Study: School Uniforms Don't Affect Child Behavior

January 2, 2022, Daily News | Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

anxiety/ æŋˈzaɪəti/ Noun

a mental health condition which causes people to feel extremely
nervous or worried; a state of feeling nervous or worried

Example:
Stress can cause mental health problems like depression and anxiety.

aggression/ əˈgrɛʃən/ Noun

feelings of anger that may result in acts of violence

Example:
I don't know how to deal with his aggression.

sense/ sens/ Noun

an awareness or feeling that something is the case

Example:
Getting full marks on the exam gave her a great sense of achievement.

belonging/ bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋ/ Noun

the state of being comfortable and happy in a particular place or
situation

Example:
Some young people join gangs simply to gain a sense of belonging.

bullying/ ˈbʊliɪŋ/ Noun

the use of strength or power to scare or hurt someone weaker

Example:
He was subjected to bullying at school.
Exercise 2

Article

Study: School Uniforms Don't Affect Child Behavior

Although many parents and teachers believe school uniforms improve
student behavior, researchers at The Ohio State University have found
that this may not be true.
The study, published in Early Childhood Research Quarterly, used data
from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. This followed 6,320 US
students from kindergarten to the final year of elementary school, or
from about age 5 to age 10.
Every school year, teachers rated students' social skills and behavioral
problems, including anxiety and aggress ion. They also noted how often
each student was absent from class.
The researchers found that uniforms did not affect social skills or
behavior. However, students from low-income families in schools that
require uniforms did have better attendance, but this difference was less
than one day per year.

In the final year of elementary school, the students also reported on their
own feelings and experiences, including their sense of belonging, and
their experiences of bullying and social anxiety.

The researchers found that school uniforms did not have an effect on the
students' experiences of bullying or social anxiety. However, those who
had to wear uniforms reported a lower sense of belonging, compared
with students that attended schools that didn't require uniforms.
Arya Ansari, the study's lead author, noted that the data doesn't explain
this finding, but suggested that it may be because students aren 't able
to express themselves through clothing when they're wearing a uniform.

Ansari said this research is important because school uniforms are

becoming more popular in the US. In the 2011-2012 school year, 20% of
public schools required uniforms, compared with just 3% in 1995-
1996. Uniforms were required in 60% of private schools in 2011 -2012.
Exercise 3

Discussion
1. What are your thoughts on the findings of this study?

2. Do most schools require students to wear uniforms where you live? Has
this changed in recent years?

3. Did you have any classmates who were often absent from school?

4. Was bullying a major problem at your school?

5. How did you like to express yourself when you were in school?
Exercise 4
Further Discussion

1. Are any of your friends or family school teachers?

2. Were you generally well-behaved as a student?

3. What classes did you have the most fun in when you were at school?

4. What subjects did you enjoy most in school? Are you still interested in
them?

5. Is there anything you'd like to change about your country's school

system?

Source
This lesson is based on an article by Chiara Leone-Ganado.