BULGARIA

Emphatic and Supportive Teachers Key to Quality and Efficiency in Education

“EMPAQT”564547-EPP-1-2015-1-BG-EPPKA3-PI-FORWARD

COUNTRY REPORT

BULGARIA

Introduction..........................................................................................................................................41. Numbers of drop-out rates in Bulgaria.........................................................................................42. Implimented measurements to decrese ESL during 2001–2011:...............................................53. The ESL distribution rate.............................................................................................................64. National strategy for reducing ESL..............................................................................................75. Problems identified by the first sub-period of implementation of the strategy:...........................8

Inquiry analysis - STUDENTS.............................................................................................................96. Demographic data.........................................................................................................................97. Retention at school.......................................................................................................................98. Type of family and living conditions.........................................................................................109.Students’ work experience..........................................................................................................1010. Access to informational and computer technology..................................................................1111. Reasons for school attendance and ways to feel good there....................................................1112. Types of sipport to do academically better at school...............................................................1213. Reasons for a sense of belonging at school..............................................................................1414. Type of support to do academically better at school................................................................1415. Reasons for conflicts................................................................................................................1516. Characteristics of the preferred teachers..................................................................................1517. Conflicts between students and teachers..................................................................................1518. Teaching methods.....................................................................................................................1619. Cause for failure at school........................................................................................................1620. Help with personal and school issues.......................................................................................1721. Time spent when not in school.................................................................................................1722. Taking part in extracurricular activities...................................................................................1823. Factors contributing to success at school.................................................................................1824. Friends who droped out school and their profile......................................................................1825. Factors influencing the goals of life.........................................................................................19

Inquiry analysis- teachers...................................................................................................................1926. Demographic data.....................................................................................................................1927. Job satisfaction.........................................................................................................................2028. Challenges in the teachers-students ‘relations..........................................................................2129. Primary cause for conflict with students..................................................................................2230. Approaches to overcoming conflicts with the students............................................................2231. Factors increasing teachers` professional motivation..............................................................23

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32. Areas of self-perceived competencies......................................................................................2333. Factors for students’ involvement............................................................................................2334. Factors for low performance....................................................................................................2435. Responsibility for preventing early school leaving (ESL).......................................................2436. Causes of early school leaving.................................................................................................2537. School strategies to prevent early school leaving....................................................................2538. Teachers` experience within the school/class..........................................................................2639. Requisites for teachers working with students in risk of ESL.................................................2640. Necessary training and professional development...................................................................26

Refferences:........................................................................................................................................27Annexes:.............................................................................................................................................27

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Introduction

1. Numbers of drop-out rates in BulgariaAccording to Eurostat data, the share of those who drop-out education in Bulgaria decreases substantially for a period of 13 years from 20,7% in 2002 to 12,9% in 2014. Since 2007 Bulgaria has evened with the average level for the European Union and now moves near it. The national goal for the early school leaving(ESL)is to reach 11%1until 2020.

Fig.1 Share of the Early Leavers from Education and Training (in %)

*The data for 2011 are revised. There is a break of the dynamic order.

During the last three years (2012–2014) there is a noticeable retention of the ESL level. At the same time, there is an interruption of the positive trend of fast and annual decrease of ESL, registered in the period 2001-2011.

Behind the average data for the country, there is a big difference between the regions. Southwestern region, where the capital Sofia is located, shows data for ESL over three times lower than the average for the country. Expectedly, there is a connection between the very high indicators for ESL and the low economic growth and the high unemployment in the Northwestern and the Southeastern regions.

It is necessary to mention also that the ESL is not a problem for each school. However, where the problem exists, it is with a high percentage and it is stable in time.

1 This goal is fixed in the national program for reforms (2012–2020 г.) as well as in the“Strategic framework of the National development program for Bulgaria: Bulgaria 2020”.

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2. Implemented measurements to decrease ESL during 2001–2011:

Introduction of free textbooks for the students in І–VІІ grade (since 2008);

Introduction (since 2010/2011 academic year) and progressive expansion of a whole-day organization of the school education from І-st to VІІ-thgrade;

Free breakfasts and lunches (partially introduced); free transportation to school for students in compulsory school age from places where there are no schools;

The introduction in 2007 and 2008 of delegated budgets for the schools2 – the school officials received strong motivation to seek out, enroll and retain each student who can be recorded at their school as the school budget depends from the number of students signed up;

The improvement of the national electronic informational system for the number of students at school made more difficult the fictitious enrollment of students only by documents and pushed schools to actually ensuring the presence of the student at school. Since the academic year 2012/2013 a web-based register for the movement of children and students has been introduced at schools. This register prevents simultaneous presence of a child or a student in two different kindergartens or schools’ lists.

Increased control on the schools to present to the Municipality directorates for "Social support" data about the students’ absences (not more than 5 academic hours per month). In case more absences occur, the child benefits paid to the parents will be ceased;

In 2010 was introduced a mandatory preschool preparation for 5-years old children and funds are provided for free transportation of those children who live in places where there are no kindergartens or preparatory classes at school;

Independent, part-time and evening courses provide opportunities for adult education;

National Program “With care to each student” provides since 2006 funds to schools on a project basis for additional classes for students with low academic performance in education and at the National external assessment tests. Currently, the program is opened also for kindergartens and allows forming groups for additional training in Bulgarian language of children with different mother tongue.

Data in the recent years show a slowdown in the process of lowering the ESL, suggesting that the implemented measures have exhausted their potential. Reducing the ESL with another two percentages to the targeted level and stable retention at this level will require new measures in addition to those,which already have become part of the routine at schools.

At this stage, there is a problem not only for keeping the students at school, but how effective is their presence there: do they actually get this modern skills and competencies that are needed, or if they only stay there physically.

2Schools receive funding for their activities on the basis of annual fee per student, which includes all basic expenses (e.g.: teachers’ salaries, maintenance of the school building, heating, optional courses, salaries of non-teaching staff, etc.). Operational management of the funds is transferred to the school principals.

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3. The ESL distribution rateA careful analysis for the dropout by academic years shows that from the academic year 1999 / 2000 to 2014 / 2015 г. there is no a positive breakthrough in tackling ESL. The absolute values of the numbers of dropouts decreases since the number of students at school decreases, while the percentage of the dropouts for the whole country for the different levels of schooling is on hold.

The last academic year that the National Statistical Institute has data for is 2014/15. This data shows growth in the number of dropouts compared to the previous three years. An explanation for this can be found in the clearly implemented policy of the Ministry of Education and Science and its regional structures for enhanced control over the absenteeism of students and fictitious keeping of students in school records in all forms of training. Intolerance was declared for making compromises to students who do not regularly attend classes, as well as to the delay actions of the school management in the delisting of the students. Schools received a clear message to seek assistance from child protection services and local authorities to investigate cases of school dropouts and to work on their return, but not to hold an absent student fictionally enrolled in school.

The comparison among the educational stages shows a steady trend that ESL in the middle school (V–VIII grade) are more, compared to those in the primary (I–IV grade) and the high school (IX–XII grade). Dropout before completing the compulsory basic education is a significant and characteristic problem for Bulgaria. VI–VII grates is the age in which families of Roma communities are starting to keep their children home. In such early dropping, the decision comes from the adults and not from the students and this suggests possible ways to solve the problem.

