Easy and difficult maths problems – and why language matters

Easy and difficult maths problems – and why language matters

by | Emerging Researchers' Group, NW 24 Mathematics Education Research

As soon as we receive a task, we judge it, whether mentally or verbally. Is it interesting, boring, easy, difficult, or worthwhile? In school, teachers and students handle a large number of tasks every day, so it is unsurprising that they do the same.

For example, when  looking at the maths problems below, can you immediately tell which ones you find easy and which you would find more difficult to solve?

Three maths problems are shown. 350 + 120 769 + 858 444 - 111

If you were then asked to sort each addition problem according to its difficulty into the following table, could you solve the task, or would you hesitate?

A piece of paper with a line drawn down the middle. On one side of the line is a simple drawing that resembles a feather or perhaps a stalk of wheat. On the other side of the line is a simple drawing of two circles joined by a line, that resembles a dumbbell.

This sorting task is commonly used in German primary schools. Let’s take a closer look at it, and at the linguistic level of its illustrations. At first glance, the teacher may think this is a simple task, but when considered more closely, it is clear that understanding the task depends on the level of students’ experience, especially those new to the language of instruction, i.e., non-native speakers.  

In this blog post, I’d like to expand on the situational and linguistic factors that influence how a student may perceive the difficulty of a maths problem – beyond their basic mathematical abilities. 

Are there objective or subjective categories in mathematics teaching?

According to mathematics educators, the difficulty of math problems depends on how much effort students have to put into solving each problem, which again depends on their mathematical abilities (Rathgeb-Schnierer & Green 2015), and even diagnoses such as dyscalculia and other learning disabilities.

With this in mind, let’s look again at the maths problems above, how students might perceive them, and how educators might react to students who struggled with the task. Did you find them easy or difficult to solve?

350 + 120 – this task should be easy, given that you understand the decimal place value system. You can add the tens and the hundreds separately without having to carry, and each number is comparatively small.

References in the illustration: Torbeyns&Verschaffel (2013), Baroody (1984), 

Situational factors that affect mathematics understanding

Your judgement of a task’s difficulty might also depend on other factors. Maybe you spent the last weeks working only on subtraction problems, so they seem a little easier right now. Maybe your favourite number is eight, so you enjoy calculating with numbers that contain an eight, which makes the second problem the easiest for you. Perhaps the person next to you received the worksheet earlier, and after watching them calculate, none of the problems are difficult for you anymore. Maybe you want to impress your teacher by showing that you can solve all of the problems, even though they are difficult.

Your mathematical knowledge and familiarity with certain calculation strategies is only one factor that might affect how you solve maths problems. Equally important is your current situation and your relationship with the people you solve the problems with and for.

Whether you use the table to sort the problems as expected also depends on whether the task and the symbols were explained properly.

Linguistic factors that affect mathematics understanding

Whether the table above left you at a loss probably depends on how familiar you are with the German translations of ‘easy’ and ‘difficult’: ‘Leicht’ and ‘schwer’.

These words are often illustrated using drawings in the picture above of a feather and a dumbbell. These symbols are based on a second meaning of the German terms. ‘Leicht’ can also mean ‘light’ in the sense of weight, as illustrated by the feather. ‘Schwer’ can mean ‘heavy’, as illustrated by a dumbbell.

The task is to put the problems you find easy in the left column with the feather and the problems you find difficult in the right column with the dumbbell.

This example of a task observed in a German primary school classroom shows the relevance of language in mathematics classes – and how unexpected it can sometimes be. Without the linguistic explanation, there is no way of logically concluding which column to use for the easy and which for the difficult problems. Trying to find a logical connection between the terms and the symbols might even be misleading.

For example, you might consider the difficulty of a task to be its complexity and apply this to the illustrations. In that case, you might find the dumbbell symbol (which only consists of three lines) a lot less complex than the feather symbol. Consequently, you would sort the easy and difficult problems opposite to the task’s intention. Your only chance to use the table as intended would be to guess. But if you guessed wrong (and you have a 50% chance to do so), that would not be indicative of either your linguistic or mathematical abilities.

Especially when working with a student who is new to the language of instruction, we teachers, teacher assistants, or peers may be quick to assume students’ mistakes are due to a lack of linguistic understanding. We might even believe they didn’t receive proper mathematics education in their previous school.

Conclusion

There is more than mathematics and mathematics learning going on in mathematics lessons. We are often not aware of linguistic aspects, even in tasks and phrases we use every day, that are not explained sufficiently, even by translating.

All students face the challenge of handling these linguistic and situational aspects, but they may be especially confusing to those who have only recently joined a class in a new country, a new language, or a new culture. 

Can you think of an example of ambiguous terms or tasks in your native language? Do you also use the differentiation between ‘easy’ and ‘difficult’ maths problems in your schools? 

Key Messages

  • Beyond the actual learning of mathematics, situational and linguistic aspects are relevant when students are working on a task
  • Any of these aspects can influence whether a maths problem is perceived by the student as easy or difficult. Not understanding the maths problem, therefore, does not unambiguously point to a level of mathematical ability
  • Certain aspects of language can be open to interpretation, such as when using images. We need to be aware of this and take more care when using everyday tasks and phrases that might cause confusion.

Alexandra Dannenberg

Research Assistant and PhD candidate, Kassel University, Germany

Alexandra Dannenberg is currently a research assistant and PhD candidate at Kassel University, Germany, and the graduate school InterFach. She studied primary education in the subjects mathematics, German as a first language, and natural & social sciences. During her studies, she discovered her interest in education research and began her current position in primary education research shortly after graduating. In her doctoral studies, she focuses on the relevance of language in primary school mathematics classroom interactions. Her general research interests are power relations in education, educational disparities, and institutional discrimination.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Baroody (1984): Children’s Difficulties in Subtraction: Some Causes and Cures. In: The Arithmetic Teacher, 32, 3, pp. 14-19. https://www.jstor.org/stable/748349?seq=1&cid=pdf-reference#references_tab_contents

Rathgeb-Schnierer & Green (2015): Cognitive flexibility and reasoning patterns in American and German elementary students when sorting addition and subtraction problems. In: Proceedings of CERME 9 – Ninth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education, pp. 339-345. https://hal.science/hal-01281858/document

Torbeyns&Verschaffel (2013): Efficient and flexible strategy use on multidigit sums: a choice/no-choice study. In: Research in Mathematics Education, 15, 2, pp. 129-140. https://doi.org/10.1080/14794802.2013.797745

Peer review in the era of generative AI models: An ethical call

Peer review in the era of generative AI models: An ethical call

by | Emerging Researchers' Group, NW 11 Educational Improvement and Quality Assurance, NW 9 Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement

The emergence of generative AI models, such as ChatGPT, is significantly impacting various facets of society, including research and academia. Given their ability to generate human-like text based on input data or prompts, generative AI models have profound implications for the academic community. These implications entail ethical and societal challenges within the peer review process, raising questions about the potential role of such models (Schintler, McNeely and Witte, 2023).

As a reviewer, I believe that it is my responsibility to highlight and discuss these critical and timely ethical concerns. Thus, while acknowledging the potential benefits of using such models for academic purposes, this blog post aims to highlight the caveats of using such models in peer-reviewing, and some of their potential pitfalls. This, in turn, emphasises the fundamental need for clearly shared and regularly updated ethical guidelines that ensure the healthy use of such models in academia.  

Can generative AI assist or replace expert reviewers?

How much of AI is too much?  This raises the ethical dilemma: should generative AI assist or replace expert reviewers? To address such fundamental questions, we should first acknowledge that AI, like any technology, is designed to increase the productivity of professionals, not necessarily replace them.

To begin with, generative AI (GAI) can assist reviewers, particularly those for whom English is not their first language, in producing clear and concise reports in less time. For instance, generative AI tools, such as editGPT, have the potential to save time in assessing text readability; tasks that are less intellectually demanding (Checco et al., 2021). I therefore believe it is acceptable for expert reviewers to use generative AI to streamline the review process, while emphasising the necessity of checking the report accuracy.

The pitfalls of AI in the peer review process

Generative AI models are typically unable to offer recommendations based on the latest research findings in the dynamic and complex field of education. The expertise of human peer reviewers is generally beyond the capabilities of generative AI models, which lack the required domain knowledge and intellectual capacity, at least in the foreseeable future. These limitations may have serious implications where GAI models typically provide general comments that lack critical content about the concerned manuscript (Donker, 2023); this means the lack of proper improvement recommendations with the possibility of the manuscript being unjustly dismissed.   

Generative AI models may produce reviews that contain ethical concerns and biases. AI algorithms risk copying and/or possibly expanding human biases (Schintler, McNeely and Witte, 2023). An example of one ethical consideration, which even human reviewers may not fully adhere to, is the importance of respecting the authors’ perspective and not converting their manuscript into that of the reviewers. AI might make recommendations that do not really respect or consider the authors’ perspective enough. This could potentially result in humans being responsible not just to fellow humans but also to machines (Schintler, McNeely and Witte, 2023). Reviewers equally need to be aware of caveats such as breaching the confidentiality of the manuscript under review, as generative AI models may use or share the original ideas as part of their machine-learning processes (Mollaki, 2024). These ethical issues clearly highlight a call for the wise use of unfolding AI technology.

