Perceived impact of Perceived impact of school environment on school environment on

the wellbeing of children the wellbeing of children in the Palestinian in the Palestinian

territoriesterritories

By By Ibrahim Makkawi & Raja’ BarghouthiIbrahim Makkawi & Raja’ Barghouthi

IntroductionIntroduction

The purposes of the qualitative The purposes of the qualitative component of the study :component of the study :

• To study the concept of students' To study the concept of students' "wellbeing“ within the context of "wellbeing“ within the context of school learning environment.school learning environment.

• To gain greater insight into the To gain greater insight into the perspectives of children’s own perspectives of children’s own conception and interpretation of their conception and interpretation of their wellbeing.wellbeing.

• To engage children in peer discussions To engage children in peer discussions related to their learning environmentrelated to their learning environment

Assumption of the study:Assumption of the study:

The concept of students' The concept of students' wellbeing inside schools includes wellbeing inside schools includes the existence of healthy social, the existence of healthy social, moral, educational, physical and moral, educational, physical and emotional learning environment emotional learning environment that contributes to the students' that contributes to the students' overall development. overall development.

Research Participants & Research Participants & MethodologyMethodology

Twelve homogenous focus groups.Twelve homogenous focus groups.

Groups included 6 - 9 Groups included 6 - 9 participants,participants,

Tenth graders, age 16 year, Tenth graders, age 16 year, males and females, males and females, governmental and private governmental and private schools, separate and mixed schools, separate and mixed schools. schools.

Each group was interviewed for Each group was interviewed for approximately three to four approximately three to four hours. hours.

All group sessions were audio All group sessions were audio taped and transcribed, and the taped and transcribed, and the transcripts were submitted for transcripts were submitted for inductive qualitative analysis. inductive qualitative analysis.

We utilized drawings as part of We utilized drawings as part of the non-linguistic symbolic data the non-linguistic symbolic data by which children’s minds can be by which children’s minds can be approached. approached.

We assumed that drawings can We assumed that drawings can always present interesting and always present interesting and meaningful data, especially to meaningful data, especially to collect data from children and collect data from children and adolescents.adolescents.

Data AnalysisData Analysis

The qualitative transcripts were The qualitative transcripts were inductively analyzed focusing on inductively analyzed focusing on the exploration and construction the exploration and construction of main patterns, themes, and of main patterns, themes, and big ideas expressed by the big ideas expressed by the students.students.

Children's Conceptualization of Children's Conceptualization of the School Environmentthe School Environment

School is a number of regulations, School is a number of regulations, rules, formal structures and rules, formal structures and boundaries designed to limit boundaries designed to limit children freedom.children freedom. ““school is a world of regulations and school is a world of regulations and

conditions.” conditions.” ““I feel that school is nothing but rules I feel that school is nothing but rules and instructions that I should follow.”and instructions that I should follow.”

School is perceived as a place for School is perceived as a place for education and for building a education and for building a mature personality.mature personality.

““the difference between the person the difference between the person who goes to school and the person who goes to school and the person who does not go to school is that the who does not go to school is that the first person will become an educated first person will become an educated person with a good future while the person with a good future while the other person will not.”other person will not.”

The school is a place to build The school is a place to build new friendships.new friendships.

““school is a place where friends can school is a place where friends can meet together.” meet together.”

“ “school is about relationships and school is about relationships and friendships…it is about relationships friendships…it is about relationships between girls and boys and between between girls and boys and between teachers and students.”teachers and students.”

Children's Image of the School Children's Image of the School EnvironmentEnvironment

Drawings were divided into 4 Drawings were divided into 4 categories:categories:

1. School is education.1. School is education.

Rainwater represents education and Rainwater represents education and land represents students who land represents students who receive the rainfall.receive the rainfall.

(2) School is friendship.(2) School is friendship. Friends walking side by side, chatting Friends walking side by side, chatting

and enjoying their time in the and enjoying their time in the playgroundplayground..

(3) School is a prison and a (3) School is a prison and a horrible place.horrible place.

School was represented as a court School was represented as a court which leads criminals to prisonwhich leads criminals to prison

(4) School is a dictatorship.(4) School is a dictatorship.

A picture of school consisting of two A picture of school consisting of two main rooms: A horrifying room of the main rooms: A horrifying room of the school principal and a room of the school principal and a room of the normal classroom of children.normal classroom of children.

Children's Perception of the Children's Perception of the School CurriculumSchool Curriculum

The curriculum was negatively described as:The curriculum was negatively described as:

1. grade-based curriculum which is only 1. grade-based curriculum which is only centered on exams and grades. centered on exams and grades.

““They think we were born to get grades…”They think we were born to get grades…”

2. overloaded and full of information which 2. overloaded and full of information which mostly needs to be memorized and not mostly needs to be memorized and not to be meaningfully understood.to be meaningfully understood.

““We memorize without understanding, we want We memorize without understanding, we want only to get a good grade.”only to get a good grade.”