For students from vulnerable groups who manage to avoid dropouts and successfully complete the compulsory basic education, there is a second critical moment – continuing to secondary education. As an example we can point Silistra region for which the data since 2010 show that average 12% of VIII graders do not continue studying further. Such data are not tracked and aggregated at national level by the Ministry of Education and Science.

Another risky period with high percentage dropouts is the first high school grade– IX class. Here the reasons are less connected to the family and more related to the capacity of the young person to adapt to a new school and to the increased requirements and expectations for independent tackling the difficulties.

The described three thresholds of ESL, typical for the Bulgarian context are associated with difficulties of a different nature. They all show that students at risk need ongoing support in the period of the middle and early secondary education until they reach the age at which they can choose between additional and more flexible ways of education and training.

4. National strategy for reducing ESLThe “Strategy for reducing the share of early school leavers”, accepted in 2013 is the first national strategy in Bulgaria to combat this problem. It was developed by the Ministry of Education and Science and covers the period from 2013 to 2020.The strategy is structured into 13 sections, among which: review and analysis of the status and resources, principles, objectives, policies and key measures, indicators,means of implementation and evaluation.

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Activities of the institutions for tackling the ESL can be grouped into two complementary groups – to lower the number of those who enter the group and to provide as early as possible variety of alternative paths for getting out of the group. The first group of measures completely falls within the school and allowsactionwithinthe school age. The second group of measures is more geared towards adult education and other forms of training for persons beyond compulsory school age.

Measures and policies in the Strategy are grouped into thethree aspects that are formed by the Recommendation of the Council of the European Union (2011/C 191/01 of 28.06.2011) on policies to reduce early school leaving3 - prevention, intervention and compensation.

Examples for measures in the field of prevention:● creating a positive learning environment;● identification of children and students who are at risk of early school leaving

and the reasons for each case;● developing and implementing school and community programs;● improving the quality of education – achieving better learning outcomes for

children and students;● evaluation, which creates motivation for learning;● differentiated teaching;● teacher training on identifying and dealing with cases at risk of ESL;● educational integration of children and students from vulnerable ethnic

communities;● preventing separation of children from ethnic minorities in some class or

group;● enhancing intercultural competence of all participants in the educational

process;● care for children with special educational needs.

Examples of measures in the field of intervention:● increasing the participation and involvement of parents;● individual and group mentoring to help children, students, parents and

educational professionals to overcome difficulties in the educational, social or personal level;

● engaging student representation;● career guidance and counseling, promoting the benefits of acquiring

professional qualification and development of forms that are appropriate for students at risk of dropping out;

● appointment of school counselors and/or psychologists and/or resource teachers;

● creating teams to work together with parents ● observing the rights of the children and engaging authorities to combat the

antisocial activities of minors and under-aged● guiding students at risk to work with a psychologist, guidance counselor, youth

or social worker; recommending a full-day organization of the school day;● additional activities &counseling, directing students to pursue activities of

interest;● management of discipline in schools through effective modern forms;

3Official Journal of the European UnionС 191/1 от 1.07.2011

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● targeted financial support – partial or full payment by the municipality of the kindergarten fees for children from low-income families; school rules for granting scholarships.

Examples of measures in the areas of compensation:● return of early school leavers to the formal system of education and training

through the use of various forms of education such as distance, evening, part-time, self-guided;

● enrollment of early school leavers in literacy courses;● promoting opportunities for informal learning in clubs, libraries, community

centers, youth information and counseling centers, regional and local centers;● workplace learning – more internships and apprenticeships and motivating

local businesses for accepting trainees and apprentices;● the possibility of inclusion in education and training of prisoners;● national system for validation of competences acquired through non-formal

training and/or informal learning.

The strategy implementation is organized by biennial plans. The Department "Formation, analysis and evaluation of policies" in the Ministry of Education and Science is involved in coordinating the actions and summarizing the results. The first sub-period(2014–2015) is already completed and a report for the outcomes of the implementation of the first biennial plan for the implementation of the strategy is published on the web-site of the Bulgarian Ministry of education and sciences.

5. Problems identified by the first sub-period of implementation of the strategy:- Insufficient use of national information system that contains official data on Bulgarian

citizens (ESGRAON)maintained by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works for monitoring of the enrollment of the children who reached the compulsory school age, as well as for supervision of their movement within the educational system;

- Late introduction of professionalcounseling and guidance;- Hidden drop-out (hiding the absences of students by teachers; concealment of

absences of students by parents in order to receive benefits);- Inadequate or missing sources of relevant information, such as: actual residence

registration; register for the students who went abroad; national database of persons not attending education;

- Problems of coordination between institutions, resulting from insufficient awareness;- Problems of schools and other institutions in the specific communication with

individual parents and the parent community as a whole;- Lack of information about children left with relatives (who do not have parental rights

and obligations), while parents are working abroad;- Lack of adequate response by the authorities for child protection in cases when there

signals for children and students left by the parents to relatives.

On 8-th July 2015, an agreement was concluded for the implementation of the Strategy between the Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Ministry of Regional Development, Ministry of Interior, State Agency for child protection, the National association of municipalities in Bulgaria, Confederation of independent Trade unions in

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Bulgaria, Confederation of Labor "Podkrepa". A coordination unit for the implementation of the Agreement is created with the aim to support the Minister of Education and Science.

The strategy for reducing the share of ESLhas common points and similar measures planned in the Strategy for educational integration of children and students from ethnic minorities (2015-2020), as far as the most vulnerable group of dropping out of school are the children and students with non-Bulgarian mother language, especially from the Roma ethnic group.

Inquiry analysis - STUDENTS

6. Demographic data Date of BirthIn accordance with the data collected from the first demographic question in the survey, the majority of the students participated in it are between 12-16 years of age and are students in secondary and post-secondary schools. It could be assumed that most of them have a good grib of awareness of their ideas of school life and the institutional frame of education, its requirements and challenges bring along long-lasting impressions and resilience. GenderThe gender representation is almost equal with 45% girls and 55% boys.The respondents are from different small towns and cities which are predominantly in the Eastern part of Bulgaria. Almost 30% were born in Dobrich, 26% in Silistra. The rest come from Stara Zagora, General Toshevo, Haskovo and Dulovo. The sample of 250 students (54%) is made ofliving in towns and 212 living in villages, the survey gives a clear representation of both well developed and rural areas of the country. Current grade at school Most of the students who took part in the survey have already gone through the“window of vulnarability” (different research shows that nearly 20 % of adolescents manifest serious problems that emerges for adolescents when they turn approximately 12 year of age) and are fully capable of recognizing a number of high risk factors leading to ESL based on their own personal experiences. The students are accordingly in 6th and 7th grade (17 % and 29 %) and 8th and 9th grade (9 % and 35 %). We should keep in mind that this is also the age (between 12-15) where children are very concerned with their peers’ views and attitudes- and therefor they identify themselves primarily with their friends and that is why they are highly influenced by their moral values and evaluation. This leads to a highly increased level of sensitivity toward their classmates’ behavior and attitude and makes them more vulnerable toward different types of social or psycho-emotional harm toward themselves which brings a valuable point of view to our focus of research.

7. Retention at school

Have you repeated a grade during your school life?