Effective GAI Implementation

We acknowledge that GAI technology is developing at a fast pace (Checco et al., 2021), so it is not easy to predict its exact capabilities. Accordingly, we might witness the emergence of generative AI models that address some of the above ethical concerns. Therefore, it is the collective responsibility of all involved in knowledge production (authors, reviewers, editors, academic supervisors) to continually review and update the scientific community, as well as society members in general, on best practices for using generative AI in academia.

Peer reviewers have an ethical duty to uphold their full responsibility and resist the temptation to simply delegate the job to generative AI models. While researchers importantly advocate for policies that govern the use of AI in peer review (Mollaki, 2024), I do believe that it is, first and foremost, an ethical responsibility that should be central to the review process, with clear repercussions for those disregarding these fundamental ethics.

Thus, this blog post, following Facer and Selwyn (2021), advocates for a ‘non-stupid’ optimism that acknowledges the limitations of using digital technologies in academia. This necessitates that the dialogue be positioned within continuous academic discussions and research on reliable and ethical AI-powered peer review. All those involved in advancing educational research need to ensure that ethics is at the heart of the knowledge production process; otherwise, the integrity of the entire process would be compromised.

Key Messages

  • Generative AI models like ChatGPT have critical implications for academic peer review.
  • Expert reviewers play a crucial role in maintaining the quality and integrity of the peer review process.
  • Generative AI should complement, not replace, human judgment and expertise in academia.
  • Continuous review and dialogue are necessary to ensure ethical and effective use of AI in peer review.
Dr Ayman Hefnawi

Dr Ayman Hefnawi

Mathematics Instructor, ADVETI, UAE

Ayman Hefnawi holds a Doctor of Education from the University of Bath, United Kingdom, and a master’s degree in educational leadership and management from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom. Additionally, Ayman serves as a reviewer for educational journals and maintains memberships in various academic associations

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ayman-Hefnawi 
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ayman-Hefnaw 
https://twitter.com/aymanhefnawi 
https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0002-7744-6997 
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57315619100 

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Checco, A., Bracciale, L., Loreti, P., Pinfield, S. and Bianchi, G., 2021. AI-assisted peer review. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8(1), pp.1-11. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-020-00703-8

Donker, T., 2023. The dangers of using large language models for peer review. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 23(7), p.781. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(23)00290-6/fulltext?rss=yes

Facer, K. and Selwyn, N., 2021. Digital technology and the futures of education: Towards ‘Non-Stupid’optimism. Futures of Education initiative, UNESCO.

Mollaki, V., 2024. Death of a reviewer or death of peer review integrity? The challenges of using AI tools in peer reviewing and the need to go beyond publishing policies. Research Ethics, p.17470161231224552. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17470161231224552

Schintler, L.A., McNeely, C.L. and Witte, J., 2023. A Critical Examination of the Ethics of AI-Mediated Peer Review. arXiv preprint arXiv:2309.12356. https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.12356

How theory matters in feminist posthumanist new materialist research

How theory matters in feminist posthumanist new materialist research

by | NW 13 Philosophy of Education, NW 33 Gender and Education

We are four researchers at various career stages who share an interest in how feminist posthumanist new materialisms (FPNM) matters in our research, pedagogy and lives. This blog explores what FPNM theory offers educational researchers and gives examples how we have employed this in our research.

I came to theory desperate … to comprehend- to grasp what was happening around and within me
bell hooks

Teaching to Transgress - Education as the Practice of Freedom

Feminist posthumanist new materialist theory

Educational researchers and doctoral students are expected to have and/or use a conceptual or theoretical framework. From a FPNM perspective, this presumption presents some concerns: one, concepts and theories are not pre-existing things, ‘out there’, waiting for us to ‘apply’ them to a pre-existing question or problem; and two, it tends to hide how frameworks shape, define and mould research and researchers in particular ways. However, some researchers have worked with theory as a means to disrupt and defamiliarize dominant practices and categories (Ball, 1995; Lather & Smithies, 1997; Cannella, 1997; Butler, 1990/2006). In FPNM research, theory is an emergent material, practical, political, and relational practice entailing a socially engaged and situated mode of producing knowledge (Coole & Frost, 2010). Taking inspiration from the philosophy of immanence in which concepts are ‘invented’ and  continually ‘created anew’ (Deleuze & Guattari, 1994), from posthumanist work which emphasizes the pluralization of ontology beyond the human (Braidotti, 2019; Bennett, 2016), from post-species work (Haraway, 2016), and from reconceptualizations of theory as a material-discursive practice (Barad, 2007; Jackson & Mazzei, 2012), FPNM puts theory to work as a move against human-centric objective mastery. In FPNM,  theory is an emergent, embodied, processual practice of knowledge-ing (Taylor, 2021) where theory always materializes in entangled acts of living-researching-becoming.

Working with theory; Living theory

Ahmed (2017) sees theory as doing more the closer it gets to the skin. FPNM theories have the potential to intersect with work in Black Studies (Sharpe 2016, McKittrick 2021), feminist Latina studies (Morega & Anzaldúa, 2021) and Indigenous and decolonising methodologies (Tuhiwai Smith, 2021). In these intersections, theory and practice intertwine with stories of land, body, pain and hope, where the materiality of theory lives in the flesh connecting past, present, futures. Thinking with Multiverse and Pluriverse suggests a range of possible realities exist simultaneously rejecting the notions of fixity and universality (Fairchild, 2023). Therefore, FPNM enhances our capacities to theory’s intimate entanglement with materiality; living FPNM theory highlights the multiplicities of the here-and-now, the past-present and the yet-to-come, encouraging researchers to consider how power and boundaries are constituted and how we may re-imagine different ways of mattering. Living theory is an ethico-onto-epistemological commitment in FPNM research, it informs and is immanent to everything we do, prompting us to question: ‘Who has the power to bring/use/talk about theory’, ‘What theory might become and do after white western humanism?’ ‘How might theory move to attend to new modes of living, doing and knowing?’

Shiva: Materialising the lived experiences of racial harassment

Lived theory in my forthcoming article emerged with hair/her stories of British-Bangladeshi Muslim schoolgirls of my research (Zarabadi, forthcoming 2024). In this article, I focus on the assemblages that hair affectively enables or constrains and the new and different relations that hair produces. I explore material moments when boundaries between human and more-than-human bodies, stories and experiences fade and ‘hairy assemblages’ of pain, injustice, resistance and hope emerged. With posthumanising hair and hair/her stories, I think with hair as lived theory and method, not only to matter with what matters for Muslim schoolgirls, but also to relocate the analytical frame of thinking and researching educational environments and practices towards multiple and untracked material experiences (Zarabadi 2022). Hair as affective agential actants in life stories of Muslim schoolgirls can enable or constrain their bodies and everyday educational embodied and embedded lived experiences into different ‘racialising assemblages’ (Weheliye, 2014). Entangling with hair/her stories as lived theory is a response to Hartman’s call “to tell a story capable of engaging and countering the violence of abstraction” (2008, p. 7).

Anna: Reading, thinking, doing, articulating theory

“Overwhelmingly, theory is bodily, and theory is literal. Theory is not about matters distant from the lived body; quite the opposite”, writes Haraway (2004, p. 68). A particular day in my teaching career awakened awareness for how bodily theories can be. When doing theories in teaching, we, student-teachers and myself, were reading and discussing materiality. Nyhus (2013) writes about how much time young children spend tied up in chairs, waiting. To challenge the student teachers’ relations to theories about materiality, I fastened the bodies of the student-teachers loosely to their chairs with ropes. Before fastening each one, I asked for permission. Those who were not attached volunteered to help untangle their fellow students, if needed. With the student-teachers consent to remain sitting tied in this way, unable to touch each other and their things, I continued with a short lecture. Our bodily affects and reactions created many discussions about ethics and professional practice, and became something the student-teachers referred to when discussing other theoretical aspects regarding practices with young children later on. Both bodies and language is “the effect of articulation” (Haraway, 2004, p. 105), and through the session theory became articulated bodily.

Nikki: The spaces of theory

Space as living theory requires an attention to materiality and time; space is created and modified by techniques, material objects, historical happenings, and social production (Santos, 2021). Living theories call for educators to be aware of their role in the constant transformation of space and how techniques materialise the political nature of learning. Pedagogies of mattering in higher education open up spaces of possibility for students to co-construct reading lists and lecture content and support the redesign of curriculum and assessment. Paying attention to classroom environments considers how power materialises in/as inclusion or exclusion (Gravett et al., 2021; Fairchild et al., 2024). Taking students on field trips can help them understand the challenges of accessing outdoor environments and support them to connect this to their developing education practices (Fairchild, 2021). These examples focus on the power of spaces and how attention to materiality produces new possibilities for thinking otherwise. Space, place and time are contingent and pedagogical, opening up opportunities for students/educators to create their own praxis.

