Assessment
A multi-method profiling of adult refugees and migrants in an L2 non-formal educational setting: Language needs analysis, linguistic portraits, and identity texts
This paper will attempt to visualize adult refugees and migrants, as well as a specific multilingual and multicultural educational setting in Greece. This study aspires to depict/present the plurilingual profiles, language needs, and challenges of L2 Greek students through a variety of tools/methods, e.g., questionnaires, portraits, narratives, needs analysis, and assessment tools. In a complementary way, this research focuses on…
2023
Making vulnerable groups able to connect socially and digitally — Opportunities and pitfalls
Introduction: This article addresses digital and social inclusion of adults with potential low digital skills. The article presents a case study of how digital learning activities (DLAs) as a service to refugees, immigrants, senior citizens, and young adults neither in education, employment, or training (NEETs), are delivered outside the formal educational system by two libraries and one civic organization in…
2024
Cognitive, social, and mental health functions of refugee children – Screening and supportive actions at school: A study protocol
Background: Despite a world-leading educational system, an achievement gap in educational outcomes exists between children of refugee background and native-born peers in Finland. To offer targeted support for children at schools, we need to be able to reliably assess and understand the interplay of the aspects of children’s cognitive, social, and mental health functions that may explain the underachievement of…
2024
Challenging normative influences in refugee and migrant education: Reflections of a trainee teacher cohort
This study reports how participants in an MA course on language education for refugees and migrants in Greece engaged in meaning-making during their teaching placements. The reflections of 33 trainee teachers (elicited in 2021–2022) were thematically analysed using ecological theory. These show how participants negotiated the transition between the ‘ecologies of ideas’ of the postgraduate programme and the locus of…
2024
Psychological and pedagogical aspects of adaptation of students who received temporary shelter to the educational environment of another country
The study focuses on determining the features of social and psychological adaptation of students who have experienced changes in the ethno-cultural and ethno-political environment because of forced migration because of the hostilities in Ukraine. The research involved questionnaire method, method of monitoring student satisfaction and indexing the level of adaptation to learning. The results were processed using Pearson correlation coefficient,…
2024
Implementation and quality of an early childhood education program for newly arrived refugee children in Germany: an observational study
Early childhood education [ECE] can foster the social-emotional adjustment and development of young refugee children. Still, the large numbers of newly arriving refugee families challenge the ECE capacities of host countries. In Germany, state authorities have subsidized flexible ECE programs for refugee children in response to this situation. The goal of this study was to examine the implementation and quality…
2023
Development and Implementation of a Nutritional Education Program Aimed at Improving the Integration Process of Young Orphan Refugees Newly Arrived in Portugal
(1) Background: Refugees are a population group at imminent risk of death, being forced to migrate to countries with different cultures. Many of the refugees are at great risk of malnutrition, especially adolescent orphans. The aim of the study was to establish a nutritional and food education program to improve the integration process of young orphan refugees newly arrived in…
2023
Struggles of Refugee-Receiving Schools in Turkey
A total of 82.4 million persons had emigrated from their countries by the end of 2020 because of global conflicts. A total of 3.6 million settled in Turkey, which became the most refugee-receiving country. Among those resettled in Turkey, the majority were school-aged children, and schools became an inseparable instrument in the adaptation process. Thus, schools play a vital role…
2023
Using composite case material to develop trauma‐informed psychoeducation for social care workers looking after unaccompanied minors in residential care in Ireland
Although the provision of trauma‐informed psychoeducation for carers of adolescents who have experienced traumatic events has been shown to be a fundamental aspect of the recovery process, it is not routinely made available to the social care workers who look after unaccompanied asylum‐seeking adolescents living in residential care. Furthermore, the development of the content of trauma‐informed psychoeducation is rarely informed…
2022
Chances and discrimination in dual vocational training of refugees and immigrants in Germany
This article depicts the obstacles within the vocational education for trainees with escape and migration experience in Germany. The structure of the highly formalised vocational training system in Germany is based on the assumption of a ‘normal case’ of an educational biography. However, this neither applies to the often-broken educational pathways of refugees and immigrants, nor to an increasing number…
2023
Thrown in at the deep end? Perceptions of burdens, gains, and contributions to the integration of refugee students among teachers with(out) target group-specific professional knowledge
In Germany, young migrants and refugees whose German language skills are not sufficient for attending regular classes at school are assigned to so-called “preparation classes”. As the name implies, the main objective of these classes is to teach German language skills and thereby prepare students for regular classes or vocational education and training. Teachers in these classes face special challenges:…
2022
Mental health problems in refugee and immigrant primary school children in Flanders, Belgium
Background: European countries face the challenge of promoting refugee and immigrant children’s well-being within their host communities, invoking the necessity of adequate mental health assessment. This study aims to contribute to document the psychosocial well-being of primary school refugee and non-refugee immigrant children in Flanders, Belgium. Method: A total of 120 children (8–12 years old) with migration backgrounds participated in the…
2022
Feasibility of a randomised trial of Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) with refugee youth: results from a pilot of the Swedish UnaccomPanied yOuth Refugee Trial (SUPpORT)