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Only 15 students have repeated a grade in school and that means that their views on the reasons to stay in school are most likely to be very helpful for our analysis of such causes and reasons for ESL.

8. Type of family and living conditions

People you live in the same house:Around 80 % of all students live in families with both of their parents and even sometime the families consist of older relatives such as their grandparents as well. The number of students who live with a single parent is not that low- 7% and among them there are 8 children who answer that they live only with their grandparent(s). Those are two very unfavorable tendencies in our contemporary world which have a direct impact on their growth, development and bringing up.One of the factors is the increasing number of single parent families. Children who are raised by a single parent are at a much higher risk of ESL due to the fact that such families usually lack organization (structure), they are not very sustainable/dysfunctional and are more vulnerable to poverty and economic hardship and social exclusion.The second tendency involves international migration due to economic reasons. Not only does such migration take a toll on the family relationships but it leads to leaving the children behind to be raised by older generations which lead to severe lack of so much needed parental attention and control. The psychological trauma from the process of long-term separation exacerbates the negative effect on kids and leads to further deepen their unwellbeing and prevents them from being able to keep a positive attitude toward their educational. Do you have a room of your own at home?Almost one third of all respondents - 29 % do not have live in a separate room. This is a clear sign of unfavorable living conditions which could then lead to a more unfavorable living environment if there is a lack of a personal space for the student to prepare for school- a proper desk, or if the child shares the room with too many other members of his/her family, making him/her more vulnerable to ESL risk.

9.Students’ work experience Are you currently working for money?When asked about their current status, 445 of the children say that they are not working for money which leaves less than 5% in the category “working for money”. The fact that some of them work does not necessarily have a negative effect on its own, especially when we talk about temporary employment (during school brakes) and when it involves students who are 15-16 or older. Meanwhile the active use of child labor as a source of income- which often happens in Roma families in Bulgaria, definitely leads to a strongly established tendency toward ESL. Have you ever worked for money?Almost 32 % (147) of the students say that they have worked at one or another point of their lives. We could accept that as a clear sign that most of them have already had their first contact with the labor market and have a good idea of what it is like to work and to earn money for your time and efforts. They are aware how time- and energy consuming a job could

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be and they are aware of the need for ability to establish and keep balance between their personal lives, school and work.

10. Access to informational and computer technology Do you have access to a computer / tablet at home?Only 3% of the students do not have a computer at home which is very fair representation of our country’s picture when it comes to ICT use. There is however a very clear division between a different socio- and ethnic groups and communities. In the groups of certain minorities – like Romas for example- the access to ICT continues to be very limited due to various reasons- but mainly financial, and that has a very negative impact on the children in such communities when it comes to their limitations to access to educational resources.

Do you have a mobile phone of your own?Only about 4% of the students say that they do not own a personal mobile which is almost identical to the access to computer at home.

11. Reasons for school attendance and ways to feel good there I enjoy coming to school when: At this age, students are clearly drawn to school when they have a class with their favorite teacher- 68% of the participants completely agree with this answer as they believe that the qualities (both professional and personal) of the teachers are extremely important factor which can make school “favorite” for them. 65% truly believe that their favorite class is the reason why they enjoy school the most. This is not surprising keeping in mind that their active interest toward the educational process which seems to be more interesting to the student increase their motivation for education and their desire toward more education. This also leads to a better engagement with the educational process and involvement in developmental and educational different tasks as well as the development of more positive attitude toward the school environment. It is important to note that a great deal of the participants are not willing to undermine the meaning of factors connected directly to their educational activities, and the successful completion of which correlates with the level of their understanding of their internal satisfaction and emotional wellbeing. 66% go to school to see their friends and knowing that most of the participants are in the teenage group makes their peers also more very important group in all aspects of their lives- school included. 61% completely agree that going to school is pleasant only if you are well prepared (done your homework) as well as helps them to be better engaged emotionally and physically with the process of education at school, and the establishment of a more positive attitude toward school in general. This answer is completely coherent with their natural desire to have a higher self-evaluation and self-respect, which is validated through their psycho-emotional balance and stability which allows the student not be overwhelmed with worries when a task is too complicated for him/her or when something from the matters thought in class is not clear; this also helps build up their self esteem and assurance in their own abilities. 56% enjoy the extracurricular activities and 50% feel comfortable and enjoy school only when they are dressed well. The least number of children (32%) admitted that the presence of their boyfriend/girlfriend is a sole reason to enjoy school. We should keep in mind that many

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of the students may or may not feel comfortable enough to discuss/or and recognize the possibilities of having an intimate friend – boyfriend/girlfriend yet due to difference in religious, cultural and family backgrounds. So the answers should be taken with a grain of assault when it comes to sincerity.

Others. Most commonly seen answer in this section is the participation in a sport activity, the use of ICT in class and their favorite subjects. Five students answered that they would have liked school better if the classes were shorter- which could be taken as a sign of being too lazy but it could also be seen as a systematic overload which students in Bulgaria live with during their school and very rarely does something positive for their motivation and recognition of the materials on personal level. This seems to be extremely difficult with children who are “slower” learners. They deserve not only quality education which is in the basis of a democratic principles of education but that also helps them develop personally and work with their potential. This is one of the many reasons why we often see ESL being discussed in the context of the issues of “equality of opportunities”.Until the day when this becomes reality, the continuing mismatch between higher standards emplaced in the norms/requirements for educational process and the low standard of educational process in the schools as a result of inadequate evaluation forms, mismatching the educational system and the reality, it is highly unlikely that the ESL would be eradicated as an issue.

12. Types of sipport to do academically better at schoolPlease write down three things that help you when you feel overwhelmed at school?Most students say that their friends are the people who help them the most when it comes to being overwhelmed at school. Considering that, it would be nice to have more flexible procedures for peering and other forms of systematically planned and organized help where students can help and support each other; the next in line was “the teachers” and their assistance in different type of consultations on topics related to the subjects they teach, which is a great way of predicting the direction the educational policies must take in order to work more in depth when it comes to different way of addressing the problems in education. The third factor is “the telephone” and everything that is attached to it- internet, social networks, facebook. Only two students say that reading books helps them- it is time to integrate better ICT in the education process which would make it then more attractive to students. Some students depend on the emotional support of their parents, others use music and sport activities to decrease the pressure from school and there are those who take up on private lessons in order to be better prepared in school. A few students mention that their way of dealing with being overwhelmed is to “skip class” which clearly shows their inability to handle the pressure and the inability to utilize the existing support system- friends, parents, teachers, counselors) and is also a clear sign of the first steps toward ESL. Another sign for the dysfunctional system is the fact that some students take up on consuming sweets- chocolate and other pastries as means to “calm themselves” when being overwhelmed. This is a clear sign that the system not only leads to the lack of enough physical activities, overload of mental activities but also to the

