Page 137 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 137
the interplay of factors contributing to esl ...
Timmerman, 2014; for a review of such models, see Rumberger, 2011).
However, ESL can also be viewed within more general theories of human
development. For example, Bronfenbrenner’s theory (1996) distinguishes
several levels of ecological systems that all interact with each other and
with the characteristics of the individual: the microsystem (e.g. family,
peers, school – most immediate and direct impact), the mesosystem (rela-
tionships between the microsystems – e.g. relationships between the family
and teachers), the exosystem (e.g. health, social, education system, media,
neighbours – indirect impact), the macrosystem (e.g. the culture in which
individuals live: attitudes, ideologies) and the chronosystem (e.g. sociohis-
torical circumstances) (see Figure 8). ESL risk and protective factors can be
understood within this multiple-level framework.
Figure 8. Bronfenbrenner’s model of human development. The black rectangles constitute
the focus of the article.
This means that ESL is both a process and a complex phenomenon
(e.g. Clandinin et al., 2010; Lyche, 2010). Causes (trajectories resulting in
ESL) vary from student to student (NESEE, 2010) and may begin very ear-
ly in one’s life (e.g. Jimerson, Egeland, Sroufe, & Carlson, 2000; McGarr,
2010). However, where several risk factors from multiple levels co-exist,
the incidence of ESL is greater (Beekhoven & Dekkers, 2005; European
Commission, 2011; McGarr, 2010). Understanding the interplay of factors
137
Timmerman, 2014; for a review of such models, see Rumberger, 2011).
However, ESL can also be viewed within more general theories of human
development. For example, Bronfenbrenner’s theory (1996) distinguishes
several levels of ecological systems that all interact with each other and
with the characteristics of the individual: the microsystem (e.g. family,
peers, school – most immediate and direct impact), the mesosystem (rela-
tionships between the microsystems – e.g. relationships between the family
and teachers), the exosystem (e.g. health, social, education system, media,
neighbours – indirect impact), the macrosystem (e.g. the culture in which
individuals live: attitudes, ideologies) and the chronosystem (e.g. sociohis-
torical circumstances) (see Figure 8). ESL risk and protective factors can be
understood within this multiple-level framework.
Figure 8. Bronfenbrenner’s model of human development. The black rectangles constitute
the focus of the article.
This means that ESL is both a process and a complex phenomenon
(e.g. Clandinin et al., 2010; Lyche, 2010). Causes (trajectories resulting in
ESL) vary from student to student (NESEE, 2010) and may begin very ear-
ly in one’s life (e.g. Jimerson, Egeland, Sroufe, & Carlson, 2000; McGarr,
2010). However, where several risk factors from multiple levels co-exist,
the incidence of ESL is greater (Beekhoven & Dekkers, 2005; European
Commission, 2011; McGarr, 2010). Understanding the interplay of factors
137