Carol: Living theory with objects-bodies-spaces

Thing theory (Bennett, 2010) enacts the ontological presumption that things are not inert, dead and passive but are ‘vibrant matter’ with agentic capacities. Things’ liveliness produces actions, affects and interventions, and things also act in congregation with other objects, humans, animals, atmospheres, the weather etc. Focusing on things in classrooms brings to the fore the material agency of mundane, everyday objects’ and how their entanglement in educational practices produces inequalities, exclusions and differential matterings. For example, I analysed gender and power via the liveliness of a chair, a pen, a whiteboard and a T-shirt (Taylor, 2013), classroom exclusions and  tables (Taylor, 2017), and bags and string to reconceptualize participation and feminist praxis in research (Taylor et al., 2019; Taylor 2022a). Recently, I have developed ‘posthuman object pedagogies’ as a research practice of ‘thinking with things as a means of thinking with theory’ (Taylor et al., 2022b, p. 206), and used arts-based approaches to consider what doors do as barriers and enablers in educational spaces (Taylor et al., 2023).

Living theory for better futures

A passionate question animates how we four work with, and embody, the living theory of FPNM: ‘What sorts of knowledges and knowledge-making practices in educational research do we need to produce different modes of being-knowing-doing so we can resist anthropocentric modes of research based in extractivism and exploitation?’ Living FPNM theory is concerned with ways to live, think, research, work, and care in relation with other human-nonhuman bodies, things, environments, and planetary systems. Living FPNM theory is a research praxis aimed at producing more curiosity, more attentiveness, more relationality, more kindness: it entangles us materially in human-nonhuman lifeworlds that affects us making us feel something. It changes the way we think, creating a more capacious, inclusive and affirmative sense of what educational research can be and what education can become.

Notes: The figures in this blog have been composed of from images we have used in our work, apart from one of these images which was taken from Vogue Mexico: The Climbing Cholitas, 2019, Directed by Yumna Al-Arashi, https://vimeo.com/367077642 Accessed 1 May 2024.

Key Messages

• To conceptualize theory as an emergent material, practical, political, and relational practice entailing a socially engaged and situated mode of producing knowledge.

• To re-think our ethico-onto-epistemological practices as an embodied mode of living theory emergent in and through response-able acts of living-researching-becoming.

• To consider about how feminist posthumanist new materialist (FPNM) theory enables us to move and attend to new modes of living, doing, teaching, researching and knowing.

• We suggest that working with theory/ living theory changes not only the way we think, but creates a more capacious, inclusive and affirmative sense of what educational research can be and what education can become.

Professor Carol A. Taylor

Professor Carol A. Taylor

Professor of Higher Education and Gender in the Department of Education, University of Bath

Professor Carol A. Taylor is Professor of Higher Education and Gender in the Department of Education at the University of Bath where she leads the Reimagining Education for Better Futures research group. Carol’s research focuses on the entangled relations of knowledge, power, gender, space and ethics in higher education and utilizes trans- and interdisciplinary posthumanist and feminist materialist theories and methodologies. Carol co-edited the journal Gender and Education for 7 years (2016-2023), and currently serves on the Editorial Boards of Teaching in Higher Education, Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning and Journal of Posthumanism. Her latest books are J. B. Ulmer, C. Hughes, M. Salazar Pérez & C. A. Taylor (Eds.). (2024) The Routledge International Handbook of Transdisciplinary Feminist Research and Methodological Praxis; Fairchild, N., Taylor, C.A., Benozzo, A., Carey, N., Koro, M., & Elmenhorst, C. (2022). Knowledge Production in Material Spaces: Disturbing Conferences and Composing Events. London: Routledge; and Taylor, C. A. and Bayley, A. (Eds.) (2019) Posthumanism and Higher Education: Reimagining Pedagogy, Practice and Research. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Dr Nikki Fairchild

Dr Nikki Fairchild

Associate Professor in Creative Methodologies and Education at the School of Education, Languages and Linguistics, University of Portsmouth.

Dr Nikki Fairchild is an Associate Professor in Creative Methodologies and Education at the School of Education, Languages and Linguistics, University of Portsmouth. Her research is theoretically informed by critical feminist materialist, posthumanist, and agential realist theory. She employs creative methodologies to disturb knowledge production and relationality by entangling materiality, gender, place-spaces, time, temporality and (early) childhoods. She is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Posthumanism and on the Editorial Boards of Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, Norland Educate Research Journal, and Gender and Education.  Her latest book is Fairchild, N., Taylor, C.A., Benozzo, A., Carey, N., Koro, M., & Elmenhorst, C. (2022). Knowledge Production in Material Spaces: Disturbing Conferences and Composing Events.  Routledge.

Dr Anna Moxnes

Dr Anna Moxnes

Associate Professor, Department of Early Childhood Teacher Education (ECTE), University of South-Eastern Norway

Anna Rigmor Moxnes, PhD, is Associate Professor at the department of Early Childhood Teacher Education (ECTE), University of South-Eastern Norway and works as educator in pedagogy and mentoring. Her recent research-projects are ‘Children and animals relationships’, ‘Mentoring’ and ‘Teaching slowly’. She is inspired of feminist new materialism and post-human theories.
Her latest book is Moxnes, A.R., Wilhemsen, T., Øvreås, S.,Santan, M.O. & Aslanian T.K. (2022).
Barnehagelærerutdanning i endring – å forske på egen praksis i høyere utdanning.
[Early Childhood Teacher Education in Change - research on own practice in higher education].
Universitetsforlaget.
Dr Shiva Zarabadi

Dr Shiva Zarabadi

Dr Shiva Zarabadi holds a Ph.D. in Education, Gender, Feminist New Materialism and Posthumanism from UCL Institute of Education. Her research interests include feminist new materialism, posthumanism and intra-actions of matter, time, affect, space, humans and more-than-humans. She uses walking and photo-diary methodologies to map relational materialities in ordinary practices. She is the co-editor of the book Towards Posthumanism in Education: Theoretical Entanglements and Pedagogical Mappings (Routledge) and the author of ‘Bodies of Walking: Trans-Materializing the Experiences of Racial Harassment’ in Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies and ‘Watery assemblages: the affective and material swimming-becomings of a Muslim girl’s queer body with nature’ in Australian Journal of Environmental Education.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Ahmed, S. (2017). Living a Feminist Life. Duke University Press.

Ball. S. J. (1995). Intellectuals or Technicians? The Urgent Role of Theory in Educational Studies. British Journal of Educational Studies, 43(3), 255-271. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3121983

Barad, K. (2007) Meeting the Universe Halfway. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Bennett, J. (2010). Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of Things. London: Duke University Press.

Braidotti, R. (2019). Posthuman Knowledge. Polity Press.

Butler, J. (1990/2006). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge.

Cannella, G. S. (1997). Deconstructing Early Childhood Education: Social Justice and Revolution. Peter Lang Publishing.

Coole, D., & Frost, S. (2010). New Materialisms: Ontology, Agency, and Politics. Duke University Press.

Deleuze, G., & Guattari, F. (1994). What is philosophy? Verso Books.

Fairchild, N. (2021) Pedagogies of place-spaces: walking-with the post-professional, PRACTICE [online first]. https://doi.org/10.1080/25783858.2021.1968279

Fairchild, N. (2023). Multiverse, Feminist Materialist Relational Time, and Multiple Future(s): (Re)configuring Possibilities for Qualitative Inquiry. Qualitative Inquiry [online first]. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004231176753

Fairchild, N., Gravett, K., & Taylor, C. A. (2024). Pedagogies of Mattering in Higher Education: thinking-with posthumanist and feminist materialist theory-praxis. In J. Bustillos Morales & S. Zarabadi (Eds.), Towards Posthumanism in Education: Theoretical Entanglements and Pedagogical Tracings (pp. 123-136). Routledge.

Gravett, K., Taylor, C. A.,  & Fairchild, N. (2021). Pedagogies of mattering: re-conceptualising relational  pedagogies in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education [online first]. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2021.1989580

Haraway, D. J. (2004). The Haraway reader. Routledge.

Haraway, D. J. (2016). Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene. Duke University Press.

Hartman, S. (2008). Venus in Two Acts. Small Axe: A Caribbean Journal of Criticism, 12(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1215/-12-2-1

hooks, b. (1994). Teaching To Transgress (1st ed.). Routledge.

Jackson, A. Y., & Mazzei, L. (2012). Thinking with Theory in Qualitative Research: Viewing Data Across Multiple Perspectives. Routledge.

Lather P.A., & Smithies, C. S. (1997). Troubling The Angels: Women Living With HIV/aids. Routledge.

McKittrick, K. (2021). Dear Science and Other Stories. Duke University Press.

Morega, C., & Anzaldúa, G. (2021). This bridge called my back: writings by radical women of color. 40th anniversary edition. SUNY Press.

Nyhus, M. R. (2013). Ventebølger. Venting og de yngste barnas rom for medvirkning i barnehagen. [Waiting-waves. Waiting and the youngest childrens room for participating in Kindergarten.] Fagbokforlaget.

Santos, M. (2021). The nature of space. Duke University Press.

Sharpe, C. (2016) In the Wake: On Blackness and Being. Duke University Press.

Taylor, C. A. (2013). Objects, bodies and space: Gender and embodied practices of mattering in the classroom, Gender and Education, 25(6),  688–703. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2013.834864

Taylor, C. A. (2017). Rethinking the empirical in higher education. International Journal of Research and Method in Education, 40(3), 311–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2016.1256984

Taylor, C. A. (2018). Edu-crafting posthumanist adventures in/for higher education: A speculative musing, Parallax, 24(3), 371-381. https://doi.org/10.1080/13534645.2018.1496585

 Taylor, C., Fairchild, N., Elmenhorst, C., Koro-Ljungberg, M., Benozzo, A., & Carey, N. (2019). Improvising Bags Choreographies: Disturbing Normative Ways of Doing Research. Qualitative Inquiry, 25(1), 17-25. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800418767210

Taylor, C. A. (2021). Knowledge matters: Five propositions concerning the reconceptualisation of knowledge in feminist new materialist, posthumanist and postqualitative approaches. In K. Murris (Ed.) Navigating the Postqualitative, New Materialist and Critical Posthumanist Terrain Across Disciplines: An Introductory Guide. Routledge.

Taylor, C. A., Tobias-Green, K., Sexton, J., & Healey, J. (2022a). Regarding string: A theory-method-praxis of/for co-compos(t)ing feminist hope. Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology. 13(2), 47-73. https://doi.org/10.7577/rerm.4910

Taylor, C. A., Hogarth, H., Barratt Hacking, E., & Bastos, E. (2022b). Posthuman Object Pedagogies: Thinking with Things to Think with Theory for Innovative Educational Research, Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry. 14(1), 206–221. https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/cpi/index.php/cpi/article/view/29662/21668

Taylor, C. A., Albin-Clarke, J., Broadhurst Healey, K., Hogarth, H., Lewis, Z., Pihkala, S., Smith, S., Cranham, J., Latto, L. (2023). What do doors do? Door storyings, matterings, adventurings and commonings. Qualitative Inquiry[online first]. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004231196184

Tuhiwai Smith, L. (2012). Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples (2nd Ed). Zed Books Ltd.

Weheliye, A. G. (2014). Habeas Viscus: Racializing Assemblages, Biopolitics, and Black Feminist Theories of the Human. Duke University Press.

Zarabadi, S. (2022). Watery assemblages: The affective and material swimming-becomings of a Muslim girl’s queer body with nature. Australian Journal of Environmental Education 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1017/aee.2022.39

Zarabadi, S. (Forthcoming 2024). ‘Hair-ing and haring: Post (auto) theoretical more-than-human entanglement with hair/her/stories of Muslim schoolgirls’, Gender and Education SI: Gender, Feminisms and the ‘Posts’: Contemporary Contestations, New Educational Imaginaries & Hope-full Renewals.

COVID-19 pandemic and the mental health and well-being of secondary school children

COVID-19 pandemic and the mental health and well-being of secondary school children

by | BERA, NW 14 Communities, Families, and Schooling in Educational Research

This blog piece discusses the main findings from a research project funded and supported by York St John University and Liverpool Hope University into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Our research suggests that the pandemic and associated restrictions and disruptions exacerbated an already serious situation for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing (Wood, Su and Pennington, 2024)

The study

To gain an understanding of young people’s wellbeing, it is essential to access the views of young people themselves (The Children’s Society, 2022).

A National Health Service (NHS) study in the UK shows that before the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing numbers of children and young people were experiencing poor mental health and wellbeing (Newlove-Delgado et al., 2022). Our research drew on the views of young people about the development of factors conducive to their wellbeing and mental health in school and the sorts of factors that enable this.

A qualitative multi-method research design was used, consisting of an online questionnaire survey (n=605) and follow-up focus group interviews (n=16). The research took place in three secondary schools in one local authority area in England. Year 9 and Year 10 students aged between 14 and 15 years from these schools participated in the study.

The study addressed the following questions: to what extent has the Covid-19 pandemic affected secondary school students’ mental health and wellbeing in England? What do students value most for their mental health and wellbeing in a secondary school context during the pandemic? What are the implications for the post-pandemic future?

Findings

The analysis evidenced the social and emotional impacts of a number of other factors too including anxieties about family members’ employment security, health and circumstances at home during the pandemic on young people’s mental health.

Significantly, transition back to in-person schooling brought its own challenges. One particular message that emerges from this study is that in the return to in-person schooling, the dominant emphasis on ‘catching-up’ to make good the learning loss, appears to have been too restricted and narrow and in need of an accompanying focus on: the restoration and regeneration of friendships and social bonds that lie at the heart of schools as communities and human flourishing; and sports/physical activity, arts and cultural pursuits .

The findings of the study show that the pandemic and associated restrictions had a detrimental effect on the lives of a very large proportion of the young people in our study, with a greater impact on girls than boys. From the analysis, the resilience and ability of the participants to ‘bounce back’ from the upheavals caused by the restrictions was apparent. However, for a significant minority, the adverse impacts on their mental health and wellbeing continue to affect their lives.

Findings suggest the Covid-19 pandemic had a bigger impact on girls than boys, for example:

  • The reported impact on daily life was greater for girls ( 85%) than for boys (71%)
  • The continuing impact was greater for girls (37%) than boys (24%)
  • Friendships were more adversely affected for girls (54%) than boys (34%)
  • More girls reported an adverse effect on mental health and wellbeing (55%) than boys (25%)
  • Fewer girls felt supported by school (64%) than boys (79%)

Due to the scope of our study, specific reasons for the gender differences were not established. However, our study does suggest that there is a need for a holistic response to young people’s mental health and wellbeing issues, which gives prominence to addressing the gendered impact and recognises the importance of friendships, social bonds, arts, cultural and sports activities as well as the more academic domains of schooling.

Wider implications – insights from experts in the field

Findings and implications from the research have been widely shared at a number of briefings with school senior leaders, children’s services agencies, youth work organisations, and other partners from the local authority area in which the research took place.

In addition, the findings are being used to inform the annual report of the local Director of Public Health. The principal dissemination event to discuss our study findings with national and regional stakeholder groups was the ‘Symposium on Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing’, which took place in York on 19th March 2024. At the Symposium event, important insights were shared by the following expert panel members.

Anne Longfield, Chair of the Commission on Young Lives, UK, argued there is a need for joined up services and cross agency working to support children’s education and mental health and an extended role for schools in their communities. She stated that ‘I, for a long time, have been a big proponent of schools being fully open to their communities and making their precious resources more accessible to children and families’.

Alison O’Sullivan, Chair of the National Children’s Bureau, UK, suggested that the social contract between schools, parents and children has broken down and stressed the importance of renegotiating the relationships between children and families, communities and schools. She also expressed that ‘evidence increasingly demonstrates that children and young people’s sense of belonging plays a decisive role in shaping their social, emotional and mental health outcomes’.

Charlotte Rainer, Coalition Manager at The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, UK, suggested two possible solutions – firstly, to increase early intervention support with dedicated funding; secondly, to create children’s mental health and well-being drop-in hubs in the community.

Dan Bodey, Inclusion Adviser, City of York Council, UK, observed that ‘school attendance has been significantly low since the Covid-19 pandemic particularly for children who have special education needs (SEN) and those who are on free school meals. In addition, the school exclusion rate has increased noticeably’. He also highlighted the importance of cross agency working to address these issues as part of post-pandemic recovery.

Conclusion

This study shows that the pandemic and associated restrictions had a detrimental effect on the lives of a very large proportion of the young people in our study, with greater impact on girls than boys. These effects have significant implications for the ways in which school and services develop their responses to the question of children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Key Messages

Overall, the principal insights affirmed the importance of:

·   responding to the continuing adverse effects on mental health and wellbeing for a significant minority of young people, taking account of the gendered nature of these impacts

·   ensuring young people’s voices are brought into decision making and policy formulation

·   easily accessible early help and support

·   inclusive educational practices to strengthen a sense of belonging for all children and placing children’s mental health at the heart of education provision.

·   an inclusive curriculum which focuses on the whole person rather than an overemphasis on academic achievement and high stakes assessment and testing.

Dr Margaret Wood

Senior Lecturer in Education at York St John University, UK

Dr Margaret Wood is a Senior Lecturer in Education at York St John University, UK. Her recent research and publications have explored the centralizing tendencies of much current education policy and its relation to community and democracy at the local level, and the development of academic practice in higher education.