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establishment of harmful coping mechanism to all the stress. The students do not see the student counselor as someone they could rely on- the answers show that most students would prefer to go to the headmaster before they end up with the counselor. It could be due to various reasons- lack of qualification, not enough things the counselor could do with the problem, but it could also be the fact that children are sent to the counselor only when they are considered to have done something “bad”. Whatever the reason there needs to be a better understanding of the position and responsibilities of school counselors as well as their abilities to help in situations for prevention of ESL. What are the three things you like about your school?The most common answer to the question what are the three things you like in school is “the teachers” – and specifically the classroom teachers, the teachers who demonstrate high professional competency and attentive and respectful behavior toward students; next are the “favorite subjects” which students find interesting and attractive; “friends and classmates” are third in line. This is a very positive overview of the teachers (or at least those of them who are appreciated) and expresses the important part they have in the minds of the students when it comes to staying in school. It is the teachers’ abilities and professionalism which is a major force of attraction and retention of students in school. Many students say that the “vocational training classes” are extremely interesting and attractive to them. This is a clear sign of the direction which the educational system has yet to take more seriously- which is to provide a clear connection between jobs, the labor market and schooling. Such step would definitely make school more attractive especially for those who are in the most need of vocational training and are vulnerable to ESL. There are number of research data that proves this connection to be extremely valuable especially for the families of children from Roma communities- as their parents value highly the vocational training opportunity as a factor which would help their children have a better life. Participating in different extra curriculum activities such as school trips, sporting events, and school clubs is another important factor which contributes to the interest of students toward going to school. Rarely but still present is the answer related to better equipped schools – gyms, computer laboratories, libraries and others. It is no surprise that the upgrading of such environment would lead to a higher attendance.About 19 of all the students said they don’t like anything about school. Such an example of extreme negative attitude is a clear sign of unfavorable process and lack of healthy adaptation and is very much related to the risk of ESL. When we add to this the lack of respectful authority of school counselors, we see a much more worrisome picture. At school I am involved in:Students participate mainly in school clubs and school trips. A good part of them participate in different type of competitions and a few of them go to consultations for specific topics of the subjects they study. Very rarely do they participate in environmental activities, which could be a sign of the lack of emphasis on this aspect of education in our system. Only 16 students have participated in activities with the school counselor which is a clear sign of misunderstanding on the part of the student when it comes to what the roles of the school counselor could be/is.

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There is a clear problem which is seen from the collected data analysis- and that is about one fourth of all students say they do not participate in any extra curriculum activities. This is a very high number which alarms us of the inadequacy of our educational system when it comes to being able to retain the students engaged in the schools and the educational process. Recent research shows that some of the most simple and adequate measures which could be taken to prevent ESL are to - change the hours of the school day to begin at 9.00 and end at 3.30 with universally available after school sports practice and other activities... Most risky behavior occurs between 2.30 and dinner time.

13. Reasons for a sense of belonging at schoolI feel that I belong in school because of:Not surprisingly for their age, students answer that they feel that they belong the most in school when they are with their friends (77% completely agree). In order to use this information in favor of preventing ESL, the educational system must include adequate forms and approaches for creating a positive attitude toward schools as well as means for students to participate in the process of helping each other through troublesome times in school. Students can mentor, tutor their classmates/friends and that would bring back their desire to continue to attend school for they would feel a part of a group which understands and support them, rather than getting a support from an outside resources, which could be much less personal. 61% depend on the support of their families to help them to integrate in the school and define their ability to utilize mechanism leading to a long-term and sustainable relation with school. 85 students (18%) answer that their families are not a factor and by doing so they confirm the data from previous research showing that there is a tendency of growing distance between families and schools which sometimes grows into neglect on the part of parents. Whenever there is such a situation, the children need to be consulted by professional in order to decrease the risk of ESL without that standing as a reason for further conflict between the families and the schools . 58% completely agree that in order to feel that they belong they must do well academically. There is a clear correlation between the achievement and success students may have in school and their feeling of belonging. This may be understood as the inherit need of every child to be approved and evaluated well which helps their self-assessed in the means of their social community and to believe in their own abilities and skills as well as the opportunity to achieve certain goals. 52% see the presence of supportive teachers an important factor for their positive experience in school. Being supported by the others in the community is important to 32% and 36% prefer a school where they fit in ethnically and religiously. Unfortunately the role of the students counselors seems to be undermined again seeing that only 16% depend on their support in school when it comes to the feeling of belonging in school. This is a clear sign for the lack of understanding and proper utilization of the role of such professionals. School counselors are not seen in their leading role as an effective mediator, facilitator who is mend to assist in difficult situations which come about in the everyday school life.

14. Type of support to do academically better at schoolWhat helps me do academically better in schoolStudents believe to the most part (80% completely agree) that they individually are the sole reasons why they do well in school- the efforts they put in, the time, their abilities to obtain

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and retain knowledge as well as to perform well in school. 75% completely agree that the supportive families help them do better in school- the safety of a comforting home and friendly environment encourages them to grow and develop personally and academically. 68% find their teachers’ support as an important factor for their success in school. And a bit over half of the participants (53%) completely agree that without their friends’ support their performance in school would suffer. The supportive community (34%) and professional volunteers who work with children after regular classes (17%) are seen as factors contributing to improving students’ success in school. Only 17% completely agree that students’ counselors play a part in their academic success.

15. Reasons for conflicts

How often do I get in conflicts with my classmatesFor 60% of the students conflicts with other students are not very common and temporary. 30% state that they do not get in conflicts and 10% find themselves in constant conflict with the others.

30.49%

59.49%

10.02%

I get in conflicts with my classmates

NeverSometimesAlways

The reasons for conflicts with my classmates are?17% of the students completely agree (and 38 % agree) that the most common reason for conflict is personal misunderstanding between the students. Conflict resolution is an important key skill which each child should acquire in their development and personal growth. The same number of students completely agree (18%) that other children’s aggression toward them is the reason for conflicts (when we include those who agree with the answer the number rises to 40% but 24% do not believe that aggression has anything to do with their conflicts. Although this might seems in some kind of contradiction to what experts in this area would say, we have to keep in mind that those are kids in teenage period where the “accepted” by them behavior is commonly expressed with boldness, lack of assertiveness and sometimes even rudeness and certain levels of aggression. Only 9% completely agree that their aggression is a reason for conflict in the classroom. Almost 60% of the participants do not relate being stressed out with conflicts with their classmates and 9% believe that such factor plays an important role in conflict management in the classroom. With that in mind, efforts must be made on many levels- classroom management, communication, personal

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growth and development as well as reconsidering the academic load and programs which could lead to overwhelming.

16. Characteristics of the preferred teachers

The teachers I like the most have the following characteristics:This question asked reviles what would the “perfect teacher” be like for the students. The biggest part of them believe that such teacher understands them (gets them) and relays to their problems, issues and experiences. For 82% of them it is extremely important that a teacher presents themselves as approachable and connects with them on more than academic level. Teachers have to show respect toward students (74% completely agree). 66% of the students are attracted to teachers with sense of humor which is a great way to lower the stress and tension in the classroom considering of course the use of tasteful and considerate sense of humor-an important modeling of behavior for consideration of other people’s feelings and showing empathy. Fairness is important for 63% of the students – which is a clear sign that there is some degree of uncertainty in the methods of evaluation when it comes to their performance. Almost half of the students believe that their participation and presence in school should be evaluated on more than just academic factors.

