Patrick Bonvin

Bio: Patrick Bonvin is an academic researcher from École Normale Supérieure. The author has contributed to research in topics: Grade retention & Maturity (psychological). The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 23 publications receiving 189 citations. Previous affiliations of Patrick Bonvin include University of Fribourg.

Grade retention: decision-making and effects on learning as well as social and emotional development

Abstract: This article presents a summary of results from a Swiss nationwide empirical study of the determinants of grade retention, its effects on learning, and its social and emotional consequences. Results show that the decision for grade retention does not rest only on the pupil's actual academic performance but also on the teacher's attitudes and evaluations. With regard to improvement in learning, the study yields contrasting short- and medium-term results: They are positive in the case of same-grade comparisons and negative when same-age comparisons are applied. However, globally, the effectiveness of grade retention is rather unsatisfactory, particularly when one considers its long-term consequences, although there is no evidence of negative social or emotional consequences. It is nevertheless suggested that grade retention should be avoided at the primary school level.

The Role of Teacher Attitudes and Judgement in Decision-making: the case of grade retention

Abstract: This article presents a study of grade retention as it 'naturally' occurs, focusing on teachers' role in the process leading to retention or promotion for comparable peers. Achievement and IQ were measured prior to the retention decision. A total of 4248 second grade students initially participated in the study, of which 2.3% were retained. Eighty-three retained students were involved in the study, and matched with 83 low-achieving peers. Measures at the teacher's level included attitude towards the efficiency of retention, towards criteria that ought to be taken into account in the decision and general attribution of children's difficulties in school. Teacher decision-making shows internal consistency but seems biased when objective criteria are examined. The probability of a child being retained was substantially influenced by teachers' attitude towards the efficiency of retention as well as by their evaluations of developmental maturity, intellectual potential and their achievement expectancies in language.

L’inclusion scolaire : Ses fondements, ses acteurs et ses pratiques.

Abstract: L'inclusion scolaire a pris son essor depuis la proclamation de la Declaration de Salamanque (UNESCO, 1994), ou pas moins de 92 pays et 25 organisations internationales se sont engages pour la premiere fois a ?uvrer pour le developpement d'ecoles plus inclusives. Plus de vingt ans apres cette declaration, alors que le nombre de systemes scolaires inscrivant leur projet educatif dans une visee inclusive augmente, le besoin de clarifier tant le concept d'inclusion que les conditions et les moyens de sa mise en ?uvre s'impose, et ce, d'autant plus que certaines representations de ce concept tendent a s'eloigner de son essence et de son but originel. Cet ouvrage rend compte des travaux effectues au sein du Laboratoire international de recherche sur l'inclusion scolaire [www.lisis.ca] et fournit une contribution attendue au sein de la communaute francophone. Il propose des textes fondamentaux dans lesquels les auteurs presentent une synthese de ce qui caracterise chacun des themes centraux associes a l'edification de systemes educatifs plus inclusifs : les fondements (le pourquoi), les acteurs (le qui) et les pratiques (le comment). Considerant que l'inclusion scolaire depasse largement l'enceinte de l'ecole et s'inscrit fondamentalement comme un projet de societe, cette publication est susceptible d'eclairer quiconque s'interesse a l'education comme une voie incontournable dans la construction d'un monde empreint de plus grande justice sociale et d'equite.

An investigation of the relationship between teachers’ expectations and teachers’ perceptions of student attributes

Abstract: Little is known about factors other than students’ abilities and background variables that shape teachers’ achievement expectations. This study was aimed at investigating the role of teachers’ perceptions of students attributes (working habits, popularity, self-confidence, student–teacher relationships, and classroom behavior) in shaping teachers’ expectations. The sample analyzed consisted of 5316 students and 469 classes in grade 6 in Dutch primary education. Teachers had higher expectations for students who they perceived as self-confident and having positive work habits. Differences in expectations between boys and girls could partly be explained by the teachers’ perceptions of students’ work habits. Teachers differed in the extent to which they let their perceptions of student attributes shape their expectations.

Grade Retention, Postsecondary Education, and Public Aid Receipt

Abstract: Using data from the Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS), an ongoing investigation of a panel of low-income minority children growing up in an inner city, this study investigated whether retention is a...

Grade Retention during Compulsory Education in Europe: Regulations and Statistics.

Abstract: The contents of this publication may be reproduced in part, except for commercial purposes, provided the extract is preceded by a reference to 'Eurydice network', followed by the date of publication of the document. 3 PREFACE ? I am very pleased to present this study by Eurydice on the critical subject of grade retention. This issue is part of the wider struggle against school failure and early school leaving; problems which have long been priorities of national education policies and now have a high priority in the European policy agenda. The Europe 2020 strategy to exit the economic crisis and to build smart and inclusive growth includes the commitment to reducing early school leaving from the current rate of 14.4 % to below 10 % by 2020. Strategies for combating school failure are, therefore, at the centre of discussions at European level. This has led to a renewed focus on practices for grade retention and their impact on children having difficulties at school and has been the subject of research. Cooperation on Schools' (European Commission, 2008a) commented as follows on the practice of repeating a year as a strategy to combat difficulties: 'in some education systems up to 25 % of pupils repeat a year whilst in others this rarely happens. This measure is very costly. Whilst some pupils who repeat a year catch up, the vast majority do not. The repetition rate is clearly higher for children from disadvantaged groups and, in the long term, the results of children who repeat a year are often worse than those weaker pupils who were not held back.' In order to reach the targets set at European level, effective education policies, based on evidence, are essential. Similarly, by learning from each other and exchanging good practices, countries can critically examine and improve their policies. In order to better understand national practices regarding grade retention, the European Commission has engaged the Eurydice Network to carry out a comparative analysis of the policies in place in European countries. 4 I am convinced that this study has produced a valuable inventory of the legislation and practices in place regarding pupils' repetition of a school year and that it will be of great interest to policy-makers, practitioners as well as to the wider public.

Short communication "Don't crack under pressure!"—Do leisure time physical activity and self-esteem moderate the relationship between school-based stress and psychosomatic complaints?

Abstract: Objective: Stressful experiences occupy a central role in most etiological models of developmental psychopathology. Stress alone, however, insufficiently explains negative health outcomes. This raises the question why some children and adolescents are more vulnerable to the development of psychopathological symptoms thanothers.Theprimarypurposeofthisresearchwastodemonstrate whetherleisuretimephysicalactivityandself-esteemprotectagainst stress-induced health problems. Method: The findings are based on a cross-sectional study of407 Swissboys andgirls (M=14.01years). All variables are self-reported. Analyses of covariance were applied to test for main and moderatoreffects.Results:The findingssuggest that school-based stress and psychosomatic complaints are important issues during adolescence. The results show that a higher levelofpsychosomaticcomplaintsaccompaniesstress.Surprisingly, psychosomatic complaints and physical activity were unrelated. Likewise, no association was found between physical activity and stress. In contrast, students with high self-esteem reported significantly less complaints and a lower extent of perceived stress. Finally, the results do not support the stress-moderation hypothesis. Neither physical activity nor self-esteem buffered against the detrimental effects of school-based stress on psychosomatic health. Conclusion: The findings lend support to previous research with German-speaking samples but are in marked contrast to AngloSaxon studies, which generally support the role of physical activity as a moderator of the health–illness relationship. In this investigation, developmental features and methodological limitations may have accounted for the insignificant results. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.