Secondary School Leavers Research Articles

FACTORS AFFECTING THE CHOICE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS BY PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS IN LATVIA

Because of increasing competition among Latvian higher education institutions (HEIs), the administrators of these institutions are becoming increasingly interested in understanding how their potential students choose their institution. Comprehensive knowledge of consumer behavior allows institutions to become more effective at making good strategic marketing decisions and to better respond to customers’ needs. The purpose of this study is to understand what factors affect the decision of secondary school leavers in choosing a particular higher education provider and the variables that might predict a student’s choice. The research is based on data collected by the means of a survey distributed among final year students of Latvian secondary schools, with 644 responses analyzed using Spearman correlation and stepwise regression analysis. Analysis of four major groups of factors: cultural, social, psychological, and organizational, revealed that psychological and organizational factors are the best predictors of the choice of HEI. These explained 48% of the variance of the dependent variable (R2 = 0.48; F (1; 641) = 293.46; p < 0.001). The results provide details of the factors with great importance to young people of Latvia in choosing their higher education provider. The HEI can use these factors for designing various student attraction strategies, and thus increase their market share and competitiveness.

TRAINING NEEDS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL LEAVERS IN THE EFFECTIVE USE OF ONLINE TEST ASSESSMENT FOR ENTRY INTO HIGHER INSTITUTION

The study was carried out to identity the training needs of secondary school leavers in the effective use of online test assessment for entry into higher institution. The design of the study was survey research design. Five research questions guided the study. The study was carried out in Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. Population for the study was 1032, sample for the study was 232 made up of 200 secondary school leavers and 32 internet tutors using proportionate random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used for the data collection. The instrument was face validated by three experts, one from Data Perfect Computers Centre Akwanga and two from Computer Education Department, college of Education, Akwanga. Data collected were analysed using weighted mean to answer the research question, and t-test statistics clusters had their reliability coefficients ranged from 0.82 to 0.86 respectively. It was found out that Secondary School leavers needed training on the five clusters in 61 competencies on the use of internet for success in online test assessment. It is recommended that computer training centres and institution with computer training facilities should use the identified competencies by this study for training secondary school leavers for success in online test assessment for job application or entry into higher institution. Article visualizations:

An Investigation of the Reasons Behind the Weaknesses in English Among Public Secondary School Leavers

An Investigation of the Reasons Behind the Weaknesses in English Among Public Secondary School Leavers

Russian

Russian

Legal status of private universities in Nigeria

Education, they say, is the bedrock of development and progress. The quest for Nigeria to provide tertiary education for her teaming secondary school leavers made her change her initial reluctance to invite private initiatives to participate in the provision of tertiary education in the country. With the licensing of the first private university in about a decade ago, the number has increased to 61, thus surpassing the number established by either the Federal or the States governments. The existence of private universities is old enough to invite an appraisal of whether or not they have satisfied the yearnings of the public or the government that allowed their existence. It is also important to examine whether or not they have operated according to the traditions of university system. Our paper is to examine the legal status of private universities in Nigeria. The importance of the legal regime of any endeavour cannot be overemphasized. From our research, we have noted the shocking fact that no private university in Nigeria is established by law in accordance with the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act 2004. This has numerous legal implications as to ownership, control, autonomy, delivery of quality education, labour, legal personality, life perpetuity and a host of other legal matters. These issues are addressed and concrete suggestions made so that private participation in tertiary education in Nigeria will be a blessing and not a curse to the educational sector in the future.

NEET in disguise? Rival narratives in troubled youth transitions

Background: The concept of NEET (young people not in employment, education or training) was introduced to capture the varieties of youth labour market disengagement and has become a standard statistical indicator for labour market performance. However, it is criticised for simplifying the heterogeneity of young people in problematic youth transitions and for emphasising their deficiencies in terms of affiliation to key institutions in youth transitions.Purpose: The article contributes to the research on youth transitions by offering a narrative perspective on the status of NEET. Its purpose is to investigate how NEET periods are embedded and reflected within biographical action and self-perceptions.Sample: The article is based on the analysis of 21 cases from a qualitative longitudinal study about coping strategies of secondary school-leavers in school-to-work transitions in a city in the west of Germany (altogether, 180 interviews were conducted). During the first wave of interviewing in 2012, the young men and women were 16–20 years old.Design and methods: In order to reconstruct the young people’s biographical experiences of the transition as well as their interpretations of these experiences qualitative problem-centred interviews were carried out over three waves of data collection. The qualitative analysis combined case reconstructions with cross-case analysis of typical narratives, which focused on the identification of key themes organising the biographical orientation of the young people.Results: In biographical accounts, analysis revealed that NEET periods are embedded in analytically distinguishable rival narratives that establish different selective perspectives on events, choices and experiences. We identify seven main narratives related to the topics of vocational status, self-actualisation, meaningful activity, convenience, money, leisure and life problems. Young people are well aware of the problematic nature of NEET status. On the level of action, they try to avoid or exit them by accepting precarious and de-qualifying activities; on the level of biographical reflection, they use rival narratives to re-embed the NEET experience, to bypass it or avoid mentioning it altogether. We suggest calling this phenomenon ‘NEET in disguise’ (NID) referring to acts of system justification.Conclusions: This article shows how young people struggle to avoid and conceal the problematic status of NEET and thus, contribute to the institutionally suggested normalisation of biographical discontinuities.

What benefits could extension papers and admissions tests have for university mathematics applicants?

It is well documented in both the British press and mathematics education literature that many consider A-levels (qualifications for secondary school leavers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) to be insufficient preparation for undergraduate mathematics study in the UK. A-level Mathematics and Further Mathematics are not solely intended for those wishing to go on to study undergraduate mathematics, though this is often the only mathematics study and preparation available to, and done by, most students. A number of British universities now require applicants to perform well on entrance examinations or ‘extension’ papers in addition to achieving certain grades in A-level Mathematics and, sometimes, Further Mathematics. This article outlines research which used the Mathematical Assessment Task Hierarchy (Smith et al., 1996) and builds upon the work of Darlington (2014) to describe the mathematical skills required to answer the questions in extension papers. These are then contrasted with skills required at A- and undergraduate level. Each of the three extension papers analysed (Advanced Extension Awards, Sixth Term Examination Papers and university admissions tests) were found to differ from each other, as well as from A-level and undergraduate examinations. This suggests that there are benefits for students doing such papers before university mathematics study. The advantages of doing these papers are not only for admissions tutors, who can use them as additional indicators of candidates’ aptitudes, but also for the students themselves as they gain insights into the nature of undergraduate mathematics and related further mathematical challenges.

Secondary and Higher School Succession Examplified by the School Geometry Teaching

The paper analyzes the content of school geometry education; a number of reasons behind the degrading level of geometry training of sec ondary school leavers being discussed. The author argues that, in spite of the decline of the geometry research in modern mathematics, its educational and practical significance is growing along with the development of knowledge and technology. The author welcomes the introduction of elective courses in profile schools (e.g. solving geometrical problems based on the vector method, representation of geometrical figures in a parallel projection, etc), and regards it as the important means of content succession and continuity of mathematical education in secondary and higher schools; the problems of content and teaching method selection for given courses being discussed providing the effective link between the profile and professional education. The research findings can be of interest to the experts in mathematical teaching methods, elective course developers and school teachers of mathematics.

The Model of School Preparation for Implementing the Federal State Educational Standards of the Second Generation

Nowadays, the new educational standards of the second generation are being developed and implemented at all levels of school education. The above stan- dards define the social profile of the first year pupil, as well as the ones of the primary, secondary and high school leavers. The authors describe the components of manage- rial pedagogic model of the future teachers training, which complies with the task of implementing the new educational standards; the levels of such training being defined as beginners, basic and advanced. The model in question is based on the combination of intra-school professional upgrading of managerial and pedagogic staff, their self- development and the self-training course implying the activity component. For any form of staff professional development in educational sphere, both internal and exter- nal resources should be applied, their list being provided

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF HOUSEHOLDS IN UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN SOCIAL LABORATORY IN IGBO-ORA, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

This study examined the socioeconomic indicator of households in Igbo-Ora community of Oyo State. Two hundred households were randomly selected and used for this study. A quantitative survey was conducted with the use of interview schedule. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize and analyze data collected. Results of analysis revealed that 37.5% and 32.0% were between the ages of 22-32 years and 33-43 years respectively. Majority were males (95.5%), married (92.0%), Muslims (68.0%), and secondary school leavers (43.0%). Eighty-two percent of the respondents had household size of 1-5 persons with 92.0% females and 84.5% of males. Most (45.0%) of respondents were artisans, who diversified into farming. Respondents (45.0%) earn between N451,000 - N901,000 annually from their various income generating activities. About sixty percent had low socioeconomic status. There was no significant relationship between sex ( χ 2 =0.036, p=0.668), marital status ( χ 2 =2.033, p=0.566), religion ( χ 2 =4.325, p=0.115); and socioeconomic status of respondents in Igbo-Ora community. However, significant relationship existed between occupation ( χ 2 =13.383, p=0.031), educational attainment ( χ 2 =3.723, p=0.054); and socioeconomic status in the community. The socioeconomic status of respondents in Igbo-Ora was low. It is recommended that they should be sensitized on financial management and investment, given that their socioeconomic status was not commensurate with their income. Keywords: Socioeconomic indicator, socioeconomic status and households

The Italian Labour Market as Perceived by Outstanding Upper Secondary School-Leavers

Il contributo riporta alcuni risultati di un programma di ricerca piu ampio, promosso dalla Federazione Nazionale dei Cavalieri del Lavoro, che ha per oggetto la caratterizzazione sociale e le scelte universitarie di diplomati dotati, i quali vengano interpellati a un anno dalla conclusione degli studi scolastici. I risultati qui riportati si riferiscono in particolare alla valutazione dei criteri piu equi per la retribuzione dei lavoratori, alla percezione del grado di meritocraticita che pervade alcuni contesti sociali (tra cui il mercato del lavoro), alle aspirazioni occupazionali e, infine, al ideale. Si evidenziano la molteplicita dei criteri ritenuti accettabili per determinare i redditi dei lavoratori; la percezione di un’Italia nettamente non meritocratica, specie per quanto concerne il sistema politico, la pubblica amministrazione, il fisco, ma anche il mercato del lavoro; la centralita, nel prefigurare il ideale, della stabilita (rapporto di lavoro a tempo indeterminato), l’uso e l’acquisizione di competenze e la parita di genere.

Factors Affecting Adoption of Poultry Innovations by Rural Farmers in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria

The study examined factors influencing adoption of poultry innovation in Otupko Local government Area of Benue State. The specific objectives were to analyze the selected socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, identify the types of innovations adopted, examine sources of information, analyze logit adoption of innovations and ascertain types of problems encountered. Primary and secondary data were collected; primary data were gathered with the use of structured questionnaire administered to randomly select 120 respondents while secondary data were obtained through published and unpublished materials. Descriptive statistics and logit regression model were used for data analysis. The results revealed that 38.3% of the respondents were between 41-50 years, 55.8% had family size of 6-10 persons, 50.8% were secondary school leavers, and 67.5% had 1-5 years of poultry farming experience. The findings further revealed that 48.3% of the farmers adopted vaccination/diseases control and 45.8% obtained information on poultry innovations practices through the media. There is a significant relationship between level of adoption and number of birds kept by farmers and 89. 1 % of the respondents encountered diseases problem. It is recommended that public and private sectors should provide vaccines and veterinary services at the village level for the farmers.

Curriculum Integration Model for Teaching Entreprenurial Skills at Senior Secondary School Level for Sustainable Employment Opportunities in Nigeria

The implementation of the current educational system in Nigeria 6-3-3-4 as far back as 1980, was intended to device a new approach in providing an employment opportunities for the ever growing youth in Nigeria. The system in view, has all the needed characteristics to expose the senior secondary school learners with a life sustaining employment, unfortunately, for over three decades of the existence of this system (6-3-3-4) it has failed in achieving this noble objective. Greater population of secondary school leavers that could not continue with higher education due to lack of university requirement for admission or lack of the financial ability to sponsor their higher education, end up with a bleak future in our society today. Morover, the secondary school system could not provide the required training that can develop entrepreneurial skills to these children due to lack of teaching equipment, workshops in our schools. It is in recognition of these problem, this paper tries to integrate skills acquisition process that will provide the necessary entrepreneurial skills for sustainable employment opportunities in Nigeria.

Determinants of Unemployment in Ghana

AbstractUnemployment is often cited as a measure of the low employment content of Ghana's strong growth performance over the past three decades. The paper presents evidence to suggest that employment growth in Ghana continues to trail economic growth due to high growth of low employment generating sectors against sluggish growth of high labour absorption sectors. A cross‐sectional estimation of a probit regression model also indicates a strong effect of demand factors on unemployment, indicating a weak employment generating impact of economic growth. Empirical analysis also confirms higher vulnerability of youth and urban dwellers to unemployment with education and gender explaining unemployment in some instances. Reservation wage is also observed to have an increasing effect of unemployment. The paper recommends policies that promote investment in agriculture and manufacturing which is associated with higher employment elasticity of output. High incidence of unemployment among the youth and secondary school leavers in the most recent period requires targeted intervention including support for entrepreneurial training and start‐up capital to attract young school leavers to become ‘creators’ rather than ‘seekers’ of jobs. A downward review of expectations on the part of jobseekers in terms of their reservation wage could help reduce unemployment in Ghana.

Performance of Francophone Secondary School Leavers in English Structure and Written Expression

This study looks into the performance in English of Francophone learners in general, and into their mastery of structure and written expression in particular. The informants were 430 pupils who had just obtained the Baccalaureat , the certificate required for admission into tertiary education, and who came from different schools in ten regions of the country. The data were a collection of answers to a TOEFL-like test designed to check these pupils’ knowledge of English structure. The analysis revealed that these pupils did not attain college level English, and the English test they took at the Baccalaureat did not seem to effectively assess knowledge of structure. To ensure that Francophones do perform well in English, there is a need to re-orient the English language syllabus and to use the time allocated to the English subject (3 hours a week for seven years) to teach them the substance of English-medium primary education content. When this is done, they would be able to take the First School Leaving Certificate examination before they complete French-medium secondary education.

Field Workers at the Interface

This issue of Developing World Bioethics includes a collection of papers on intermediary staff and volunteers working at the interface between research institutions and researchers, and the communities from which research participants are recruited. ‘Field worker’ – a short hand commonly used in many research settings – refers here to those whose main role is face-to-face engagement with participants, who usually speak the participants’ first language, who are from or live in the study areas, and whose work entails moving around the study areas or health facilities. Field workers can be differentiated from medical or scientific staff for whom only part of their duties entail direct interaction with participants, and who are primarily based in the research institution or the clinic. In international research settings field workers are variously called research assistants, community interviewers, data collectors, fieldworkers, field assistants, assessors, follow up staff or defaulter tracers. Although some may hold first degrees or certificates, many are secondary school leavers without higher education opportunity; overall they are formally less qualified than clinical and research staff. Instead, field workers often have extensive informal training and experience from earlier volunteering and jobs in research centres or the NGO sector, which often require similar tasks and expertise.1 Their roles may include communicating about studies and mobilisation and follow-up of participants, conducting interviews, and carrying out relatively simple biomedical data-collection procedures such as taking temperatures and collecting finger prick blood samples.

Socio-Economic Factors Affecting Upland Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.) Production in Izzi Local Government of Ebonyi, State

The study analysed the socio-economic factors affecting upland rice production in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was adopted in the selection of one hundred and twenty (120) farmer respondents. Data collected were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. From the analysis, it was observed that majority (80%) of the upland rice producers are males with mean age of 47 years. However, the farmers mostly secondary school leavers and national diploma holders and have a mean household of 11 members. The study further revealed that the farmers cultivates an average of eight hectares thus, realising a mean annual income of one hundred and five thousand, nine hundred naira (N105, 900.00) only. The benefit cost ratio indicated that for every one naira (N1) invested in the production, a profit of thirtytwo kobo (0.32k) was realised. The result of the analysis equally revealed that with the coefficient of multiple determination – R2 of 77.4, the coefficients of socioeconomic variables like educational status, marital status, and household size were positively signed and significant at 1% as farming experience was equally positively signed and significant at 5%, thus having strong influence on upland rice production in the study area. Meanwhile, the study identified inadequate capital, lack of new varieties of rice, poor market information, lack of government incentives, incidence of pest and diseases, and poor rural infrastructures as the major constraints to upland rice production in the study area. The study however, recommended improved government support to farmers through timely provision of production inputs and resources, timely delivery of market information to upland rice farmers as to enable the sale their products at incentive price.Key words: Upland, rice, production, farm-input, farmers.

Does Reading to Children Enhance their Educational Success?

Drawing on two unique German datasets, we explore the possible short- and long-term effects that reading aloud in early childhood has on children’s language abilities, their reading behavior, and their school marks in kindergarten and at the end of both primary and secondary school. By applying propensity score matching, we found a positive effect of reading on the language abilities of preschool children and of students at the end of primary school. Additionally, a high frequency of reading to children in early childhood positively affects their own reading behavior. However, differences in reading in early childhood appear to be unrelated to school marks in the subject of German language at the end of primary school. Furthermore, we found no long-term effects of reading among secondary school leavers. Overall, our results confirm positive immediate and mid-term effects, but hardly any long-term effects, of reading to children during their early childhood.

The (adverse) effects of expanding higher education: Evidence from Italy

Abstract Over the period 1995–1998 Italy experienced an expansion of its higher education supply with the aim of reducing regional differences in educational attainment. This paper evaluates the effects of this policy on enrolment, drop out and academic performance. The paper combines differences across provinces in the number of campuses constructed with differences across cohorts of secondary school leavers. Findings suggest that enrollment rose, particularly among middle ability individuals from less favorable backgrounds, as well as the probability of being retained in the university system. The decline in passed exams, especially experienced in Southern regions, casts doubts on the policy effectiveness in reducing regional disparities.

Housing tenure, residential moves and children’s educational performance in Accra, Ghana

Research has shown that non-conventional factors like housing and residential experiences during childhood have impacts on children’s success. Given the critical importance of human capital accumulation in Ghana, it is significant from p olicy standpoint to recognise factors and mechanisms that are relevant to the next generation’s educational performance. This paper attempts to identify the impacts of housing tenure an d residential moves on the educational performance of children. The research focused on Junior Secondary School (JSS) leavers in Accra. Chronological information of the Pupils during childhood on residential moves and their educational performance between the ages of 12- 17 (JSS level) was collected. The results of the analysis indicate large disparities in educational outco mes between children with different housing tenures and strong residential mobility experiences . Even after taking into consideration a set of rich endogenous factors, a positive home ownership effect and a negative residential moves effect remain with significant magnitudes.