Reduce Dropout Rates Research Articles

Machine Learning algorithms to predict desertion in the faculty of Engineering Sciences at the Corporación Universitaria Antonio José de Sucre.

Desertion can be understood as the withdrawal and subsequent abandonment of school activity by students, due to different family, economic, social and other factors. All educational levels are affected by this scourge, being the university one of the most affected, especially during this time of pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV 19 virus. Due to the complexity of this problem, and the great impact it has generated at the educational level, many universities have proposed different intervention strategies to reduce dropout rates. The difficulty is that many of these strategies lack effectiveness, since they do not take into account the different causes, which are different for each case. On the other hand, it is important to have accurate and reliable information to determine the population in order to identify possible cases of dropout, and to take preventive actions to reduce the student dropout rate. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to analyze different predictive algorithms based on Machine Learning that enable early detection of possible cases of desertion in the Faculty of Engineering at the Corporación Universitaria Antonio José De Sucre. Among such algorithms we can mention decision trees, logistic regression and support vector machines. These will be trained with historical data and then tested to determine their performance, to finally choose the most appropriate within the context of the current problem.

Does Militancy Affect Female Students? A Cross Sectional Based Study of District Bajaur Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

A cross-sectional study was carried out with the sole purpose of assessing the effects of militancy on female students in District Bajaur. Using Sekaran criterion, a sample size of 169 respondents was purposefully chosen. A conceptual framework consisting of a dependent variable (the nature of drop out) and an independent variable (Militancy). For primary data collection, a well-structured questionnaire was used. Furthermore, descriptive (frequency and percentage distribution) and inferential statistics were used to analyses the data (chi-square test). Thus, the study revealed a highly significant association (P=0.000) between the nature of drop out and militancy indictors (statements), namely, terrorists had destroyed schools in the study area, schools were closed due to security issues, militancy is a formidable barrier to female education, militants have threatened girl schools, local residents were displaced due to militancy, and academic session of children suffered due to militancy. As a result, the government should implement legislative and budgetary measures to reduce dropout rates, such as providing financial assistance, a safe environment, school infrastructure, basic educational facilities in schools, and employment prospects, particularly for female students. Some of the recommendations have been forwarded in light of the current investigation. Keywords: Cross Sectional Study, Education, Militancy, Female Students, Bajaur.

Artfully Yours – a case study of Creatively Omnipresent and Versatile Inclusive Design (COVID) by Slam Out Loud

Study level/applicability This study aims to particularly focus on undergraduate and postgraduate early stage level students pursuing business, educational, social work programs. Particularly those studying organizational behavior, leadership and change, curriculum design management, social literacy and courses on 21st Century Skills. Subject area Social entrepreneurship, developmental studies, education, organisational behavior are the subject areas focused in this study. Case overview Purpose – The present case study is an empirical account of the gender perspectives on leadership styles and entrepreneurial mind-set demonstrated by Jigyasa and Gaurav, the co-founders of “Slam Out Loud” (SOL) – an Indian for mission non-profit organisation established in 2017. The authors intend to highlight the challenges faced by SOL during COVID outbreak, to establish community connect in the virtual domain and deliver hyper-personalised socio-emotional learning (SEL) frameworks. Will SOL’s Creatively Omnipresent and Versatile Inclusive Design framework transform Indian child education in the wake of New Education Policy 2020 of India while being sustainable as well as globally competitive? Design/methodology/approach This case study is based on primary data collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with the founders of SOL. It follows the deductive approach of methodology. The data has been complemented by documentary analysis, including videos, descriptions of internal processes and articles. Practical implications SOL has been strengthening the transformative power of performance and visual arts to help build creative confidence (CC) among children from disadvantaged communities below five years of age. The co-founders have focused on imparting life skills such as communication, critical thinking and empathy in children. The framework adopted by SOL is a combination of six 21st century and SEL skills including creativity, communication, critical thinking, collaboration, self-esteem and empathy. Originality/value A novel Sinha’s 5 × 7 SEL- COVID Matrix. Expected learning outcomes Learning outcomes can only be achieved using case-based pedagogy. Students are encouraged to dive deep into the dilemma. After the case discussion students will be able to define Creative Confidence (CC) with its importance in social development, comprehend the impact of developmental interventions such as Jijivisha Fellowship during COVID 19 and post COVID 19, understand servant leadership and its impact in the management, analyse how servant leadership accelerates social efficacy in the social enterprises, illustrate the novel 5 × 7 SEL-COVID framework for educators, create and evaluate their hyper-personalised SEL framework curriculum. Social implications The SOL initiative is well aligned with the National Education Policy introduced in India in 2020. It will address the issues of not only providing equitable and inclusive education but also enhancing enrolment ratio and reducing dropout rates. Adoption of Arts-based education will also develop Creative Confidence (CC) and improve emotional well-being of children in primary education. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship

INTENCIÓN DE ABANDONO UNIVERSITARIA: ANÁLISIS DURANTE LA COVID-19

Dropout intention is critical information for universities to help them avoid the misuse of financial, social, and personal resources. COVID-19 has forced universities to adapt their face-to-face teaching-learning processes to distance education, something neither they nor their students were prepared for. Despite being digital natives, students are not used to the online teaching-learning model that has been imposed. Therefore, knowing the effects of this situation on significant variables for universities and students, such as university experience, motivation, satisfaction, and commitment, can help universities understand why students drop out. This preliminary empirical research with university students has three objectives. First, we ascertain students’ perceptions about the possible causes of dropout intention after the outbreak of COVID-19. Second, we determine other variables affecting intentions to drop out, such as university experience, academic motivation, academic satisfaction, satisfaction with blended and distance education, and student commitment. Third, we examine whether these variables affect dropout intention in an exploratory way. Through an online questionnaire, 191 responses from university students were obtained at a Spanish public university. Empirical analyses identify little practical training, teaching methods that fail to motivate students, the absence of commitment to students on the part of the university, and a lack of information and support from the university as the main reasons students consider dropping out. These results are the same in the general sample and in the sub-sample of those who seriously considered leaving university. For the last group, other causes could be considered, such as students’ emotions, assessment systems, and relationships with teachers. All the mean assessments of the variables used in this study are medium-low. Academic motivation is the best-valued (3.38 out of 5), whereas satisfaction with blended and distance education is the worst (2.31 out of 5). Dropout intention is estimated at 2.56 out of 5. Although this is not a low result, this and the rest of the results may have been affected by the pandemic. Additionally, the study justifies that the better the university experience, academic motivation, general academic satisfaction, and satisfaction with blended and distance education, the lower the dropout intention rate. Surprisingly, student commitment does not influence students’ decisions to leave university. The main contribution of this study is to offer guidelines to reduce dropout intention. Training courses for students and teachers seem to be the best way to reduce dropout rates, but other aspects, such as university experience, motivation, and satisfaction, which help to maintain student expectations even in difficult situations, are also important. Although more research is needed, the proposed model offers the possibility of applying and comparing it with other Spanish and European universities, or even high schools, with students who are about to graduate and enter university.

Profiling temporal learning interests with time-aware transformers and knowledge graph for online course recommendation

Profiling users’ temporal learning interests is key to online course recommendation. Previous studies mainly profile users’ learning interests by aggregating their historical behaviors with simple fusing strategies, which fails to capture their temporal interest patterns underlying the sequential user behaviors. To fill the gap, we devise a recommender that incorporates time-aware Transformers and a knowledge graph to better capture users’ temporal learning interests. First, we introduce stacked Transformers to extract users’ temporal learning interests underlying users’ course enrollment sequences. In addition, we design a time-aware positional encoding module to consider the enrollment time intervals between courses. Third, we incorporate a knowledge graph to utilize the latent knowledge connections between courses. The proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art baselines for course recommendation. Furthermore, findings in the ablation study offers several insights for future research. The proposed model can be implemented in online learning platforms to increase user engagement and reduce dropout rate.

SOME INSIGHT ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESOURCES FOR PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE UK

No organisation performs best without good infrastructure and resources. The workplace can refer to the physical or the psychosocial work environment from the individual user and organisation's perspective, differing from one industry to another. This study focuses on the physical work environment from an architectural, interior design and performance perspective in a private higher education institution. Two factors characterise office work: the degree of interaction and the level of individual autonomy. Duffy created four types of offices: hive, cell den, and club based on this concept. Examples of such types of offices are provided within the higher education context. Office workers spend plenty of time inside buildings, where their physical environments directly impact their well-being and work performance and productivity. Buildings, classrooms, computer laboratories, and education infrastructure are crucial learning environments in higher education. There is strong evidence that high-quality infrastructure and resources (facilitates) improves student outcomes and reduce dropout rates, among other benefits. A high-quality teaching and learning environment and students' experience are dependent on classroom resources, libraries, computer labs, and equipment. Maintaining, adapting innovation, repairing existing infrastructure and facilities and investing in new structures and equipment all come with significant expenditures. The question of how to fund such development is becoming increasingly difficult.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0923/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

