Age and Social Background as Predictors of Dropout in Second Chance Education in Germany

Second chance education (SCE) has been established to offer adults the opportunity to catch up on higher qualifications, for instance the eligibility to study. SCE often suffers from high dropout rates, but little is known about the reasons. This article investigates whether dropout rates depend on...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Adult education quarterly (American Association for Adult and Continuing Education) 2022-08, Vol.72 (3), p.308-328
Main Authors: Schuchart, Claudia, Schimke, Benjamin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Adult Education
Age Differences
At Risk Students
Disadvantaged
Dropout Rate
Educational Attainment
Family Characteristics
Foreign Countries
Grades (Scholastic)
Nontraditional Students
Postsecondary Education
Predictor Variables
Secondary Education
Socioeconomic Status
Vocational Education
Work Experience
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Second chance education (SCE) has been established to offer adults the opportunity to catch up on higher qualifications, for instance the eligibility to study. SCE often suffers from high dropout rates, but little is known about the reasons. This article investigates whether dropout rates depend on family background and age, and if so, why. Data from 3278 students at an institution of SCE in Germany who entered this institution between 2000 and 2016 are analysed using logistic path modelling. The results show that the higher dropout probability of socially disadvantaged students can be traced back completely to poorer academic performance in SCE, partly associated with an unfavourable previous school career. Older students are – irrespective of their family background and despite a better academic performance – more likely to drop out than younger students. If SCE aims to reduce these dropout risks, strategies should vary for different groups of students.
ISSN:0741-7136
1552-3047
DOI:10.1177/07417136211046960