A evasão no ensino superior é um fenômeno que tem ganhado atenção nas últimas décadas, pois pode trazer consequências negativas tanto para as instituições quanto para os estudantes. Assim, compreender os motivos que fazem as pessoas permanecerem ou largarem seus cursos pode auxiliar no desenvolvimento de intervenções que visem minimizar esse problema. Esta dissertação teve como objetivo principal descrever qualitativamente e quantitativamente este fenômeno no curso diurno de Psicologia da UFGRS. Para tanto, foram realizados dois estudos empíricos e um artigo teórico. O primeiro estudo consistiu-se em um levantamento, realizado de forma online, com 74 estudantes matriculados no curso de psicologia (26% do total de matriculados), onde se utilizou um questionário de dados gerais e acadêmicos, além de instrumentos que dão subsídios à investigação da evasão. O segundo estudo consistiu-se num estudo de caso coletivo, onde foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas, com 6 ex-alunos do referido curso, posteriormente submetidas à análise temática de conteúdo. Como resultados pode-se observar que estão associadas à evasão ou à intenção de evasão questões como o baixo comportamento exploratório, o compromisso com a meta de graduar-se, a dificuldade de relacionamento com colegas, questões relativas à organização estrutural/curricular do curso, entre outras. Para além da simples descrição, buscou-se ao longo da dissertação o diálogo com os modelos internacionais de evasão. Salienta-se a necessidade de elaboração de um modelo de evasão aplicável ao contexto nacional e espera-se que este trabalho contribua de alguma forma para a construção futura deste. / Dropout in higher education is a phenomenon that has gained attention in recent decades, as it may bring negative consequences for both institutions and students. Thus, understanding the reasons that make people persist or withdrawal from their courses can assist in developing interventions that aim to minimize this problem. This dissertation aimed to describe qualitatively and quantitatively this phenomenon at the Psychology course at UFGRS. Thus, we conducted two empirical studies and a theoretical article. The first study consisted in an online survey, with 74 matriculated students (26% of all students matriculated), where a questionnaire was used for collect general and academic data, as well instruments that give subsidies investigation the evasion. The second study consisted in a collective case study, where six former students of psychology were submited to a semi-structured interview, who was subjected by a thematic content analysis. As results could be observed that low exploratory behavior, commitment to attaining the college degree, the difficulty in peer relationships, issues of organizational structure/curriculum of the course, among others, were related to the droptou or to the intend to. Beyond the simple description, we sought throughout the dissertation a dialogue with international dropout models. We emphasize the need to develop dropout model applicable to the national context and it is hoped that this work contributes in some way to build this in the future.

Given the high prevalence of client unilateral termination from psychotherapeutic services, elucidating client reasons for ending therapy is an important activity for researchers. Three studies were designed to shed light on reasons for both premature and appropriate termination from the perspective of adult clients and therapists: 1) In Study 1, I examined data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 1.2, to establish base rates of client reasons for psychotherapy termination in Canada, along with their demographic and clinical correlates, 2) In Study 2, I used training clinic data to examine client and therapist perspectives of reasons for termination, working alliance, and barriers to treatment participation in mutual versus unilateral terminators, and 3) In Study 3, I collected data from Canadian clinical psychologists to examine their perspectives of client reasons for early versus later termination, and their use of engagement strategies to reduce client-initiated unilateral termination. In Study 1, 43.1 percent of respondents reported terminating therapy for reasons other than feeling better or completing treatment. In general, individuals with low income and diagnosable mental disorders had significantly increased odds of premature termination. Study 2 revealed that when clients made unilateral decisions to end therapy, therapists were only partially aware of either the extent of clients’ perceptions of their success in therapy or with their dissatisfaction with therapy. Although working alliance and barriers to treatment participation were rated as lower in the context of unilateral termination by both clients and therapists than in the context of mutual decisions to terminate therapy, all clients, in general, rated the early alliance and barriers to treatment as higher than did their therapists. In Study 3 psychologists assigned differential importance to reasons for termination depending on whether termination was before versus after the third session. Theoretical orientation (CBT versus other) did not influence views of reasons for termination, but influenced use of some engagement strategies. Results are discussed in terms of research and clinical implications.

Piano teachers believe that dropping out before reaching a moderate mastery of the piano is a common problem among students. This study uses Self-Determination Theory to examine three issues related to the high dropout rate from private piano lessons: whether there are predictors associated with dropout, whether low levels of motivation correlate with dropping out, and the primary reasons invoked for stopping lessons. Using the Survey of Musical Interests, 55 former piano students who quit lessons completed a questionnaire with Likert-scale, multiple choice, and open-ended questions, and their parents also filled out a complementary questionnaire. These participants were compared to 153 students and parents who were still involved with piano lessons. Results showed important predictor differences in parental backgrounds, musical ability, and practice habits, and significant differences between the groups’ autonomous motivation. The main reasons invoked for stopping lessons included lack of practice, preferring other instruments, and loss of interest.