Dr Feng Su

Associate Professor and Head of the School of Education at Liverpool Hope University, UK

Dr Feng Su is an Associate Professor and Head of the School of Education at Liverpool Hope University, UK. His main research interests and writings are located within the following areas: education policy, the development of the learner in higher education settings, academic practice and professional learning.

Dr Andrew Pennington

Post-doctoral researcher at York St John University, UK

Dr Andrew Pennington was a senior officer in two local authority education and children’s services departments. He is now a post-doctoral researcher at York St John University, UK. His main research interests are concerned with democracy, power and community engagement in the governance of schools.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

The Children’s Society (2022). The Good Childhood Report 2022. The Children’s Society. https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-09/GCR-2022-Full-Report.pdf

Newlove-Delgado, T., Marcheselli, F., Williams, T., Mandalia, D., Davis, J., McManus, S., Savic, M., Treloar, W. & Ford, T. (2022). Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2022. NHS Digital. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2022-follow-up-to-the-2017-survey

Su, F., Wood, M. and Pennington, A. (2024). ‘The new normal isn’t normal’: to what extent has the Covid-19 pandemic affected secondary school children’s mental health and wellbeing in the North of England? Educational Review. DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2024.2371836

Developing an EERA Network Identity – NW 20 through the years

Developing an EERA Network Identity – NW 20 through the years

by | 30 Years of EERA, NW 20 Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environments

EERA is celebrating 30 years in 2024, and as part of our anniversary celebrations, we have invited people who have been at the heart of the association to share their memories and reflections. In a series of blog posts, which will run throughout 2024, we will share those precious memories, from the people who helped foster the global EERA community.

In this blog post, Raimonda Brunevičiūtė reflects on the history of Network 20, Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environment.

My first experience with EERA and ECER was also my first experience with NW 20 Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environment. Back in 2004, NW 20, still in its third year of operation, stood out from other networks with clearly defined research boundaries, and therefore I immediately felt an affinity to it. Today, I would like to reflect on my 20 years of experience as its member and co-convenor.

NW 20 has never limited itself to only one area of education. From the intial two thematic presentation clusters in 2002/3, we have grown to cover over 15, most of them permanent.

NW 20 may have appeared to have no face of its own, but the network’s founders, link convenors John Willumsen, Pavla Polechova, and Manfred Bayer, and later co-convenors Tony Cotton and Maria-Angels Subirats de Bayego, were particularly supportive, encouraging, and committed to conveying to younger co-convenors the network’s innovative and intercultural approach. This was the network’s face – dynamic, constantly renewing, accepting, accumulating, and developing new ideas. Openness strengthened the network’s identity and helped to sustain the network and to compete with the great topic diversity of newly emerging networks.

The turnover of network presenters was not surprising –they moved between NW 20 and other networks, but the majority of them became the network’s permanent members. Some, after having been in other networks, came back – like children who bring back gained knowledge and innovation to their homes. That turnover led to a special introductory ZERO session, unique to NW 20. It was first organized at ECER2010 in Helsinki by John Willumsen and Tony Cotton as an Interactive Workshop for Presenters and Others. Since ECER2011, the Berlin ZERO session has gained a clear direction – “Developing the Network 20 Community”.

In 2014-2015, the founder and long-time link convenor, John Willumsen and the first NW co-convenors left the network. For a long time, only a few of the co-convenors were involved in the network: Christian Quvang, who became a link convenor, Carmen Carmona Rodriguez, and myself, Raimonda Brunevičiūtė, while the rest of the co-convenors were newcomers. Although most members had been in the network for a longer time, the question of the NW 20 identity arose again. In ECER2016 and ECER2017, the ZERO sessions of the Network focused on discussing its future activities. This prompted me to invite my colleagues Christian Quvang, Carmen Carmona Rodriguez, and Nijolė Petronėlė Večkienė to collect material on the network’s activity during 2004-2018, highlighting the features that define its general identity, and to encourage the participants of the ZERO session to reflect and describe the organizational culture of the NW 20. That was to be completed by ECER2019 in Hamburg.

Our investigation was based on the statement that each individual or organization has an aggregate of characteristics that make them recognizable and distinguishable from the others. When defining its identity and signaling it to various groups of society, an organization is creating its corporate image, organizational culture being one of its key elements. According to Handy, all organizational cultures may be classified depending on how the organizational culture is formed, determined, and managed (consciously or not) by organization managers of all levels. According to this classification, there may be four kinds of organizational cultures: power (or club), role, task, and person. The network convenors’ position and functioning are very important in this respect.

Cameron and Quinn proposed a universal model, where all organizational cultures are classified according to two dimensions of criteria: 1) flexibility, discretion, and dynamism versus stability, order, and control and 2) internal orientation, integration, and unity versus external orientation, differentiation, and rivalry. Four types of organizational culture are identified: a) hierarchy-oriented culture; b) market-oriented culture; c) clan-oriented culture; and d) adhocracy-oriented culture. In this respect, the activities of network members inside and outside the network contribute to the creation of its identity.

Hofstede designed a model of cultural dimensions, where organizations are understood as mini-societies with specific cultural and lifestyle structures. A culture is a collective programming of a person’s thinking and an aggregate of commonly accepted values. Hofstede identified five cultural dimensions that may be used to describe and compare individual cultures: Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism/Collectivism, Masculinity/Femininity, and Long-/Short-Term Orientation. Values form the stable core of the culture.

The first part of the ZERO session focused on the results of a retrospective survey content analysis and a generalized report on the topics (4) and activities of NW 20 during 2004-2018. During the second part, interactive discussion was used to define NW’s identity using the organizational models proposed by Cameron, Handy, and Hofstede.

The outcomes of the discussion on the experience of the previous years have shown that during the ZERO sessions, new members of the network become familiarized with the activity, history, and peculiarity of the NW 20, while its stable members reaffirm their relationship with the network, and all participants together discuss its future activities, preserving the axis of the identity and organizational culture of the NW 20.

As a result of this analysis, “The NW 20 topic tree” (5) was constructed, which is valuable for NW identity in the future. The diversity in the branches of this tree does not destroy or weaken, but rather nourishes and strengthens the trunk of the tree, wherein lie the core values of the network as a community – freedom, self-realization, and equal communication. 

At the conclusion of our research, the main features of NW 20’s identity were identified: the NW community is formed by a variety of people; we pay attention not only to differences or similarities, but what civic and humane values people share each other; we welcome different methodologies in research and practice in different fields of learning environment; the main idea which unites the NW 20 community – wide understanding of innovation and intercultural learning. 

Prof. Dr. Raimonda Brunevičiūtė

Prof. Dr. Raimonda Brunevičiūtė

Retired Professor of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania

Prof. Dr. Raimonda Brunevičiūtė is a retired Professor at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania. She is a member of the Lithuanian Educational Research Association (LERA) Board and the Lithuanian Classical Association (Societas Classica) Board.

Prof. R. Brunevičiūtė has been a member of EERA NW 20 since 2004 and has been co-convenor of the NW 20 since 2008.

She has  43 years of experience teaching at the University Department of Languages and Education, as well as in secondary school (gymnasium).  Her research interests focus on the history and didactics of teaching international classical origin terminology,  humanitarian fundamentals in professional education, intercultural and interprofessional communication.  

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A European Space for Educational Research and Dialogue

Past Secretary General of EERA, Professor Lisbeth Lundahl on the importance of EERA as an open and welcoming space for educational research and discourse.

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20 Years a-going – Reflecting on two decades with EERA

Past President, Professor Joe O’Hara takes a walk down memory lane to celebrate EERA’s 30th anniversary, and reflects on the developments and achievements of the organisation.

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Twenty years of participating in EERA’s 30 years

In this blog post, Professor Emeritus of Educational Sciences at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and previous EERA president, Dr Theo Wubbels reflects on his involvement in EERA over the years, and where the organisation’s future lies.

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My EERA story – from novice doctoral researcher to ERG Link Convenor

ERG Link Convenor Dr Saneeya Qureshi looks back on her journey, from her first conference, to her professional and personal growth with EERA, and the friendships made along the way.

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Establishing Network 27 – and trends in didactics of learning and teaching over the past decades

Professor Emeritus Brian Hudson on the establishment and development of Network 27, and the associated trends in didactics of learning and teaching over the past few decades.

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As part of our 30th anniversary celebration, Professor Raimonda Brunevičiūtė reflects on her EERA journey, and the development of Network 20, Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environment.

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Past reflections and future horizons

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Growing (with) EERA Network 14

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EERA’s first Secretary General and founding editor of the EERJ, Professor Martin Lawn, looks back at the sometimes rocky road of EERA, the developments into the organisation it is today, and considers where the journey should go next.

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To celebrate EERA’s 30th anniversary, Dr Gento takes a look at the activities of Network 11 to improve the quality of education, within EERA and in the wider educational research community.

