Page 260 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 260
By adopting a suitable approach in schools, it is possible to change the
existing patterns of educational behaviour of those individuals who would,
as underachieving adolescents, turn into adults with low levels of education,
rarely (or not at all) participating in any form of education and being less ac-
tive and successful in life than other adults (cf. Mohorčič Špolar et al., 2006; Ra-
dovan, 2001b).
If adolescents are presented with higher expectations (cf. Weinstein, 2004),
they will be more successful in school and have higher educational and career
aspirations. One of the ways of achieving this includes non-formal and infor-
mal knowledge.
The issues presented in this paper can be summed up in three starting
points for educational policy with the aim of improving adolescents’ achieve-
ment in school and decreasing the dropout rate. The first starting point is that
policymakers should understand the wider-scale integration of teachers and
students with extracurricular activities, and, where necessary, include it in
their strategies and aims, as this could in turn have a positive impact on school
work. The second point is to attach greater significance to non-formal and in-
260 formal knowledge - including at the declarative level, since this will authorise
teachers for work with adolescents who are less motivated for school work.
(This pertains to attaching significance to non-formal and informal knowledge
within the framework of initial education, which is not customary, as non-for-
mal and informal knowledge is otherwise the domain of adult education). The
final point is to look into whether teachers being trained for motivating stu-
dents in such a way might not produce better results in a cheaper and fast-
er way than employing methods that use external levers and procedures for
the purposes of achieving higher academic achievement and a lower drop-
out rate.
Within the school practice, for teachers who feel more familiar with the
field of non-formal and informal learning, the considerations presented in this
paper may facilitate working with adolescents and result in adolescents’better
academic achievement. Adolescents can thus be better prepared for their en-
try into the labour market, as this will make them aware of their own non-for-
mal and informal knowledge, help them understand and value it and also be
able to present and use it both in a school setting and in their job.
References
Annen, S. (2013). Recognising Non–formal and Informal Learning: Typology
and Comparison of Selected European Approaches. Literacy Information
and Computer Education Journal (LICEJ), 4(1), 928–937.
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
existing patterns of educational behaviour of those individuals who would,
as underachieving adolescents, turn into adults with low levels of education,
rarely (or not at all) participating in any form of education and being less ac-
tive and successful in life than other adults (cf. Mohorčič Špolar et al., 2006; Ra-
dovan, 2001b).
If adolescents are presented with higher expectations (cf. Weinstein, 2004),
they will be more successful in school and have higher educational and career
aspirations. One of the ways of achieving this includes non-formal and infor-
mal knowledge.
The issues presented in this paper can be summed up in three starting
points for educational policy with the aim of improving adolescents’ achieve-
ment in school and decreasing the dropout rate. The first starting point is that
policymakers should understand the wider-scale integration of teachers and
students with extracurricular activities, and, where necessary, include it in
their strategies and aims, as this could in turn have a positive impact on school
work. The second point is to attach greater significance to non-formal and in-
260 formal knowledge - including at the declarative level, since this will authorise
teachers for work with adolescents who are less motivated for school work.
(This pertains to attaching significance to non-formal and informal knowledge
within the framework of initial education, which is not customary, as non-for-
mal and informal knowledge is otherwise the domain of adult education). The
final point is to look into whether teachers being trained for motivating stu-
dents in such a way might not produce better results in a cheaper and fast-
er way than employing methods that use external levers and procedures for
the purposes of achieving higher academic achievement and a lower drop-
out rate.
Within the school practice, for teachers who feel more familiar with the
field of non-formal and informal learning, the considerations presented in this
paper may facilitate working with adolescents and result in adolescents’better
academic achievement. Adolescents can thus be better prepared for their en-
try into the labour market, as this will make them aware of their own non-for-
mal and informal knowledge, help them understand and value it and also be
able to present and use it both in a school setting and in their job.
References
Annen, S. (2013). Recognising Non–formal and Informal Learning: Typology
and Comparison of Selected European Approaches. Literacy Information
and Computer Education Journal (LICEJ), 4(1), 928–937.
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
