43 research outputs found
Higher education provision for students with disabilities in Cyprus
Internationally, the number of students with disabilities entering higher education institutions is on the rise. Research estimates that 8ā10% of students attending higher education are registered with disability, with learning difficulties being the most commonly reported disability. Widening participation in higher education has been supported by legislative changes, inclusive education practices, the use of ICT and accessible facilities and programs and, ultimately, an increasing belief among students with disabilities that higher education maximizes their opportunities for employment and independent living. Within the Cypriot context, research on disability, access and provision in higher education is limited. This study was a part of a large-scale study (PERSEAS) funded by the EU. From the original sample, 15 students attending private higher education institutions in Cyprus reported disability (i.e., sensory impairment, dyslexia, physical disabilities) and were selected for focus group discussions. Also, interviews and focus groups were conducted with the Headmasters and teachers, respectively, in 10 private higher education institutions. This study yielded interesting results regarding the current state of provision (e.g., concessions for exams and assignments, infrastructure, teaching modification, counseling services) as well as issues of social inclusion, equality of opportunity and entitlement to education
Young people's involvement in service evaluation and decision making
This study examined young peopleās decision making on issues that affect their life, i.e., bullying, across different contexts (eg, family, peer, school) and involvement in evaluating the availability and effectiveness of services for young carers, young people with disabilities and their families. Key aims of this study were to offer young people a platform to evaluate existing services and make recommendations towards their improvement and to discuss ways of tackling bullying at school. Focus groups were formed with 54 young people who had experienced challenges due to bullying, learning difficulties / disabilities, and caring responsibilities for family members with disabling conditions, and discussions about services and decision making on issues that affect their life were facilitated. The findings point to a sense of agency in young peopleās life with regard to evaluating and negotiating services and offering suggestions for their improvement within their family and peers. However, in their view, their decisions regarding bullying exerted limited influence within the school context. These results raised interesting issues about young peopleās capacity to evaluate services and the contextual influences on their involvement in decision making
Young peopleās educational aspirations : psychosocial factors and the home environment
Utilising data from Understanding Society (2010ā2013), this study examined the contribution of young people's psychosocial and background factors and home environment to their educational aspirations in the UK. Young people's general well-being and self-efficacy emerged as good predictors of their educational aspirations as did some aspects of their home environment. Interestingly, filial dynamics such as emotional closeness to parents and cultural capital (e.g. participating in cultural events, discussing books) were better predictors of 10ā15-year-oldsā aspirations than were more school-driven parentāchild interactions (e.g. homework, extra-curricular activities). Furthermore, the findings from this study showed no shortage in young people's educational aspirations although interesting demographic trends emerged with certain groups (i.e. preadolescents, males) being less aspirant than middle adolescents and females. These findings have significant implications for family and educational policy, especially with regard to āraising aspirationsā and reducing early school leaving and, also, for reconsidering the role of the home environment as a web of emotionally and intellectually charged relationships between parents and children rather than an extension of the school day. Finally, discussions on young people's educational aspirations should not be polarised but informed by notions of opportunity (structure) and what young people make of it (agency)
Assessing the foundational studies on adverse childhood experiences
This article critically reviews the foundational studies carried out by Felitti in the US and Bellis in the UK and their colleagues examining the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and adult health and morbidity. These studies have paved the way for much research on childhood adversity and its impact on child development and brain functioning at a family level. ACEs have gained traction in the UK in terms of policy targeting dysfunctional families through early intervention to stop the intergenerational effects of adverse childhood experiences. This article questions the foundational research that argues for family-level, parent-based intervention, especially in light of substantial evidence about the biological embedding of poverty and the direct links between disadvantage and child development. It also hopes to raise awareness about the contested nature of ACEs and their growing influence on family policy
Practices of parental participation : a case study
The nature of parental participation in children's education is changing rapidly. A growing body of research points to the positive effect that parental involvement has on outcomes of schooling and on children's well-being. This paper examines parental participation practices in terms of parents working together with a range of professionals, exchanging knowledge and information regarding their child's SEN, challenging practices, and negotiating SEN provision. The parents in this study exercised agency - that is, they showed resilience and took initiative, within a context of shared responsibility and accountability, and advocated for their child's right to educational provision. This paper argues for a strengths-based approach towards enabling active parental participation and advocacy
Setting for English and Maths : 11 year olds' characteristics and teacher perceptions of school attitudes
As a way to raise attainment, schools are encouraged to form ability groups across classes for particular subjects. There is limited evidence however about the relationship between setting and primary school childrenās characteristics and how teachers perceive them. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between set positioning for English and Maths and teachersā perceptions about 11 year oldsā behaviour and school attitudes and future education goals, and childrenās psychosocial and cognitive characteristics and background through secondary data analyses of the fifth sweep of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS). The study employed binary logistic regression analyses and revealed strong associations between set positioning and teacher perceptions of 11 year oldsā behaviour and attitudes and future education goals. Associations between set position and teacher perceptions of childrenās identity as learners were stronger than those for childrenās self- reported attitudes and behaviour. Also, family income and gender emerged as strong predictors of childrenās position in sets. Set positioning is not a neutral act; it has implications about childrenās personal agency and their identity as learners
The National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth : evaluation of the summer school 2003
An evaluation was carried out of the second year of functioning of the National
Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) with an emphasis on the summer
schools as experienced by the students, their parents and the course leaders. The
evaluation included pre and post questionnaires sent to students and their parents,
as well as interviews with students and course leaders. Specifically, a pre-summer
school experience questionnaire was sent to students and a post-summer school
questionnaire was sent to both students and parents. Also, a sample (n=87) of
students who had responded to the first questionnaire were interviewed at the end of
the three-week period at all five sites to obtain their views on the summer school
experience. Finally, 26 of the 28 course leaders involved were interviewed during the
third week of the summer school
Vulnerable young people and postā16 educational aspirations during Covidā19
This study used a longitudinal, probability sample survey, Understanding Society Covidā19, to examine young people's postā16 educational aspirations at the height of the Covidā19 pandemic, with a particular emphasis on four vulnerable groups (namely, young carers; Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic young people; young people with longāterm illness and disability; and people with internalising and externalising behavioural difficulties). The findings from this study showed young carers and young people with health conditions to be less likely to choose A levels, despite reporting roughly equal levels of school engagement and schoolārelated support. The Covidā19 pandemic has laid bare the obstacles often faced by young carers and young people with preāexisting health conditions and behaviour difficulties. It is hoped that the findings will contribute to debates about social care and education and will have implications for public policy and action, especially as public services are under enormous strain and are less likely to reach those who need them most