Students say consistency is key to a good school environment

Staff who see, listen and act create a safer school environment.
This is the conclusion of a new study based on interviews and focus groups with 133 students in grades 4-9. "If a pupil behaves badly, there must be consequences, otherwise schoolchildren feel that they cannot trust adults," says Silvia Edling, professor of education at the University of Gävle.

Researchers use the concept of professional vision, which refers to the professional knowledge of school staff to recognize, for the profession, important nuances and connections in daily practice and to interpret what is happening in the school environment with the support of science. So far, there is surprisingly little research on this, despite large overview studies showing that there is a knowledge gap.

"We tend to see what we know and ignore other things. Seeing as a professional is not just about recording the seemingly obvious, but also about being open to connections, nuances and different perspectives", says Silvia Edling.

Fairness is important

The researchers found that students feel safe when adults in the school are present, attentive and act in situations involving bullying, exclusion and conflict.

"The students' stories show that safety is not about more cameras or guards, but about adults who see them in everyday life", says Silvia Edling.

The study also shows that students appreciate adults who combine care with clarity. They described frustration with situations where staff are on site, appear to be watching but don't see or ignore problems. Or when adults make decisions too quickly and unilaterally. Fairness, responsiveness and being able to see the whole picture are seen as very important by students.

Consequences as a common thread

"The students raised an example where a child was injured on the soccer field and a teacher took a stand without having seen the whole course of events. The children felt that the wrong person was blamed for what had happened. People are guided by prejudices, but we can problematize them and slow down when we are not 100% sure".

A common thread in the interviews was also the importance of consequences. When adults see but don't act, they quickly lose the trust of children.

"If there are no consequences when children misbehave, the adults lose their credibility, and then it is difficult to create a safe school environment", says Silvia Edling.