Background: Although post-traumatic stress is prevalent among unaccompanied refugee minors (URM), there are few evidence-based psychological interventions for this group. Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) is a brief, manualised intervention for trauma-exposed youth, which has shown promising results in exploratory studies. The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the…
2022
Towards more multilingual practices in the mathematics assessment of young refugee students: effects of testing language and validity of parental assessment
The study focuses on the assessment of young refugee students, and the role of language and parents therein. Low achievement at tests can stem from lack of knowledge of the content being tested. However, it can also be due to low proficiency in the language of testing. Additionally, poor communication between refugee parents and schools caused by language or cultural…
2022
Non-verbal cognitive development, learning, and symptoms of PTSD in 3- to 6-year-old refugee children
As IQ tests are commonly used as key assessment method, we address the question whether our commonly used standardized IQ tests are appropriate for children from families of diverse cultures and different educational levels in a refugee population. We examined 109 refugee children aged 3–7 years (M = 5.10 years, SD = 1.25) with the “Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children “ (KABC-II;…
2022
Fegert J.M.
Mall V.
Hahnefeld A.
Sukale T.
Weigand E.
Dudek V.
Münch K.
Aberl S.
Eckler L.V.
Nehring I.
Friedmann A.
Plener P.L.
Experimental & quasi-experimental study
Early childhood education
Special education
Cognitive learning & development
Randomised control trial
Correlational analysis
Caregivers
Gender
English
Mental health & psychosocial well-being
Assessment
Camp setting
Formal education
Language education
Germany
Primary education
Special Needs Assessment in Bilingual School-Age Children in Germany
Educational and (psycho-)linguistic research on L1 and L2 acquisition in bilingual children sketches them as a group of language learners varying in many aspects. However, most studies to date have based evaluations of language proficiency or new assessment tools on data from heritage children, while studies on the appropriateness of assessment tools for school-age refugee children remain a notable exception.…
2022
Working With the Encounter: A Descriptive Account and Case Analysis of School-Based Collaborative Mental Health Care for Refugee Children in Leuven, Belgium
Scholars increasingly point toward schools as meaningful contexts in which to provide psychosocial care for refugee children. Collaborative mental health care in school forms a particular practice of school-based mental health care provision. Developed in Canada and inspired by systemic intervention approaches, collaborative mental health care in schools involves the formation of an interdisciplinary care network, in which mental health…
2022
Second Language Assessment Issues in Refugee and Migrant Children’s Integration and Education: Assessment Tools and Practices for Young Students with Refugee and Migrant Background in Greece
European countries—Greece included—recognize the fact that the language of schooling in the host country constitutes the first step for the newcomer children’s reception and integration. Greece, as a dominant receiving country, has adopted a top-level policy for its educational system. Considering the above, this research paper presents and analyzes the assessment tests and practices that educators have access to for…
2022
“Wie soll ich das Kind bewerten?” Between Standardization and Differentiation in the Assessment of Plurilingual Refugee Students in Foreign-Language Classes in Germany: A Qualitative Study of Teachers’ Practices and Perceptions
In this chapter, we analyse the practices and attitudes of German teachers regarding assessment of refugee students learning Spanish or English as foreign languages. The data were collected through interviews with ten Spanish or English teachers dealing with refugee students in their classrooms in secondary schools in Hamburg in 2017 (Thölkes, “Schaffen die das?”. Die Leistungsbeurteilung geflüchteter Kinder und Jugendlicher…
2021
COVID-19 in collective accommodation centres for refugees: assessment of pandemic control measures and priorities from the perspective of authorities [COVID-19 in Sammelunterkünften für Geflüchtete: Analyse von Pandemiemaßnahmen und prioritäre Bedarfe aus behördlicher Sicht]
Background: The containment of the COVID-19 pandemic in collective accommodation centres is crucial to maintain the physical and mental health of refugees. It is unclear what measures have been taken by authorities in this setting to reduce the risk of infection, minimise stressors for refugees during the pandemic and communicate containment measures. Objectives: Assessment of measures that have been taken…
2021
Assessment of the Immigrants Integration Level in the New Member States of the EU in 2009–2018
Since the immigration wave in 2015, integration policies have been a broadly discussed topic. Although immigration itself can be potentially beneficial for the host country (social diversity, new labor force), these benefits are conditioned by successful integration process. This paper examines the level of immigrant integration in the New Member States of the EU in period 2009 to 2018 (Czechia,…
2021
Integration of newly arrived refugee children into the german school system
Background: The assignment of newly arrived refugee children to the differentiated German school system represents a major challenge for the responsible municipalities. In this explora-tive research approach, the current assignment procedure, in addition to the necessary assessment of performance and the detection of learning, mental, or social disabilities of newly arrived refugee children in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany, were investigated.…
2021
The psycho-social needs of displaced Syrian youth in Turkish schools: A qualitative study
This study investigates major challenges encountered by Syrian refugee youth in public high schools in Turkey, focusing on three sources of assessment: the refugee students themselves and their parents and educators. Based on qualitative interpretive research methodology, twenty-three individual semi-structured interviews were conducted. The study simultaneously hears the voices of the Syrian refugee students as well as those of their…
2021
A needs assessment study on refugees’ inclusion through physical education and sport. Are we ready for this challenge?
