Page 147 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 147
the interplay of factors contributing to esl ...
on multiple aspects of youth development, including ESL. Jimerson et al.
(2000) demonstrated the importance of the early home environment in the
toddler years (e.g. parental emotional and verbal responsivity, acceptance
of the child’s behaviour, provision of appropriate play material) and paren-
tal involvement in primary school for subsequent ESL.
Moreover, other indicators of social capital were found to play a role
in ESL. Children from single-parent families and children in families with
four or more children were at a higher risk for ESL (Audas & Willms, 2001;
Traag & van der Velden, 2008). In other studies, family composition was
linked to a student’s academic achievements; children from single-par-
ent families had lower school performance than their two-parent counter-
parts (Babarović, Burušić, & Šakić, 2009). Similarly, on average across the
OECD, students from single-parent families have lower scores in PISA than
students from other types of families after accounting for socio-economic
background (OECD, 2010).
Cultural capital
Cultural participation (parent reports visiting museums, concerts and the-
atre) decreases the chances of ESL (Traag & van der Velden, 2008). Cultural
capital is also integrated in PISA’s measure of SES. It is called economic, so-
cial and cultural status and derives from four variables (i.e. parent’s high-
est level of education, parent’s highest occupation status, home possessions
and books in the home), one of them tapping cultural capital. A clear link
to student academic achievement was demonstrated in all cycles of the
PISA study (e.g. OECD, 2016). The role of the cultural participation is that
it potentially leads to a close link between a student’s behaviour and views
on the dominant school culture and decreasing the ESL risk (Traag & van
der Velden, 2008). The issue of cultural capital as necessarily resembling
the dominant culture seems problematic; it seems that a culturally-sensi-
tive curriculum is also warranted.
Conclusion
The present scientific review on one hand confirms that already demon-
strated in many studies: at the level of the individual, cognitive factors es-
pecially low achievement patterns, most consistently and strongly increase
the risk for ESL (although academic performance does not account for all
of the variance between students who persist in school and ESLers). Being
147
on multiple aspects of youth development, including ESL. Jimerson et al.
(2000) demonstrated the importance of the early home environment in the
toddler years (e.g. parental emotional and verbal responsivity, acceptance
of the child’s behaviour, provision of appropriate play material) and paren-
tal involvement in primary school for subsequent ESL.
Moreover, other indicators of social capital were found to play a role
in ESL. Children from single-parent families and children in families with
four or more children were at a higher risk for ESL (Audas & Willms, 2001;
Traag & van der Velden, 2008). In other studies, family composition was
linked to a student’s academic achievements; children from single-par-
ent families had lower school performance than their two-parent counter-
parts (Babarović, Burušić, & Šakić, 2009). Similarly, on average across the
OECD, students from single-parent families have lower scores in PISA than
students from other types of families after accounting for socio-economic
background (OECD, 2010).
Cultural capital
Cultural participation (parent reports visiting museums, concerts and the-
atre) decreases the chances of ESL (Traag & van der Velden, 2008). Cultural
capital is also integrated in PISA’s measure of SES. It is called economic, so-
cial and cultural status and derives from four variables (i.e. parent’s high-
est level of education, parent’s highest occupation status, home possessions
and books in the home), one of them tapping cultural capital. A clear link
to student academic achievement was demonstrated in all cycles of the
PISA study (e.g. OECD, 2016). The role of the cultural participation is that
it potentially leads to a close link between a student’s behaviour and views
on the dominant school culture and decreasing the ESL risk (Traag & van
der Velden, 2008). The issue of cultural capital as necessarily resembling
the dominant culture seems problematic; it seems that a culturally-sensi-
tive curriculum is also warranted.
Conclusion
The present scientific review on one hand confirms that already demon-
strated in many studies: at the level of the individual, cognitive factors es-
pecially low achievement patterns, most consistently and strongly increase
the risk for ESL (although academic performance does not account for all
of the variance between students who persist in school and ESLers). Being
147
