Coefficients are presented in the Appendix at the end of the chapter.

100 ADAPTING TO DIVERSITY:IRISH SCHOOLS AND NEWCOMER STUDENTS

Table 5.1: Factors Associated with Social/Personal Difficulties

Experienced by Newcomers, Scale (Second-Level Schools)

Constant School Type: Girls’ Secondary Boys’ Secondary Vocational Community/Comprehensive Ref: Coed Secondary

Gaelcholaistí Fee-paying school

Designated disadvantaged (DEIS) status Urban

School Size:

200-399 students 400-599 students 600 or more students Ref: Less than 200 students Proportion of newcomers in school: Less than 2%

Less than 2-9% Less than 10-19%

Ref: greater than 20%

Spoken English difficulties among newcomers: Nearly all

More than half Less than half

Ref: almost no newcomers Overall school climate

n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. (-)* n.s. (+)* (+)* (+)* n.s. n.s. n.s. (+)*** (+)** (+)** (-)***

Note: Coefficients are provided in Table A5.1 at the end of the chapter. *** p<=0.001; **p<=0.01; *p<=0.05

Source: Survey of Principals, second-level schools.

That language difficulties are associated with social/personal difficulties is very clear from the model. There is a particularly marked association where nearly all newcomers have problems with spoken language. Low proficiency in the language of the host country may hinder making friends with local children and may give rise to feelings of isolation and loneliness (see Kirova, 2001).

In this analysis we also measure school climate, using a series of questions on principals’ perceptions of all students, their parents, teachers and the motivation and interactions between these groups. A measure of overall school climate was derived by asking school principals the extent to which the following statements were true for ‘nearly all’, ‘more than half’, ‘less than a half’ or ‘only a few’ of the groups in their school:

• Students are well-behaved in class;

• Students are motivated about their schoolwork;

• Students show respect for their teachers;

• Parents attend parent-teacher meetings in the school;

• Parents give their children help and support with schoolwork;

• Teachers are positive about the school;

• Teachers in the school are open to contact with parents;

SOCIAL INTERACTION AND SOCIAL SUPPORT STRUCTURES FOR NEWCOMER STUDENTS 101

High values on the overall measure of school climate, therefore, indicate more positive relations within the school as a whole and more commitment on the part of students, teachers and parents to the school. The overall school climate is seen to have a significant effect on newcomer students. Schools with a less positive school climate (lower score) have greater difficulties, and this is statistically significant. Thus, a more positive school climate contributes to the social integration of newcomer students.

Table 5.2 shows that at primary level the factors associated with overall difficulties settling in are similar to those at second-level. In particular, language difficulties are strongly associated with social and personal difficulties. School climate is also a significant factor: newcomers experience more difficulties where the school climate is less positive. Otherwise, there are no significant associations with school characteristics, as at second-level.

Table 5.2: Factors Associated with Social/Personal Difficulties Experienced by Newcomers, Scale (Primary Schools)

Coefficient Constant

Catholic school Gaelscoil

Designated disadvantaged (DEIS) status Urban

School Size: 100-199 students 200-399 students

400 or more students Ref: Less than 100 students Proportion of newcomers in school: Less than 2%

Less than 2-9% Less than 10-19%

Ref: greater than 20%

Spoken English difficulties among newcomers: Nearly all

More than half Less than half

Ref: almost no newcomers Overall school climate

n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. n.s. (+)*** (+)** (+)** (-)*** Number of schools 383 Adjusted R2 0.175

Note: Coefficients are provided in Table 5.2. B at the end of the chapter. *** p<=0.001; **p<=0.01; *p<=0.05.

Source: Survey of Principals, primary schools.

Within both primary and second-level schools, the majority (four out of five) of principals report no gender differences in the adjustment of newcomer students to Irish schools. Where any such differences were reported, girls were seen as experiencing less difficulties, as illustrated by the following quote:

So far from what I’ve seen for the last few years the girls seem to have settled in much quicker. […] 14 year old girls are mentally maybe 2 or 3 years ahead of the boy anyway, just simply from maturity. Some amount of sense, you know, the boy would possibly be not as mature at that age. But I have noticed that definitely, the girls tend to look after each other and if you were to take those two

102 ADAPTING TO DIVERSITY:IRISH SCHOOLS AND NEWCOMER STUDENTS

students [student A, girl] seems to have settled in, made friends, become very comfortable and popular whereas [student T, boy] seems to be you know just a different situation there. (Teacher, Bentham Street second-level school).

F

igures 5.9 and 5.10 present the nine factors most frequently felt by school principals to contribute ‘quite a lot’ or ‘a lot’ to difficulties. As language-related issues were discussed in an earlier section, we focus in this section on other factors identified by principals as contributing to difficulties. The pattern of difficulties reported is broadly similar in primary and second-level schools. Lack of parental involvement was cited by almost one-third of second-level principals, and financial difficulties by one quarter. Issues such as mobility between schools or assessed special needs were cited much less frequently. In primary schools, starting in the middle of the school year was felt to be contributing a lot to difficulties in 38 per cent of schools, with lack of knowledge of the Irish education system54 contributing to difficulties in 33 per cent of cases.

5.7

In document Adapting to Diversity: Irish Schools and Newcomer Students (Page 116-119)