Educational Re-engagement Research Articles

Analysis of the Design and Curricular Practices in an Educational Re-Engagement Program

<p style="text-align:justify">In this article, which is part of a broader investigation based on the study of the educational and socio-occupational re-engagement processes of young people in vulnerable situations, the curricular design of the vocational training programs (VTP) is described. Further, the curricular practices developed in the classrooms of these programs are analyzed, based, above all, on how the contents are selected, as well as the methodological approaches for their development. The research methodology that was followed responds to the conduct of multiple case studies with the integration of quantitative and qualitative processes. The data collection instruments used for this purpose were questionnaires, interviews, and discussion groups. The conclusions reveal the selection of contents that are relevant, interesting, and close to the reality of the students. The development of these contents is displayed through varied methodological strategies and diverse activities that enhance the students’ involvement and the practical sense of their learning.</p>

Fostering Connections, Nurturing Prospects: A Proposed Communities of Practice Plan in Re-engaging Out-of-School Youth

This study investigates the effectiveness of Communities of Practice (CoPs) as a strategy to reengage out-of-school youth (OSY) in the Philippines. The research, utilizing a qualitative multiple case study approach with three OSY participants from Nagtenga, Sta Cruz, Ilocos Sur, explores themes of belonging, social connections, and prospects. Findings highlight the challenges faced by OSY, including isolation, limited social networks, and uncertain futures. Barriers to CoP participation include accessibility, financial constraints, and balancing commitments. A proposed CoP plan aims to create a supportive environment for OSY to develop skills, build connections, and drive positive change within their communities. This study emphasizes the need for tailored community-driven initiatives to address the unique needs of OSY and promote their successful re-engagement in education and society. Further research is recommended to evaluate the long-term impact of CoPs and develop scalable implementation strategies.

Routing back: social, psychological, and criminological influences on educational reengagement among youth offenders who drop out

Routing back: social, psychological, and criminological influences on educational reengagement among youth offenders who drop out

What helps adult care leavers return to education? exploring the relevance of learner identity and the life course perspective

ABSTRACT Adult care leavers who have spent time in ‘out-of-home care’ during childhood face many educational challenges. While some care leavers may manage to adhere to ‘normal’ timelines within their educational progression, others may experience delays in their educational journey or a longer-term ‘resignation’ from education during their care/post-care journey. In this paper, we offer a fuller understanding of what drives underachievement in this population, as well as what helps care leavers to re-engage with education. Using a case study approach, we explore the potential of the life course principle ‘linked lives’ for better understanding barriers to re-engagement and the processes through which key actors may promote the (re)development of learner identity, and educational re-engagement among adult care leavers, over time. We draw on analysis of data from two studies of positive educational outcomes for adult care leavers - one in education, one in the workplace. Using a linked lives lens, this theoretically-informed paper presents the concepts of support, learner identity, and educational memories as candidates for deepening our understanding of educational re-engagement of care leavers – and comparable populations facing educational challenges.

Family engagement and compassion fatigue in Alternative Provision

ABSTRACT In a sector largely ignored in policy and the public imagination, Alternative Provision works to care for and educate children for whom mainstream schooling does not work. Central to their mission is the engagement of families, often seen as both the cause of their child’s difficulties and the solution to their successful educational re-engagement. Practitioners within Alternative Provision work within sophisticated strategies of family engagement, from regular communication to the more intensive interventions of home visits, supporting families with everything from filling in forms to cleaning, from managing outbursts to sourcing furniture. With the majority of families living within contexts of deprivation, many have life histories containing trauma, trauma that Alternative Provision Practitioners listen to, confront and, often, internalise, risking ‘compassion fatigue’. This article focuses on the potential for compassion fatigue within family engagement in Alternative Provision, beginning with the impact on practitioners. It then discusses the role of leadership in building an assemblage of organisation interventions to both mitigate compassion fatigue and maximise ‘compassion satisfaction’, the fulfilment that comes from empathic work. Finally, it examines how compassion satisfaction could mitigate the deleterious impact of vicarious trauma.

Mexican-Origin Adolescent Mothers' Economic Contexts, Educational Re-Engagement, and Their Children's School Readiness.

