, blaming the girls, choosing boys only) to maintain their dominance. The girls' active actions for increased power could be of significant importance for their health. An interpretation of the boys' mastering techniques was that the boys' health would benefit if they gave up striving for power over others. Thus, the psychosocial school environment in regard of demand, control, classmate relations and sexual harassment seemed to matter for pupil's health. School health promotion need to be more gender sensitive, through increasing the awareness of the gender regimes at school and addressing the asymmetric and gendered distribution of power between pupils. Democratic strategies for increased power among pupils in subordinate positions should be encouraged and methods need to be developed in order to encourage health promoting femininities and masculinities at school. / <p>Härtill 5 uppsatser</p> / digitalisering@umu

Darbo tikslas – įvertinti Kauno miesto bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų 6 – 12 klasių moksleivių traumatizmo, sveikatos ir mokyklų aplinkos sąsajas. Tyrimo metodika. Vienmomentiniame epidemiologiniame tyrime dalyvavo 277 penkių Kauno miesto bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų (vidurinių ir gimnazijų) 6 – 12 klasių moksleiviai (atsako dažnis – 92,3 proc.). Tyrimas buvo atliktas 2008 m. spalio - 2009 m. sausio mėnesiais. Duomenys surinkti anoniminės anketinės apklausos būdu. Statistinė duomenų analizė atlikta naudojant statistinių programų rinkinio SPSS 16.0 versiją. Rezultatai. Kauno miesto bendrojo lavinimo mokyklose traumų patyrė 31,8 proc. 6 – 12 klasių moksleivių. Berniukai statistiškai patikimai dažniau patyrė traumų nei mergaitės: 58 proc. berniukų ir 42 proc. mergaičių patyrė traumų savo mokykloje per visą mokymosi laikotarpį (p=0,01). Berniukams galimybė patirti traumų mokyklos aplinkoje yra 2 kartus didesnė nei mergaitėms: GS=2,05, p=0,01. Dažniau traumų patiria 6 - 8 klasių moksleiviai, rečiausiai - 12 klasių moksleiviai (p=0,02). Vidurinėse mokyklose traumų įvyksta statistiškai patikimai daugiau nei gimnazijose (p=0,01). Dažniausiai mokyklose įvyksta nereikšmingos traumos: sąnarių ir raiščių patempimai ar išnirimai (47,7 proc.), sumušimai (20,5 proc.) ir žaizdos (14,8 proc.). Gimnazijose statistiškai patikimai daugiau moksleivių, teigiančių, kad mokyklinių baldų kokybė bloga (p<0,001) ir suolai neatitinka moksleivių ūgių (p=0,049), nei vidurinėse mokyklose. Temperatūrą klasėse ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Objective of the study – to evaluate the associations between schoolchildren‘s injuries, health and school environment among 6th - 12th classes schoolchildren at comprehensive schools in Kaunas. Methods. In the epidemiological study participated totally 277 schoolchildren of five comprehensive schools (both secondary schools and gymnasiums) in Kaunas (response rate – 92.3 percent). The research was prosecuted from October, 2008 until January, 2009. Data collection was performed by means of anonymous questionnaire. The statistical program packet SPSS 16.0 was used in the statistical analysis. Results. In Kaunas comprehensive schools 31.8 percent of 6th - 12th classes’ schoolchildren have had injuries. Boys statistically significantly more frequently than girls sustained injuries: 58 percent of boys and 42 percent of girls sustained injuries during a period of study at school (p=0.01). The probability to have injuries for boys is twice bigger than for girls: (OR=2.05, p=0.01). 6th - 8th classes schoolchildren sustain injuries more frequently and 12th class schoolchildren sustain injuries the most rarely (p=0.02). At secondary schools there are statistically significantly more injuries than at gymnasiums (p=0.01). Insignificant injuries are the most frequently at comprehensive schools: strains of ligaments and dislocations of joints (47.7 percent), contusions (20.5 percent) and wounds (14.8 percent). At gymnasiums there are statistically significantly more schoolchildren... [to full text]