In recent years, European countries have become hosting destinations for thousands of people who have been forced to leave their home countries. Greece is one of the main European hosting countries of refugees, especially children. Thus, the pupil population is gradually changing and the need for intercultural education is increasing. Physical education (PE) and sports have been recorded as suitable…
2021
A Scoping Review and Assessing the Evidence for Nutrition Education Delivery Strategies for Refugees in High-Income Countries
Upon resettlement, refugees face many challenges, including limited knowledge of available food and food insecurity, that increase their risks of diet-related diseases. Nutrition education may help them better navigate the challenges of their new food environments and help them live healthier lives. This review assesses the evidence on nutrition education delivery strategies and outcomes among refugees in the United States…
2021
Evaluation of a school-based intervention to promote mental health of refugee youth in Sweden (The RefugeesWellSchool Trial): study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial
Background: Sweden is home to a large and growing population of refugee youths who may be at risk of mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Thus, there is a need for interventions that address mental health problems in these populations. Schools have been identified as an ideal setting for delivering such interventions as they offer a non-stigmatizing…
2021
Recognising refugees’ non-formally and informally acquired vocational skills for use in Germany’s labour market
The influx of asylum seekers into the European Union (EU) in 2015-2016 has turned the recognition of non-formal and informal learning (NFIL) into an integration priority and challenge. In EU terminology this process is called ‘validation’. Already in 2012, the Council of the EU had urged member states to create mechanisms for the validation of NFIL by no later than…
2020
Labour market participation among young refugees in Sweden and the potential of education: a national cohort study
This register-based study examined the importance of education on labour market participation among young refugees in Sweden. The study population consisted of unaccompanied (n = 1606) and accompanied refuges (n = 4142), aged 23–26 years in 2006–2010, after 7 years of residence in Sweden. Native Swedish, aged 24 years (n = 347,255) constituted the comparison population, with intercountry adoptees (n…
2019
Parental PTSD and school performance in 16-year-olds–a Swedish national cohort study
Aim: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in parents can have severe consequences also for their children. Prevalence of PTSD is high among refugees. Refugee children have been reported to perform poorly in school. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of PTSD in refugee and native Swedish parents on children’s school performance and to compare the impact of…
2019
Conceptualising educational provision for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in England
The right to education for all children, including asylum-seeking children, is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, there is little research available to describe the educational provision provided to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in England. Crucially, it is not known whether the educational needs are met by the provision available to UASC. In the…
2019
Health, Education and Employment Outcomes in Young Refugees in the Nordic Countries: A Systematic Review
Objectives: Since 2000, approximately 500,000 refugees have settled in the Nordic countries, about a third of them being children and young people. To identify general trends, and to detect gaps in the existing knowledge about the socioeconomic and health status of these young refugees, this review discusses the literature regarding three key areas related to welfare policy: health, education and…
2018
Safe and enabling elementary education environment for refugee and asylum seeking pupils
In Serbia, relevant ministry and state institutions cooperated with NGO’s in the process of including refugee and migrant children into formal education. Save the Children has taken part in the process by advocating for educational opportunities for children on the move, working directly with children, parents, teachers, local communities, and cooperating with the Ministry of Education in assessing the needs…
2018
Vocational education and training: bridging refugee and employer needs
Vocational education and training (VET) programmes can help connect migrants with the labour market and find jobs matching their skills and qualifications. However, considering the growing numbers of both asylum seekers and refugees, there is a need to upscale, adapt and reinvent VET programmes. Efforts to step up education and training provision and broaden access can be observed across the…
2017
Policy environment – England
This chapter describes the current policy environment as it impacts on the education of newly arrived refugee children in England. It begins by reflecting that there is in fact little in the way of a coherent policy for this group, and then describes some of the key pieces of legislation which affect them, along with the funding arrangements for education.…
2020
Determinants of the Recognition of Foreign Certificates in Flanders
This article explores the assessment of foreign academic certificates in Flanders between January 2014 and February 2019. It examines data NARIC (National Academic and Professional Recognition and Information Centre) Flanders gathered on its applicants, their applications, and its subsequent decisions. As professional recognitions, providing access to regularised professions in Flanders, are given by the designated authorities in their field, it…
2020
