The International Observatory on Academic Achievement - Documentary search

File number :
PPEE-DSC-01e

Bibliographic reference :
Janosz, M., Fallu, J.S. & Deniger, M.A. (2000). La prévention du décrochage scolaire : facteurs de risque et efficacité des programmes de prévention. Dans F. Vitaro, & C. Gagnon (Éds.), La prévention des problèmes d'adaptation chez les enfants et les adolescents - Tome 2, (pp. 117-163). Montréal : Presses de l'Université du Québec à Montréal.

Abstract :

In this chapter, the authors provide a critical review of several school dropout prevention programs. In order to properly describe the effectiveness of these programs, the authors look into the causal relationships associated with school dropout, analyze the definitions and operationalization of the problem, and enumerate dropout risk factors, whether institutional factors (school climate), family factors (low-income families, poorly-educated parents), interpersonal factors (social isolation, peer rejection), and personal factors (gender, ethnic group).

Document Selection Method
The targeted scientific articles and studies were gathered from the most widely-used social science data bases. Of 1651 references found, 398 had a pertinent title, and 142 of these had an abstract that met with researchers’ selection criteria. Only 27 of these 142 references were empirical evaluative research projects involving a nearly experimental or experimental design, with school dropout as a dependent variable and a minimum of content details for the program studied.

The prevention programs, the focus of this article, were implemented in the United States and Canada and were directed at preschool children, school-age children or adolescents.

From the outset, there were two major limitations in these studies: i) the vast majority of published evaluative studies used pre-experimental designs; and ii) the vast majority of studies claiming to prevent school dropout did not assess the effects of their program on actual dropout.

Five Analysis Conclusions
1) There were far fewer evaluative studies with rigorous methodology than expected, given the importance of this social problem.

2) While all studies reviewed showed minimally a nearly experimental research design, the quality of the program content description and rigour of analytical strategies was extremely variable. Very few studies discussed their assessment of implementation quality of the programs studied.

3) The researchers demonstrated very little interest in the differential effects of their program (e.g., in function of gender). Also, with some exceptions, most of the programs reviewed did not distinguish among typical risk factors of young people targeted by the interventions (e.g., motivation, behavioural problems).

4) Most of the programs reporting dropout rate reductions 15% greater than the control group include both an educational environment intervention component and an individual support component for students the most at risk.

5) Few studies of adolescence considered parents in their interventions. Yet knowledge on their role in the etiology of school dropout underscores the need to take into account their influence and integrate it into prevention programs.

Lastly, empirical research, explanatory theories and effective prevention programs all point to the key role of interaction between the socio-educational environment and the students’ personal and cultural characteristics. Therefore, adopting an interactionist or ecological approach, necessarily more complex, appears as imperative in preventing school dropout.

Key Words :
Literature Review, Risk Factors, Prevention Programs, Effectiveness, Preschool Age, School Age, Adolescents, Primary School, Elementary School, Secondary/High School

Monitored Countries :
Quebec (Canada), United States