Children’s Well-Being in Primary School: Pupil and School Effects [Wider Benefits of Learning Research Report No. 25]

This study investigates pupil and school effects on children’s well-being between the ages of 8 and 10. We found that most children experience positive well-being in primary school. However, one in five children suffers from either declining or consistently low well-being during these years. This subset is most likely to be male, low achieving, and from poorer backgrounds. Our research also shows that it is children’s individual experiences, such as interactions with teachers, bullying or friendships, and their beliefs about themselves and their environment, which mainly affect their well-being, rather than the type of school they attend. Although we find that school-level factors have relatively little effect, on average, there are small, but significant, differences between schools which are explained by factors such as school disadvantage and school ethos

Determinants of aspirations [Wider Benefits of Learning Research Report No. 27]

Aspirations vary for different sections of the population both in terms of parents’ educational and occupational goals for their children and the ambitions of the young people themselves. In this report, we review the current research literature across a range of disciplines to set out these differences and consider how educational and career aspirations are formed and developed in response to different environments and circumstances. We also examine the extent to which aspirations are related to eventual outcomes and discuss the implications for current policies and practices. Research indicates that aspirations begin to be shaped early in a child’s life, but are modified by experience and the environment. Aspirations tend to decline as children mature, in response to their growing understanding of the world and what is possible, and to constraints imposed by previous choices and achievements. This decline is particularly marked for those facing multiple barriers. Girls, young people from minority ethnic groups and those from higher socio-economic backgrounds tend to hold higher aspirations than their counterparts. Parents from these groups also tend to have higher aspirations for their children. Conversely, socially disadvantaged groups such as teenage parents tend to have low aspirations for themselves and for their children. In general, those who have, or whose parents have, high aspirations have better outcomes, even when taking into account individual and family factors, but this is not a universal effect. For some groups, high aspirations do not lead to higher achievement. In particular, there is a gap between educational aspirations and achievement for young people from some minority ethnic groups and a gap between girls’ occupational aspirations and career attainment. Practical and attitudinal barriers to the formation of high aspirations are evident. Financial constraints may limit some groups’ access to opportunities and enabling resources such as computers and private tuition. Equally, some individuals are limited by earlier achievement and choices such as leaving school or becoming a parent at a young age. But attitudes are also important. Young people who believe they have the ability to achieve and who attribute their success to hard work, rather than luck or fate, tend to have higher aspirations than their peers. The early years of a child’s life are a key time in the formation and development of aspirations. During this time, parents may need support to overcome both attitudinal and practical barriers to high aspirations. Schools can play a part in maintaining and realising ambitions, and the support they provide becomes more important when family resources are limited. Later, young people need easy access to advice and guidance and the involvement of professionals or volunteers – for example in a mentoring role – when necessary. Involvement in positive activities may also provide important socialising experiences that encourage high aspirations

Parenting behaviours and children's development from infancy to early childhood: Changes, continuities, and contributions [Wider Benefits of Learning Research Report No. 22]

This study investigated how children and parenting behaviours change from infancy to early childhood, how parenting influences concurrent and future child development, and whether parenting itself is affected by and responsive to child development. We also investigated whether individual indicators of socioeconomic status moderate (i.e., strengthen or weaken) these associations. Our results showed that mothers with higher levels of education provided more interactive and engaged parenting. Parenting behaviours were also related to both concurrent and future child outcomes. However, different aspects of parenting behaviour had varying effects and, while some had more immediate impact, the positive effects of others only manifested themselves over a period of time. Some of the relationships were also moderated by socioeconomic factors. Maternal education had a particularly marked effect on the relationship between parenting behaviour and child development. In general, the effect of parenting was stronger (i.e., more positive) for children of mothers with low levels of education

The importance of social worlds: an investigation of peer relationships [Wider Benefits of Learning Research Report No. 29]

In the following report, we investigate the developing social worlds in late primary school, exploring the patterns in children’s general peer relationships, their closer and more significant friendships and bullying behaviours. Using cluster analysis, we identify unique groups of children characterized not only by their experiences of bullying and victimization, but the support and satisfaction they receive from their friendships and interactions between the ages of 8 and 10. We also expand past research by examining how children’s early development (ages 3 to 4) may predict their later designation as bullies and/or victims, and whether peer clusters relate to children’s contemporaneous and later adjustment

The impact of pupil behaviour and wellbeing on educational outcomes

A review of previous literature suggests that wellbeing and learning are associated with one another; however, there is less information on how multiple dimensions of wellbeing together predict later changes in educational outcomes for children and teenagers. The simultaneous examination of different dimensions of wellbeing across primary and secondary school will help clarify their relative importance during the key stages of schooling. This project examines how various dimensions of children’s wellbeing are associated with their educational outcomes, including a review of relevant literature and an analysis using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