Drawing on data from a longitudinal study of 204 Mexican-origin adolescent mothers, their mother figures, and their children, the current investigation examined (a) adolescent mothers' educational re-engagement and attainment beginning during their pregnancy and ending when their child was 5years old; and (b) the influence of the family economic context on adolescent mothers' educational re-engagement and attainment and their children's academic and social-emotional outcomes. Findings detailed adolescent mothers' re-engagement in school after the birth of their child and revealed that family income during adolescents' pregnancies was directly associated with re-engagement and attainment, and also initiated cascade effects that shaped adolescents' economic contexts, their subsequent re-engagement and attainment, and ultimately their children's academic and social-emotional outcomes at age 5.

The cross-cutting psychosocial and systemic barriers to holistic rehabilitation, including educational re-engagement, of incarcerated adolescents: Realities in and perspectives from Africa

The present study identifies the potential barriers to holistic rehabilitation, including educational re-engagement, of justice-involved youth in Africa. This was done using quantitative data on the educational and other psychosocial problems presented by a cohort of justice-involved youth and qualitative data on the realities on ground in the correctional school within a youth correctional facility in Lagos, Nigeria, as an illustrative example. Findings showed a lot of cross-cutting psycho-social and systemic barriers to holistic psycho-social rehabilitation of justice-involved adolescents. These include pre-existing psychosocial problems such as, educational disengagement prior to incarceration, high prevalence rates of untreated intercurrent behavioral disorders such as conduct disorders and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder among detained youth, and lack of community- or school-based pre-emptive interventions for school-related indicators of delinquency within the juvenile justice system. Others are lack of non-incarcerating correctional system with focus on psychosocial and educational rehabilitation, poor standard of human/ infrastructural resource-capacity within the facilities, and low level of school-engagement occasioned by poor mental and behavioral health among those enrolled in correctional schools. Context-appropriate pre-emptive and responsive strategies to address cross-cutting psycho-social and rehabilitative needs of justice-involved youth were discussed.

Ripples of hope: learning to support student behaviour from the pedagogical practice of a flexi-school for marginalised youth

ABSTRACT Student behaviour is a high priority for Pre-Service Teachers and Early Career Teachers. This article shares a view into a journey taken in the step from Pre-Service Teacher to Early Career Teacher. Driven by rising questions that challenged the norm of behaviour management presented through Initial Teacher Education and schools, this teacher looked inside a Flexi-school for marginalised youth to consider how pedagogical approaches are enacted. Existing to support young people who have experienced exclusion from mainstream schools, Flexi-schools provide an environment predicated on doing things differently to support student wellbeing and re-engagement in education. Through an holistic approach to students, this Flexi-school positions student behaviour as a pedagogical consideration, rather than a challenge to be managed. This narrative based case study offers an opportunity to see the ripples of hope created in one Flexi-school epitomising the holistic aims of restorative practices, enabling young people to grow, and this Early Career Teacher to expand her practice.

Adverse childhood experiences and trauma informed practices in second chance education settings in the Republic of Ireland: An inquiry-based study

Recent research has highlighted the high prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in early school leavers (ESLs), as well as the increasing levels of marginalisation, socioemotional, mental health and behavioural difficulties (NEPS, 2017; Smyth, 2019). An inquiry-based evaluation, incorporating an online survey (n = 120 s chance educators) and focus groups with educators and early school leavers (n = 17), was conducted to explore the facilitative and inhibitive factors which influence reengagement in education. Overall, ACEs were understood as significant in the lives of ESLs who reported negative experiences of mainstream education. Supportive relationships and collaborative teaching practices, as well as the use of positive behavioural supports were highlighted as crucial in reengaging ESLs in education. Notable challenges also emerged including ongoing adversity and socioemotional and behavioural difficulties amongst ESLs. Incidences of secondary traumatic stress and insufficient training and support in trauma-informed practice were highlighted by educators. Systems barriers included resource limitations and pressure to focus on academic achievement, rather than personal wellbeing in students. The findings shed light on the role of trauma-informed practice in second chance education and improving outcomes for ESLs.

A Conceptual Framework for Creating Transition Plans for Incarcerated Youth

Incarcerated youth face many challenges as they transition back to the community. The development and implementation of person-centered transition plans have been shown to improve re-engagement in education and employment, and to reduce recidivism. There is, however, little research to guide personnel in juvenile justice settings as to what a transition plan should contain and how it could be implemented. This article offers a conceptual framework based on transition theories, the extant research literature on transition plans and services, and practitioner experience to inform transition plan components for all young people in custody, with a focus on youth with disabilities and in out-of-home care.

