British Educational Research Journal最新文献

Alternative provision (AP), in particular Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), have been criticised as a forgotten part of the education system, side-lined and stigmatised as somewhere only the very worst behaved pupils go. In response to this criticism, PRUs have now been academised to become AP Academies and new AP schools have been set up—AP Free Schools. A sample of 5 years of AP pupils sitting their GCSE examinations from 2016/17 to 2020/21 (N = 15,019) was used to compare the academic attainment of AP Free School pupils and AP Academy pupils. AP Free School pupils achieved 13.26% more capped GCSE points than AP Academy pupils, which increased to a difference of 18.65% when controlling for selection bias, suggesting that not only do AP Free Schools outperform AP Academies academically, but they do so with more disadvantaged pupils. However, this difference is equal to one grade in one GCSE subject and the national average score for ‘Attainment 8’ is 7.3 times higher than the average capped GCSE points of AP Free School pupils, such that pupils may fare better academically if they remain in mainstream education. The controlled disadvantageous pupil characteristics of being a looked after child (β = −1.67), being eligible for free school meals (β = −1.42), having special needs (β = −1.26) and being of an ethnic minority (β = −1.23) were found to be stronger predictors of capped GCSE points than AP type (β = 1.04) and are characteristics more likely to be found in pupils who are in AP as a result of exclusion. The superior academic performance of AP Free Schools over AP Academies is not sufficient to overcome the disadvantages faced by pupils excluded into AP. Permanently excluding should be a last resort and mainstream schools should work in partnership with AP Free Schools so that the relative strengths of both types of schools are leveraged in the interest of pupils at-risk of permanent exclusion.

The aim of this study is to obtain an overview of the literature on multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods in educational research, to map the literature, to identify existing knowledge and application areas, to reveal the methods used and their purposes of use, and to reveal the thematic structure of the field. This study followed a systematic review methodology covering 328 studies obtained from Web of Science, Scopus and ERIC databases. According to the findings of the study, the related literature has shown a significant growth trend in the last two decades. Although journals from various disciplines contribute to the literature, journals in the field of operations research and management science dominate the literature. Established methods such as AHP, TOPSIS and fuzzy AHP are the most commonly used. However, methods such as fuzzy DEMATEL, BWM, Delphi and fuzzy Delphi have been included in educational research in the last decade. Although crisp methods dominate the educational literature, fuzzy methods have been on the rise in recent years. In addition, hybrid approaches using more than one method have shown an increasing trend in recent years. The most common decision problematics in the literature are ranking, choice, description and sorting. While more than half of the literature focuses on higher education-level problems, the highest diversity of topics is seen in higher education. This study reveals 13 educational themes in the literature and performance evaluation is the leading topic. In addition, this study also reveals periodical changes of theme.

Racism is a shapeshifter that adapts to silence minoritised ethnic voices, unless it is continually made visible. Race research therefore needs continuous development to challenge pervasive racisms within schools, higher education and government policy. This virtual special issue, curated by the BERA Race, Ethnicity and Education Special Interest Group, is an overview of recent scholarship that highlights trends and the evolution of epistemologies and ontologies pertaining to race in education.

Powerful knowledge in school economics is conceptualised as the blending of economics knowledge arising from grasping threshold concepts with expressions of disciplinary thinking in terms of the powers or capabilities that this knowledge can provide to students who possess it. In this paper, I adopt this framework to explore what constitutes powerful disciplinary knowledge in school economics that empowers students with knowledge that takes them beyond their everyday knowledge and experiences. A qualitative research approach is employed, consisting of interviews and observations with school economics teachers, as well as focus group discussions with students. Thematic analysis is used to analyse the data. The findings further extend the theory of powerful knowledge to school economics, refining what constitutes powerful disciplinary knowledge in the subject and instigating a debate about what constitutes powerful disciplinary knowledge that enables young people to achieve epistemic access, thereby enhancing their human growth.

It is widely reported that teachers in their first 5 years of entering the profession are highly likely to leave their teaching positions. There have been many discussions on how to keep beginning teachers in the profession, mainly in Western countries. However, no such discourse exists on teacher retention in non-Western contexts, such as Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to extend Western literature to the Middle Eastern context by investigating the retention of beginning teachers in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Four hundred and sixty-six novice teachers were evaluated using the Teacher Retention Scale, which was developed on the basis of the four-capital retention model. The data were subjected to inferential statistics, such as structural equation modelling and multivariate analysis of variance. The results provide evidence that supports the four-capital model as an effective measure of teacher retention. Moreover, structural and psychological capitals were identified as significant predictors of human capital. The study suggests implementing targeted training programmes that would enable new teachers in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to transition smoothly into the profession.

