Page 151 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Training Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 151
preventing esl by enhancing resiliency
to school even after having already left school early. When addressing the
role of resilience in ESL, we have to consider that resilience is both multi-
dimensional and changeable: individuals may achieve resilient adjustment
in one domain of functioning but not in another, and at one point in time
but not another. An example of this is shown by Luthar et al. (1993) in their
examination of adolescents’ resilience. They showed that an at-risk individ-
ual might demonstrate good educational attainments but simultaneously
experience behavioural problems. Within the educational domain, an indi-
vidual may develop successfully at primary level but fail to succeed in sec-
ondary school. This highlights the importance of continuous care for en-
hancing promotive factors. Importantly, despite the findings that resilience
in one domain of functioning does not always promote resilience in anoth-
er domain, it was established that confidence and competencies in areas
such as sport, music and art can have that effect, which is they can promote
educational resilience (Sacker & Schoon, 2007). From a practical point of
view, this is particularly important because confidence can be developed
not only through academic performance, but through recognition of being
able to do well in a variety of settings. Therefore, the school should focus on
a wider range of school activities to provide young people with experiences
that can assist in shaping their ambitions and supporting their confidence
(Sacker & Schoon, 2007).
When protective factors on the family level and the school level are
lacking, the community can step in. For instance, Jackson and Martin
(1998) reported on social workers who had made a significant contribu-
tion, most often by organising financial help for a young person to continue
their education after school, or occasionally by assisting a child in return-
ing to school after a period of exclusion or a change of placement (Jackson
& Martin, 1998). The community also has power to influence more system-
ic risk factors like poverty and homelessness by introducing prevention and
intervention programmes and support (Masten et al., 2014).
Individual level
On the individual level, enhancing coping skills together with social
and emotional skills development lead to better adaptation, higher resil-
ience and prevent ESL (Shure & Aberson, 2013; Zins, Weissberg, Wang, &
Walberg, 2004). Another possible and effective tool for building resilience
is mind-set trainings (Dweck, 2006; Yeager & Dweck, 2012). Dweck (2006,
2008, 2012) describes ability mind-sets as people’s implicit theories about
151
to school even after having already left school early. When addressing the
role of resilience in ESL, we have to consider that resilience is both multi-
dimensional and changeable: individuals may achieve resilient adjustment
in one domain of functioning but not in another, and at one point in time
but not another. An example of this is shown by Luthar et al. (1993) in their
examination of adolescents’ resilience. They showed that an at-risk individ-
ual might demonstrate good educational attainments but simultaneously
experience behavioural problems. Within the educational domain, an indi-
vidual may develop successfully at primary level but fail to succeed in sec-
ondary school. This highlights the importance of continuous care for en-
hancing promotive factors. Importantly, despite the findings that resilience
in one domain of functioning does not always promote resilience in anoth-
er domain, it was established that confidence and competencies in areas
such as sport, music and art can have that effect, which is they can promote
educational resilience (Sacker & Schoon, 2007). From a practical point of
view, this is particularly important because confidence can be developed
not only through academic performance, but through recognition of being
able to do well in a variety of settings. Therefore, the school should focus on
a wider range of school activities to provide young people with experiences
that can assist in shaping their ambitions and supporting their confidence
(Sacker & Schoon, 2007).
When protective factors on the family level and the school level are
lacking, the community can step in. For instance, Jackson and Martin
(1998) reported on social workers who had made a significant contribu-
tion, most often by organising financial help for a young person to continue
their education after school, or occasionally by assisting a child in return-
ing to school after a period of exclusion or a change of placement (Jackson
& Martin, 1998). The community also has power to influence more system-
ic risk factors like poverty and homelessness by introducing prevention and
intervention programmes and support (Masten et al., 2014).
Individual level
On the individual level, enhancing coping skills together with social
and emotional skills development lead to better adaptation, higher resil-
ience and prevent ESL (Shure & Aberson, 2013; Zins, Weissberg, Wang, &
Walberg, 2004). Another possible and effective tool for building resilience
is mind-set trainings (Dweck, 2006; Yeager & Dweck, 2012). Dweck (2006,
2008, 2012) describes ability mind-sets as people’s implicit theories about
151
