Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T12:19:25.741Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Assessing educational difficulties of students from refugee backgrounds: a case study approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2020

Nigar G. Khawaja Open the ORCID record for Nigar G. Khawaja [Opens in a new window]  and
Glenn Howard
Nigar G. Khawaja*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology & Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Glenn Howard
Affiliation:
School of Psychology & Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Associate Professor Nigar Gohar Khawaja, School of Psychology & Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Level 5, O Block, B Wing, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin GroveQLD4059, Australia. Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The present study applied a qualitative case study methodology to the educational challenges of three students from a refugee background, in order to identify an appropriate psychological assessment process with which to evaluate their difficulties. Three students who had arrived from Iraq 1–2 years ago (one male and two females; aged 13 and 14 years) were referred by their teachers for psychological assessment as their academic progress was poor, despite remedial education. An educational and developmental psychologist, guided by a steering committee of psychologists and educationists, interviewed each student, his/her parent/s, and teachers independently. Based on referral concerns, hypotheses relating to the cause of educational difficulties were generated and psychological tests and checklists were used with all students and their parents and teachers. The data collected assisted in understanding multiple factors that may affect learning for students who have arrived from a war-torn country, and highlighted the importance of gathering detailed case-specific information to understand each student’s background and current context. Challenges associated with the assessment process were identified. Further, ways in which psychologists and guidance officers, teachers and parents could promote these students’ learning were identified. Implications for schools and policy developers are discussed.

