An intriguing study in the U.K. looks at the effects of a school’s surroundings, looking for links between a neighborhood’s physical decline and student behavior, teacher morale and test scores. The results are reported in The Guardian.
The report’s chief author, Katy Owen, says she found that urban decay could ‘easily impact upon pupils and their teachers.’ She says: ‘They may demonstrate poor behaviour in the classroom, have low self-esteem, little appetite for educational attainment and have little cultural or social capital to draw on. Their teachers may become disillusioned and frustrated with their limited ability to teach in a community where crime and incivility is rife.’
No surprise to anyone who teaches in a hardscrabble neighborhood, certainly. Every morning when I climbed the stairs from the subway to go to my South Bronx school, I was greeted by a sign marking the bus stop for the Riker’s Island Shuttle, which was always a cheery way to start the day–and a reminder of why you were there.
The study’s authors found it harder to link environment and test results.
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