An Intelligent Nudging System to Guide Online Learners

This work discusses a nudging intervention mechanism combined with an artificial intelligence (AI) system for early detection of learners’ risk of failing or dropping out. Different types of personalized nudges were designed according to educational principles and the learners’ risk classification. The impact on learners’ performance, dropout reduction, and satisfaction was evaluated through a study with 252 learners in a first-year course at a fully online university. Different learners’ groups were designed, with each receiving a different set of nudges. Results showed that nudges positively impacted the learners’ performance and satisfaction, and reduced dropout rates. The impact significantly increased when different types of nudges were provided. Our research reinforced the role of AI as useful in online, distance, and open learning for providing timely learner support, improved learning experiences, and enhanced learner-teacher communication.

Processos de acompanhamento, foco de gênero e mulheres no consumo de álcool/drogas na gravidez e maternidade: chaves transdisciplinares e terapias ocupacionais do Sul

Abstract Preliminary results of a research that seeks to characterize the intervention model of an Intensive Outpatient Program for the treatment of drug and/or alcohol use in pregnant and maternity women of the CRS of the Hospital El Pino, in the commune of San Bernardo, Chile, are presented. The objective is to describe the characteristics of the accompaniment process with a gender approach carried out by the health team working in the program and to consider its transdisciplinary character as keys to improving adherence, reducing dropout rates, favoring therapeutic discharges, promoting autonomy and the exercise of rights. The methodological design corresponds to qualitative research with an emic and intracultural approach, which seeks the point of view within the team. The sample is purposive, and the information was produced through nine participative group interviews with the work teams and an individual semi-structured interview with the head of the program, carrying out a thematic analysis of the experiences shared. The results indicate that the accompaniments from a gender and human rights perspective favor transdisciplinary work, key aspects to reduce equity gaps, and favor access to health for women in vulnerable conditions. Being the occupational therapies from the south are important to enhance these processes.

Analysis of the Student Dropout Rate at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Prishtina, Kosovo, From 2001 to 2015

This study analyzed the student dropout rate at the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering (FECE) of the University of Pristina, Kosovo, from 2001 to 2015. This phenomenon is a concern for many countries, not only for students due to its emotional effects and further consequences for their university careers but also for institutions and society in general due to its broader negative impact on their authority. Over the past two decades, a significant number of students have been enrolled in these programs. However, we identified several factors that influenced young people to abandon their studies. The high dropout rate associated with FECE programs results in a lack of professionals in these areas and negatively affects the country’s economy. The main reasons given by students for such dropout were unrelated to whether students were from urban or rural areas or economic factors but were strongly related to high school programs and, to a somewhat lesser degree, to poor academic performance in certain courses. This research suggests opportunities for reducing dropout rates, as improvement in this context can be achieved by updating curricula, employing contemporary literature, applying modern teaching methodologies, improving laboratories, and reforming the behavior of certain professors. The main purpose of this study is to find a compromise between the large number of students enrolled in FECE and dropout rates; however, the findings highlight a phenomenon that is very complex and multidimensional, especially when dropout occurs after the first year of study.

ACADEMIC CAPABILITIES AND DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS: A STUDY OF ACADEMIC PROGRESSION AMONG OTHER BACKWARD CLASS STUDENTS IN INDIA

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to examine output in terms of the repetition rate, dropout rate and transition rate among Other Backward Classes (OBCs) students at various levels of school education in North-Kashmir, UT of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on a descriptive survey method intended to understand the broad trends of academic progression in terms of GER, NER, dropout rate, transition rate etc among OBC students in India. In order to study the academic capabilities among OBCs the data was collected from secondary sources. In India there are various official departments who maintain the records pertinent to the school education like NIEPA, NCERT & MHRD etc. We have used the data available at U-DISE by exercising the internet survey technique from academic years between 2014 to 2017. Findings – The authors find that output in terms of Dropout rate is significantly very high among the OBCs from grade I to the grade XI, shows drastic increase immediately after VIII grade in the three studied areas of north-Kashmir during the three studied years 2014 to 210. The results in overall revealed that there is an increasing trend in the dropout rate after grade VIII among the OBC students. Implications – The evidence provided in this paper underscores the importance of social interactions and necessary interventions in analysing individual outcomes and is improving the educational pursuits of OBC students. Originality/value - The findings may have significantly shown the overall picture of output at different levels of school education and bearings in reducing dropout rates in India.

Association Between Self-Regulation of Learning, Forced Labor Insertion, Technological Barriers, and Dropout Intention in Chile

Early dropout and retention of students are critical problems in both secondary and higher education. Existing models that predict the intention to drop out require the incorporation of complex variables strongly related to student success, such as self-regulated learning. Moreover, new possible predictors have emerged in the context of a pandemic. This study set out to validate scales that measure the phases of self-regulation of learning in Chilean secondary school students and determine the association between self-regulation, forced labor insertion, technological barrier, and intention to quit during COVID-19. An instrumental design was carried out, where 251 students participated, and a cross-sectional predictive design with a sample of 171. Results showed adequate psychometric properties in assessment scales for self-regulation. Furthermore, the logistic regression model carried out to predict the dropout intention was significant. The final model showed that external causal attributions, planning self-evaluation, forced labor insertion, and technological barriers were significant predictors, achieving a success rate of 84.8%. In conclusion, although many factors are considered in dropout intention models, this study incorporated self-regulation skills that can be promoted in students and systematically integrated into school programs to help reduce dropout rates in secondary education, therefore contributing to a successful transition to higher education.

Analysis of Engineering Student Data in Online Higher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged many educational institutions around the world in 2020 and 2021 as traditional education has been interrupted to prevent the spread of the virus. This forced the transition from traditional education to fully distance learning envi-ronments for all levels of education. The widespread adoption of distance learning has led instructors to form new digital learning environments and methods. In response to this unexpected situation, data regarding engineering students and their interaction with the learning environment was accumulated and processed, generating a matrix of 129 × 165 variables. The motivation for this research is to identify new variables that impact student performance during the disorientation of the educational process due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistical analysis was performed and discussed in this paper including correla-tion analysis, factor analysis, and clustering. Reliability analysis was also performed and ANOVA (analysis of variance) was applied to clusters. The novelty of this work is to use student performance data and statistical analysis of online surveys to reveal patterns that can help reduce dropout rates and transform the educational process, under extenuating and imposed distance learning circumstances. A major finding is that by applying innovative teaching methods, thereby meeting the challenge of an imposed distance learning environ-ment, students' spatial conceptions improve, overcoming the absence of a physical learning space. Deep insights for individual students were discovered, as well as significant relation-ships between students' transition from secondary to higher education and their understand-ing of geometric features. Evidence of the effectiveness of the online learning framework that was integrated showed that it positively influenced students' learning styles.

Recreational Physical Activity Improves Adherence and Dropout in a Non-intensive Behavioral Intervention for Adolescents with Obesity

ABSTRACT Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare adherence and dropout rates in adolescents with obesity participating in a behavioral-counseling intervention with or without recreational physical activity (PA). Material and methods: Seventy-four adolescents (13 to 18y, 40 girls and 34 boys) with obesity (body mass index [BMI] z-score ≥ 2.0) were randomized into a counseling group (CG; n = 37) and a counseling + recreational physical activity group (CPAG; n = 37). Adolescents from both groups received behavioral counseling once a week for 12 weeks and monthly for an additional 12 weeks. CPAG adolescents participated in supervised recreational physical activity sessions twice a week for 12 weeks. Body composition, body image dissatisfaction, symptoms of depression, binge eating, bulimia, anorexia and quality of life were assessed at baseline and after 24-weeks. Result: The dropout rate was 2.73 times higher in adolescents from CG compared to CPAG (χ2 = 4.48; p = .034; R2 McF = 0.044). Girls were 2.56 times more likely to withdraw when compared to boys (χ2 = 3.86; p = .049; R2 McF = 0.038). Binomial logistic regression which incorporated sex, intervention group, BMI z-score and BSQ score at baseline (R2 McF = 0.177) explained 75% of the dropout rate. Both interventions were effective in reducing waist circumference (p < .01) and improving quality of life, symptoms of depression, bulimia and binge eating (p < .01). Conclusion: Incorporating a recreational physical activity component to a non-intensive behavioral intervention may be a feasible strategy to reduce dropout rates in adolescents with obesity seeking treatment.

Gambaran Student Engagement pada Siswa SMA (Studi Kasus pada Siswa MAN 1 Magelang)

High student engagement will make students to avoid adolescent delinquency, reduce dropout rates, and play a positive role in student learning achievement, while low student engagement will result in students being less diligent in learning in the classroom, less diligent in doing homework, and have less effort to improve academic performance. So important is student attachment that it needs to be given special attention. The purpose of this study is to obtain preliminary data on the description of student attachment which will then be used to improve student attachment in upper secondary schools. The subjects of the study were MAN 1 Magelang students totaling 100 students selected using random cluster sampling technique. The findings show that there are 51 students with high attachment level and 49 students with low attachment. In addition, there is a difference in the level of student engagement in the sex of men and women, where women have a higher level of engagement than male students who have a high attachment due to the support of teachers, friends, and assignment characteristics. While students who have an attachment that is because parents do not pay attention to the good development of the child, the teacher is considered favoritism, friendships and engage in behavior that lead to negative side.

Evaluating study procedure training methods for a remote daily diary study of sexual minority women.

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methods can be used to remotely assess physical and mental health in daily life for hard-to-reach, marginalized, and geographically dispersed populations in the U.S., such as sexual minority women (e.g., lesbian, bisexual). However, EMA studies are often complex, and engaging participants from afar can be a challenge. This study experimentally examined whether adding videos to written recruitment materials would improve consent rates, reduce dropout rates, and improve survey completion rates for an online daily diary study. As part of a 2-week study of same-sex female couples' health, 376 women ages 18-35 were recruited from across the U.S. using a market research firm. Couples were randomized to an introductory information condition (written + video materials or written-only materials) prior to informed consent. Overall, 97.1% of eligible women reviewed introductory materials and of these 96.7% consented; consent rates did not differ by condition (written + video: 97.1%, written-only: 97.1%). Dropout rates were low (5.4%) and survey completion rates were high (90.4% of surveys completed); there were no group differences for study dropout (written + video: 3.6%, written-only: 7.0%) or survey completion (written + video: 92.5%, written-only: 88.4%). Data from women randomized to receive videos indicated more than half (53.3%) did not watch any of the five videos in full. However, among those who viewed the videos, time spent watching videos, watching more videos in full, and watching at least one video in full were each positive associated with survey completion rates. In summary, we had high consent rates, low dropout rates, and high survey completion rates regardless of video instructions. Although sexual minority women can be hard to reach, our potential participants appeared highly motivated to take part in research, and thus video recruitment materials were not necessary to improve participation. Future experimental research to maximize EMA study design and implementation could be important for populations less inclined to participate in EMA studies, or who are less familiar with research.

ANALISIS TREN ANGKA PUTUS SEKOLAH PADA PENDIDIKAN DASAR DI KABUPATEN BANTUL

The purpose of this study are: to describe the tren of children’s dropping out rates from primary education, describe the factors that influence the change in the tren line of children dropping out of school in primary education in Bantul Regency, and describes policies and follow-up actions taken by the government to reduce dropout rates in Bantul Regency. This research is a descriptive quantitative research. The data was obtained from the Dikpora Bantul and analyzed with the least squares trend. The results of this study are: 1. At elementary level (SD/MI) in Bantul Regency, there is an increasing tren and has not reached 0%. At junior high level (SMP/MTs), there is a decreasing tren and has been reached 0%. 2. The results of tren analysis are influenced by internal and external factors that cause children to drop out of school; 3. Policy in the Elementary School sector, namely to activate compulsory education programs, social assistance, and inclusive schools. Follow-up in the SD sector by increasing public awareness, collaboration with various cross-agency. The SMP sector carries out a policy of completing the 9-year compulsory education program, simultaneous assistance, and tracing to the village level. Follow-up in the field of SMP by increasing Minimum Service Standards, maximizing support capacity, and discussing with Commission D. Keywords: Trens, Dropout Rate, Primary Education, Bantul Regency

Interpretable MOOC recommendation: a multi-attention network for personalized learning behavior analysis

PurposeCourse recommendations are important for improving learner satisfaction and reducing dropout rates on massive open online course (MOOC) platforms. This study aims to propose an interpretable method of analyzing students' learning behaviors and recommending MOOCs by integrating multiple data sources.Design/methodology/approachThe study proposes a deep learning method of recommending MOOCs to students based on a multi-attention mechanism comprising learning records attention, word-level review attention, sentence-level review attention and course description attention. The proposed model is validated using real-world data consisting of the learning records of 6,628 students for 1,789 courses and 65,155 reviews.FindingsThe main contribution of this study is its exploration of multiple unstructured information using the proposed multi-attention network model. It provides an interpretable strategy for analyzing students' learning behaviors and conducting personalized MOOC recommendations.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that MOOC platforms must fully utilize the information implied in course reviews to extract personalized learning preferences.Originality/valueThis study is the first attempt to recommend MOOCs by exploring students' preferences in course reviews. The proposed multi-attention mechanism improves the interpretability of MOOC recommendations.

