‘Put students’ dreams first’: Student perspectives on secondary school climate improvement in Mongolia

Abstract

Involving students in school improvement can yield many benefits for students and promote meaningful change in educational practices and policies. In this qualitative study, we centered the voices of Mongolian adolescents by soliciting their suggestions for improving safety and support in their schools. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze written comments from 810 Mongolian secondary students grades 8 through 12, yielding five themes related to student voice, food, security, relationships, and holistic development. The aims of the study were to (a) identify similarities and differences between Mongolian student experiences and Western-based school climate research and (b) contribute to the dialogue about school improvement in Mongolia and other non-Western countries. Findings point to recommendations for providing adequate nutrition, ensuring safety, and meeting the basic psychological needs of students in Mongolian secondary schools.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Aldridge

J. M.

Ala’i

(2013). Assessing students’ views of school climate: Developing and validating the What’s Happening In This School? (WHITS) questionnaire. Improving Schools, 16(1), 47–66. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480212473680

Aldridge

J. M.

Fraser

B. J.

Fozdar

Ala’i

Earnest

Afari

(2016). Students’ perceptions of school climate as determinants of wellbeing, resilience and identity. Improving Schools, 19(1), 5–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480215612616

Aldridge

J. M.

McChesney

(2018). The relationships between school climate and adolescent mental health and wellbeing: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Educational Research, 88, 121–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2018.01.012

Anderson

D. L.

Graham

A. P.

(2016). Improving student wellbeing: Having a say at school. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 27(3), 348–366. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2015.1084336

Badarch

Chuluunbaatar

Batbaatar

Paulik

(2022). Suicide attempts among school-attending adolescents in Mongolia: Associated factors and gender differences. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(5), 2991. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052991

Baines

Blatchford

(2019). School break and lunch times and young people’s social lives: A follow-up national study. Final Report to the Nuffield Foundation (Ref EDU/42402). https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Final-report-School-break-and-lunch-times-and-young-peoples-lives-A-follow-up-national-study.pdf

Bolormaa

Oyunsuren

Altangerel

Tsolmon

(2016). Ахлах ангийн сурагчдын мэргэжил сонголтын онцлогыг судалсан дүнгээс. [Characteristics of high school students’ major choice]. https://innovations.mn/article/pdf/176

Braun

Clarke

Terry

Hayfield

(2019). Thematic analysis. In Liamputtong

(Ed.), Research methods in health and social sciences (pp. 843–860). Springer.

Chiu

Chow

McBride

Mol

(2016). Students’ sense of belonging at school in 41 countries: Cross-cultural variability. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 47(2), 175–196. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022115617031

10.

Cohen

McCabe

Michelli

N. M.

Pickeral

(2009). School climate: Research, policy, practice, and teacher education. Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 111(1), 180–213. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146810911100108

11.

Conner

Posner

Nsowaa

(2022). The relationship between student voice and student engagement in urban high schools. The Urban Review, 54(5), 755–774. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-022-00637-2

12.

Dagva

(2021). Adolescent mental health in Mongolia. 15. https://gcedclearinghouse.org/sites/default/files/resources/220003eng_CS1.3_Bolorchimeg%20Dagva.pdf

13.

Delgertsetseg (2021, September 23). Сурвалжлага: Үдийн хоолны үнэн төрх. [Investigation: School lunch’s true face] News. MN. https://news.mn/r/2476866/

14.

Dodd

Hanson

Hooley

(2022). Increasing students’ career readiness throughcareer guidance: Measuring the impact with a validated measure. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 50(2), 260–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2021.1937515

15.

Gray

Wilcox

Nordstokke

(2017). Teacher mental health, school climate, inclusive education, and student learning: A review. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 58(3), 203–210. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000117

16.

Grazia

Molinari

(2021). School climate multidimensionality and measurement: A systematic literature review. Research Papers in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2019.1697735

17.

Jamal

Fletcher

Harden

Wells

Thomas

Bonell

(2013). The school environment and student health: A systematic review and meta-ethnography of qualitative research. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-798

18.

Jargalmaa

(2021). Монгол Улс өлсгөлөнд өртсөн орон биш ч монголчуудын 20% нь хангалттай хэмжээний хүнс тэжээл авч чадахгүй байна. [Mongolia is not a country in famine, but 20% of Mongolians cannot take adequate nutrition]. iKon.https://ikon.mn/n/29uo

19.

Jia

Way

Ling

Yoshikawa

Chen

Hughes

(2009). The influence of student perceptions of school climate on socioemotional and academic adjustment: A comparison of Chinese and American adolescents. Child Development, 80(5), 1514–1530. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01348.x

20.

Košir

Tement

(2014). Teacher-student relationship and academic achievement: A cross-lagged longitudinal study on three different age groups. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 29(3), 409–428. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-013-0205-2

21.

Kutsyuruba

Klinger

D. A.

Hussain

(2015). Relationships among school climate, school safety, and student achievement and well-being: A review of the literature. Review of Education, 3(2), 103–135. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3043

22.

La Salle

T. P.

(2018). International perspectives of school climate. School Psychology International, 39(6), 559–567. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034318808336

23.

La Salle

T. P.

Rocha-Neves

Jimerson

Di Sano

Martinsone

Majercakova Albertova

Gajdošová

Baye

Deltour

Martinelli

Raykov

Hatzichristou

Palikara

Szabó

Arlauskaite

Athanasiou

Brown-Earle

Casale

Lampropoulou

, … Zvyagintsev

(2021). A multinational study exploring adolescent perception of school climate and mental health. School Psychology, 36(3), 155–166. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000430

24.