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For the 30th anniversary celebrations of EERA, Dr Patricia Fidalgo reflects on her time as Link Convenor of the Emerging Researchers’ Group, and the joy this fulfilling role brought her.

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Developing the resilience of first-year students under martial law in Ukraine

Developing the resilience of first-year students under martial law in Ukraine

by | NW 10 Teacher Education Research, NW 5 Children and Youth at Risk and Urban Education, UERA

War traumatises everyone it touches, especially children and young people. The World Health Organisation has noted that at least 10% of people who have experienced traumaticevents as a result of armed conflict have had serious mental health problems (and 10% of them will have behaviours that interfere with their ability to function effectively). The aggravation of the military conflict in Ukraine has made it important to implement the project “Development of Resilience of First-Level Higher Education Students in the Context of the Military Conflict in Ukraine”, which was made possible by the Ukrainian Educational Researchers Association with the support of the European Educational Research Association.

This study was conducted at the Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education of the Dragomanov Ukrainian State University (Kyiv) at the beginning of the academic year 2022-2023. Students had started studying from a distance, not only in different regions of Ukraine, but also in other countries as refugees.

Why focus on first-year students in Ukraine?

In the current realities of Ukraine, first-year students at Ukrainian universities are at risk of deteriorating mental health. Former school leavers had not yet fully adapted to the challenges and restrictions of receiving educational services in the COVID-19 pandemic  [8; 15; 17], and the start of professional training again required a change in lifestyle, way of thinking, attitude towards themselves and others, in accordance with the requirements of the newly developing social situation [6; 9; 10; 11; 14]. And all this was happening against the backdrop of escalating military aggression by the Russian Federation, which was accompanied not only by a risk to life and health, but could also cause mental trauma or damage to basic structures of personality, starting with physiological reactions to stress, and ending with the general picture of the world and self-image [18].

After the first week of studying at the university under martial law, Ukrainian first-year students reported a deterioration in their mental health: symptoms of distress (asthenia, increased anxiety, lowmood, restless sleep, tension) and somatisation (headaches) prevailed. In some cases, this was combined with certain manifestations of anxiety (anxiety/panic attacks, fear of public embarrassment). More than half of the surveyed first-year students associated the deterioration of their mental health with their studies and the situation in Ukraine (52.1% and 66.2%, respectively) [2].

Why focus on resilience?

Adaptation to a difficult life situation, and overcoming and preventing negative consequences, is significantly influenced by the availability of certain personal resources. In this context, it is worth talking about resilience as a systemic element in the structure of a well-being personality, a positive mental state that leads to adequate adaptation in adverse circumstances. At the same time, resilience should be viewed as a resource that allows a person to choose the appropriate type of coping [13].

Resilience as a factor in maintaining mental health under martial law can be defined as an individual’s ability to return to normal functioning and to restore the previous state after a certain period of maladjustment due to stressful experiences[7]. It is also about the individual’s ability to prevent the emergence and exacerbation of psychological problems and dysfunctional disorders by “mitigating” the impact of the socio-psychological consequences of emergencies by actualising their own internal resources[3]. In other words, resilience should be viewed as a continuous, active process of emergence or development of new forces and resources for adaptation and recovery, which has uneven dynamics in the face of new risks [12].

According to the results of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), 38% ofUkrainian first-year students do not have the skills to maintain and support mental health, which is confirmed by their low levels of resilience [5]. Accordingly, these students have a reduced ability to influence a complex or atypical situation, lose their own resources, have difficulties in solving new challenges and issues of life, and have difficulties adapting.[16].

What contributes to preserving and restoring Ukrainian students mental health?

The structure of resilience includes three components:

  • cognitive – represented by such components as openness to experience, tolerance to uncertainty and positive thinking
  • emotional – involves emotional stability, emotional intelligence and extraversion
  • behavioural – search activity, prosocial behaviour [3].

In other words, if a person does not lose the ability to think flexibly in an objectively or subjectively difficult life situation, he or she is more likely to be able to regulate his or her emotional state and prevent a physiological stress response. Given an adequate emotional response, they will seek a constructive solution to the problem, including by seeking social support.

 The level of resilience of Ukrainian first-year students is closely related to the following components:

  • extraversion – orientation towards other people, connections with them, support
  • prosocial behaviour – orientation towards socially useful actions
  • emotional stability – orientation towards emotional self-regulation
  • openness to experience – orientation towards learning new experiences and skills

The level of resilience also depends on the complexity of the problems faced by the student [4].

How to develop first-year students’ mental health under martial law

The innate ability of a person to be more or less resistant to stress should not be underestimated. However, without either a spontaneous (by imitating the stress-resistant response of significant others and identifying with them) or specially–organised process of acquiring resilience skills, this may not be enough when the traumatic nature of the situation exceeds the individual’s inborn reserves to withstand its negative impact.

Therefore, a training programme on developing resilience in first-year students was developed to familiarise participants with a set of psychological tools that will help harmonise their self-image, self-concept and attitude to themselves; actualise and activate self-knowledge processes; and form emotional and behavioural self-regulation skills that will strengthen their psychological stability (resilience).

This training programme consists of six modules, each of which contributes to forming and developing important mental health competencies:

  • The ability to communicate, develop relationships with other people, and to seek social support
  • The ability to express their thoughts and feelings, focus their attention, and be empathetic to themselves
  • The ability to identify and build on their value orientations, understand the meaning of their lives
  • Positive thinking skills to strengthen self-confidence and increase their self-esteem
  • The ability to build mutual support and effective cooperation and nurture life-giving relationships
  • The building of skills for effective regulation of energy and emotions [1].

The programme was attended by 18 first-year students. 7 students took part in a one-day offline course, while the remaining 11 students were involved in two online psychological support groups and received training over a six-week period.

After participating in the scheme, 75% of the participants showed positive changes in their resilience, especially among the participants of the online psychological support groups. However, given the small number of students who had an objective opportunity to take the training in the harsh realities of Ukraine, it is worth talking about the need for further testing.

Activities to preserve and restore students’ mental health are ongoing. Elements of the training programme are used in the educational process in such disciplines as Psychological Counselling, Psychological Rehabilitation, Psychological Correction, etc. The training programme is also being actively implemented in the work of the Centre for Psychological Support and Social Adaptation at the Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education of Dragomanov Ukrainian State University.

Key Messages

  • At least 10% of people who experience traumatic events, such as the war in Ukraine have serious mental health problems
  • A project by the Ukrainian Educational Researchers Association and EERA was launched to support Ukrainian first-year students
  • The project focused on first-year students, as they were coping with the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the transition from school to professional training
  • Ukrainian students reported a deterioration in their mental health after the first week of studying at the university 
  • The EERA and UERA programme focused on building the resilience of Ukrainian students, to help them cope with the stress of studying during martial law
  • 75% of participants showed positive changes in their resilience after taking part in the programme
  • Futher activities to preserve and restore students’ mental health in Ukraine are ongoing
Dr Hanna Afuzova

Dr Hanna Afuzova

Associate Professor of the Department of Special Psychology and Medicine, Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education, Drahomanov University, Ukraine

Hanna Afuzova holds a PhD in Psychology and is an Associate Professor of the Department of Special Psychology and Medicine, Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education, Ukrainian State Drahomanov University (Kyiv, Ukraine)

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8112-8943

Researcher ID: HZI-0197-2023

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

  1. Afuzova, H. (Eds.). (2023). Rozvytok rezylientnosti zdobuvachiv pershoho rivnia vyshchoi osvity v umovakh voiennoho konfliktu na terytorii Ukrainy [Development of resilience of first-level higher education students in the context of military conflict in Ukraine]. Retrieved from URL Методичні рекомендації з розвитку резильєнтності – Google Диск [in Ukrainian].
  2. Afuzova, H. V., Naydonova, G. O., & Krotenko, V. I. (2022). Osoblyvosti psykhichnoho zdorovia pershokursnykiv na etapi adaptatsii do profesiinoho navchannia v umovakh voiennoho stanu [Features of The Mental Health of First-Year Students at the Stage of Adaptation to Professional Education Under Martial Law]. Habitus, 41, 278–273. https://doi.org/10.32782/2663-5208.2022.41.49 [in Ukrainian].
  3. Afuzova, H. , Naydonova, G. O., & Krotenko, V. I. (2023). Rezylientnist yak chynnyk zberezhennia psykhichnoho zdorovia v umovakh voiennoho stanu [Resilience as a factor in maintaining mental health under martial law]. Habitus, 53, 100–104. http://habitus.od.ua/journals/2023/53-2023/16.pdf [in Ukrainian].
  4. Afuzova, H., Krotenko, V., & Naydonova, G. (2023). Rozvytok rezylientnosti pershokursnykiv na etapi adaptatsii do profeisinoho navchannia v umovakh voiennoho stanu [Development of first-year students’ resilience at the stage of adaptation to professional training under martial law], Psykhichne zdorovia v umovakh viiny: shliakhy zberezhennia ta vidnovlennia: zbirnyk materialiv I Vseukrainskoi naukovo-praktychnoi konferentsii (z mizhnarodnoiu uchastiu) [Mental health in the conditions of war: ways of preservation and restoration: collection of materials of the First All-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Conference (with international participation)]. Kyiv, 5–8. [in Ukrainian].
  5. Afuzova, H., Naydonova, G., & Krotenko, V. (2023). A study of Ukrainian first-year students’ resilience at the stage of adaptation to training and professional activities under martial law. Studies in Comparative Education, (1), 4–13. https://doi.org/10.31499/2306-5532.1.2023.288413