Family stressors and children's outcomes

The research reported here aimed to identify:1.which family stress factors and parental behaviours were associated with worse outcomes for children at age 7 andwhich factors helped children to succeed2.whether stressful life events experienced at different periods of childhood were associated with worse outcomes in adolescence.Differences in children’s outcomeshave been shown to emerge early in life, and to be linked to both family circumstances, such as social disadvantage, and parenting behaviours, such as parenting style and activities with the child. Both these aspects of a child’s environment are important for their early cognitive and emotional development. But it is not clear whether these early differences, and the factors associated with them, persist up to age 7. Previous research has also shown that stressful life events are associated with worse outcomesfor children. However, it has not previously been possible to explore whether particular life events are especially detrimental, whether they impact across different sorts of children’s outcomes(educational, social etc.), and whether the effects of early childhood events persist into adolescence. In order to target interventions, it is clearly important to understand which family circumstances are significant for child wellbeing at different ages, and how that varies across outcomes. A range of children’s outcomeswere examined using data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). At age 7, these were verbal cognitive skills, non-verbal skills, maths skills, Key Stage 1 (KS1) attainment and behavioural difficulties. For teenagers, the following outcomes were explored at age 13-14: Key Stage 3 (KS3) attainment; emotional, behavioural, social, and school wellbeing; and Key Stage 4 (KS4) results at age 16. Key findingsA wide range of family background factors and parental behaviours are associated with children’s outcomesat age 7. These tend to be the same factors that are important at earlier ages, and include parenting behaviours, family structure andsocio-economic position of the family.Family poverty, child disability and the child’s mother having higher qualifications are consistently associated with children faring respectively worse (poverty and disability) and better (higher maternal qualifications) across all five age 7 outcomes, holding other factors constant.No other factors are associated with all five outcomes.Different aspects of family background matter for different outcomes.Children can experience a range of stressful life events. Extreme stressful events, such as homelessness, victimisation or abuse, can have long-term effects on children’s outcomes

Lived experiences of diverse university staff during COVID-19: an examination of workplace wellbeing

Survey research has evidenced the work-related stresses reported by higher education staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, with indications that some groups may have been more vulnerable than others. However, for the most part, this research has not taken into account individuals’ intersecting identities and their circumstances, which are likely to influence the strategies which are best placed to support their wellbeing. This qualitative study contributes to this area of research through an examination of workplace wellbeing for diverse professional and academic staff, providing a more in-depth understanding of their lived experiences during the pandemic. Data were 36 open-ended questionnaires and 20 interviews from diverse academic and professional staff, in terms of their intersecting gender, sexual and ethnic identities; age; job role and grade scale; caregiving responsibilities and disability status, at a large UK public research university. Using inductive thematic analysis, the findings support key influences identified in the quantitative studies but also highlight new themes such as the salience of ethnic, religious and gender identities and anxiety and trauma from the pandemic. The findings further emphasise the importance of the organisational infrastructure to support staff welfare. Evidence-based, workplace strategies are offered to address the key findings. Overall, our study highlights the importance of providing targeted support and acknowledging the traumatic experiences of university staff during crisis situations and underscores how equity, diversity and inclusion are key considerations for wellbeing practices and policies in the workplace

Research helps address ethnic disparities in degree awards

There is a gap in degrees for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students at UK universities. This is often referred to as an ‘attainment gap’, as if the students were responsible for the inequality. However, many systemic factors – including institutional structures, racism and discrimination – contribute to student success. Leslie M Gutman and Fatima Younas describe their research to create positive change

Barriers and enablers to the moderation of self-harm content for a young person’s online forum

BACKGROUND: Self-harm amongst young people in the United Kingdom is higher than in other European countries. Young people who self-harm are often reluctant to seek professional help, turning increasingly to the internet for support, including online forums. There are concerns about misinformation or harmful content being shared, potentially leading to self-harm contagion. Moderation of online forums can reduce risks, improving forum safety. Moderation of self-harm content, however, is an under-researched area. AIMS: Using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW), this study examines the barriers and enablers to moderation of self-harm content and suggests behaviour change techniques (BCTs) to address barriers. METHOD: Qualitative interviews with 8 moderators (of a total of 16) from the UK’s leading young people’s support service for under 25s, The Mix, were conducted. RESULTS: Thematic analysis identified eleven enablers, four barriers and one both an enabler and a barrier. Barriers included emotional exhaustion, working with partial information, access to timely support, vagueness within the guidelines and influence of community users. BCTs selected included increasing social support through a moderation buddy. CONCLUSIONS: Optimisation strategies focus on increasing the support and level of information available to moderators and could be considered by other organisations providing similar services