engleski

Children’s participation rights in schools – teachers’ beliefs and practices

Schools represent important environments for implementing children’s participation rights into the lives of children in general, and into the lives of children from vulnerable groups, especially since such efforts have been linked to positive youth development and universal prevention efforts. This study extends previous research by investigating elementary, middle and high-school teacher’s beliefs about children’s agency and participation rights and their link to participation conducive teacher practices in schools. A comprehensive mediational model is tested, which posits that teachers’ image of children as capable, active and agentic is associated with more support for children’s participation rights, which in turn predict student-centered participatory teaching and classroom management behaviors. Teachers’ support for participation rights was measured using contextualized vignettes including both general situations and situations specific to children from vulnerable groups. A total of 519 elementary, middle and high-school teachers completed several online questionnaires. Results showed that teachers have an ambivalent image of children’s capacity and agency for decision making, and this view does not depend on the age of the child. Having a more positive image of children and supporting children’s participation rights more predicted student-centered teaching style and less controlling classroom management styles. Teacher’s support for children’s participation rights had an important mediating role. Findings have important practical implications for school climates which promote high quality teaching, prevention of problem behaviors and positive youth development.

children’s participation rights, school, teachers, image of the child, child-centered practices, children from vulnerable groups

nije evidentirano