What facilitates completion of high school for students who experience the risk of early leave

• Main Author: Katz, Shirley
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/9703

This study explores the facilitation of completion of high school for students who experience the risk of dropping out. The purpose of the study was to develop a comprehensive scheme of categories to describe what facilitates completion from the perspective of high school students. An adaptation of The Critical Incident Technique (Flanagan, 1954) was used. Sixteen categories emerged from an analysis of incidents. The soundness and trustworthiness of the categories were tested. Results indicate that completion can be facilitated by emotional support and guidance, respect from teachers, opportunity to participate and get help, goals setting for the future, encouragement of autonomy and responsibility, recognition, participation in the arts or sport, and reward. What remains to be confirmed is the helping value of several categories that were novel, such as identity development through social comparison. Anecdotal information that was consistently observed in the contents of the interviews was included and discussed. Participants made suggestions to help other students struggling to complete high school. This study suggests promising developments in high school completion which have implications for research, practice and curriculum design in counselling and education.