  6. Androsovych, K. A. (2015). Psykholohichni chynnyky sotsialnoi adaptatsii pershokursnykiv v umovakh osvitnoho seredovyshcha profesiino-tekhnichnoho navchalnoho zakladu [Psychological Factors of Social Adaptation of Freshmen in the Educational Environment of a Vocational School]. (Candidate`s thesis). Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University. Severodonetsk. [in Ukrainian].
  7. Assonov, D., & Khaustova, O. (2019). Rozvytok kontseptsii rezyliiensu v naukovii literaturi protiahom ostannikh rokiv [Development of the concept of resistance in the scientific literature in recent years]. Psykhosomatychna medytsyna ta zahalna praktyka, 4(4), e0404219. https://doi.org/10.26766/pmgp.v4i3-4.219 https://uk.e-medjournal.com/index.php/psp/article/view/219 [in Ukrainian].
  8. Education and COVID-19: challenges and opportunities (2020). Retrieved from URLhttps://en.ccunesco.ca/idealab/education-and-covid-19-challenges-and-opportunities 

  9. Enes, R., & Tahsin, I. (2016). Coping styles, social support, relational self-construal, and resilience in predicting students’ adjustment to university life, educational sciences. Theory and Practice, 16(1), 187– https://doi.org/10.12738/estp.2016.1.0058

  10. Fryer, L. K. (2017). (Latent) transitions to learning at university: A latent profile transition analysis of first-year Japanese students. Higher Education, 73(3), 519– https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0094-9 
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    Past reflections and future horizons

    Past reflections and future horizons

    by | 30 Years of EERA, NW 8 Health and Wellbeing Education

    EERA is celebrating 30 years in 2024, and as part of our anniversary celebrations, we have invited people who have been at the heart of the association to share their memories and reflections. In a series of blog posts, which will run throughout 2024, we will share those precious memories, from the people who helped foster the global EERA community.

    Professor Venka Simovska, the first link-convenor of Network 8, Health and Wellbeing Education, and co-author of an EERA / Springer publication on wellbeing and schooling, thinks back on her years with EERA, the role of Network 8, and the new phase that EERA is entering.

    As we mark the 30th Anniversary of the European Educational Research Association (EERA), I reflect on the incredible journey since the establishment of Network 8, Health and Wellbeing Education, in 2010. As the first link-convenor of this network in the period 2010-2017, and a member of the convenor group since then, my experience has been both fulfilling and transformative, providing me with unique insights into the role that EERA plays in shaping the landscape of educational research and the community of educational researchers.

    Acknowledging the profound influence of education on the development and wellbeing of children and young people, and recognizing the interconnectedness between education and wellbeing, Network 8 was established to serve as a platform for researchers to engage in examining the complexities, tensions and ambiguities associated with health and wellbeing in schools. Our open and inclusive approach to research acts as a catalyst for collaboration crossing different disciplines and research paradigms, fostering critical examination of various conceptualizations, theoretical framings, and research methodologies related to school-based health and wellbeing.

    I have vivid memories of ECER in Berlin in 2011 where Network 8 had its first slot in the conference agenda. The invigorating atmosphere of that conference has stayed with me throughout the past years and, remarkably, has even intensified in subsequent conferences. Year by year, I have had the pleasure of reconnecting with colleagues from Europe and beyond and creating new connections in this dynamic academic community. Another strong trace in my reflections is ECER in Budapest in 2015, marked by the refugee crisis in Europe, and the sense of solidarity and activism that the EERA community demonstrated. Fast forward to ECER 2021, the landscape shifted dramatically as the conference was held online due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the physical disconnect, the virtual setting provided a meaningful platform for researchers to stay connected during extraordinary times.

    The following year, in a transition from the purely virtual experience, ECER 2022 was organized as a hybrid format. We were presented with the option to either travel to Yerevan or participate remotely. Carole Faucher, a distinguished member of the convenor group for Network 8, delivered a keynote in Yerevan. Her presentation addressed the global-local dichotomy in knowledge production, a topic that is a central focus of our network’s interests, and a theme we are dedicated to strengthening in the future. Finally, ECER 2023, hosted by the University of Glasgow, emerged as a milestone with a record-breaking number of participants. This resonated not only within Network 8 but across all EERA networks, highlighting the indispensable role of this research community on a global scale. In my view, this record-setting conference, as well as the evolving nature of ECER conferences, from the challenges of the refugee crisis to the adaptability demanded by a global health pandemic, underscores the resilience of the EERA community and its dedication to advancing research in the field of education.

    Furthermore, EERA’s commitment to developing educational research is distinct in its support and nurturing of more than 30 thematic research networks like Network 8. This not only enhances the quality and diversity of educational research but also contributes to the professional development of researchers at various stages of their careers. By prioritizing both established thematic networks and the promotion of emerging scholars, EERA contributes to the vitality, capacity, and quality of educational research in times marked by neoliberal societal tendencies that can be inhospitable to research in humanities and social sciences.

    Through its engagement in ECER, Network 8 has contributed to shaping fresh research agendas and fostering research cooperation. One significant outcome is manifested in the partnership with the Emerald Journal Health Education, resulting in several special issues portraying the state-of-the-art research in the field. One of the most recent collaborative research outcomes is the publication of the book “Wellbeing and Schooling: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives” in 2022 within the EERA Book Series by Springer. Co-edited by Ros McLellan, Carole Faucher, and myself, and with contributions from about 20 scholars from the network, this book revisits, challenges, and rearticulates taken-for-granted wellbeing conceptualizations, policies, and intervention frameworks.

    As I turn towards the future, reflecting on the challenges Network 8 has confronted and navigated over the years, in the domains of reviewing, publishing, presenting, and debating research—a clear appeal emerges for EERA to strengthen its commitment to explicit acknowledgement and incorporation of diverse ethico-onto-epistemologies in the research presented at ECER and other EERA practices. The historical influence of Eurocentrism, rooted in the dominance of Western perspectives, has shaped the trajectory of academic research, often marginalizing non-European ways of knowing. By embracing a broader spectrum of cultural, social, and indigenous knowledge systems, EERA can not only enhance the quality and relevance of research but also contribute to challenging entrenched power imbalances within academia. This is not just a matter of intellectual diversity; it is a dedication to fostering a truly pluralistic and democratic scholarly landscape.

    Marking three decades of existence, EERA is now entering a new phase characterized by maturity, resilience, accumulated experience, and a strong sense of community. As we celebrate this milestone, I am confident that EERA can be at the forefront of cultivating a research environment where diverse epistemological, ontological, methodological, and ethical perspectives are not only recognized but also celebrated, contributing to knowledges that reflects the richness of our global intellectual heritage. In embracing this transformative shift, collectively we can set the stage for a future where academic discourse is genuinely reflective of our complex, diverse and interconnected world.

    Professor Venka Simovska

    Professor Venka Simovska

    Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Copenhagen

    Venka Simovska is a Professor in School Development, Learning, and Wellbeing at the Danish School of Education (DPU), Aarhus University, located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her research interests lie at the intersection of educational theory, psychology, and health and wellbeing promotion in schools.

    Simovska‘s scholarly work is characterized by qualitative and plural research methodologies, embracing interpretive and (post)critical paradigms. She is currently leading a research project funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF), titled: “Paradoxes of Learning to be Well: Re-examining the Curriculization of Wellbeing” The project critically examines wellbeing discourses and practices in primary and lower secondary schools in Denmark.

    In addition to her research, Simovska has recently co-edited the book “Wellbeing and Schooling: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives” alongside Ros McLellan and Carole Faucher. This publication is part of the EERA Book Series – Transdisciplinary Perspectives in Educational Research published by Springer.

    The EERA Office – The view from within the spaceship

    Angelika Wegscheider explains what it is like to steer the ‘spaceship’ of the EERA office, the changes she has seen over the years, and the lessons she’s learned from her time with the organisation.

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    A European Space for Educational Research and Dialogue

    Past Secretary General of EERA, Professor Lisbeth Lundahl on the importance of EERA as an open and welcoming space for educational research and discourse.

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    20 Years a-going – Reflecting on two decades with EERA

    Past President, Professor Joe O’Hara takes a walk down memory lane to celebrate EERA’s 30th anniversary, and reflects on the developments and achievements of the organisation.

