Conference Agenda

The ECER 2024 theme urges us to explore innovative ways to address longstanding educational challenges, recognising the work that has already been done while at the same time acknowledging the key role to be played by education and educational researchers in shaping a hopeful future.

This symposium seeks to respond to this theme by exploring ways in which to expand educational possibilities for at-risk students by addressing underachievement and early school leaving (ESL). This is at the core of European strategic priorities and is even more critical in a post-pandemic era where educational possibilities have been stalled for marginalized students (Tarabini, A., et al. 2019; CEDEFOP, 2023). Drawing on findings from the large-scale Horizon Europe project ‘SCIREARLY’, the session synthesises evidence from ten European countries – Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Finland, Denmark, England, Italy, Greece, Malta and Belgium- across three papers. Using a range of methodological approaches - systematic review, scoping review, meta-analysis, and policy analysis – the symposium seeks to offer insights into the social determinants of underachievement and ESL, the role of high-quality early childhood education in addressing these challenges, and the range of policy approaches that prove to be effective in helping at-risk young people remain and thrive in school.

The symposium aims to :

(1) analyse the social determinants and root causes of underachievement and school dropout at primary and secondary education levels,

(2) investigate the influence of ECEC actions and programmes on basic skills, and

(3) map successful and less successful policies targeting the achievement gap from a comparative perspective.

Research Framework

This multidisciplinary European session includes three contributions that combine different methodologies. The first paper will see a systematic review of scientific literature on the social determinants of underachievement presented. This is followed by a scoping review and a meta-analysis that lists ECEC actions and programmes that better respond to children’s basic skills. The last paper discusses a policy analysis conducted in various European countries, identifying policy approaches that have been effective in addressing underachievement and ESL in the last 10 years.

Scholarly significance

While reducing underachievement and ESL has been the focus of many educational, research, and policy efforts in recent years, important gaps remain to be addressed. (European Commission, 2011; Siegle et al., 2012, Gillies and Misfsud, 2016) Therefore, advancing scientific knowledge to disentangle the link between the identified social determinants and achievement at school is essential, as is identifying transformative elements and contexts that allow all students, and in particular those identified as being at risk, to succeed. There is also a compelling argument requiring us to identify those elements within early childhood education and care that better equip children with robust basic skills that will enable them to stay in school and thrive throughout the later academic stages (Gonzalez-Motos & Sauri Saula, 2022).

In addition, while a vast number of policies and resources have been put in place to combat ESL and underachievement, the SCIREARLY project is currently pioneering the mapping of the most successful policies in this arena across different European countries. The multi-level and cross-national policy analysis presented in the symposium will allow us to gain a better understanding of the specific features behind successful educational policies, which in turn could inform future policy efforts to foster the success and well-being of all students in Europe (Benjamin, 2022).

Ultimately this symposium, drawing as it does on the insights of 10 European countries, allows us to explore what we know as European researchers, systematising this knowledge and ultimately facilitating its translation into effective policies and practices that comprehensively address underachievement and ESL (Schmitsek, 2022).

Early School Leaving (ESL) has devastating consequences for all students impacting employment, poverty, health, and political, social, and cultural participation (von Wachter, 2020). This paper reports key takeaways from systematic reviews to the research question: What does research say about the following key social determinants -institutional, socio-economic (SES), cognitive, cultural, linguistic, gender, socio-emotional and well-being and early childhood education and care (ECEC)- and root causes of underachievement in relation to ESL? The Prisma protocol (Paige et al, 2021) was used in the review process to examine relevant literature published from 2003-20023. Undertaken by partners from Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Malta, England, and Finland the review ultimately engaged systematically with 854 articles across the identified 8 social determinants. With regards to individual social determinants, institutional aspects such as grade retention, streaming and dominant mainstream curriculum are all associated with disengagement. Accessible counseling and guidance, and high teacher expectations, on the other hand, reduce underachievement (Oomen & Plant, 2014). Cognitive aspects like intelligence and self-concept play a key role and cultural dissonance relating to differing expectations and language use between home and school contributed to underachievement (Wilkinson, 2014). There is also evidence of higher levels of underachievement and ESL among boys, particularly from lower SES and minority groups. Stereotypical gender roles and associated teacher expectations translate into differences in school engagement and the lack of male teachers is also significant (Bhana, D. et al, 2022) Socio-economic status is the key determinant of underachievement with associated issues of expectation, resources, capacity, and stereotyping (Behtoui, 2017). The key aspects influencing students’ well-being and retention included the totality of students’ relationships as well as school climate, curricula, attitudes, and resources (Greenwood, L. & Kelly, C. (2019). In ECEC, underachievement is mainly linked to a lack of quality in early intervention and expert advice in the early years. The need for targeted support for young children with behavioral health issues was highlighted as was the negative impact of early segregation. The systematic reviews highlighted importantly how social determinants rarely operate in isolation with 4 key integrative themes emerging: • Family involvement is key factor to prevent and reduce underachievement and ESL. • Segregation-based practices undermine achievement and well-being. • School engagement and motivation positively correlate with less underachievement and ESL. • Teachers’ expectations and curriculum design are influential in reducing or aggravating these issues.