What worked within an external SEBN provision and utilising how to support re-engagement post Covid-19

Re-engagement in education for children and young people after lockdown may be a challenging aspect for all, especially those who have had previous disengagements with education. This article explores the implications for educational psychologists (EPs) working with children and young people who are out with their local mainstream and experienced challenges in engagement in educational previously. A Working On What Works (WOWW) project undertaken in an external social, emotional and behavioural needs (SEBN) provision prior to Covid-19 focused on building positive relationships and engaging young people in their education. The project results have formed new implications as a result of Covid-19. The current article provides a description of how previous educational psychology practices and interventions, which promote positive relationship building are key for the re-engagement of pupils in their education post Covid-19.

Study protocol: a randomised controlled trial of a telephone delivered social wellbeing and engaged living (SWEL) psychological intervention for disengaged youth

BackgroundInternationally, from 12.2–23.4% of youth (aged 16–24 years) are not in employment, education or training (NEET). These disengaged youth are more likely to experience social exclusion, increased psychological distress and poor quality of life. Youth at risk of disengagement are less likely to access traditional support services, requiring development of innovative interventions.MethodsThe trial is a single blind, three arm, randomised controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of a telephone delivered psychological intervention for disengaged youth (12–25 years). Participants will be randomised to receive either (i) SWEL, (ii) Befriending, or (iii) Single Session Psycho-Education. Therapy will be over an 8 week period with a minimum of four and maximum of eight sessions for the SWEL or Befriending conditions, or a single session for the Psycho-Education condition. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and at 2, 8 and 14-month follow-up with the primary outcome being re-engagement in education, training or employment.DiscussionThis large, multi-site, randomised controlled trial will inform the delivery of services for young people at risk of disengaging from education or training. The provision of psychological therapy by telephone increases access by youth – especially those in rural and remote areas - both to the trial and the treatment, if adopted by services. The outcomes of this trial could have meaningful societal impact for a vulnerable population. It is expected that recruitment, intervention and retention will present challenges for the trial given the focus on disengaged youth.Trial registrationANZCTR, ACTRN12614001212640, Registered 18 Nov 2014. Retrospectively registered.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been obtained from the participating institutions. Results of the trial will be submitted for publication in peer reviewed journals and findings presented at scientific conferences and to key service providers and policy makers.

Dropout typologies: Relating profiles of risk and support to later educational re-engagement

ABSTRACTA large body of work has examined factors that push and pull youth to drop out. However, a relatively minimal amount of work has examined whether and how these factors cluster in individuals’ lives preceding or concurrent to leaving school. This study used Latent Class Analysis with a national sample (N = 1,942) to examine how push, pull, and protective experiences clustered in the lives of individuals who left high school without graduating. Then, we asked how the resultant classes differentially predicted youth re-engagement in educational endeavors. We identified three classes: youth with the presence of protective factors and absence of push/pull factors (Quiet Dropouts), youth with the presence of protective factors and an abundance of push/pull factors (High Adversity), and youth with the presence of instability in factors related to social relationships and school or housing (Instability). Results indicated each profile differentially predicted youths’ re-engagement in education and achievement of educational outcomes.

The importance of psychological need satisfaction in educational re-engagement

Students attending alternative provision (AP) schools have typically disengaged with their education. They present with multiple problems and complex support needs which makes their re-engagement back into education challenging. This study examined educational re-engagement using the self-system model of motivational processes. Teacher (or other school staff) practices that facilitated and inhibited the students’ psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness and competence were identified. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 students (aged 14–16 years) attending an AP school in England and data were triangulated using staff interviews and lesson observations. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to code the data. More staff practices were categorised as facilitating one of the three needs, and more students mentioned these positive behaviours, than the need-inhibiting practices. This fostered trusting, caring and respectful student–staff relationships, which ultimately led to educational re-engagement. It would be beneficial if such findings were incorporated into government statutory guidelines for AP establishments in order to increase awareness amongst those on the frontline. Moreover, findings support the current UK government policy to increase the number of AP schools, as they have the scope to focus on the supportive staff practices.

Tuned In Emotion Regulation Program Using Music Listening: Effectiveness for Adolescents in Educational Settings.

This paper presents an effectiveness study of Tuned In, a novel emotion regulation intervention that uses participant selected music to evoke emotions in session and teaches participants emotional awareness and regulation skills. The group program content is informed by a two dimensional model of emotion (arousal, valence), along with music psychology theories about how music evokes emotional responses. The program has been evaluated in two samples of adolescents: 41 “at risk” adolescents (76% males; Mage = 14.8 years) attending an educational re-engagement program and 216 students (100% females; Mage = 13.6 years) attending a mainstream secondary school. Results showed significant pre- to post-program improvements in measures of emotion awareness, identification, and regulation (p < 0.01 to p = 0.06 in the smaller “at risk” sample and all p < 0.001 in the mainstream school sample). Participant ratings of engagement and likelihood of using the strategies learned in the program were high. Tuned In shows promise as a brief emotion regulation intervention for adolescents, and these findings extend an earlier study with young adults. Tuned In is a-theoretical in regard to psychotherapeutic approach and could be integrated with other program components as required.

Educational Re-engagement as Social Inclusion: the role of flexible learning options in alternative provision in Australia

In Australia, a significant minority of young people do not complete upper secondary education. Whether procedural or enacted through the agency of students, the failure of the education system to accommodate young people through to completion can be regarded as a form of institutionalised social exclusion and injustice. In response, a growing number of flexible learning options (FLOs) are providing marginalised young people with alternative avenues for meaningful educational reengagement. The authors of this article examine two key characteristics of FLOs: an unconditional acceptance of young people, and the integrated well-being support upon which inclusion is premised. Their discussion draws on in-depth interviews conducted with students and practitioners at a diverse range of sites. They find that FLOs play a key role in the process of re-inclusion, but this contribution to reducing social and educational inequality is predicated on a level of well-being support not ordinarily available in mainstream schooling.

Postsecondary education: Kindling opportunities for people with mental illness

Education is recognized in many sectors of society as essential for empowerment and better lives, and postsecondary education is increasingly a prerequisite for many occupations. Given its onset in late adolescence and early adulthood, mental illness frequently disrupts secondary or tertiary education, and resulting lower educational attainment contributes to reduced lifetime employment and earning potential. Yet, supporting people with mental illnesses to pursue postsecondary education offers pathways to vocational qualifications and more diverse opportunities for employment and career advancement. While substantial efforts have been made to develop evidence-based interventions to improve employment outcomes for people with mental ill health, less is known about the best ways to enable people with mental illness to successfully return to study and to pursue their educational goals. This paper briefly discusses supported education, an approach designed to provide pathways and supports for reengagement in education; it highlights the potential of modeling educational support on Individual Placement and Support principles used in supported employment programs; and calls for greater efforts in research and practice to enable youth or adults with mental illness to reengage in education so as to improve their educational outcomes and career prospects.

The Re‐engagement in Education of Early School Leavers*

By OECD standards, the share of the Australian labour force with at least a secondary school qualification is low. One way to rectify this shortfall is to improve rates of re‐engagement in education among early school leavers. This paper examines the patterns of re‐engagement among early school leavers in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia sample. A key finding is that the early years after leaving school are crucially important, with rates of re‐engagement dropping dramatically in the first three years out from school. For young adults up to age twenty four, results suggest that finding work, especially satisfying work, is an important motivator for returning to study. For older adults, re‐engaging is linked to retraining after commencing a new job and returning to study after having kids.

The Re-Engagement in Education of Early School Leavers

By OECD standards, the share of the Australian labour force with at least a secondary school qualification is low. One way to rectify this shortfall is to improve rates of re-engagement in education among early school leavers. This paper examines the patterns of re-engagement among early school leavers in the HILDA sample. A key finding is that the early years after leaving school are crucially important, with rates of re-engagement dropping dramatically in the first three years out from school. For those who enter the labour market after school, results suggest that finding work, especially satisfying work, is an important driver for returning to study.

Teenage Mothers' Experiences of Formal Support Services

AbstractThis article explores support services for teenage mothers. It draws upon empirical evidence from a wider study into the experiences of teenage mothers in the Midlands area of the UK, in which 20 young women who had given birth as teenagers participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences of support services. The findings are used to make suggestions as to policy regarding support for teenage mothers, arguing that the diverse nature of support needs must be taken into account when designing support services. The article concludes that more attention should be paid to the possibilities of the group mode of support, rather than focusing on support delivered on a one-to-one basis, and, in addition, the functions of support services, beyond encouraging re-engagement in education, employment and training, need to be valued more significantly.