More schools are starting the school day later – researchers will examine the experiences
An increasing number of Danish primary and lower secondary schools are allowing students in grades 7–9 to start school later in the morning. Researchers will now investigate how widespread the practice is, how it is implemented, and how it works for schools, students and families. One reason for the growing interest is that teenagers’ body clocks shift during puberty, while many students do not get enough sleep.
More Danish primary and lower secondary schools are introducing later school start times for students in grades 7–9. In some schools, the day begins at 8:30 or 8:45 a.m.; in others, it starts at 9 a.m.
A new research project will now examine how later school start times work in practice. As a first step, the researchers will map how many schools have introduced later start time and what experiences they have gained.
“We will examine how later start times work in practice and what schools have learned from the experience. Among other things, we will look at how the decision was made and at the organisational factors that support or hinder implementation, including timetable planning. We will also investigate collaboration between the different stakeholders involved, as well as any concerns raised by students, parents and staff,” says senior researcher and project lead Susan Andersen from the National Institute of Public Health at the University of Southern Denmark.
Teenagers’ body clocks shift to a later schedule
One reason for the growing interest in later school start times is that the body clock changes during puberty. Teenagers find it harder to fall asleep early and need to sleep later in the morning.
At the same time, many young people do not get enough sleep. Around two-thirds of ninth-grade students report sleeping fewer than eight hours a night, which is below the Danish Health Authority’s recommendations.
“During puberty, the body clock shifts, which can make it difficult for teenagers both to fall asleep early and to wake up early. At the same time, we know that many young people do not get enough sleep. Later school start times have therefore become one way of taking students’ biological rhythms into account and helping ensure that they are well-rested and more motivated when the school day begins,” explains Susan Andersen.
International studies suggest that later school start times can have positive effects on sleep, well-being and engagement at school. Students get more sleep, feel more alert and are more engaged in their schoolwork. However, there is a lack of systematic evidence on how later start times work in Denmark.
“Most existing studies are from the United States, where the school day often starts at 7:00 or 7:30 a.m. and students, particularly in rural areas, may have long bus journeys. In that context, shifting the start time to 8:00 or 8:30 a.m. represents a major structural change. In Denmark, these start times are already common, which limits how directly international findings can be applied here. We therefore want to learn more about the experiences of Danish schools and students,” says Susan Andersen.
Students and parents will be involved
The researchers will not only consult schools but will also involve students and parents, as a later school start can affect everyday life for both students and their families.
Among other things, the researchers will investigate how students use the extra time in the morning and how later start times work for their families.
“We want to understand how students use the extra time in the morning. Do they get more sleep, eat breakfast and have more time, or do they stay up later in the evening because they do not have to get up as early? And how does it work for families if, for example, parents have already left for work by the time their children need to get up and leave for school?” says Susan Andersen.
In the coming year, all Danish primary and lower secondary schools that have introduced later start times will be contacted and invited to participate in the study. The researchers will conduct qualitative interviews with parents and students and hold a series of workshops. During these workshops, students and professionals will work both separately and together to develop suggestions for how best to support young people’s sleep and well-being in connection with later school start times.
“We will begin by creating a systematic overview of the experiences of schools that have already introduced later start times. This will help us understand whether the approach is feasible in a Danish context and whether there is a basis for conducting an evaluation of its effects at a later stage,” says Susan Andersen.
The project is being carried out by the National Institute of Public Health and the Centre for Clinical Research and Prevention (CKFF), in collaboration with Just Human and Gentofte Municipality.
Contact: Senior researcher Susan Andersen, tel. +45 6550 7816, email: suan@sdu.dk, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark.