Browsing by Author "Coutts, Christine Elizabeth"
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- ItemDrop out from state secondary girls' schools in New Zealand : an ecological perspective : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2007) Coutts, Christine ElizabethEconomic change requiring a more highly skilled workforce prompted worldwide concern over high school drop out. Dropouts are young people who leave school early, often without attaining formal educational qualifications. Much previous research centred on at-risk students and a range of individual, social, family and school factors associated with drop out were identified. This case study of student drop out and retention at three girls’ state secondary schools over 2003 suggests that early leaving behaviour cannot be understood outside of the settings in which it occurs. Adopting an ecological perspective facilitated a deeper understanding of the complex interactions between the dropouts and their environment. From a narratives and numbers approach rich stories of early leaving emerged. Patterns of leaving were consistent with national trends: The lower decile school had the highest drop out rate, and dropouts were more likely to be Maori and Pasifika than European. Dropping out was shown to be a complicated and iterative process in which the influence of the environment is very important. Family and school relationships had a major impact but which had the greatest influence was inconclusive because there was a high level of interconnectedness between these proximal settings within the mesosystem and the bigger picture education and welfare systems. The extent of the contribution each level made to early leaving varied across individual stories, between schools and over time. Leaving school is an ecological transition that involves changing roles from high school pupil to that of tertiary student, mother, worker or benefit recipient. The students’ stories show drop out to be both an outcome, and an initiator, of developmental change. An important challenge for schools is not necessarily to reduce the number of early leavers but to establish effective transition programmes that assist students to become proactive in navigating the many transitions anticipated over their life course. The implementation of such school programmes needs to be supported by parallel changes in government policy.
- ItemDrop out from Wanganui Regional Community Polytechnic, 1992-1993 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Administration, Massey University(Massey University, 1995) Coutts, Christine ElizabethIn New Zealand recent changes in legislation have increased both the autonomy and accountability of the tertiary education sector. As a consequence, polytechnics have become painfully aware of the cost of student drop out from programmes both to their credibility as quality education providers and to their coffers. The case study of student drop out from Wanganui Regional Community Polytechnic (WRCP) was undertaken in response to administrators' concerns that, as a small, recently established polytechnic, costs associated with the loss of students might threaten its economic viability. WRCP administrators feared an increase in the rate of drop out as changes to the funding of tertiary study created increased financial pressures for students. The case Study employed a range of techniques, including a survey of archived information and student questionnaires, augmented by the perceptions gained from informal discussions with staff to ascertain the extent and nature of drop out. Analysis of data collected over a two year period (1992-1993) at WRCP revealed a pattern of drop out in terms of student characteristics, style and timing of withdrawal. Overall it showed that there was little to discriminate between the characteristics of leavers and those who persisted on a course. The two main theoretical conceptualisations of drop out, the 'integration' and 'investment' theories, were found to share the assumption that drop out is the consequence of 'cost/benefit' analysis. However, despite increased fees and reduced allowances for many students, few cited financial reasons for withdrawal. An analysis of students' self-reported reasons for leaving indicated that finances are but one of many factors which affect a students determination of the costs and benefits of continued attendance. Many reasons given were outside the control of the Polytechnic. However, three Polytechnic academic schools were consistent in their reporting of high drop out numbers, suggesting the need for further research into programme related reasons for withdrawal in these areas. These findings were consistent with recent models, which portray drop out as a complex process influenced by a multitude of factors, including student background and characteristics on entry, environmental changes and institutional factors. From those findings some strategies to enhance the 'fit' of students and hence improve their retention are suggested. Continued monitoring and further research of a more phenomenological nature are recommended in order to gain a greater understanding of student drop out.