Individual cognitive factors, especially low-achievement patterns, increase the risk for ESL, but non-cognitive factors (e.g. personality traits, problem behaviour) also play a role. At the level of the family and social background, the most prominent risk factor is low socio-economic status. However, it is noted that ESLers comprise a heterogeneous group.
Rumberger, R. W.
Bibliography
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Interplay of factors contributing to ESL at the levels of the individual, the family and social background
Keywords : early school leaving -
Students’ social and civic competencies: Predictors of ESL
Externalising behaviours (e.g. deviant, disruptive, oppositional behaviour) are consistently shown to be risk factors for ESL. Civic competence (via participation in extracurricular activities) as well as social competence constitute protective factors. Peers also play a role. Supporting students’ social and emotional adjustment early on is warranted.
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The changing purpose of education: "How is instrumentalization affecting the ESL problem?"*
It is not the same if the purpose of education is a well-educated person able to think, judge and understand the world or, on the other hand, a specific conception of social progress and economic growth. If we have a confused understanding what is the purpose of education we also risk to fail defining our objectives and direct wrongly our endeavour for coping with this problem.
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Interplay of factors that contribute to ESL at school level
Although ESL is impacted by the composition of a school (e.g. mean SES) and its structure (e.g. size), school practices, especially the way curriculum is delivered in practice as well as caring, supportive and respectful teachers (and other school staff) who believe in students’ ability to succeed, seem particularly important for ensuring (potential) ESLers remain in school.
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The relationship between teachers’ teaching styles, students’ engagement in school and ESL
A teacher’s teaching style (authoritative, authoritarian and permissive) affects students’ experience in school. It can provoke functional or non-functional perceptions of learning, self-efficacy and schoolwork, thus an appropriate teaching style can help prevent early school leaving.
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ESL prevention extended to the home environment: the relationship between (authoritative) parenting style and ESL
Research emphasises the positive impact of an authoritative parenting style on school achievements, school engagement and also directly on ESL. Parents’ behaviour that is accepting, warm and encouraging yet also firm and with clear expectations has the most favourable impact on a child’s/adolescent’s development and also acts as an ESL preventive factor. Other parenting styles (authoritarian, permissive and uninvolved) have been examined less.
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Developing healthy social and cultural capital and its effects on education
Although social and cultural capital is to some extent determined, it is important to be aware that individuals’ social capital can also be built and strengthened via the family, peers, school and wider local community. Not only does it encourage a student’s persistence in education, it can also help overcome the effects of a deficit in cultural capital on an individual’s educational path.
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The student’s academic self-concept and its link with ESL
Supporting the development of a positive academic self-concept is an important factor in preventing ESL. In order to support its development, teachers should pay attention to how they provide feedback to their students (i.e. negative feedback should only be directed to the behaviour/achievement/result and never to the person).