Analyse comparative de deux populations d'étudiants

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify differences in the educational development of two groups of trainees attending the radiology school of the Paris public hospital system. The first group was composed of 57 high- school graduates and the second of 20 persons resuming their studies via a vocational education (VE) programme after having gained experience in the workplace. Our research enabled us to ascertain that such differences did indeed exist. Compared with the group of high-school graduates, the VE group had greater difficulty in the first year of study, with 60 % obtaining low marks, particularly in disciplines such as Physics, Anatomy and Pathology. In contrast, only 6 % of the trainees in the first group experienced sucn difficulties. At the end of the second year, however, the two groups drew level. Moreover, at the qualifying examination - the State Diploma - the students in the VE group achieved higher marks than the nigh school graduates : on a total of 230 points, their average score was 5 points higher and the median score, 10 points higher. The initial problems experienced by the VE group can mainly be attribuated to two factors. First, having broken off studies some time ago, the trainees had lost their automatic learning mechanisms. Second, their basic knowledge of scientific subjects was inadequate. These problems were overcome by a sustained personal offert, the students being strongly motived by a clearly defined professional plan and a desire for social success. Moreover, they were able to draw on their professional experience trou- ghout the learning period.