Keywords

academic problemseducational difficultiesrefugeespsychological assessmentschoolsstudents
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , December 2020 , pp. 97 - 111
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abedi, J., Hofstetter, C., & Lord, C. (2004). Assessment accommodations for English language learners: Implications for policy-based empirical research. Review of Educational Research, 74, 1–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Achenbach, T.M., Ivanova, M.Y., & Rescorla, L.A. (2017). Empirically based assessment and taxonomy of psychopathology for ages 1½–90+ years: Developmental, multi-informant, and multicultural findings. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 79, 4–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Achenbach, T.M., & Rescorla, L.A. (2000). Manual for the ASEBA Preschool Forms and Profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families.Google Scholar
Achenbach, T.M., & Rescorla, L.A. (2004). Practical applications of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) for Ages 1.5 to 90+ Years. Paper presented at International Test Users’ Conference. Retrieved from http://research.acer.edu.au/research_conferenceITU_2004/2 Google Scholar
Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13, 544–559 Google Scholar
Birman, D., & Chan, W.Y. (2008). Screening and assessing immigrant and refugee youth in school-based mental health programs. Washington, DC: The Center for Health and Healthcare in Schools.Google Scholar
Block, K., Cross, S., Riggs, E., & Gibbs, L. (2014). Supporting schools to create an inclusive environment for refugee students. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18, 1337–1355.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bracken, B.A., & McCallum, R.S. (2016). Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (2nd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.Google Scholar
Bronstein, I., & Montgomery, P. (2011). Psychological distress in refugee children: A systematic review. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 14, 44–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Collier, C., & Hoover, J.J. (1987). Sociocultural considerations when referring minority children for learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Focus, 3, 39–45.Google Scholar
Denzin, N.K., & Lincoln, Y.S. (2017). Handbook of qualitative research (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Department of Social Services. (2019, March 13). Syrian/Iraqi humanitarian crisis. Retrieved from https://www.dss.gov.au/settlement-services-programs-policy/syrian-iraqi-humanitarian-crisis.Google Scholar
Dunn, L.M., & Dunn, D.M. (2007). Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test — Fourth edition manual. Bloomington. MN: PsychCorp.Google Scholar
Ehntholt, K.A., & Yule, W. (2006). Practitioner review: Assessment and treatment of refugee children and adolescents who have experienced war‐related trauma. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 1197–1210.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Elliott, R., Fischer, C.T., & Rennie, D.L. (1999). Evolving guidelines for publication of qualitative research studies in psychology and related fields. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38, 215–229.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fazel, M. (2018). Psychological and psychosocial interventions for refugee children resettled in high-income countries. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 27, 117–123.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fletcher, J., Lyon, G.R., Fuchs, L., & Barnes, M.A. (2018). Learning disabilities: From identification to intervention (2nd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Fraine, N., & McDade, R. (2009). Reducing bias in psychometric assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse students from refugee backgrounds in Australian schools: A process approach. Australian Psychologist, 44, 16–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodman, R. (2001). Psychometric properties of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. Journal of American Academic Child Adolescence Psychiatry, 40, 1337–1345.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Graham, H., Minhas, R., & Paxton, G. (2016). Learning problems in children of refugee background: A systematic review. Pediatrics, 137, e20153994.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Greenfield, P.M. (1997). You can’t take it with you: Why ability assessments don’t cross cultures. American Psychologist, 52, 1115–1124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hawes, D.J., & Dadds, M.R. (2004). Australian data and psychometric properties of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 38, 644–651.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaplan, I. (2009). Effects of trauma and the refugee experience on psychological assessment processes and interpretation. Australian Psychologist, 44, 6–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaplan, I., Stolk, Y., Valibhoy, M., Tucker, A., & Baker, J. (2016). Cognitive assessment of refugee children: Effects of trauma and new language acquisition. Transcultural Psychiatry, 53, 81–109.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kia-Keating, M., & Ellis, B.H. (2007). Belonging and connection to school in resettlement: Young refugees, school belonging, and psychosocial adjustment. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 12, 29–43.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
King, S.M., & Owens, L. (2015). The schooling experiences of African youth from refugee backgrounds in South Australia: Key findings and implications for educational practice. In Askell-Williams, H. (Ed.), Transforming the Future of Learning with Educational Research (pp. 100–124). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lincoln, A., Lazarevic, K., White, V., & Ellis, M. (2016). The impact of acculturation style and acculturative hassles on the mental health of Somali adolescent refugees. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 18, 771–778.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mace, A.O., Mulheron, S., Jones, C., & Cherian, S. (2014). School services and refugee health. Journal of Paediatric Child Health, 50, 985–992.Google Scholar
Matthews, J. (2008). Schooling and settlement: Refugee education in Australia. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 18, 31–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McBrien, J.L. (2005). Educational needs and barriers for refugee students in the United States: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 75, 329–364.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCallum, R.S. (2017). Context for nonverbal assessment of intelligence and related abilities. In McCallum, S., (Ed.). Handbook of nonverbal assessment (pp. 3–19). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonough, E.M., Flanagan, D.P., Sy, M.C., & Alfonso, V.C. (2018). The role of cognitive and intelligence tests in DSM-5 diagnosis of specific learning disorder. In Flanagan, D.P. & McDonough, E.M. (Eds.), Contemporary intellectual assessment (4th ed., pp. 993–1016). New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Measham, T., Guzder, J., Rousseau, C., Pacione, L., Blais-McPherson, M., & Nadeau, L. (2014). Refugee children and their families: Supporting psychological well-being and positive adaptation following migration. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 44, 208–215.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miller, E., Ziaian, T., & Esterman, A. (2018). Australian school practices and the education experiences of students with a refugee background: A review of the literature. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 22, 339–359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, A.F., McCallum, R.S., & Bracken, B.A. (2017). The Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test: Second Edition. In McCallum, R.S. (Ed.), Handbook of nonverbal assessment (2nd ed., pp. 105–125). Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Padilla, A.M., & Borsato, G.N. (2008). Issues in culturally appropriate psychoeducational assessment. In Suzuki, L.A. & Ponterotto, J.G. (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural assessment: Clinical, psychological, and educational applications (pp. 5–21). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Paradis, J. (2010). The interface between bilingual development and specific language impairment. Applied Psycholinguistics, 31, 227–252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rhodes, R.L., Ochoa, S.H., & Ortiz, S.O. (2005). The Guilford practical intervention in the schools series. Assessing culturally and linguistically diverse students: A practical guide. New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Scheiber, C. (2016). Is the Cattell–Horn–Carroll-based factor structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children — Fifth Edition (WISC-V) construct invariant for a representative sample of African–American, Hispanic, and Caucasian male and female students ages 6 to 16 years? Journal of Pediatric Neuropsychology, 2, 79–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sellars, M. & Murphy, H. (2018). Becoming Australian: A review of Southern Sudanese students’ educational experiences. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 22, 490–509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Selvamanickam, S., Zgryza, M., & Gorman, D. (2001). Coping in a new world: The social and emotional wellbeing of young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre, Queensland Health and Youth Affairs Network of Queensland Incorporated.Google Scholar
Taylor, S., & Sidhu, R.K. (2012). Supporting refugee students in schools: What constitutes inclusive education? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 16, 39–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). (2018). Global trends: Forced displacement in 2017. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/5b27be547.pdf Google Scholar
Webster, C., & Cox, D. (1997). Integration of nomothetic and ideographic positions in risk assessment: Implications for practice and the education of psychologists and other mental health professionals. American Psychologist, 52, 1245–1246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar