This book synthesises research on very early language learning in pre-primary organised instruction settings such as kindergarten, nursery or afternoon classes. Using a framework of ecological development, it investigates the nested systems in which very young learners operate, the other agents involved in each of these systems and the influence…

One potentially fruitful application for human capital analytics is to support policies and practices that might reduce undesirable teacher turnover. Teacher turnover can be harmful to student achievement and faculty cohesiveness and can exacerbate teacher shortages. This article describes an attempt to build a human capital analytics tool to help…

In 1969, the Stonewall riots in New York City marked the launch of the liberation movement for the LGBTQ+ community. In the years that followed, the fight for equal rights and inclusion has permeated society, the court system, professional settings, and academic institutions. The role of colleges and universities, particularly historically black…

Teacher turnover is an issue of national significance and has worsened since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teacher-directed violence and teacher turnover can significantly impact school life for students, staff, and communities. Using Wang and Degol's school climate framework, we examined school characteristics that contribute to…

School choice policy in China aims to achieve educational equity by limiting school choice. Synchronous Admission Reform (SAR hereafter) is a recent school choice reform in China, which continues to limit parents' autonomy and strengthen the equal distribution of school resources. This study explores Chinese middle-class parents' (n = 21) justice…

School climate is comprised of experiences of school life that reflect norms, values, relationships, teaching practices and systemic structures. A student's perception of school climate can be impacted by individual-level (race and gender), school-level (school socioeconomic status, school size, and schoolwide practices), and district-level…

BACKGROUND: Affirming spaces have been associated with improved mental health outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) adolescents. METHODS: With data from adolescents currently enrolled in middle or high school across the United States, this study used topic modeling methods to examine students' reports of…

Ireland's cultural identity has transformed significantly in the past few decades as a result of large-scale inward migration. Consequently, the creation of culturally responsive school environments has become a major concern in policy discourses in recent years. Despite the prevalence of such discourses, research on the cultural responsiveness of…

Background: Bullying is widely acknowledged as one of the most harmful events in a child's life, leading to negative life experiences and outcomes. However, 'school effects of bullying' are rarely studied from an international perspective, especially with international large-scale data. Purpose: In this study, we aim to look at bullying through an…

Background: Schools are well recognised as critical contexts for the promotion of mental health and well-being and offer the potential to reach a large number of children at an early age, at a time when they are developing important attitudes and behaviours that may influence their future health. Ensuing from a number of large-scale…

Despite significant advances in STEM education and a growing emphasis on gender equality in research and policy circles, women across Europe remain under-represented in STEM careers and among graduates majoring in STEM related fields. This report aims to consolidate current research findings, policy analyses and best practices in relation to…

This paper examines the agency of international students in the context of university transformations in post-Soviet Ukraine. Conflict-driven political, social and economic changes in the country have laid the groundwork for the redesign of institutional policies related to the internationalization of Ukraine's higher education. However, it is not…

Counselors are a common school resource for students navigating complicated and consequential education choices. However, most students have limited access to school counselors. We study one of the largest U.S. policies to increase access to school counselors -- California's Supplemental School Counseling Program. The program increased the average…

Research suggests that the limits of teacher autonomy are defined by educational policies. Educational policies, however, are driven by political culture. This study examines the relationship between teacher autonomy and political culture and how this relationship varies with teacher and school characteristics. Using the "2011-2012 Schools…

In the last six years, Chile has carried out major reforms in school climate policy. However, these reforms are tied to two different realities that conflict with each other: a formative reality, which promotes a school climate of local decision-making and the improvement of school performance; and a punitive reality, which prioritizes improvement…