Balancing Achievement and Engagement : Providing Support in Socially Disadvantaged Schools
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | The achievement gap is associated with educational inequalities between students of low socioeconomic status or from ethnic minorities and their peers. One potential approach to elucidating the connection between social disadvantage and academic achievement involves examining student engagement. The goal of the presented multiple case study is to investigate the implementation of a national project aimed at increasing both student achievement and engagement in the context of post-COVID-19 support for disadvantaged schools in the Czech Republic. Five schools with a higher proportion of socially disadvantaged students were selected as cases. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with diverse actors in the schools, such as principals, counselors, teachers, and teaching assistants. Additionally, school documents (e.g., school education programs, school needs analyses) were analyzed. The data were coded using inductively generated codes and categorized. Three areas were identified as challenges in the education of socially disadvantaged students by school staff. Firstly, school staff tend to address attendance problems through experiential activities and by strengthening relationships with students. Secondly, low student motivation and lack of interest were addressed by distributing supplies and providing personnel support. The third problem area focuses on learning outcomes, with schools providing tutoring and individualized learning. Findings indicate that support for students with social disadvantages is predominantly oriented toward behavioral and affective engagement; however, support for cognitive engagement and achievement is sidelined. |
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