Mental health disparities in STEM higher education are increasingly recognised as critical factors influencing academic success and student retention. This study investigates the interrelations among anxiety, depression, psychological maladjustment and self-efficacy in a sample of 711 Chilean higher education students enrolled in STEM programmes. Using robust regression models and cluster analysis, we examined the moderating effects of gender and field of study on mental health outcomes. Depression was significantly predicted by anxiety, psychological maladjustment and low self-efficacy. Gender differences were evident, with women and non-binary students reporting higher psychological distress. Field of study also influenced outcomes, with students in medical and health sciences exhibiting higher depression levels than those in engineering and technology. Cluster analysis identified three distinct psychological profiles: (1) resilient but struggling; (2) high-risk and vulnerable; and (3) well-adjusted and confident. These profiles demonstrate how gender and disciplinary context intersect with mental health and self-efficacy patterns. Findings highlight the need for differentiated equity-driven academic support strategies tailored to diverse student needs in STEM higher education. Academic self-efficacy emerged as a key protective factor against psychological distress. This study contributes to global debates on mental health equity in STEM and aligns with the principles of inclusive education and well-being outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The aim of the present study was to analyse how university students' achievement goals are associated with two distinct academic outcomes: academic performance and academic engagement (i.e., cognitive, affective and behavioural). Also, it investigated the potential mediating role of cognitive and metacognitive self-regulation learning strategies in these relationships. Participants in the study were 316 Romanian university students (70.3% female). Results showed that only mastery-approach goals had an indirect association with academic performance through the use of self-regulated learning cognitive strategies. Further, mastery-approach goals were positively related, whereas performance-avoidance goals were negatively associated with all three dimensions of academic engagement. Performance-approach goals were positively associated only with behavioural engagement. Moreover, students' use of self-regulated learning cognitive and metacognitive strategies significantly mediated only the relationships between mastery-approach goals and the dimensions of academic engagement. Findings are discussed in terms of educational implications, emphasising the contribution of self-regulated learning strategies and achievement goals in improving students' academic performance and engagement.

This study aimed to examine the mediating role of metacognitive writing strategies in the relationship between middle school students' self-regulation skills in the writing process and their writing anxiety. Using structural equation modelling, the data collected from 513 middle school students were analysed with advanced statistical techniques that allow analysing complex variable relationships. The study revealed that there was a significant negative relationship between self-regulation skills and writing anxiety. With the inclusion of metacognitive writing strategies in the model, the direct relationship between self-regulation skills and writing anxiety completely disappeared and the full mediating role of strategies was determined. Analyses by gender revealed that metacognitive writing strategies had a significant negative effect on writing anxiety in male students. While love of writing had a positive effect on self-regulation skills, it was concluded that mother's education level positively affected the awareness of metacognitive writing strategies. The findings of the study reveal the central role of metacognitive strategies in writing education and provide important information for pedagogical approaches to improve students' writing skills that take individual differences into account.

A sizeable literature investigating teacher test score value-added—the extent to which pupils make different rates of progress under different teachers—has emerged in the United States. While there is much interest in estimating teacher value-added in other countries such as England, progress has been limited by the lack of datasets linking teachers and pupils. We overcome this issue by drawing on internal assessment data from primary schools across two multi-academy trusts. Our results suggest that a substantial proportion of the progress primary pupils make in reading and mathematics occurs across (rather than within) the teachers to which they are assigned. There is, however, no clear evidence of teacher effects on attendance. Similar results are obtained using different model specifications and approaches. The paper concludes by clearly outlining some of the remaining challenges with estimating teacher value-added in England's primary schools, and the next steps that should be prioritised in this line of research.

This study engages student voice in Rwandan secondary schools as a mechanism for understanding factors influencing learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, attitudes towards learning these disciplines and pupils' future aspirations. Data were collected from a cohort of 409 students enrolled in 12 secondary schools, via student booklets. Findings from this study highlight the profound impact of both intrinsic and extrinsic elements on students' acquisition of STEM knowledge and their motivational orientation. The establishment of positive teacher–student relationships emerged as a pivotal theme supporting learning, complemented by the significance of classroom resources and students' self-discipline. Students also expressed a strong valuing of STEM education, correlating proficiency in these disciplines with personal success and contributions to the development of Rwanda. Additionally, the study elucidated students' suggestions for enhancing STEM education, underlining the imperative for improved resources and elevated teaching standards. Students further articulated aspirations spanning both professional and vocational trajectories, many related to STEM disciplines, aligning closely with a commitment to actively contribute to Rwanda's progress. The implications of this research encompass the need for enhanced teacher training in the affective dimension of pedagogy, greater investment in educational resources and facilities supporting both learning and well-being, promotion of the value and relevance of STEM subjects and access to career guidance which considers students' varied future goals. Lastly, the research underscores the immense value that can be gained from engaging student voice in the context of Rwandan secondary schools in informing education policy and practice.