Page 56 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Cooperation Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 56
student’s attendance and motivation to participate in formal learning
activities.
Various authors (e.g. Epstein, 2002; Shumow, 2009; Zarrett & Eccles,
2009) state that motivation for attainment and learning is the starting
point where community learning principles can encourage positive ef-
fects. Studies (e.g. Bandura, 1997; Luthar, Shoum, & Brown, 2006; Ryan &
Deci, 2000; Wigfield & Eccles, 2002) confirmed that the strongest predic-
tors of a student’s activity participation are, besides family involvement,
their self-concepts of ability and interest. Students are motivated to partici-
pate and even select increasingly challenging tasks when they feel they have
the ability to accomplish such tasks and are interested in the task. The in-
fluence of encouraging parents, teachers and participating friends is also an
important external reason for student’s enrolment in the activity (Epstein,
2001; Blank, Berg, & Melaville, 2006). In contrast, a student’s negative re-
sponses (e.g. stress) lead to decreased motivation and absenteeism (Zarrett
& Eccles, 2009). In line with self-determination theory of motivation (Ryan
& Deci, 2000), the individual’s basic needs that need to be met in order for
the learning activity to be successful are: physical safety, socio-emotional
needs for achievement and competence, feeling of relatedness, and autono-
my. And those are the aspects where community learning can have an im-
portant impact on students prone to ESL (Foley, 2004).
As mentioned in the first section, the community learning approach
follows the person-environment fit and stage-environment fit princi-
ples which: consider the individual’s cognitive, emotional and behaviour-
al characteristics and needs and puts them in the centre of the learning
process; connect the lived experiences and knowledge of participants with
newly developed knowledge and thus makes it interesting and usable; en-
courage a learning environment that is safe, supportive, hospitable and
promotes social justice and equity in education. In this way it addresses
crucial obstacles which prevent ESL students from staying in the educa-
tional process: low motivation for learning, different ethnic and immigrant
status, different cultural and educational values, low sense of belonging to
school, deprivileged socio-economic background, and deficits in social net-
works and relationships (Foley, 2004; Rodriguez & Conchas, 2009; Smink
& Shargel, 2004).
To tackle ESL it is therefore important that communities are con-
nected with schools and provide prevention- and intervention-based pro-
grammes that acknowledge a student’s socio-cultural environment and
56
activities.
Various authors (e.g. Epstein, 2002; Shumow, 2009; Zarrett & Eccles,
2009) state that motivation for attainment and learning is the starting
point where community learning principles can encourage positive ef-
fects. Studies (e.g. Bandura, 1997; Luthar, Shoum, & Brown, 2006; Ryan &
Deci, 2000; Wigfield & Eccles, 2002) confirmed that the strongest predic-
tors of a student’s activity participation are, besides family involvement,
their self-concepts of ability and interest. Students are motivated to partici-
pate and even select increasingly challenging tasks when they feel they have
the ability to accomplish such tasks and are interested in the task. The in-
fluence of encouraging parents, teachers and participating friends is also an
important external reason for student’s enrolment in the activity (Epstein,
2001; Blank, Berg, & Melaville, 2006). In contrast, a student’s negative re-
sponses (e.g. stress) lead to decreased motivation and absenteeism (Zarrett
& Eccles, 2009). In line with self-determination theory of motivation (Ryan
& Deci, 2000), the individual’s basic needs that need to be met in order for
the learning activity to be successful are: physical safety, socio-emotional
needs for achievement and competence, feeling of relatedness, and autono-
my. And those are the aspects where community learning can have an im-
portant impact on students prone to ESL (Foley, 2004).
As mentioned in the first section, the community learning approach
follows the person-environment fit and stage-environment fit princi-
ples which: consider the individual’s cognitive, emotional and behaviour-
al characteristics and needs and puts them in the centre of the learning
process; connect the lived experiences and knowledge of participants with
newly developed knowledge and thus makes it interesting and usable; en-
courage a learning environment that is safe, supportive, hospitable and
promotes social justice and equity in education. In this way it addresses
crucial obstacles which prevent ESL students from staying in the educa-
tional process: low motivation for learning, different ethnic and immigrant
status, different cultural and educational values, low sense of belonging to
school, deprivileged socio-economic background, and deficits in social net-
works and relationships (Foley, 2004; Rodriguez & Conchas, 2009; Smink
& Shargel, 2004).
To tackle ESL it is therefore important that communities are con-
nected with schools and provide prevention- and intervention-based pro-
grammes that acknowledge a student’s socio-cultural environment and
56
