The Lived Experiences of Queer* Teachers in İstanbul within the Scope of Institutionalized Heteronormativity and Neoliberal School Policies

Even though the challenges that Queer* employees face in the workplace because of their intersecting identities of gender, sexuality, race, and class continue to be one of the rarely studied topics in social sciences, there has been a resurgence of interest in recent years, concerning how Queer* teachers experience the conflation of their sexual and professional identities. Informed by the recognition that schools are one of the most representative prototypes of gendered organizations with their ever-adapting regimes of inequality, this study is motivated by the question of how Queer* teachers in İstanbul deal with the enduring institutionalized homophobia, which has only got worse in terms of its silencing and pathologizing mechanisms. Claiming one of the fundamental functions of schools to establish strictly heteronormative spaces of learning, where any form of gender nonconformity or sexual dissidence stands before disciplinary punishment or reprimand from other students and teachers, I have examined the current working conditions of Queer* teachers in İstanbul within the contexts of schools, which compel Queer* teachers to abide by their institutionalized rules and norms of compulsory heterosexuality. This study attempts to learn what kind of experiences Queer* teachers in İstanbul articulate regarding the conundrum of being forced into presenting themselves as non-sexualized and non-gendered professional figures, as neoliberal policies and capitalist expectations of a rigid separation between professional identities and personal lives of workers continue to negatively affect the occupational well-being of Queer* teachers. A careful analysis of the interviews has revealed that the Queer* teachers in İstanbul are burdened with the aesthetic labor they are constantly expected to perform due to the emergent neoliberal schemes of professionalism and that they suffer under closely monitoring mechanisms of heteronormative school policies and work climates.

Preserving rural school health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Indigenous citizen scientist perspectives from a qualitative study

<abstract> <p>This qualitative study is part of Smart Indigenous Youth, a digital health community trial involving rural schools in Saskatchewan, Canada. Secondary school administrators and educators were engaged as citizen scientists in rural Indigenous communities to understand rapid decision-making processes for preserving school health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to inform evidence-based safe school policies and practices. After COVID-19 restrictions were implemented, key informant interviews and focus groups were conducted with school administrators and educators, respectively, to understand the impact of school responses and decision-making processes. Two independent reviewers conducted thematic analyses and compared themes to reach consensus on a final shortlist. Four main themes emerged from the administrator interviews, and six main themes were identified from the educator focus group discussions which revealed a pressing need for mental health supports for students and educators. The study findings highlight the challenges faced by schools in rural and remote areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, including school closures, students' reactions to closures, measures taken by schools to preserve health during the pandemic, and different approaches to implement for future closures. Citizen scientists developed a set of recommendations, including the need for structured communication, reflection meetings, adequate funding, and external monitoring and evaluation to guide evidence-based safe school policies and practices during the pandemic.</p> </abstract>

Students’ perceptions of school sugar-free, food and exercise environments enhance healthy eating and physical activity

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationships between students’ perceptions of their school policies and environments (i.e., sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) free policy, plain water drinking, vegetables and fruit eating campaign, outdoor physical activity initiative, and the SH150 program (exercise 150 min/week at school)) and their dietary behaviors and physical activity. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Primary, middle, and high schools in Taiwan. Participants: A nationally representative sample of 2,433 primary school (5th-6th grade) students, 3,212 middle school students, and 2,829 high school students completed the online survey in 2018. Results: Multivariate analysis results showed that after controlling for school level, gender, and age, the students’ perceptions of school sugar-free policies were negatively associated with the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and positively associated with consumption of plain water. Schools’ campaigns promoting the eating of vegetables and fruit were positively associated with students’ consumption of vegetables. In addition, schools’ initiatives promoting outdoor physical activity and the SH150 program were positively associated with students’ engagement in outdoor physical activities and daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Conclusions: Students’ perceptions of healthy school policies and environments promote healthy eating and an increase in physical activity for students.

