Disengagement from education among 14-16 year olds

1. Disengagement from education among 14-16 year olds Andy Ross DCSF Research Conference 2010

2. Aims • To provide a typology of disengaged/engaged young people identifying the different ways in which disengagement can be manifest • To describe them in terms of their further attitudes to school, staff, learning, their future, and what motivates them in terms of education and beyond • Explore whether young people transition between these different types over time (years 9 – 11) • Explore factors that might explain when and why some young people disengage

3. Background • Previous research has illustrated the importance of distinguishing between different ‘types’ of disengaged young people (Steedman & Stoney, 2004; Callanan et. al. 2009) • Previous quantitative research has begun to ‘build a picture’ of disengaged young people (McIntosh & Houghton, 2005) • Going beyond narrow definitions of disengagement • Disengagement as a multidimensional concept consisting of motivations, attitudes and behaviour (Morris & Pullen, 2007)

4. A statistical method suitable forcapturing disengagement • Latent Class Analysis (LCA) • Enables us to capture multidimensional constructs such as disengagement • Explores structure within a set of measures to identify underlying types or classes of individuals • For example… we might find a type that dislikes school, may also skip the odd class, but otherwise remain committed to long-term education • Limitations: Does not capture all heterogeneity; limited by availability of measures

5. Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE) • Comprehensive cohort study focusing on transitions through education to employment • Funded by Department for Children, Schools and Families to evaluate impact of policy • Data from multiple sources (young person; main and second parents; linked in NPD data) • 15,770 pupils sampled at Wave 1, 11,449 at Wave 4 (weighted for attrition) • Ethnic minority boost (n = 1000); Deprived schools over sampled by 1.5

6. Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE)

7. Motivations • Plans following year 11 (Continue with fulltime education; Job with training; job no training; Something else) • Likelihood of applying to do a degree at university (Very likely; Fairly likely; Not very likely; Not at all likely) Behaviour • Truancy (None; Odd day or lesson; Particular lessons; Several days or weeks at a time)

8. Attitudes to School Feelings about school (10 item scale) • I am happy when I am at school • School is a waste of time for me • School work is worth doing • Most of the time I don't want to go to school • On the whole I like being at school • I work as hard as I can in school • In a lesson, I often count the minutes till it ends • I am bored in lessons • The work I do in lessons is a waste of time • The work I do in lessons is interesting to me

9. Results • Best fitting solution identified the same four groups in each year: • Engaged • Disengaged from School not Education • Engaged with School not Higher Education • Disengaged

10. ‘Engaged’ (Y9: 40%; Y10: 33%; Y11: 34%) Aspirations for Year 12 FT Education Job with training Job no training Something else Likely to apply to University Very likely Fairly likely Not very likely Not at all likely Level of Truancy None Odd day or lesson Particular lessons Several days/weeks Attitudes to school Very positive Quite positive Quite negative Very negative

11. ‘Disengaged from school not education’ (Y9: 23%; Y10: 26%; Y11: 24%) Aspirations for Year 12 FT Education Job with training Job no training Something else Likely to apply to University Very likely Fairly likely Not very likely Not at all likely Level of Truancy None Odd day or lesson Particular lessons Several days/weeks Attitudes to school Very positive Quite positive Quite negative Very negative

12. ‘Engaged with school not H.E.’ (Y9: 25%; Y10: 22%; Y11: 22%) Aspirations for Year 12 FT Education Job with training Job no training Something else Likely to apply to University Very likely Fairly likely Not very likely Not at all likely Level of Truancy None Odd day or lesson Particular lessons Several days/weeks Attitudes to school Very positive Quite positive Quite negative Very negative

13. ‘Disengaged’ (Y9: 12%; Y10: 19%; Y11: 20%) Aspirations for Year 12 FT Education Job with training Job no training Something else Likely to apply to University Very likely Fairly likely Not very likely Not at all likely Level of Truancy None Odd day or lesson Particular lessons Several days/weeks Attitudes to school Very positive Quite positive Quite negative Very negative

14. Attainment at Key Stage 4

15. Destinations in year 12

16. Attitudes to curriculum‘Likes subject a lot’

17. Wants a job…‘Matters a lot’

18. Attitudes to learning‘Strongly agree’

19. Transitions between years 9 and 10 Year 10

20. Transitions between years 10 and 11 Year 11

21. Transitions (summary) • Most young people already engaged or disengaged by the time they are in year 9 and remain so through to year 11 • Transitions mainly occur between year 9 and 10, the point at which Key Stage 4 begins • Increase in volume and significance of work • Friendship groups split up • Change is in the direction of disengagement, with little evidence of reengagement

22. Young people at greatest risk…

23. Factors that matterParental factors • Parental aspirations were key (*): Disengaged & ESNHE • Attending parent - teacher evenings: Disengaged • Recognising the importance of continuing education beyond age 16: ESNHE & Disengaged • Effectiveness of the relationship with the school: Disengaged & DSNE

24. Factors that matterHomework • How often parents ensure that homework is completed: • Parents of young people who were ESNHE more likely to monitor homework • Parents of Disengaged young people were less likely to monitor homework • ESNHE also more likely to get support at home • How many teachers monitor homework: Disengaged, less so ESNHE & DSNE

25. Factors that matterTeachers • Young people’s relationships with their teachers: Disengaged & DSNE, less so ESNHE • Negative factors more important: Feeling treated unfairly or blamed for any trouble • Positive factors less important: Taking an interest in the young person’s work or praising them • Perceiving teachers as being in control also important for predicting Disengaged and DSNE

26. Factors that matterYoung Person’s experience • Aspiration of peers: Disengaged, ESNHE, also DSNE • Contact with Educational or Social Services, or a visit from the Police: Disengaged, less so ESNHE & DSNE • Bullied in the last 12 months: DSNE or Disengaged • Has a disability that affects schooling: ESNHE or Disengaged

27. Factors that matterSchools • Pupil to teacher ratio: ESNHE and DSNE more likely to attend schools with a greater ratio of pupils to teachers • School size (number of pupils): ESNHE more likely to attend smaller schools • School level of Truancy: Disengaged especially but also ESNHE more likely to attend schools with higher rates of truancy

28. Contact details Andy Ross Andy.Ross@natcen.ac.uk Tel: 020 7549 7101 • Ross, A. (2009) Disengagement from education among 14-16 year olds, DCSF