The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child anchors children's right to participate in decision-making. This right refers to decisions at the individual level as well as collective decisions taken by a group of children. Various studies have indicated that youth from disadvantaged backgrounds face high barriers to participation in collective decision-making and thus have fewer opportunities to enjoy the educational and developmental benefits of such participation. This study explored school principals' perceptions of at-risk youths' participation in collective decision-making in schools. Specifically, it analysed differences between the perceptions of principals who had established participatory frameworks and those who had not. The research design drew on interviews with 18 principals who manage high schools for at-risk youth in Israel. All interviewed principals acknowledged the potential cultural mismatch between the dominant models of pupil councils and the culture of at-risk youth. Principals who had established participatory frameworks viewed participation as a gradual process, trusting their pupils' capacity to attain higher levels of participation even if participatory activities did not come as ‘second nature’ to them. However, principals who did not institute such frameworks viewed their pupils' participation as an ‘all-or-nothing’ enterprise, inappropriate for at-risk youth. Fulfilling participation rights in schools for at-risk youth requires efforts to adapt the participatory capital to the pupils' background. The principals' perceptions of the participation process and of their pupils were intertwined with their willingness to engage in such adaptations and take the less-travelled road of participatory practices in schools for at-risk youth. 相似文献
Background: After-school approaches offer a viable solution to the current challenge of physical inactivity among many adolescents; however, availability, cost, transportation, and interest limit many youths’ choices during non-school hours [Roth, Brooks-Gunn, Murray, and Foster 2003. “Youth Development Programs: Risk, Prevention and Policy.” Journal of Adolescent Health 32 (3): 170–182]. In addition to these limitations, safety concerns in urban communities act as barriers to participation in both after-school programs [Sanderson and Richards 2010. “The After-School Needs and Resources of a Low-income Urban Community: Surveying Youth and Parents for Community Change.” American Journal of Community Psychology 45: 430–440] and physical activity [Moore, Roux, Evenson, McGinn, and Brines 2010. “A Qualitative Examination of Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity for Urban and Rural Youth.” Health Education Research 25 (2): 355–367].
Purpose: This year-long qualitative case study sought to explore young urban boys’ experiences in an after-school program that aimed to empower young men through the sport of basketball.
Method: Two coaches facilitated weekly sessions for 5–20 young men of color in an urban, public school after-school program in Harlem, NY. The program recruited young men to an after-school program that offered basketball instruction in a safe space. During the program, students worked on basketball skills as well as reflective reading and writing through weekly journals and immersive conversations that revolved around weekly themes such as sportsmanship, culture, power, and communication. At the conclusion of the study seven boys aged 10–14 agreed to be interviewed about their experiences in the REACH program. Sources of data include journals, interviews, and observations. These data were coded by two independent coders, peer reviewed by a third researcher and analyzed using the constant comparative method.
Findings: Theme one: Shooting guns (violence) is a barrier to shooting hoops at local courts. Analysis of the data highlighted violence as an always-present barrier to playing basketball, specifically, and physical activity, generally speaking. Theme two: Future plans, the NBA. The vast majority of boys discussed joining the NBA, either directly from high school or after a year at a college. The NBA dream operated as a perceived pathway to a safer future and higher education. Theme three: Having and being role models. Analysis of the data also pointed to participants both being and/or having a role model. These relationships impacted them in a variety of ways and not only helps us better understand their experiences in the program but also elucidates how barriers to physical activity were alleviated. The young men who participated in this after-school program were able to engage in interest-based physical activity and academic learning tasks, thus creating a peaceful space to develop positive associations between school, physical activity, and community.
Conclusion: Closely examining the lived experiences of the REACH participants is significant for understanding their barriers to physical activity and how REACH, as a PYD sport program, alleviated those barriers. Examining the data around these issues also expands on the need for PYD programs [Wright and Li 2009. “Exploring the Relevance of Positive Youth Development in Urban Physical Education.” Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 14 (3): 241–251] and extends understandings of the PYD framework put forth by Holt et al. [2017. “A Grounded Theory of Positive Youth Development Through Sport Based on Results From a Qualitative Meta-Study.” International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology 10: 1–49]. Specifically, our study demonstrates the reciprocal and iterative nature of PYD climate, life skills focus, and PYD outcomes. Our study also expands on the understandings of PYD climate, extending the focus beyond relationships to also including participants’ experiences and perceptions. 相似文献
Introduction: Successful rowers are heavier and taller than their opponents, but the effect of these variables on long-term career attainment in juniors has not been examined. We therefore analysed this in a large sample of elite German junior rowers. Methods: Former German Junior National Team rowers (N?=?910; 399 females) were grouped according to their highest career attainment, i.e., participation in U19-, U23-, Senior World Championships or Olympic Games (OG). Differences in standing height (SH), body mass (BM) and body mass index (BMI) between groups were analysed using unpaired t-tests and magnitude-based inferences (MBI), effects of anthropometrics on career attainment were analysed with a proportional odds model. Interquartile ranges of the OG group were used to define normative data ranges. Results: SH and BMI very likely differed between career attainment in females. The same was found in males for SH and BM. BM (odds ratio (OR)?=?0.958, P?=?.0171) and BMI (OR?=?0.787, P?=?.0004) had a significant effect on career attainment in females as SH (OR?=?1.072, P?=?.0002) and BM (OR?=?1.049, P?=?.0004) had in males. Interquartile ranges of SH and BM were 178–184?cm and 68–73?kg in females, 190–196?cm and 84–93?kg in males. Conclusion: Anthropometric characteristics at junior age affect long-term career attainment even within elite U19 National Team rowers, underlining the relevance of anthropometric assessments and their consideration for talent identification and development programmes in rowing. We provide evidence-based normative data that rule out an anthropometric limitation of junior rowers for career progression to Olympic level. 相似文献
