国内外远程学习者辍学研究综述

远程开放教育以其开放、灵活的教育形式得到了人们的信赖和认可,然而,远程开放教育中存在的高辍学率问题却不容忽视。国外对远程学习者辍学的研究起步较早,已形成了比较成熟的理论成果;而国内对远程学习者辍学的研究仍处于描述性研究阶段。国外的研究成果对国内远程学习者辍学研究有很好的借鉴意义。     

A critical review of the literature on school dropout

This paper reviews the growing literature on early school leaving. We clarify what is at stake with early school leaving, and touch upon underlying problems and methodological issues raised in the literature. The paper investigates the levels, the methods and models with which the topic has been studied, and discusses potential (dis)advantages of each of those. We focus on early school leaving in all its complexity, and on the interplay of relevant (levels of) factors, rather than on just certain factors, typically located in individual students, schools or families. The findings in the literature are discussed and placed into perspective. Finally, a wide set of policy measures are discussed.     

Contrasting school dropout: The protective role of perceived teacher justice

BackgroundSchool dropout is a serious issue with high individual and societal costs. Although numerous risk factors have been studied, those related to the proximal learning environment have mostly been neglected.AimIn this study we tested whether a feature of the learning environment, i.e., students’ perception of being treated fairly by teachers, could reduce their intention to drop out.Sample547 9th grade students (56% male, 94% born in Italy, M_age = 13.92).MethodParticipants answered a questionnaire on teacher justice and intentions to drop out at the beginning (T1), middle (T2) and end (T3) of the school year.ResultsA latent growth model indicated that intentions to dropout increased over time and perceptions of teacher justice had a negative association with the increase both at T2 and T3, even after controlling for gender, nationality, motivation, and perceived learning difficulty.ConclusionThese findings suggest that teacher justice can play a relevant protective role against early school leaving.     

Multidisciplinary predictors of adherence to contemporary dance training: findings from the UK Centres for Advanced Training

Little is known about the predictors of adherence in a dance context. The aim of this study was to investigate adherence to a dance talent programme using a multidisciplinary set of variables representing psychological correlates of adherence, maturation and physical factors relating to dance talent. Psychological (passion, motivational climate perceptions, eating attitudes), physical competence (vertical jump height, handgrip strength, hamstring flexibility, external hip rotation, aerobic fitness), and maturation-related (age of menarche) variables were gathered from female students enrolled on a dance talent programme. Participation behaviour (adherence/dropout) was collected from the talent programme’s records approximately two years later. Logistic regression analysis of 287 participants revealed that greater levels of harmonious passion predicted greater likelihood of adherence to the programme, and greater ego-involving motivational climate perceptions predicted less likelihood of adherence. Neither measures of physical competence nor maturation distinguished adhering from dropout participants. Overall, the results of this study indicate that psychological factors are more important than physical competence and maturation in the participation behaviour of young talented dancers.     

面对数据丢包的船舶航向保持网络预测控制器

针对网络控制系统中存在的数据丢包问题,使用一种带有常值补偿机制的广义预测控制(Generalized Predictive Control,GPC)算法设计船舶航向保持的网络预测控制器.首先,利用TrueTime工具箱仿真使用传统GPC算法设计的船舶航向保持的网络预测控制器.然后,考虑数据丢包对船舶航向保持的网络控制系统造成的影响,使用带有常值补偿机制的GPC算法设计一种新的船舶航向保持的网络预测控制器并进行仿真.仿真结果表明,在数据丢包情况下,采用新方法设计的控制器可以减少船舶航向调节时间,从而改善船舶航向保持的网络预测控制器的控制效果.     

The effect of modular education on school dropout

Modular education refers to the division of conventional courses into smaller components or modules. Each module enables students to obtain a partial certificate that can be combined into a qualification. This article evaluates whether modular education, which is widely used in secondary and tertiary education, has been effective in reducing school dropout. For this purpose, the study exploits a policy change in the Flemish Community of Belgium, which recently introduced modular education for some programmes. Using a difference-in-differences framework with diverse adoption dates per school, the results indicate that modular education may significantly reduce school dropout by 2.5 percentage points, with the largest effects on foreign origin students. Therefore, modular education is likely to be an effective policy to tackle school dropout and reduce the ethnic attainment gap. Additionally, students enrolled in modular education are more likely to be employed and to incur higher earnings on the labour market.     

开放英语教育零辍学现象之情感因素研究——一项基于NVivo的质性研究报告

研究开放英语教育零辍学现象的深层次原因,识别影响英语学习者不放弃学业的情感因素,对于探讨开放教育机构行动取向颇为有益。本研究在对来自广东省四所地市级电大的27位英语学习者进行质性研究的基础上,借助NVivo9分析软件分析了零辍学现象背后的情感因素。研究表明,情感因素是零辍学现象的重要影响因素;四所电大情感因素分布情况不一,各具特点;学习者主要采用面授为主、网络为辅的学习方式;教材、复习资料成为学习者意见的焦点。     

Book review

Analyzing social & political change: A casebook of methods. Angela Dale and Richard B. Davies (Eds.), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1994, x+229 pages.     

国内外远程学习者辍学原因研究概述与探析

对远程学习者辍学的研究始终是国际远程教育领域的热点话题，也是远程教育领域的一项基础性工作。本文在文献调研的基础上，总结归纳了国内外开放与远程教育机构、专家学者在学习者辍学方面所做的研究，结合华南师范大学网络教育学院辍学者数据的分析，探讨远程学习者辍学的主要原因，期望对认识远程学习者辍学有所裨益。     

Pathways to completion: Patterns of progression through a university degree

This paper outlines a technique for identifyingand representing pathways of studentprogression through a degree course. Considerable attention over the last decade indeveloping performance indicators of studentprogress, retention and completion in highereducation, has neglected indicators ofindividual student progression. Common studentoutcome performance indicators are based oncohort or census-like counts. A new techniqueis proposed for longitudinal analysis ofindividual student enrolment and unit of studycompletions, to create pathways at the studentlevel. The frequency of individual pathwaysindicate the common patterns of studentprogression at the course level. Pathwaypatterns convey important information aboutchanges in programs of study, and associationswith student characteristics. Pathway patternscomplement current student outcome performanceindicators. The pathway technique is simple,accurate, practical and applicable not only tostaff and students in making informed decisionsregarding the teaching and learning environmentbut also to universities and governments inplanning and policy development.