Jannick Demanet

Self-esteem of academic and vocational students: Does within-school tracking sharpen the difference?:

Research into the effects of ability grouping has usually been conducted within schools. In the British and North American context, where the bulk of this kind of research has been carried out, ability grouping commonly occurs within schools. In Flanders – the Dutch-speaking, northern part of Belgium – as in other European countries, there are not only tracks within schools, but schools themselves can be distinguished by the curriculum they offer. This study questions whether students’ global self-esteem is affected differently by processes of within-school tracking (multilateral schools) compared to processes of between-school tracking (categorial schools). Analyses are based on a subsample of the Flemish Educational Assessment, gathered in 2004–2005, encompassing 10 multilateral and 56 categorial schools with 3,758 academic and 2,152 vocational students. Multi-level analyses (HLM6) show that academic students have a significant higher self-esteem than vocational students and this difference is larger in multilateral schools. Academic students in multilateral schools have a slightly higher self-esteem than those in categorial schools. Conceivably, academic students compare themselves with the vocational track students, leading to a higher awareness of status gratification, resulting in a higher self-esteem.

The Impact of Bullying and Victimization on Students' Relationships

Abstract Background: Bullying is antisocial behavior, in which people are willfully and repeatedly hurt. Bullies are perpetrators of this behavior, victims are those who are bullied, and bully/victims are students who both bully others, and are bullied themselves. Bullies, victims, and bully/victims are at risk for psychosomatic health problems. However, few studies have focused on their social health. Purpose: This study explores differences between non-involved students, bullies, victims and bully/victims in self-reported attachment to peers and parents, perceived support from teachers, and belonging to the school, in Flemish secondary schools. Methods: We use data from the Flemish Educational Assessment (FlEA), consisting of 11,872 students in 85 schools. Multivariate analyses of variance (ANOVA) were performed. Results: Non-involved students felt most attached to peers, parents, teachers, and school. Bullies matched the level of parental attachment of the non-involved, and are even more popular among peers. Victims are especially unsuccessful among peers. Bully/victims felt least attached to peers, parents and school, and least supported by teachers. Discussion: Bullies appear to be popular among peers. Victims and bully/victims lack a number of important sources of support. Translation to Health Education Practice: The results of this study endorse peer-group level intervention initiatives. Furthermore, we support whole-school approaches that include all actors-including pupils, parents, and teachers-in combating bullying.

About ethnicity, fitting in, and acting out : applying the person-environment fit framework to school misconduct

Starting from a person–environment fit framework, this study investigates whether ethnic congruence—the percentage of co-ethnics in a school—relates to school misconduct and whether congruence effects differ between ethnic minority and majority students. Moreover, we investigate whether eventual associations are mediated by friendship attachment, perceived teacher support, and general school belonging. Multilevel analyses of data from 11,759 students across 83 Flemish secondary schools show that higher ethnic congruence is associated with lower levels of school misconduct but only for ethnic minority students. This effect was not mediated by friendship attachment, nor by teacher support, but it was mediated by general school belonging. We conclude that ethnic minority students in schools with a higher percentage of peers of co-ethnic descent are less likely to break the school rules because they feel more contented in the school context, which is congruent with the person–environment fit framework.

Are Flunkers Social Outcasts? A Multilevel Study of Grade Retention Effects on Same-Grade Friendships

We examine the association between grade retention and the number of same-grade friendships. Moreover, we investigate the effect of a school’s proportion of retained students on these friendships and the moderating effect of this school characteristic on the relationship between retention and the number of same-grade friendships. Multilevel analyses on data from 11,759 students in 83 Flemish secondary schools show that secondary school retention is related to a lower number of friendships. Primary school retention is unrelated to friendship quantity in secondary education. Furthermore, students attending schools with a higher percentage of retained students have fewer same-grade friendships. The retention composition also moderates the effect of individual grade retention on the number of same-grade friendships. The implications are discussed.

Unmet Goals of Tracking: Within-track Heterogeneity of Students’ Expectations about the Future

Over the last two decades, researchers in the educational field have raised concerns regarding the high educational expectations among American youth. Studies have identified the detracking movement as one of the most important causes of this college-for-all norm. The assumption is that tracked secondary education systems, in contrast to comprehensive systems, lead to realistic expectations because of students’ clear track placement. In other words, tracking creates groups of students with homogeneous expectations. Inspired by the rich literature on the unequal selection present in tracked systems, this article questions this assumption concerning students’ allocation. We examine homogeneity of expectations in a rigidly tracked system, using data from 2,354 students in 28 schools (2013–2014) in Ghent (Belgium). Results from ordinary least squares (OLS) regression show that even in a stringently tracked system, the vocational track has the lowest homogeneity of expectations. We discuss the unmet goals of tracking in view of tracking policy.