They understand me

Have sence of humour

they respect me

they are fare

they evaluate me not only on my academic perforamce

The reason I like teachers is that....:

do not agree at all

I do not agree

agree somewhat

Completely agree

17. Conflicts between students and teachers

Frequency of conflicts with teachersAlmost 67% of students state that they never get into conflicts with their teachers and 28% of them do from time to time (not clear if the word conflict creates a negative connotation and what is the understanding of students –are they allowed to argue with their teachers or they

15

have to follow their orders without questioning). There is however the group of 5 % who state that they are in constant conflict with their teachers. This is the group that needs to be looked at very carefully and handled with the necessary caution as they present the most vulnerable to ESL.

66.74%

28.14%

5.12%

I get in conflicts with my teachers...

neversometimesalways

Most common reason for conflict with teachers is:The most common reason for conflicts with teachers according to the students are bad grades and the second most common reason is along the same line- that teachers are unfair in the way they treat/evaluate students. There are enough students answered that going to school unprepared /without homework causes conflicts and last but not least common reason for conflicts with teachers is the fact that students do not like to be called on discipline issues. It is interesting to look at the way teachers react to all that- do classrooms have set up ground rules to what happens when a child is without homework or is being disruptive in class. And if they are aware of the consequences or every time it is different and depends entirely on the personality of the teacher/their ability to handle themselves and the situation. Being aware of the rules and regulations and actively participating in the classroom management provides the children with means to contribute and feel that they belong in the process. Keeping in mind that the behavior of children is goal-oriented, the methods of dealing with misbehaving needs to lead to change of the methods of achieving such goals rather than exclusion and correction of behavior.

18. Teaching methods

My teachers use the following methods of teaching:According to the data students are being taught with a variety of methods which reflect the methodological diversity they need. The most common means of teaching used by teachers are interactive means of discussion (41% completely agree), presentations (40%), and team work (31%). Students enjoy school trips (25%) and school visits (24%) which provide the opportunity for change of scenery and safely exploring the world outside of the classroom walls. About 20% of the students recognize the use of debate and role play as actively used by their teachers.

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19. Cause for failure at school

Students do not do well in school because of…The students see the lack of personal motivation or ability to perform as the most common reason for not being able to succeed in school- 38% completely agree with that answer (and a total of 80% answer positively to the question). 32% completely agree (and when we include the answer “agree” the percentage goes even higher 66 %) that it is due to family reasons. Students see their peers as the next most common reason for failing in school (25% completely agree). The hardships in economic conditions and the school itself are seen as the main source for failure for one fourth of the students, almost the same number of students believe discrimination plays a huge part in students not being able do to well in school.It is safe to say that the order of reasons which students give reflects where there must be a heavy investment in finding the solutions for school performance- starting with the personal motivation and improving of skills, keeping the family and friends involved. The second group of the answers shows the socio-economic factors such as the teachers and the school as an institution itself. This is the area where the priorities in training and consultation could be rearranged to reflect and asnwer the established needs.

20. Help with personal and school issues

When I have a personal problem I turn to:The predominant answer to this question shows that more than half of the students share their problems with their parents (63% completely agree). Almost 15% of the children say that they never share with their parents and although it is somewhat acceptable that at this age children become their struggle for independence their complete withdraw is a potential sign for upcoming troubles in their relationship as this puts at risk their communication and openness. Almost half of the students (46%) look for their friends to share problems and find comfort on personal issues. One fourth of the participants (21%) consult their teachers, 15% their headmasters and only 10% utilize the role of the student counselor and 62% of them do not see the role of counselor as the person who could assist them in such situations.

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My parents/care givers

my friends

my teachers

the headmaster

the student counselor

0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00%

When I have a problem I turn to...:

neverseldomoftenalways

When I am overwhelmed at school I turn to…Not being able to deal with the overload of academic material and school work is a leading cause for negative experience in school. The students participated in the questionnaire say that their main source of “venting” are their friends but they also share with their teachers and use their telephones (meaning social network, internet) to find comfort. The data shows that almost every 7th child do not show readiness to discuss their issues from school with their teachers which is a very disturbing/discouraging.

21. Time spent when not in school

When not in school students…Most of the students (48%) state that if/when they skip school they stay at home. Although today’s technological advanced means of communication allow students to connect with their friends without having to meet physically (in school), there needs to be a careful examination of the reason why children prefer to isolate themselves. 34% of the students completely agree the reason that they do not school is because they have to help their parents (the total % is much higher when we include the students who agree to some extend- 65 %).The number of students who have to work is less than 10% but we can still look at this type of engagement as a leading factor in ESL. When children work help their families with their labor they do in different agricultural activities, take care of ill relatives or/and siblings. Almost a third of the students (31%) state that they skip school to go out with their friends. This might be the sign of the growing importance of peer- relations and the way the peer pressure could contribute to ESL.

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stay at home

go out with friends

help my parents

go to work

0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00% 80.00%

When I am not in school I ....

neverseldomoftenalways

22. Taking part in extracurricular activities

Students take part in:There is clear lack diversity in extracurricular activities in Bulgarian schools- for variety of reasons (economic, organizational, extremely busy schedules). This explains the low numbers of students involved in such activities to some extent. If they participate in any activities at all, 16% chose arts, 16% dance and 15% foreign language classes/clubs. 13% are involved in music – groups/bands and 12% volunteer; 10% chose to participate in science competitions, 10% in theater. The numbers of students not involved in any activities seems to be very high and is a sign of the lack of well-established forms for extracurricular activities, which we already know are extremely important for developing sense of belonging, motivation and satisfaction in children when it comes to school. .

23. Factors contributing to success at school

Doing well in school is related to:The participants in the research believe that individual qualities and motivation are the leading force in doing well in school- 66% completely agree with that answer. The role of family and teachers’ support seem to be somewhat equality important – 53% and 62% closely followed by school in general (46%). Only 34% agree completely that their peers play a major role in their success in school. The society seems to be the least common reason for their success- 19%. In analyzing the data, we see that being persistent and studying and working hard are very closely related to their personal qualities and characteristics.

24. Friends who droped out school and their profile

Number of friends drop out ?

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The numbers are not very encouraging as 126 students (27%) state that 2-5 of their friends have already dropped out of school. About 9% state that there are more than 5 drop outs in their immediate surroundings/close friends. This seems to be a very disturbing tendency reveling a growing problem in Bulgarian educational system.

Why do students leave school prematurely? Most likely answer to agree completely with seems to be the lack of interest in learning, which according to 47% of the students is the reason why students drop out of school. This is clearly an answer which could be influenced with the proper evaluation of students’ specific needs and by providing the necessary training for teachers to increase the motivation in students. The second most common reason for dropping out however is Family reasons- including 38% relate it to disadvantage families, 38% blames it on dysfunctional families and 35% lack of support from the families, 35% early marriage. Such answers shape up the perception of the extend of vulnerability for each student due to the place they come from. All of those factors are out of their control and clearly take away the ability to change ones motivation or need to continue school. A very small amount of students believe that those who do not graduate do it because of lack/or bad quality of relationships with their classmates or/and teachers (24%), 18 % believe that those who do not finish school do it because they are incarcerated and the least likely reason for the students to drop out is getting involved in politics.