Behtoui, A. (2017). Social capital and the educational expectations of young people. European Educational Research Journal, 16(4), 487-503. Bhana, D., Moosa, S., Xu , Y. & Emilsen, K (2022). Men in early childhood education and care: on navigating a gendered terrain, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 30:4, 543 -556, DOI: 10.1080/1350293X.2022.2074070 Greenwood, L. & Kelly, C. (2019). Systematic literature review to explore how staff in schools describe how a sense of belonging is created for their pupils. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. Oomen, A. & Plant, P. (2014). Early school leaving and lifelong guidance. ELGPN concept note, No 6. Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä. http://www.elgpn.eu/publications/browse-by-language/english/elgpnconcept-note-no.-6-early-school-leaving-and-lifelong-guidance/ Page, M.J., McKenzie, J.E., Bossuyt, P.M. et al (2021) The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ 372:n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71 - DOI - PubMed - PMC von Wachter, T. (2020). The Persistent Effects of Initial Labor Market Conditions for Young Adults and Their Sources. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 34(4), 168–194. Wilkinson, M. L. N., & Wilkinson, M. (2014). Helping Muslim boys succeed the case for history education. Curriculum Journal, 2 (3), 396–431. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585176.2014.929527

Basic skills (literacy, maths, and science) are widely regarded as foundational to achieving personal fulfilment, employability, and social inclusion (European Commission, n.d.). They can be nurtured through high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) programmes to leverage young children’s educational possibilities and ameliorate some of the challenges facing those identified as being at risk(Shonkoff & Fisher, 2013). However, although quality in ECEC has been widely conceptualised (Ishimine et al. 2010), there is a scarcity of systematic research around the effects of specific features of ECEC programmes on basic skills. This paper aims at identifying and mapping effective ECEC programmes and interventions that foster students’ basic skills to inform educational policy and practice in Europe. A scoping review was carried out between April and July 2023 to map ECEC interventions that foster basic skills (Arksey & O'Malley, 2005). Following the PRISMA statement and the checklist (Higgins & Green, 2011), a total of 533 papers met the inclusion criteria (peer-reviewed publications in English from 2013 to 2023, involving educational interventions of more than 10 participants in school settings, and reflecting quantitative findings on basic skills among primary and secondary students). Only those that reported having a positive effect on basic skills and having employed a longitudinal, quasi-experimental, and/or RCT design, were selected for a subsequent meta- analysis. Four international databases were used for the scoping review: Web of Science, Scopus, Psycinfo, ERIC. Rayyan was used to collate and screen the papers for eligibility. Out of the 91 papers analysed, 3 proved to have a positive impact in Science, 61 in Literacy, 15 in Mathematics and 12 in more than one basic skill. Those interventions having a positive impact in science included play-based strategies and training for teachers to foster science knowledge. Literacy programmes saw the majority of positively correlated interventions. Out of the 61 papers dedicated to any literacy area, those based of dialogic or shared reading, along with programmes to boost or improve technology-mediated reading were particularly prominent. Programmes oriented to parents and teachers were also popular among the retrieved papers (12/61). Interventions that improved maths included number sense, play, storytelling and physical activity. Maths mediated by digital devices was the focus of 4/15 papers, and curriculum-based maths learning was at the core of 3/15 articles. This work aims to contribute to evidence-informed policy and practice by systematically identifying the features of successful ECEC interventions contributing to improve future learning outcomes.