Learner’ school violence using incident logbook: a qualitative research approach

In this paper the notion of leaner’s school is revisited using a silent tool, incident logbook. Research shows that incidents of learner violence has escalated in South Africa unabated. Different approaches to describe and recommend strategies to alleviate cases of violence in schools have been undertaken. This paper aims to describe through incident logbook learner’s behaviour regarded as serious misconducts that involve violent acts. These violent acts might lead to expulsion or suspension of a learner from the school according to the South African Schools Act, 1996 and various school policies. Am interpretivist qualitative research was employed using a purposively sample of 5 incidents logbooks from five secondary schools. The researchers used a thematic data analysis using a Critical Peace Education (CPE) theory to discuss these incidents of school violence. The findings of the study show high incidents of recorded serious misconduct and violations of the school policies by learners by committing, violent acts such as physical, psychological, emotional abuses as well as thefts and vandalism of school and personal property. The research study recommends that CPE be used as tool to educate and foster peaceful co-existence in schools.

School desegregation, school re-zoning, and growth management in two Maryland counties

This article examines how school and non-school policies interact to reinforce or disrupt school segregation in the context of suburban communities and how these systems are maintained by structural and institutional mechanisms. Methodologically, we use a case study approach to delve deeply into the interpretation and implementation of school attendance zone redesign and non-school policies, specifically land use policies and tools. We draw on neo-institutionalist theory and Ray’s (2019) framework of racialized organizations to make sense of school districts, planning agencies, and their policies. We find that school district rezoning policies provide a weak regulatory framework for desegregating schools because school zoning decisions are not made in a vacuum but rather are shaped by policies and actions taken by other actors in a multi-level governance structure. School zoning policies themselves prioritized capacity over desegregation, and regulations and norms governing the public engagement processes privilege opposition to desegregation. Our study points to the importance of greater coordination across governmental levels and policy arenas, and underscores how desegregation policy is part of a political and relational process between advocates, elected leaders, families, and youth across policy sectors.

DIFUSI MODEL PERUMUSAN KEBIJAKAN SEKOLAH RAMAH ANAK DI KAWASAN PESISIR WISATA

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengungkap hasil difusi model dan mengukur kriteria model sebagai inovasi. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian difusi, model perumusan kebijakan sekolah ramah anak di tingkat satuan pendidikan. Penelitian ini menggunakan mixed qualitrative-quantitative method. Partisipan penelitian ini 10 Sekolah Dasar, total 53 orang.Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara, kuisioner, dokumen, dan diskusi terfokus. Teknik analisis data statistic deskriptif dan analisis kualitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa model perumusan kebijakan sekolah ramah anak memenuhi kriteria bagus sebagai inonasi karena sesuai dengan lima kriteria inovasi yakni keunggulan relatif (relative advantage), kompatibilitas (compatibility),kerumitan (complexity), kemampuan diujicobakan (trialability), dan kemampuan diamati (observability). Hasil difusi juga menunjukkan bahwa sekolah mengadopsi model analisis perumusan kebijakan pendidikan sebagai inovasi. Model ini efektif untuk diterapkan di sekolah untuk menginterpretasi kebijakan dari tingkat makro dan meso ke dalam kebijakan mikro (satuan Pendidikan). Keefektifan tercapai karena adanya kolaborasi yang sinergis antara Tri Pusat Pendidikan (sekolah, masyarakat, dan keluarga) pada tahap intepretasi kebijakan dan program, serta pada tahap pengorganisian dan aplikasi kebijakan sekolah ramah anak.THE DIFFUSION OF CHILD-FRIENDLY SCHOOL POLICY FORMULATION MODELS AT THE EDUCATION UNIT LEVELThis study aimed to reveal the results of the diffusion models and measure the criteria of the models as an innovation. This study is diffusion research, a model for formulating child-friendly school policies at the education unit level. This study used a mixed qualitative-quantitative method. The participants of this study were 10 elementary schools, a total of 53 people. The data were collected through interviews, questionnaires, documents, and focused discussions. The data analysis techniques were descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis. The results show that the model for formulating child-friendly school policies met the good criteria as an innovation since it complied with five innovation criteria, namely relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. The results of the diffusion also show that schools adopt an analytical model of education policy as an innovation. This model is effective to be applied in schools to interpret policies from the macro and meso levels into micro policies (Education units). Effectiveness is achieved due to synergistic collaboration between the Three Education Centers (schools, communities, and families) at the policy and program interpretation stage, as well as at the stage of organizing and applying child-friendly school policies.