25. Factors influencing the goals of life

In order to be successful in life one has toThere is a clear predominance in the answers for this question. Almost all students (or 86 %) completely agree that education is an important factor that leads to successful life. This is a sign that education is still a major part of the values the students hold in life. Such values creates favorable conditions for the development of a stronger motivation toward education although it still needs to have means to turn into a stable and resistant trait in their personalities. There is a high risk when inadequate evaluation system is applied in a way that it undermines the individual differences in the students. A big number of students 86 % believe that one must strive for their goals and 80% believe that reaching your goals is only possible when you have a supportive family. Again the importance of friendly and supportive environment comes as a leading factor for positive self-esteem and development of autonomous self-perception. More than half of the students (66%) state that apart from believing in your goals you have to put forth effort and work hard to be successful in life. Almost the same numbers of students (64%) agree completely that their success is dependent on their economic status. This seems to be very relevant to the shift in values in our contemporary society placing more emphasis on consumerism and material possessions but also a sign that students begin to compare themselves actively with their peers and see where they differ –using to their disadvantage any factor that could explain their lack of motivation, effort, support and success. Bulgarians continue to raise children who are highly superstitious for 58% of the students believe that whether of not you will be successful

20

is a matter of pure luck. Could that be lack of motivation or a defensive method for protecting yourself for possible failure?

Inquiry analysis- teachers

26. Demographic dataA total of 147 teachers participated in the questionnaires and most of them - 125 (85%) are women. Almost all age groups were represented as follows 6 % between 20-29 years old, 15% are 30-39years old, 45% are in the ages of 40 -49 years old, and 34% are over the age of 50. The area of expertise for those who participated varies.

20-296%

30-3915%

40-4945%

50 +34%

Age

The data in this sector is by no means a surprise as it is a very accurate representation for the entire educational system in Bulgaria when it comes to the gender division between male and female teachers, although the goal of our research did not intend on such representation. According to the data collected from the answers, 69% of those teachers work in small villages and a smaller part of them work in bigger cities. They teach 2nd-12th grade. About 11% teach elementary school, 46% teach natural sciences and technology and 44% humanities. Almost all (89% ) state that they have a regular work contract (meaning that they have permanent positions in their schools). Only 11 teachers (7.5%) have worked at their current place of occupation for less than a year. The largest group of participants 52% states that they have worked at their current school for more than 11 years. When we add this fact to the fact that most of those teachers work in small villages, and have worked for a long time (over 40 years of teaching) this could definitely provide us with a possible answer to the reasons of why it is so difficult to implement changes in the classrooms, apply innovative methods of education as well as provide the necessary environment for the children with special needs by using technologically advanced applications. The teachers participate in different activities for the continuing/improvement of their qualification, and 61 of them (42%) state that they have participated in group or one-on-one research activities on a topic related to their specialty and professional skills, 88 teachers (60%) took part in networks for further professional development and 45 (31%) participated in different programs/projects for mentorships and/or coaching with other colleagues. It is not clear enough if the low salary is

21

the main reason why 37% of the participates find it extremely important/mandatory to receive a certificate for the training they take a part and pay for on their own. It is highly possible that they believe that such a document is the only way they can prove their additional qualification- this however lowers the focus of the quality/diversity of trainings they engage in- since there could be free of charge trainings through different programs/projects which do not necessarily issue a certificate. More than half of the participants 110 (75%) do not see the certificate as a mandatory factor when they decide if they would get involved in a certain training but emphasize on whether this would lead to furthering their professional and personal development. Not surprising at all but disturbing is the answer that 30% of the teachers state they do not make a decision what kind of training they could participate in as that decision is made by the head master of their school. This type of centralization of the decision making for personal and professional development diminishes the importance of diversity and overlooks the identity of each teacher but rather places them on the same levels and expectations.

27. Job satisfaction Most of the teachers state that they are satisfied (by some degree) with heir job and link their satisfaction to almost all factors listed in the question. 87% of the teachers completely agree that when students asks questions in class they feel very satisfied with their job. Attentive listening is extremely important because it provides both feedback for the teacher and opportunity for the student to feel better understood and to have a better and deeper understanding of the academic material. Teachers seem to identify their job satisfaction with the academic achievements (78% agree completely) of their students and students’ successful performance of different academic tasks during the classes (76% completely agree) which could easily be linked to satisfaction from the acquired students’ skills and abilities to engage in knowledge-seeking activities and strive for academic development and improvement. Such participation and successful completion of tasks is a clear sign of students’ motivation. Seeing the “fruits” of your own continuous teaching efforts turned into students’ academic achievements is a leading force for professional satisfaction.

When it comes to the personal relations (62% completely agree), respect (76% completely agree) and following instructions, directions, discipline (72% completely agree) we can note the slight change in the idea of what the relationship between teachers and students should consist of. Teachers do not insist on being always agreed with or do not expect to develop good relations with their students. Instead their satisfaction comes from their expectations to work with highly motivated, active and knowledge-seeking students who would then actively contribute to the process of education and would reach the set goals and complete the tasks at hand.

28. Challenges in the teachers-students ‘relationsThe main challenges for teachers according to 73% of them is the ability to keep

students actively engaged in class and for 75% of them to find means to increase their motivation for actively participating in the educational process. It is very reasonable to suggest that if students were already highly motivated they would participate in the classroom activities and that might be the reason why we see such a close results for those two factors.

22

More than half of the teachers (57%) state that they find it difficult to understand the specifics of students’ needs. This is a clear sign for the generational gap between students and more experienced teachers. The older generation of teachers (and people in general) lacks a deeper understanding of the (virtual) reality in which students are growing up and developing today. There is an increasing difference in views, values and basic necessities in the two groups that is irreversible and leads to the dare need for improving teachers’ skills in that area. We have to note that the difference in generations itself is not viewed by teachers as a reason for conflicts. But at the same time comes the question of how could a teacher motivate students if they do not identify correctly their necessity and cannot provide the empathy needed for the successful establishment of a positive relations between the two groups.

Active participation consists of different teaching methods such as team work, work in small groups, which unfortunately seems to be a challenge for 61% of the teachers. It is disturbing that the challenge though is not when it comes to such activities in class but when it comes to teachers working with their colleagues to assist each other with a particular student. Their lack of ability to model such behavior undermines the importance of cooperation and shows a deeper need for reforms in the pedagogical means and methods used in schools.

Almost half of the teachers (48%) find it difficult to deal with discipline issues and disrespectful behavior in the classroom. This seems to be a reflection of our society when it comes to the lack of means to raise children, teach them moral values and help them become contributing members of society. The economic and political changes in the country through the last 30-40 years have created generation of now parents who were born in communism then raised in times of uncertainties, corruption and crime. Today they are not sure of the values they need to bestow in their children. The self-centered ways of society stressing the importance of individualism before the collective benefit undermines the innate social interest in children. With that said, it is clear that teachers need to be trained into more practical techniques which provide classrooms of inclusion not exclusion, stimulate the desire to cooperate and contribute rather than disturb and seek attention in a disrespectful ways. The classroom must reflect the democratic values which we are trying to live by in our democratic country.

29. Primary cause for conflict with studentsThe most common reasons for conflicts between teachers and students seem to be the

lack of motivation in the students. Half of the participants 52% see this as a serious problem which causes tension between the two groups. Next in line (not surprisingly) with 47% of strongly agree as an answer is the discipline and the lack of respect for teachers. Almost 30 % believe that the students do not posses adequate academic knowledge. Keeping those three reasons for conflicts in mind we see something that was already noted- the lack of understanding for the needs of students leads to lack of ways to motivate them and we must add the difference in how “adequate” knowledge is being evaluated in the educational system. Students continue to be evaluated on performance and mile-stones which clearly do not reflect their needs and development. This all could easily lead to withdraw on the part of the student from the school and could be the very beginning of an early school leaving process.