Arksey, H., & O'Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19-32. European Commission (n.d.). Why are key competences and basic skills important? https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/school-education/key-competences-and- basic-skills Higgins, J. P., & Green, S. (2011). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions 5.1.0. The Cochrane Collaboration. https://handbook-5-1.cochrane.org/ Ishimine, K., Tayler, C. & Bennett, J. (2010). Quality and early childhood education and care: A policy initiative for the 21st century. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 4, 67–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/2288-6729-4-2-67 Shonkoff, J.P., & Fisher, P.A. (2013). Rethinking evidence-based practice and two-generation programs to create the future of early childhood policy. Dev Psychopathol, 25(4 Pt 2): 1635- 53. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579413000813

This paper reports on a comparative analysis of Europe wide policy provision designed to meet the EU's Early School Leaving (ESL) reduction target. In 2011 the European Commission (EC) made recommendations to hel countries to tackle ESL which serves as the theoretical framework as well as criteria for this policy analysis. It emphasises the need for comprehensive approaches, focusing on the root causes of ESL and sustaining efforts to reduce it. The policy analysis relied on key data sources including the OECD Library, EC reports, government websites, national and regional research agencies, and agencies involved in providing compensation programmes. The framework outlines three categories of measures: Prevention -targeting the root problems leading to ESL including quality early childhood education, relevant curricula, flexible educational pathways, and strong guidance systems. Intervention -combatting emerging difficulties and supporting at-risk students through personalised guidance, extra-curricular activities, and improved learning environments. Compensation- offering second chance schemes and alternative pathways. The importance of a 'whole school approach' is highlighted, emphasising multi-site stakeholder collaboration. This acknowledges the role played by various services, including social, youth, and outreach services. Utilising the Eurostat ESL data from 2012 - 2021, a comparative analysis of countries categories as follows was undertaken: High Performers - countries with consistent ESL rates below 6% throughout the entire time period. ( Poland, Switzerland, Croatia, and Slovenia) High Improvement - countries that have achieved a reduction of ESL rates by more than 6 % over the same period. (Spain, Portugal, Malta, Greece, and Ireland) Low Performers - countries with ESL rates continuing to exceed 10% (Italy, United Kingdom, Norway, Bulgaria, Hungary, Cyprus, and Germany). The key findings of the policy analysis indicate that: All countries under examination possess explicit policies or legislation aimed at addressing ESL, encompassing preventive, interventive, and compensatory measures. Preventive and compensatory measures demonstrate stronger policy measures than interventions. The main challenge lies not in the lack of policy or legislation but rather in their implementation. Inadequate interagency collaboration and relatively unsophisticated evaluation of ESL measures were areas of weakness. Specific policies such as quality ECEC, supports for low SES students, and initiatives to enhance access pathways into education and VET are important. These results have helped identify strengths and gaps in ESL policy which should allow policymakers to make informed decisions in developing and implementing effective strategies. By comparing policies and practices, the analysis offers insights into successful approaches facilitating meaningful international benchmarking.

European Commission. (2013). Reducing early school leaving: Key messages and policy support Final Report of the Thematic Working Group on Early School Leaving November 2013. Accessed 21/05/2023 https://education.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/early-school-leaving- group2013-report_en.pdf European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice/Cedefop (2014). Tackling Early Leaving from Education and Training in Europe: Strategies, Policies and Measures. Eurydice and Cedefop Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2797/33979 Donlevy, V., Day, L., Andriescu, M., & Downes, P. (2019). Assessment of the implementation of the 2011 council recommendation on policies to reduce early school leaving. European Commission. European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop). (2017). Leaving education early: putting vocational education and training in centre stage: Ireland. European Commission. (2015). Education & Training 2020. Schools Policy. A Whole School Approach to Tackling Early School Leaving. European Commission (2022a). Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION - Pathways to School Success. https://eur- lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:3605c49b-f881-11ec-b94a- 01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_1&format=PDF Eurostat. (2023a). Early Leavers from Education and Training. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics- explained/index.php?title=Early_leavers_from_education_and_training#Early_leavers_from_ education_and_training_.E2.80.93_today_and_a_historical_comparison. Accessed 15/06/ 2023 European Commission (2023b) European Education Area: Quality education and training for all. Early SchoolLeaving. https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/school- education/early-school-leaving OECD (2017). Starting Strong IV Early Childhood Education and Care - Data Country Note: Ireland. OECD Publishing. Accessed 19/07/2023 https://www.oecd.org/education/school/ECECDCN- Ireland.pdf