3. difficult and beyond children’s 3. difficult and beyond children’s current stage of development. current stage of development.

““the curriculum is extremely difficult,”the curriculum is extremely difficult,”

“ “we want something to understand … our we want something to understand … our curriculum is very complicated.”curriculum is very complicated.”

4. Ineffective contributor to children 4. Ineffective contributor to children overall development, because it overall development, because it ignores their social and emotional ignores their social and emotional development.development.

““school has no role in developing our school has no role in developing our talents”talents”

5. full of irrelevant information and 5. full of irrelevant information and subject matters that doesn’t help to subject matters that doesn’t help to improve children life.improve children life.

““they include in the curriculum subject they include in the curriculum subject matters which are useless for our future.” matters which are useless for our future.”

(European history and the French language )(European history and the French language )

Relationships in SchoolsRelationships in Schools

Social relationships between teachers Social relationships between teachers and students are not positive. and students are not positive.

Lack of cooperative teaching and Lack of cooperative teaching and learning strategies.learning strategies.

Discrimination against low-level and Discrimination against low-level and poor students.poor students.

Corporal Punishment and Self Corporal Punishment and Self SecuritySecurity

Corporal punishment exists when laws are Corporal punishment exists when laws are violated inside the schools. violated inside the schools.

Teachers’ use verbal violence and sometimes Teachers’ use verbal violence and sometimes physical violence against children.physical violence against children.

““We feel physical security at school, but when We feel physical security at school, but when a student breaks the law, it will end.”a student breaks the law, it will end.”

Violence among students makes their Violence among students makes their schools insecure place to be in.schools insecure place to be in.

students’ homes were valued as students’ homes were valued as safer places comparing to schools safer places comparing to schools and the streets.and the streets.

““I am physically sheltered at home; my I am physically sheltered at home; my parents have no reason to hit me.” parents have no reason to hit me.”

Political violence, including invasions Political violence, including invasions by the Israeli army into cities and by the Israeli army into cities and villages, threaten children’s self villages, threaten children’s self security in the street. security in the street.

Female students, expect, more than Female students, expect, more than males, to encounter unpleasant males, to encounter unpleasant events while walking in the streets events while walking in the streets alone (including males’ harassing alone (including males’ harassing them in the streets in addition to the them in the streets in addition to the unstable political situation)unstable political situation)

Lack of professional social and Lack of professional social and psychological counselors in schools psychological counselors in schools make it less secure for them.make it less secure for them.

““when I face a problem, I choose to when I face a problem, I choose to talk to my friend, but she hardly talk to my friend, but she hardly understands me.” understands me.”

Students' Talents and Self-Students' Talents and Self-SatisfactionSatisfaction

Most children were satisfied with Most children were satisfied with themselves, their physical themselves, their physical appearance and social relationships appearance and social relationships with friends and familywith friends and family

““I am satisfied with myself and with my I am satisfied with myself and with my good physical appearance.good physical appearance.

““they call me big ears, but I don't care they call me big ears, but I don't care because I am satisfied with myself.”because I am satisfied with myself.”

Some reasons behind Some reasons behind dissatisfaction with oneself dissatisfaction with oneself included:included:

low academic achievementlow academic achievement family high expectationsfamily high expectations occupation in Palestineoccupation in Palestine deficient involvement in public lifedeficient involvement in public life exams pressure exams pressure shame to express selfshame to express self

Students as Decision MakersStudents as Decision Makers

Students as Decision MakersStudents as Decision Makers want :want :

1.To change the overloaded and 1.To change the overloaded and difficult curriculum (into more difficult curriculum (into more comprehensible, meaningful, relevant comprehensible, meaningful, relevant and include some fun and and include some fun and entertainment subjects).entertainment subjects).

““I want to reduce the curriculum and make I want to reduce the curriculum and make an easier curriculum which considers an easier curriculum which considers individual differences.”individual differences.”

2. To improve school infrastructure 2. To improve school infrastructure (make it more accommodating to the (make it more accommodating to the educational process)educational process)

““I will increase the number of laboratories I will increase the number of laboratories and equipments.”and equipments.”

3.To have more qualified teachers, who 3.To have more qualified teachers, who can be at the same time warm and can be at the same time warm and close and who can motivate students.close and who can motivate students.

““I want to change unqualified teachers.”I want to change unqualified teachers.”

4. To re-consider violent teachers.4. To re-consider violent teachers.““re-evaluate the teachers who behave re-evaluate the teachers who behave

aggressively with the students.”aggressively with the students.”

5.To have qualified full-time social 5.To have qualified full-time social counselors in the schoolcounselors in the school

““I will invite counselor to sit with students I will invite counselor to sit with students and listen to their problems”and listen to their problems”

6. To enhance relationships between 6. To enhance relationships between teachers and studentsteachers and students“ “ I want to strengthen relationship between I want to strengthen relationship between

teachers and students.”teachers and students.”