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Completely Agree

Mostly Agree Mostly Diagree Completely Disagree

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

The primary cause for conflict with my students is

lack of discipline and respect on the students’ partgenerational differenceslack of motivation on the students’ partlack of motivation on my partlack of abilities to handle conflicts on my partacademic inadequacy of the students

The teachers do not seem to recognize their own abilities and skills (or lack thereof) as a common reason for conflicts. Only 12 % stated that the difference between generations could be a reason for such conflicts; 5 % stated their personal lack of motivation and 6% recognize that they are not fully capable of dealing with conflict management. This is a clear sign that the teachers might not have an adequate self-reflective perception of their own role (already changing drastically) in the classroom – they are no longer to be seen as authority but as a manager, facilitator and an empathic partner in the educational process. It is a very difficult process because a lot of the teachers recognize that the students they teach today are very different but they do not wish embrace change or invest in such new awareness which would mean that they would have to develop new skills in their professional portfolios- classroom management, conflict resolution, self-reflection, etc.

30. Approaches to overcoming conflicts with the students

Keeping in mind the answers to previous questions regarding with reasons for conflicts, it is somewhat surprising that 74% of the teachers completely agree with the idea that by creating a supportive environment in the school they would be able to overcome conflicts with students. 63% believe that it would be helpful if they talk to the students about their problems and 58% completely agree that if they adapt the curriculum well enough to the needs and abilities of their students that would help in solving the conflicts.

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Completely

Agree

Mostly Agre

e

Mostly Diag

ree

Completely

Disagre

e0.00%

20.00%

40.00%

60.00%

80.00%

I would try to overcome conflicts with students by

adapting the regular curriculum to my students’ level

creating a supportive and tolerant atmosphere in class

talking to my students and learning about their problems

assuring my authority in class

developing my conflict negotiation abilities

referring them to the school management

referring them to the school counsellor

informing the parents

Although this is a sign that the academic load must be individualize and education must be differentiated, it also shows that teachers have to put more efforts into time management and organization of their skills in teaching and communication with the students. 32% of the teachers still believe that the conflicts will resolve if they can successfully establish their authority in the classroom. This seems to be a bit disturbing, because it seems to be a lost cause even before they begin. Nowadays the classroom must be managed not ran in authoritarian manner because that would only lead to more conflict and eventually early school leaving. Teachers feel helpless and ill-prepared for 60% of them trust that talking to the parents is the most successful way of dealing with the conflict in the classroom. Although parents must be more involved in the education and have an open relation with the schools of their children, conflict resolution of problems which are in the classroom must be managed in the school with the proper tools and means, which clearly are lacking at this time. On the other side only 34% are ready to use the help of school management and less than half of them 42% feel that the student counselor must be involved in order for the conflict to be resolved.

31. Factors increasing teachers` professional motivation

Most teachers 90% of them seem to believe that if they felt more appreciated at school that would increase their professional motivation; 88% state that getting a better salary would encourage them and 78% completely agree that they are dealing with too much paperwork and that makes their profession less attractive; 76% believe that their motivation would increase with building more competence through trainings and further education; 68% believe that if the students have better grades that would motivate them to work harder and 66% wish their students would take up more interest in the subjects they teach. From all those answers it is very obvious that teachers would love to see themselves as more respected leader of the educational process both by the students and their parents as well as by the institutions and inspectorates/The Ministry of education and science. Instead they see themselves as highly under-appreciated, criticized by society and forced by the socio-economic factors of the

25

current environment, while being pointed at as those who are fully responsible for the future of the young generation. Teachers must see themselves as the leaders toward knowledge and achievement. This could only be possible through the establishment of a better connection between the two groups, better understanding the needs of the students and implementing the skills and methods which would help teachers motivate students to study and to see the connection between what is being studied and their own reality/lives.

32. Areas of self-perceived competenciesThe teachers who took a part in the research stated that they perceive themselves as most competent in the areas of their academic subject – 91% of them feel that they are up-to date with the matter and are capable of teaching that to the students. This comes as a no surprise because Bulgarian teachers are generally well prepared academically. The teachers though feel most insecure when it comes to being able to identify students’ emotions (46%) and their needs (46%). Surprisingly enough, although in previous questions teachers noted that they do not feel prepared to motivate their students, here more than 55% of them state that they feel confident in their ability to do so. It could be that they are not comfortable enough to talk about what they lack and admitting to that could make them more vulnerable. When it comes to talking about their competencies, teachers managed to recognize themselves as being competent in all the listed factors with the lowest rate of a positive answer “completely agree” being 46%. We could make a conclusion that Bulgarian teachers are not capable of talking about their own weakness and that makes it difficult to determine their own needs for training.

Completely

Agree

Mostly Agre

e

Mostly Diag

ree

Completely

Disagre

e0.00%

20.00%40.00%60.00%80.00%

100.00%

I feel competent aboutthe subject I am conveying obtaining high performance with

children on the subject matteradapting my teaching methods for children with poor academic results

motivating students

understanding the students’ difficulties

addressing the needs of student

taking action when bullying occurs among students

dealing with unexpected things at school

33. Factors for students’ involvementWhen asked about the factors that lead to a higher involvement with school teachers seem to clearly point out the supportive families as the most important factor (86% completely agree). Family is the first and most important model for the child. This explains to some extend the belief that teachers have about the support the children receive from their families when it comes to going to school. When a family establishes education as something valuable and desirable their child/children have a better chance at accepting the same believes/values.

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Completely

Agree

Mostly Agre

e

Mostly Diag

ree

Completely

Disagre

e0.00%

20.00%40.00%60.00%80.00%

100.00%

Students are more engaged in learning when

they develop good relations with their teachers

they obtained good grades

their families are supportive and encouraging

they develop good relations with their peers/friends

their families’ have a good socio-economic background

they have educational aspirations

they attend extra-curricular activities

they take part in any out of school activity

Teachers see students’ own academic aspirations as the second most important reason to stay in school (80%) for they clearly reflect the personal goals and aspiration of the student as he/she establishes themselves as an adult. The next factor is the importance of a good stable relationship with their teachers (69%), friends (57%). The relationships/closeness/openness is very important for teachers’ perception of what students might need at school. They see that being safe (emotionally and physically at school) provides a healthy environment for personal and academic growth and development. Nearly half of the participants believe that being involved in different extracurricular activities (53%) or any school activity (47%) helps keep the students in school. This is somewhat disturbing because students’ involvement in such activities relieves the stress from the academic overload and creates a special bond between the students participating in group activities. And yet, not enough emphasis is placed on providing such activities and as we see teachers do not perceive them as that important. There is a clear need for change in the system when it comes to extracurricular activities- many times the reasons for lack of activities is as simple as lack of a place to hold such activity or even time (students’ schedules are very busy and leave little free time).A very few of the teachers see the economic factor as the reason why a child stays in school (29%) and only 23% completely agree that if students get good grades then they will continue to study. We must remember though that teachers see students’ good grades as a serious factor for their personal motivation. So clearly there is another mismatch between needs, expectations and reality in the schools.

