WHY DON'T THEY PARTICIPATE?
The literature on retention of adult learners strongly suggests that previous educational attainment is closely tied to participation and persistence. Educationally disadvantaged adults are more likely to lack self-confidence and self-esteem, have negative attitudes toward education, and need mastery of basic skills such as literacy before attaining job skills that could improve their economic circumstances.
Recent research by Hayes (1988) confirms several propositions about this population: (1) educationally disadvantaged adults typically experience a combination of barriers that cause them to drop out; (2) perception of these barriers varies according to such characteristics as age, sex, and educational level; and (3) even among groups with similar background characteristics, great differences exist in motivation and deterrence factors.
Hayes classified six groups of low-literate adults based on their scores on five deterrence factors: low self-confidence, social disapproval, situational barriers, negative attitude toward education, and low personal priority. Most groups had relatively high scores on more than one factor. This new typology suggests that the most effective recruitment and retention strategy may be to tailor individual programs to the needs of specific groups.
How did you go about working with the student to get past this. I spoke with a student, who wasn't in any of my classes, about why she quit attending History Class. She didn't like the idea of being called on and told that her beleif in a situation was wrong. Instead of talking to the teacher or dropping the class, she just quit going causing her to fail the class.
In the introductory writing courses I teach, I ask students what their prior learning experience has been with regarding to writing classes. Almost every student responds with some horror story which has really locked down their ability to be open to new ideas or processes when it comes to the practice of writing. It is really an "ah ha" moment for many students. It also creates the realization that they are not alone in this. From the instructor side, I find that in acknowledging this barrier to learning, we can then move forward as a class. It opens students' minds by lowering the inherent threat associated due to negative prior experiences which allows students to better participate in the writing experience.
I would like to try it next term. Thank you.
This is a good idea. Thanks!
Hi Paul,
Thanks for sharing this great story with us. I love hearing these kinds of stories because they show us how we can help and impact the lives of our students by being supportive.
Gary
I had a student that would not respond to questions in class. He was told the he mumbled and have a poor speaking voice by a past teacher. The student bought into this as a truth. The class and I worked with him and now he volunteers to speak and has given great speaches in class.
Hi Nancy,
I put the students into learning groups and have them work on case studies. Even the shy students will participate when the are 3-4 members. I then have the group present their results. To do this I have the group come to the front of the class and sit down behind the desk. So for the shy students there are 3 other students sitting with them in front of the class. Less stressful for them. I have them present for 2-3 minutes so they know exactly how long they have to present, again less stress than trying to fill a lot of time, and I let them remain seated so they don't stand out as much as if they were standing in front of the class alone.
I also use role playing a lot. You can have different student play different roles, such a pet owner, the tech explaining the disease, condition, etc. My students really get into this and quickly forget they are in front of others.
Hope these suggestions will be of help to you. Any questions let me know.
Gary
I really struggle with this in some of my classes. How can I encourage participation from even the most quiet of students? I teach in the field of veterinary medicine and we are talking a lot about being able to educate clients. How can I help to reinforce to them that without getting used to talking, they will have even more problems down the road?
I find that time taken to discover strengths in a student helps to leverage issues with low esteem or negativity. If I can find ways for a student to contribute and build confidence while connecting this contribution to the class material, their own perception of the difficulty and relevance of the topics to their own ability to learn changes and now the interaction becomes more about retention and application of the information, and less about the mechanics of trying to learn.
HI Carlos,
Good point. This is what will increase the retention of students. They feel accepted, supported and confident in their abilities. This will keep them coming to class in spite of the challenges of life that come their way during their time in school.
Gary
