NORGES ALMENVITENSKAPELIGE FORSKNINGSRÅDS GRUPPE G: PSYKOLOGI,UTDANNINGS‐OG UNGDOMSSP0RSM#afAL. HOVEDLINJER I VIRKSOMHETEN

Sandven, J. (1970). Students with Lowered Mark for Conduct at the End of the Youth School. A study of their situation in school, their background and possibilities. Scand. J. educ. Res. 14, 74—104. The major aim of the study was to bring to light whether characteristic differences exist between students who get a lowered mark for conduct and other students, and what are the particular features of such differences. The main material was collected in the youth school partly by direct investigations among students in the 9th grade, partly by means of information and evaluations from the schools. Althogether about 3,500 students were involved in the study. At the end of the youth school about 11 % of the students, i.e. 15% of the boys and 7% of the girls, got a lowered mark for conduct. The percentage varied markedly from school to school, from 1% as the lowest to 31% as the highest. The majority of students with a lowered mark (92 %) had a course program not preparing for the gymnasium. Nearly half of them had no plans for further education. Most of them (85 %) were regarded by their teachers as not suited for the gymnasium. As a rule they had a negative attitude to school and a low sense of well‐being. Marked differences in home background between these students and the others were not observed. As a group the students with a lowered mark differ markedly from the others as to problem‐solving ability and school achievement motivation. The conclusion is that as the school is today with regard to content, methods, and demands, students who are weak intellectually and in achievement motivation, will much more frequently run into a situation where they develop behaviour conflicting with the norms of the school, thus leading to a lowered behaviour mark. Though it is not possible to know whether an alteration of the school would result in behaviour in harmony with educational aims, it is argued that serious effort in this direction should be made, considering the importance of the behaviour and character development of the student.