34. Factors for low performanceTeachers see the main reason for lack of involvement in school and low performance as the lack of interest in learning. The interest in learning however is a very dynamic variable which is likely to change and develop with time. Lack of interest could be a result from many factors- having family responsibilities (35% of the teachers recognize this as a factor), learning difficulties (54% completely agree). Teachers however do not seem to recognize the connection between students’ psychological and physical health, their socio-economic status and cultural identity/specifics/origin and the lack of interest in academics. Almost equal

27

number teachers see the lack of collaboration between school and parents (57%) and the lack of good role model in the lives of their students (54%) as a reason why children do not strive for better performance in school.

35. Responsibility for preventing early school leaving (ESL)The participants in the inquiry consider the influence of the family as the main reason for early school leaving (93% completely agree with this statement). The inadequacy in policies by the government, the changes that are implemented or the lack of such changes are seen as the next biggest influence on early school leave- with 45% of teachers agreed that it is the government’s responsibility to prevent it. When it comes to the school as an institution- the management is a reason for 31% of the teachers and again 31% see this as a responsibility of the students’ counselor; only 28% see their own role as important in preventing ESL. Teachers do not see peer pressure (13% completely agree that peers play a role in ESL) as a factor. But more than half of the participants (54%) point out that the students themselves are the main reason why they leave school prematurely. This is not a surprising result because in our country there is a clear washing out of the responsibility for ESL- is it the family, is it the government, is it the system or is the teacher responsible? The topic is the focus of many discussions in our society but very little has been done to systematize the assistance that teachers need in order to be able to recognize ESL signs and to prevent it.

36. Causes of early school leaving

The participants see the most common reason for ESL as family related issues (78%), economic reasons (51%) and specific cultural issues (41%). Very little to no influence they recognize in the face of school related issues (9%) and peer pressure (9%). This somewhat differences from the developmental stages for teenagers, where the tendency is to be more and more influenced by their friends rather than by adults and therefore it is highly possible that the peers would play bigger part in ESL. About 39% of the teachers consider that “personal reasons” are behind the drop out process. It would be interesting to do a further inquiry into what could some of those reasons be and how could they be influenced.

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Completely Agree Mostly Agree Mostly Diagree Completely Disagree

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

Early school leaving is caused by

cultural factorsschool related factorsfamily related factoreconomic factorspeer factorsindividual factors

37. School strategies to prevent early school leavingEvery school is obliged to issue a strategy for prevention of ESL as a part of their regulatory documentations. Every school and educational system has to provide their teachers with tools and methods to address the problem. The way teachers reflect on those strategies might provide us with feedback on the current situation. Most teachers (61%) believe that the strategy should empathize on strengthening the home-school liaison. Improving school environemnt is the second factor with 50 % of teachers completely agreeing. The creation of a safety and supportive school environment is a very important preventative factor for overcoming the ESL but it also helps prevent bulling and other forms of aggression and it helps student develop their social and emotional intelligence. The two answers are connected and the way a school environment could be improved has to go though the successful building of a stronger connection and collaboration between families and schools. The next answer is related to the continuing support of teachers through in-service training as almost half of the participants (50%) completely agree that it could play a major role in dealing with risk factors of ESL. Teachers see the necessity of addressing the psychological needs of each student (43%) as a mean of evaluating each individual situation but 38% of them agree that there needs to be more studies which could provide current information for the actual students’ needs. Almost equal numbers (40%) believe that an adequate strategy for dealing with ESL have to include increasing their salary and providing proper counseling for the students (this could include career counseling which is a major link between education and real life for students).

29

Completely Agree

Mostly Agree Mostly Diagree Completely Disagree

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

What are the strategies that your school employs to prevent early school leaving?

supporting teachers with regular in service training

mentoring and coaching from experts/agencies/volunteers outside the school during the school year

studies done at school level to understand better students' needs/difficulties

improving counselling services at school

strengthening home-school liaison

improving school ethos

addressing psychological needs of students

additional funding for these kind of problems

increasing teachers salaries/incentives

The least helpful method teachers see in mentoring/coaching and volunteering activities which is recognized only by less than 20% of them as needed. It could be related to the idea how underpaid they are already and being more involved in school outside of their job descriptions could be seen as one more responsibilities rather than a natural continuum of their professional development. Mentoring, coaching and volunteering however is a huge part of building a sustainable community in the schools among professionals.

38. Teachers` experience within the school/class

According to their professional experience 52% of the teachers completely agree that most of the time students receive adequate knowledge in their classes- they are doing a good job at teaching, keeping in mind the corresponding number of students and the complexity of academic material. They (41% or them) also believe that students experiencing behavioral, emotional and social issues) receive adequate help/.assistance in school. Only 33% of teachers believe that they get an adequate support when it comes to their professional and personal responsibilities. This rings a bell for the levels of self-esteem and self-perception which are established throughout the teachers in Bulgaria. They continue to feel depreciated by society

30

and the government- both in socio-economic and psychological ways and yet held solely (most of the time) responsible for the fate of the new generations. Teachers agree that they need to receive proper and adequate in-service training (49%) which could follow the clear needs reflected from the established needs of the emotional and psychological development of their students.

Completely Agree

Mostly Agree Mostly Diagree Completely Disagree

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

Please rate, according to your own experience within the school/class

Students with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties receive adequate supportI am given the support, such as resources and training that I need to teach students with special needsI am able to effectively teach the number of students assigned in my classesI discuss teaching methods and strategies with other school staff members.

39. Requisites for teachers working with students in risk of ESL

When asked about the specifics in their own needs for training, 81 % of the teachers gave different and wide range of answers and 12% requested specific modules for management. They all agreed that there is a present need for training that needs to correspond to their professional competence and implementing the strategies for ESL.

40. Necessary training and professional developmentAs mentioned earlier the teachers participated in the questionnaires mark a wide range of topics for trainings. The predominate need seems to be related to classroom management, conflict resolutions (31%), integration of students and implementing ICT in the classrooms.

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Generational differences5%

Inclusion22%

Cultural gap2%

Student's moti-vation

3%Working with

parents1%

Conflict resolution14%

Classroom Management31%

Mentoring / coaching

1%

Information technologies

12%

Aproaching retirement

1%

Professional exchanges

1%

Teaching methods7%

What type of Professional Development training do you feel you need?

Providing training for Bulgarian teachers is highly necessary as seen in the research conducted by the EMPAQT team throughout the country. It is not only necessary to establish the needs, provide the training but make it a sustainable way of keeping the levels of support high enough for them to feel confident, appreciated in their changing positions of managers of learning process rather than the sole source of academic information for a group of young people.

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Refferences:Strategic framework of the National development program for Bulgaria: Bulgaria 2020https://www.eufunds.bg/archive/documents/1357828564.pdfStrategy for decreasing the number of early school leaving in the educational system (2013 – 2020)http://www.strategy.bg/PublicConsultations/View.aspx?lang=bg-BG&Id=537

EC Directive 2011/С 191/01 от 28.06.2011, Official Journal of the European Union С 191/1 от 1.07.2011

International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED)http://uis.unesco.org/en/topic/international-standard-classification-education-isced

Annexes:

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