Work in Progress
Why students leave? Leaving VET with no recorded achievement:
Summary
- Item:
- 10151
- Title:
- Why students leave? Leaving VET with no recorded achievement:
- Type:
- Managed research project
- Project no:
- NR3004
- Status:
- Finished
- Date commenced:
- 28 August 2003
- Contact:
- Victor Callan
- phone: +61 7 3365 6225
- email: v.callan@gsm.uq.edu.au
Purpose
To investigate reasons why students leave the vocational education and training sector without achieving success in their studies. Specifically the project will:
* Examine national data to determine characteristics of students with no recorded achievement and compare this with those who do complete some studies
* Survey TAFE students in Queensland to find out why students left with no recorded achievement, the level of their engagement with VET and what they did after leaving VET
* Identify strategies to encourage such students to continue/return to their studies.
Approach
Literature review, analysis of national data, survey of Queensland students (500)
Research questions
1. What are the socio-demographic, VET program and related characteristics of students with no recorded achievement?
2. What are the reasons given by students for leaving the VET system with no recorded achievement?
3. What are the outcomes for these students and the pathways of options that the students with no recorded achievement undertake?
4. What strategies will encourage students with no recorded achievement to continue with their studies?
Methodology
1. Review literature on:
* Transition to adulthood
* Characteristics of students who fail/do not complete
* Non-completion studies in VET
2. Analyse national 2002 data from the VET provider collection to identify characteristics of those with no recorded achievement and to undertake comparisons with those who do complete their studies.
3. Mail survey to students with no record of achievement in Queensland to pursue the reasons why they left their studies without completing/achieving and what they did instead of pursuing their studies.
Organisations
Victor Callan is a researcher and consultant who is Professor of Management at the University of Queensland Business School. He was Head of the School over the last 7 years. He has published 9 books and 180 major international journal articles in the areas of organizational behaviour, psychology and management. He has special expertise in the completion of quantitative research including survey research and analyses of complex data bases. He has been involved with the VET sector since 1990, and since then has completed various consultancies for the Queensland Department of Employment and Training.