Labor and Social Welfare Research Institute (2017). Төгсөгчдийн хөдөлмөр эрхлэлтийн судалгаа. [Graduates’ employment study.] http://www.rilsp.gov.mn/upload/2018/sudalgaa//Төгсөгчдийн_хөдөлмөр_эрхлэлтийн_судалгаа_2015-2016_2017.pdf

25.

Long

M. W.

Luedicke

Dorsey

Fiore

S. S.

Henderson

K. E.

(2013). Impact of Connecticut legislation incentivizing elimination of unhealthy competitive foods on National School Lunch Program participation. American Journal of Public Health, 103(7), e59–e66. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301331

26.

Martinez

Coker

McMahon

S. D.

Cohen

Thapa

(2016). Involvement in extracurricular activities: Identifying differences in perceptions of school climate. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 33(1), 70–84. https://doi.org/10.1017/edp.2016.7

27.

Mitchell

R. M.

Kensler

Tschannen-Moran

(2018). Student trust in teachers and student perceptions of safety: Positive predictors of student identification with school. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 21(2), 135–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2016.1157211

28.

Mitra

D. L.

(2018). Student voice in secondary schools: The possibility for deeper change. Journal of Educational Administration, 56(5), 473–487. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-01-2018-0007

29.

Molinari

Grazia

(2021). Students’ school climate perceptions: Do engagement and burnout matter? Learning Environments Research, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-021-09384-9

30.

Mori

Tiiri

Khanal

Khakurel

Mishina

Sourander

(2021). Feeling unsafe at school and associated mental health difficulties among children and adolescents: A systematic review. Children, 8(3), 232. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8030232

31.

Murphy

J. M.

Pagano

M. E.

Nachmani

Sperling

Kane

Kleinman

R. E.

(1998). The relationship of school breakfast to psychosocial and academic functioning: Cross-sectional and longitudinal observations in an inner-city school sample. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 152(9), 899–907. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.152.9.899

32.

Narantsetseg

(2013). Hийгмийн бoдлoгo-Бoлoвcpoлын үйлчилгээ. [Social policy-Educational service]. Peд. Чyлyyнбaaтap. In G. Chuluunbaatar (Ed.), Moнгoлын yлc төp, эдийн зacaг, нийгэм: Toгтoлцoo бa бoдлoгo. [Mongolian politics, economy, society: System and policy] (pp. 93–95). Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

33.

National School Climate Center (2018). Connecting communities of courage: Building inclusive, safe, and engaging schools: A summit re-cap report. https://www.schoolclimate.org/themes/schoolclimate/assets/pdf/NSCC_SummitRecap.pdf

34.

Reeve

(2009). Why teachers adopt a controlling motivating style toward students and how they can become more autonomy supportive. Educational Psychologist, 44(3), 159–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520903028990

35.

Riekie

Aldridge

J. M.

Afari

(2017). The role of the school climate in high schoolstudents’ mental health and identity formation: A south Australian study. British Educational Research Journal, 43(1), 95–123. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3254

36.

Ryan

R. M.

Deci

E. L.

(2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs inmotivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Publishing.

37.

Sattler

D. N.

Gruman

D. H.

Enkhtur

Muskavage

Bishkhorloo

(2021). School climate in Mongolia: Translation and validation of the What’s Happening in This School. Learning Environments Research, 25(2), 325–340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-021-09375-w

38.

Sukhbaatar, B. (2014). Study on parental involvement preparation at a preservice institution in Mongolia. School Community Journal, 24(2), 189–218.

39.

Sutton

C. B.

(2021). It’s time for free school meals for all. Food Research & Action Center. https://frac.org/blog/its-time-for-free-school-meals-for-all

40.

Tegshsuren

(2021). Монгол Улс сургуулийн мэргэшсэн сэтгэл зүйчидтэй боллоо. gogo.mn. [Mongolia has professional school psychologists]. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://gogo.mn/r/0yeng

41.

Thapa

Cohen

Guffey

Higgins-D’Alessandro

(2013). A review of school climate research. Review of Educational Research, 83(3), 357–385. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654313483907

42.

Unicef (2017). Монгол улсын хүн амын хоол тэжээлийн тулгамдаж буй асуудал. Үндэсний V судалгааны тайлан. [Nutritional problems facing the population of Mongolia].https://www.unicef.org/mongolia/media/1121/file/NNS_V_Sedevchilsen_tailan_MN.pdf

43.

UNICEF (2021, April 15). Adolescent health dashboards country profiles. UNICEF DATA. https://data.unicef.org/resources/adolescent-health-dashboards-country-profiles/

44.

United Nations (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child text. https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text

45.

United Nations (2013, May 24). UN report highlights the benefits of school meal programs in crisis settings. UN News. https://news.un.org/en/story/2013/05/440462-un-report-highlights-benefits-school-meal-programmes-crisis-settings

46.

Voight

Nation

(2016). Practices for improving secondary school climate: A systematic review of the research literature. American Journal of Community Psychology, 58(1-2), 174–191. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12074

47.

Wang

M. T.

Degol

J. L.

(2016). School climate: A review of the construct, measurement, and impact on student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 28(2), 315–352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9319-1

48.

Wang

Zhang

(2016). Teacher autonomy support reduces adolescent anxiety and depression: An 18-month longitudinal study. Journal of Adolescence, 49(1), 115–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.03.001