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    Twenty years of participating in EERA’s 30 years

    In this blog post, Professor Emeritus of Educational Sciences at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and previous EERA president, Dr Theo Wubbels reflects on his involvement in EERA over the years, and where the organisation’s future lies.

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    My EERA story – from novice doctoral researcher to ERG Link Convenor

    ERG Link Convenor Dr Saneeya Qureshi looks back on her journey, from her first conference, to her professional and personal growth with EERA, and the friendships made along the way.

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    Establishing Network 27 – and trends in didactics of learning and teaching over the past decades

    Professor Emeritus Brian Hudson on the establishment and development of Network 27, and the associated trends in didactics of learning and teaching over the past few decades.

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    EERA’s unique buzz – and the lessons I’ve learned

    Professor Emeritus Terri Seddon explains why the European Conference on Educational Research became her ‘first-choice’ academic conference, and worth the long-haul flights from her home in Melbourne. 

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    Experiences and benefits from collaborating in the international ethnography network

    Four long-term Network 19 members, currently serving as network convenors, share their stories and insights into what the network means to them.

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    Developing an EERA Network Identity – NW 20 through the years

    As part of our 30th anniversary celebration, Professor Raimonda Brunevičiūtė reflects on her EERA journey, and the development of Network 20, Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environment.

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    Past reflections and future horizons

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    Growing (with) EERA Network 14

    As part of our 30 years of EERA celebrations, Dr Joana Lúcio reflects on her time as Link Convenor of Network 14, and her professional and personal growth.

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    Pleasure, confusion, and friendship – 30 years of EERA

    EERA’s first Secretary General and founding editor of the EERJ, Professor Martin Lawn, looks back at the sometimes rocky road of EERA, the developments into the organisation it is today, and considers where the journey should go next.

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    Improving the quality of education – EERA Network 11 through the years

    To celebrate EERA’s 30th anniversary, Dr Gento takes a look at the activities of Network 11 to improve the quality of education, within EERA and in the wider educational research community.

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    Serendipity in Action: Being a link convenor for the ERG was a vibrant thread in the vast tapestry of my academic life

    For the 30th anniversary celebrations of EERA, Dr Patricia Fidalgo reflects on her time as Link Convenor of the Emerging Researchers’ Group, and the joy this fulfilling role brought her.

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    A Transformative Journey: Nurturing Emerging Researchers at the European Conference for Educational Research.

    In our blog series celebrating 30 years of EERA, Professor Fiona Hallett reflects on the sense of belonging within a supportive community of scholars.

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    Silent heroes – Celebrating Peru’s Early Childhood Educators in times of crisis

    Silent heroes – Celebrating Peru’s Early Childhood Educators in times of crisis

    by | BERA, NW 10 Teacher Education Research, NW 14 Communities, Families, and Schooling in Educational Research

    We are counsellors, we are nurses, we are legal helpers, even parish priests, we are multifaceted.

    Maria

    Leader/Teacher, Peruvian public school

    These are the words of a Peruvian public-school early childhood educator/leader, as she described how her role morphed into one of holistic accompaniment, not just to her young students, but to their families as well during the extended period of school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. They highlight one of the many challenges thrust upon a previously maligned and disenfranchised workforce in a moment of crisis, but much more than this, they offer us a glimpse into the lives of early childhood education(ECE) stakeholders in Peru during this period. 

    The Peruvian Context

    Life in Peru was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent social distancing requirements, which meant that education institutions were closed to in-person teaching for more than 18 months. Educational outcomes, whilst seeing an upward trend in the years leading up to the pandemic in terms of PISA scores, were still below the OECD average (OECD, 2018). The system was still considered to be struggling in terms of providing equal access to quality teaching and learning experiences as ‘poor, rural, indigenous girls are 91% more likely to be left behind in quality education than their wealthier, urban, non-indigenous peers’ (Alcázar et al., 2020, p12).

    Public school teachers are historically perceived as having low prestige and relatively low pay in comparison to other professions (Saavedra & Gutierrez,2020), a significant contextual consideration when we ponder the critical role they not only played in ensuring educational opportunities for children, but also in support and guidance for families.

    The challenges faced by early childhood educators

    Within this complex context, initial findings from my multiple case study doctorate research project, where semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents, leaders and teachers at four early childhood settings, suggest that early childhood educators across private, public, rural, and urban areas faced several significant challenges. These included increased workload burdens, adaptation to the use of technology, their own emotional well-being, connecting in meaningful ways with children, and dealing with the day-to-day uncertainty. And from the outset of the strict social distancing measures put in place, they were bombarded with the demands of work.

    If, for example, they did not have their child’s next call scheduled, or they didn’t know the questions to ask them, or they had a problem sending their evidence, there would be messages at midnight or at one in the morning… even at four in the morning, the phone rang. It didn’t matter if it was Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, the same. 

    Catalina

    Teacher, Peruvian public school

    Significantly, access to high-quality internet and devices in Peruvian homes is limited, so online lessons were not an option for many families. Instead, they relied on sending and receiving messages, usually via WhatsApp or SMS texts, which resulted in early childhood educators being the first point of call for parents, reframing their role in society.
    And our role was more emotional accompaniment for the families, not only with children, with families too
    Almudena

    Teacher, Peruvian public school

    If educators were able to connect virtually with children, they were faced with the challenges of adapting their pedagogical approach to foster relationships and engage young children through screens. A task that was initially faced by just the educators working in the private sector but soon by many in the public sector too.

    It has been a very difficult time. For me, as a professional, no? Because in spite of having made every effort to bond with my students, it’s a dehumanising process, you are in front of a computer and have no contact with them.

    Rosario

    Teacher, Peruvian private school

    Implications and conclusions

    This blog post, rather than endlessly listing the challenging circumstances faced by early childhood educators in Peru during the pandemic, seeks to draw attention to their resilience and achievements, providing a voice to those often overlooked in vulnerable communities.

    Resilience in educators was evident in the mere fact that ECE was able to be adapted and continued regardless of the extreme and unprecedented challenges faced. However, as Gu (2014) states, resilience in educators is not merely coping in the face of adversity; it encompasses a moral and vocational-like commitment to make a difference and support learning. Critical to this dedication was their ability to develop positive interactions with parents and foster supportive relationships with peers, as they shared online teaching practices and provided emotional accompaniment. These coping strategies are underpinned by collaboration, which was key in bringing the ECE community together, and ensuring the best outcomes for children.

    This has significant implications for the future as the relationships forged between parents and teachers, alongside the new professional and personal skills developed by teachers, can be vital in addressing learning gaps and bridging inequalities. In highlighting these issues, there is the potential for the profession’s low prestige in Peruvian society to be changed or at least challenged.

    Key Messages

    • Celebrating the efforts and dedication of early childhood educators during the pandemic provides a voice to those often overlooked in vulnerable communities
    • Resilience in educators includes a moral and vocational-like commitment to make a difference and support learning
    • The development of positive interactions with parents was critical, as was the fostering of supportive relationships with peers
    • The relationships forged, and the professional and personal skills developed by teachers during the pandemic, can be vital in addressing learing gaps and bridging inequalities.
    Tom Chalmers

    Tom Chalmers

    PhD Student at the University of Greenwich, UK

    Tom Chambers is an early career researcher studying a part-time PhD at the University of Greenwich, London. His research is focused on exploring the impact of the pandemic on the key stakeholders associated with early childhood education (ECE) in Peru. The research will not only have implications for educational policy and practice but also highlight the inequalities in accessing high-quality ECE in countries in the Global South.

    He has recently completed a two-year period of part-time volunteer work as a desk researcher with La Fundación Baltazar y Nicolás, a Peruvian NGO involved with supporting parents of young children in Peru. Tom is an experienced early years/primary educator and holds a Master’s in Education also from the University of Greenwich

    Twitter/X: @TomChambers1984 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tom-chambers1984 ORCID: 0009-0000-4439-9592

    Other blog posts on similar topics:

    References and Further Reading

    Alcázar, L., Bullard, M., &Balarin, M. (2020). Poor education and precarious jobs in Peru: Understanding who is left behind and why. Southern Voice, 64. https://southernvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Education-Jobs-Peru-Alcazar-Bullard-and-Ballarin-2020.pdf

    Gu, Q. (2014). The role of relational resilience in teachers career-long commitment and effectiveness. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 20(5), 502–529. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2014.937961

    OECD. (2018). Programme For International Student Assessment (PISA) Results From PISA 2018. In OECD COUNTRY NOTE. https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/PISA2018_CN_PER.pdf

    Saavedra, J., & Gutierrez, M. (2020). Peru: A Wholesale Reform Fueled by an Obsession with Learning and Equity. In F. M. Reimers (Ed.), Audacious Education Purposes: How Governments Transform the Goals of Education Systems. Springer.

    Peru: A Wholesale Reform Fueled by an Obsession with Learning and Equity | SpringerLink