Attending boarding school: a longitudinal study of its role in students’ academic and non-academic outcomes

Attending boarding school has long been a part of the educational culture in Australia. For a significant number of students, boarding is a necessity due to distance from suitable schools or potential lack of resources in remote or regional areas. For other students, attending boarding school represents a choice and access to greater educational resources. Research conducted to date has been limited to relatively few boarding schools or to relatively narrow outcome measures. As a result, this research has not comprehensively assessed the role of boarding school in the outcomes of students. Guided by theories and perspectives of ecological systems, positive youth development (PYD), extracurricular activity, attachment, and experiential education, it is proposed that boarding school represents a unique socialisation setting in comparison to home or day school experiences. In the current study, structural equation modelling was used to explore the extent to which boarders—relative to day students—may gain or decline in academic (e.g., motivation, engagement) and non-academic (e.g., life satisfaction, interpersonal relationships, self-esteem) outcomes. Quantitative survey data were collected from high school students at 12 schools across Australia in each of two successive years. Cross-sectional data, controlling for socio-demographic, prior achievement, personality, and school-level factors, showed general parity in outcomes between day and boarding students; however, where significant effects emerged, they tended to favour boarders. Longitudinal analysis, which controlled for prior variance, socio-demographic, prior achievement, personality, and school-level factors, also revealed general parity in day and boarding students’ gains and declines in academic and non-academic outcomes. In fact, any differences between day and boarding students appeared to be due to personality traits, prior achievement, and some socio-demographic features. Unlike historical accounts of predominantly negative experiences of attending boarding school, the current study found no such negative effects on outcomes measured. Taken together, these findings hold implications for boarders, parents considering boarding school for their children, staff involved with day and boarding students, and researchers investigating the effect of school structures on students’ academic and non-academic development. Importantly, given the lack of rigorous research and theory in this area, the current study provides a foundation for more detailed and well-designed longitudinal research into residential education settings in the future

On evaluating the performance of problem structuring methods:an attempt at formulating a conceptual model

In the past decade there has been a discussion on the need for and degree of empirical evidence for the effectiveness of problem structuring methods (PSMs). Some authors propose that PSMs are used in unique situations which are difficult to study, both from a methodological and a practical perspective. In another view experimental validation is necessary and, if not obtained, PSMs remain substantially invalidated and thus ‘suspect’ with regard to their claims of effectiveness. Both views agree on one point: the necessity of being clear about the important factors in the context in which a method is used, the method’s aims and its essential elements through which these aims are achieved. A clear formulation of central variables is the core of a theoretical validation, without which empirical testing of effects is impossible. Since the process of PSMs is sometimes referred to as ‘more art than science’, increased clarity on the PSM process also supports the transfer of methods. In this article we consider goals important to most PSMs, such as consensus and commitment. We then focus on outcomes of group model building, and expectations on how context and group modeling process contributes to outcomes. Next we discuss the similarity of these central variables and relations to two sets of theories in social psychology: the theory of planned behavior and dual process theories of persuasion. On the basis of these theories we construct a preliminary conceptual model on group model building effectiveness and address its practical applicability for research on PSM

Energy Transition Dynamics; Understanding Policy Resistance in the Dutch Energy System

Contains fulltext : 127511pre.pdf (preprint version ) (Open Access)Various countries seek to establish an energy transition, a structural change towards a more sustainable energy system. Countries implement a combination of energy policies aimed at establishing an energy transition, but these policies frequently result in unintended negative consequences. This study provides an attempt to unravel the complexity of the Dutch energy transition. We present a model of the Dutch energy transition, showing its various components and their interrelations. The model is based on eight group model building workshops in which a total of 96 stakeholders in the Dutch energy transition participated. In each workshop, a variety of stakeholders engaged in the collaborative construction of a model that explains the current progress of the energy transition. In this paper, we aggregate these eight models into one overarching model, which we lay out step by step. The model shows how technological, ecological, social, economic, and political aspects of the energy transition influence each other either directly or indirectly. We discuss several policy implications, with a focus on reducing unintended negative consequences.32nd International Conference of the System Dynamics Societ

Mapping the multicausality of Alzheimer's disease through group model building

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex, multicausal disorder involving several spatiotemporal scales and scientific domains. While many studies focus on specific parts of this system, the complexity of AD is rarely studied as a whole. In this work, we apply systems thinking to map out known causal mechanisms and risk factors ranging from intracellular to psychosocial scales in sporadic AD. We report on the first systemic causal loop diagram (CLD) for AD, which is the result of an interdisciplinary group model building (GMB) process. The GMB was based on the input of experts from multiple domains and all proposed mechanisms were supported by scientific literature. The CLD elucidates interaction and feedback mechanisms that contribute to cognitive decline from midlife onward as described by the experts. As an immediate outcome, we observed several non-trivial reinforcing feedback loops involving factors at multiple spatial scales, which are rarely considered within the same theoretical framework. We also observed high centrality for modifiable risk factors such as social relationships and physical activity, which suggests they may be promising leverage points for interventions. This illustrates how a CLD from an interdisciplinary GMB process may lead to novel insights into complex disorders. Furthermore, the CLD is the first step in the development of a computational model for simulating the effects of risk factors on AD.Neuro Imaging Researc

The impact of group model building on behaviour

Contains fulltext : 178390pos.pdf (postprint version ) (Open Access) Contains fulltext : 178390.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)Group model building refers to a process of building system dynamics models with decision makers, experts, and other stakeholders. Involving stakeholders in building system dynamics models has a long history going back several decades (Andersen, Vennix, Richardson, & Rouwette, 2007). In early studies participants were mainly asked to participate in order to bring their knowledge into the modelling process, contributing insights and data that often cannot be found in other data sources. Later it was recognised that clients who have an active role in setting the focus of a modelling project and building the model are likely to understand and accept results. A series of studies has addressed the impact of group model building on changes in participants’ knowledge and behaviour. Single case studies, going back to the 1960s, describe how a particular group of participants work on a specific problem, the insights that emerge and whether or not results were implemented. Recently these cases studies were contrasted and analysed in review papers. The general conclusion from these reviews is that group model building does lead to changes in knowledge and behaviour, but much remains unclear on the underlying mechanism. Modelling engagements focus on messy unstructured situations, and at the start of a project it is not clear which information is relevant for understanding what is going on. By jointly developing a model, a consistent picture of the situation gradually emerges. How model construction changes participants’ insights, and when and how participants translate insights into actions, are questions that researchers have begun to address. Group model building research has gradually shifted from a focus on changes in participant behaviour after the modelling project, to behaviour in modelling sessions

Facilitated modeling in strategy development: measuring the impact on communication, consensus and commitment

Contains fulltext : 95244.pdf (postprint version ) (Open Access) Contains fulltext : 95244_1.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)9 p

Enduring feedback

Contains fulltext : 177724pre.pdf (preprint version ) (Open Access) Contains fulltext : 177724pub.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)The central question in the paper by Morecroft (2017) is whether ‘structure drives behaviour’ also holds over a long time period, or, in other words, whether feedback structures shaping trends endure over time. Morecroft revisits a model of the oil industry originally developed in the late 1980s and, changing only initial parameter settings, concludes that the model is able to represent recent developments. The Limits to Growth model is another example of a feedback structure that can explain behaviour over decennia. The finding that feedback structure is enduring is good news for system dynamicists and increases our confidence in one of the field’s central assumptions. This paper discusses the modelling effort described from two perspectives: the process leading up to the final model structure and the wider implications of models that address long term real life problems, in particular for the field of system dynamics

Hoe kies ik een plek in de onderzoeksruimte?

Contains fulltext : 82547.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access