Labor Market Integration of Young Adult Refugees in Germany: Triangulating Perspectives Toward Program Development
This article reports on the 18-month formative evaluation of a model project aimed at preparing young adult refugees (YARs) for entry into vocational education training (VET) as an essential step toward the labor market. Qualitative methods were used to gain insight into the perspectives of YARs, program staff, and vocational instructors as well as explore program dynamics. Within a longitudinal…
2020
Language assessment tools for Arabic-speaking heritage and refugee children in Germany
Though Germany has long provided education for children speaking a heritage language and received two recent waves of refugees, reliable assessment tools for diagnosis of language impairment or the progress in the acquisition of German as a second language (L2) by refugee children are still lacking. The few tools expressly targeting bilingual populations are normed for younger, early successive bilingual…
2020
Language Education for Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Cyprus: Provision and Governance
This research report focuses on the policies and practices that are aimed towards developing the language capacities of migrants and refugees in Cyprus. It provides a detailed assessment of educational initiatives and language training approaches by the state and third sector as they apply to adult asylum seekers and refugees. The report focuses specifically on the main language training programmes…
2019
Refugee, Migrant Education and Social Policies in Greece: Finding Synergies and Sustainable Policies – National Roundtable of Greece 2019
On 7th July 2019, a new government has been elected in Greece, for the forthcoming four years. The new Minister of Education as well as the new vice Minister of Migration Policy will be interviewed in order to select data about the new forthcoming education policies. Amongst the first announced structural changes are the transfer of the Autonomous Department of…
2019
Teachers’ experiences of teaching multicultural classrooms with refugees on a Greek island
Recent global reports by UNHCR indicate that 65.6 million people around the world have been forced out of their homes and among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees; half of them are children. Greek islands serve as hotspots following the EU-Turkey deal of 2016, which meant that refugees entering EU through Greek islands could not move to the mainland without…
2019
The Resilience of Students with an Immigrant Background: Factors that Shape Well-being
Migration flows are profoundly changing the composition of classrooms. Results from the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reveal that in 2015, almost one in four 15-year-old students in OECD countries reported that they were either foreign-born or had at least one foreign-born parent. Between 2003 and 2015, the share of students who had either migrated or who had…
2018
Assessing refugee healthcare needs in Europe and implementing educational interventions in primary care: A focus on methods
The current political crisis, conflicts and riots in many Middle Eastern and African countries have led to massive migration waves towards Europe. European countries, receiving these migratory waves as first port of entry (POE) over the past few years, were confronted with several challenges as a result of the sheer volume of newly arriving refugees. This humanitarian refugee crisis represents…
2018
What is the Impact of Placement Type on Educational and Health Outcomes of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors? A Systematic Review of the Evidence
Record numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors have been arriving in high-income countries since 2015. Child welfare agencies and non-governmental organisations tasked with providing services have struggled to cope with demands on their services as a result. Despite this, there is little research on how best to meet their needs and in particular what services can mitigate the psychological difficulties they…
2018
Migration and education in Sweden: Integration of migrants in the Swedish school education and higher education systems
In this report the author updates the information on integration of newly arrived students in the education system. The focus is on students / pupils both in school education (compulsory and upper secondary) and higher education. It elaborates on main policy challenges (access, treatment, school outcomes, linguistic support to migrants, features of the education system, including governance, funding dimension); main…
2017
Immigrant Students at School: Easing the Journey towards Integration
How school systems respond to immigration has an enormous impact on the economic and social well-being of all members of the communities they serve, whether they have an immigrant background or not. Immigrant Students at School: Easing the Journey towards Integration reveals some of the difficulties immigrant students encounter – and some of the contributions they offer – as they…
2015
Challenges for refugee children at school in eastern Turkey
In this study, we focus on the challenges faced by refugee children at schools in Van, an eastern province at the Iranian border. Focusing on the teachers’ assessment of problems encountered by refugee children at school, this paper is based on qualitative interviews conducted at three schools in the city centre of Van province. The qualitative interviews were conducted with…
2015
Educational assessment of Syrian refugees in Turkey
In political, social and economic terms, Turkey is the most affected country of the Syrian crisis. More importantly, Turkey as a host country of Syrian refugees has been living a dramatic demographic change. The most marginalized group living in Turkey is children. Refugee education has hence become of top priority. The global report in refugee education is below the critical…
2015