A preliminary inquiry on the association between pre-admission assessments and academic performance of first year dental technology students’ within a South African university of technology

The use of selection, diagnostic, proficiency, placement, admission, manual dexterity and aptitude tests can reportedly predict students’ academic success. Predictive admission procedures help to reduce dropout rates, improve academic performance, increase success rates, and selectively exclude applicants who are unlikely to be successful in the course. There is an absence of research, however, in this area of work in Dental Technology. To examine the association between pre-admission assessments and Dental Technology students’ academic performance in a South African University of Technology. A quantitative and cross-sectional study design was used. The target populations were the 2018 and 2019 first-year Dental Technology students. Retrospective data extracted from academic records and programme files were statistically analysed to measure the correlations against students’academic performance. Despite there being no significant differences between pre-admission tests and students’ academic performance, there were significant positive correlations between first year university subjects. There are indications of horizontal coherence between the discipline-specific subjects in the first-year Dental Technology curriculum. Examining the association between pre-admission tests and students’ academic results through to graduation, together with the horizontal and vertical alignments of all subjects in the undergraduate Dental Technology curriculum, can facilitate the learning pathways for students to succeed academically at universities.

Does lack of parental involvement affect school dropout among Indian adolescents? evidence from a panel study.

Despite the gross enrolment ratio of Indian children, being almost 91% in grades 6-8, the equivalently soaring rates of school dropout after 8th grade remains a huge concern for the policymakers. Researches from the developed countries and some developing countries have shown the benefits of parental involvement in their children's education in terms of reduced dropout rates. However, there is a stark absence of similar evidence in the Indian context. Our study examines whether the lack of parental involvement during primary schooling of Indian children eventually results in school dropout when the children become adolescents. We used IHDS panel data of children (8-11 years) in round-I who become adolescents (15-18 years) in round-II. Bivariate, multivariable and stratified analyses were performed using logistic regression models. The findings from the multivariable models show that children, whose parents did not -participate in PTA meetings, -discuss academic progress with schoolteacher and -supervise their children's homework in round-I respectively had 1.15 (95% CI: 1.01-1.30), 1.14 (95% CI: 1.01-1.29) and 1.17 (95% CI: 1.01-1.34) times higher risk of school dropout in round-II. Further, a similar relationship was observed when hypothesized relationship by gender, type of school attended and type of community of the children were examined. Among male children, parents' non-participation in PTA meetings was associated with 1.21 (95% CI: 1.02-1.44) times greater odds of school dropout. Children from private schools also had a 2.17 (95% CI: 1.42-3.32) times greater risk of dropout if their parents did not supervise their children in homework These findings highlight the crucial role of parental involvement in their children's primary education, in terms of reduced school dropout. The findings call for programmatic interventions that create awareness and encourage parental participation in their children's schooling.

Newly Qualified Female Teachers’ Perception of Teaching Practicum as a Component of Initial Teacher Education in South Africa

This study was undertaken with the aim of understanding how newly qualified female teachers perceive teaching practicum in the South African context. Teaching Practicum is a vital component of the initial teacher education (ITE) programme because it enriches future teachers’ knowledge, skills and abilities towards a lifelong career in the teaching profession. Teachers make valuable contributions to the growth of any nation as they help produce future leaders. It is therefore necessary to have a competent teaching workforce to improve pass rates as well as reduce dropout rates among learners. The study took the qualitative deductive premise making use of semi-structured interviews to collect data from more than 30 novice teachers. Key words, which helped in the identification of themes, were distilled from the responses. A core overall finding of the study point to a mix of experiences - benefits and shortcomings - which not only affect the development of prospective teachers but also have profound implications for both policy enhancement and implementation. Regarding policy enhancement and implementation, it is suggested that universities and schools where novice teachers are posted for teaching practice should have good relations for support advancements. In this case, it is advised that the novice teachers should be exposed to critical mentoring opportunities to allow for clearer understanding of the real classroom scope. This study believes that for this to be fruitful, schools should among others be well-equipped. Suggestions for further research are also flagged.&#x0D; .