The nurturing of positive attitudes to school could be the key to increasing participation in education beyond the compulsory years. New research has found that intentions to complete or leave school formed early in secondary school are powerful predictors of participation in the latter years of school and attitudes to school strongly influence these educational intentions.

These were among the key findings of the latest research report in the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY). In Attitudes, Intentions and Participation Siek Toon Khoo and John Ainley examined the relationship between students' attitudes to school and intentions to participate in education and training and the influence of these attitudes and intentions on participation. Findings were based on analyses of the educational and occupational activities of a nationally representative sample of 13 600 young Australians who were in Year 9 in 1995.

Participants in the study were asked by survey in Year 9 what year they expected to leave school and their plans after leaving or completing school. Students were also surveyed on their attitudes toward school. The five domains of attitudes to school were students' general satisfaction with school, their motivation, their attitudes to their teachers, their views on the opportunities their school provides and their sense of achievement.

A strong relationship was found between intentions at Year 9 to complete Year 12 and later participation in Year 12. The strength of the relationship between intentions and participation can be seen in the report's observation that 87 per cent of students who planned to proceed to Year 12 did continue to Year 12 while 79 per cent of students who intended to leave school before Year 12 did so. Overall, 33 per cent participated in university study; including 52 per cent of those who intended to enter university and 12 per cent of those had not planned university study.

In turn, attitudes to school strongly influenced the intention to complete school. This link prompted researchers to conclude that nurturing positive attitudes towards school in the middle years of schooling could help to increase participation in the latter years.

ACER's deputy chief executive and co-author of the report, Dr John Ainley, believes that student attitudes are formed in response to curriculum, teaching practices and organisational arrangements and increased participation in post-compulsory education will be supported by attending to those aspects of earlier school experiences. Furthermore, students' attitudes to school are relatively independent of proficiency in literacy and numeracy. It is possible for students who are not necessarily the most proficient in these areas to hold positive attitudes to school just as it is possible for highly proficient students to hold negative views about their school.

"Other things being equal, students who are positively oriented to their schools and are actively engaged in its academic work and other activities are more likely to develop an intention to continue through to the end of secondary school and beyond," Dr Ainley said. "Once students intend to continue with their education it is highly likely that they will."

The report also noted that proficiency in literacy and numeracy has a direct influence on participation in post-compulsory schooling. "Previous LSAY studies have shown consistently that students who have acquired mastery in literacy and numeracy are more likely to complete Year 12, continue in education and find jobs with higher incomes. These latest findings suggest that if we can enhance engagement with schooling in addition to building a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy we can assist more students to continue with their education, Dr Ainley said"

The report concluded that attention to the extent to which students develop positive attitudes to school and a sense of proficiency in foundation skills will influence their intentions to continue with formal study and become manifest in their actual continued participation in education.

Further information and additional findings are contained in the report, Attitudes, Intentions and Participation, by Siek Toon Khoo and John Ainley, research report number 41 in the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) conducted jointly by ACER and the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST).

« Back to eNews