Thousands of children are absent from school every day. Students miss school for a multitude of reasons connected to the student, their family, the school, and the wider society. This research conceptualizes absenteeism as voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary absences revolve around students’ deliberate decisions to miss school; whereas involuntary absences are often imposed on the student. For example, preferring to engage in some recreational activity outside of the school is considered a voluntary absence, whereas having to work during school hours to earn an income is an involuntary absence. Unfortunately, the majority of mainstream schools do not demarcate between voluntary and involuntary absences and reprimand pupils for absenteeism regardless of its cause. As a result of these actions, many youths are pushed, pulled, or fade away from their education. A lucky few find their way to alternative schools where they are offered a last chance to earn a high school diploma. Some alternative schools are able to not only raise attendance, but also to accommodate involuntary absenteeism, where a student is allowed to miss some class without penalty. However, little Canadian evidence exists documenting how alternative schools respond to absenteeism. This research interviewed 40 students and 17 staff members in four alternative schools in Ontario, Canada, to capture their perspectives on absenteeism. The findings indicate that mainstream schools the students attended were not effective in responding to absenteeism; whereas the alternative schools were better positioned to ensure that the students were able to progress with their education regardless of their ability to attend consistently. Nevertheless, there are concerns about the pupils’ readiness to succeed in postsecondary education and/or subsequent work upon graduation from an alternative school.

The Student Trajectory Enhancement Program (STEP UP) was launched in 2014 by Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) as a six-week summer program that targeted over-age, retained, potentially under-achieving students completing the sixth grade. The purpose of this study was to conduct a summative evaluation of the effectiveness of the STEP UP program in keeping program participants “on track” for high school graduation and to determine if the intended goals of the program were realized. STEP UP was developed in response to compelling data that there is an unacceptably high number of overage students in middle school in HCPS. STEP UP was intended to decrease the number of potential dropouts in HCPS, with the assumption that a number of students who drop out of high school originate as overage students in the elementary and middle grades. The evaluation focused on students who participated in the initial cohort in the summer of 2014. Data analyzed were students’ attendance, behavior, course performance, and grade point averages—the district’s Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) serving as the benchmark for determining whether students are “on track” to graduate. Findings of the study suggested that students’ “on-track” performance on individual KPI metrics was significantly higher than the overall “on-track” performance on all Key Performance Indicators as an aggregate. Data reflected that the majority of students in the program were minority (78.74%), designated as Free/Reduced Lunch (91.27%), and classified as ESE and ELL (54.09%). Of the variables studied (ethnicity, gender, ESE status, ELL status, and FRL status), students in poverty and students with profound exceptionalities had the lowest “on-track” performance rates. While there were differences in individual KPI performance rates among ethnic groups, there was little difference among the three largest ethnic subgroups in the data set (Hispanic, white and African-American) when analyzing “on-track” performance rates for all KPI’s together. This study contributes to the school district’s ability to make improvements to the program. In addition, other districts might gain insights to help them determine if a similar program could prove beneficial for their overage, retained students in middle school.

This formative evaluation of Franklin School was shaped around the implicit and explicit goals of the school and those school practices that are recognized as being effective in schools for students at-risk of dropping out of school. The study served four purposes: (1) to determine how the teachers, parents, and students viewed the school and their experiences with it, (2) to determine what program improvements were needed, (3) to provide a baseline for future evaluations, and (4) to activate the collection of data needed for future evaluations. The participants in the study included the six teachers, 52 students, and the parents or guardians of the students who attended Franklin School during the 1996-97 school year, the year which was the focus of the study. I collected data from the participants through surveys, interviews with teachers and a carefully drawn sample of students and parents, and meetings with teachers and students. Additionally, I analyzed student records pertaining to referrals, attendance, academic achievement, disciplinary infractions, and dropouts. Data from the study indicated that some school goals were being met adequately, and some were not. Teachers, students, and parents agreed that goals related to self-esteem efforts, sense of community, and safe environment were being met. However, the findings from the study indicated that improvement was needed in the areas of career education, counseling, discipline, staff development, parent involvement, and use of instructional technology. Also, the study yielded three important findings in addition to findings related to school goals that need to be addressed. First, there is a leadership problem at Franklin School that needs to be resolved. Second, limited data available on attendance and academic achievement suggested that over time student performance declines at the school. Finally, the data on the referrals to Franklin School revealed an exceedingly high rejection rate with no written notices of admission decisions and no follow-up of students rejected. The findings from the study strongly suggest the need for continued evaluation of the school and for putting mechanisms in place to collect the data needed for such evaluations. / Ph. D.

The need to lessen the dropout rate for America’s high schools necessitated a search for answers by examining the impact of athletic participation on at-risk high school students. Research supports the contention that benefits athletics for students at-risk of dropping out. However, the majority of empirical research on athletic participation has been conducted on athletes and non-athletes, leaving a gap in regard to at-risk students. The study provides a comparison between athletic participation and non-participation with at-risk students. The goal of this study was to share the findings of an investigation of the impact of athletic participation on at-risk high school students’ academic performance. The academic performances included: standardized assessments, attendance, behavior, and dropout rate. This study sought to compare the criterion-referenced scores of at-risk athletes and at-risk non-athletes, as well as the GPA scores, attendance rates, number of disciplinary referrals, and the dropout rate of the 2 categories of students, using non-experimental research. The major findings of this study revealed that more at-risk non-athletes dropped out of school than at-risk athletes.

The dropout rate for many Mississippi high schools has improved tremendously over the last decade. In 2017, the Mississippi Department of Education reported that the dropout rate for the State declined form 13.9% to 10%. This rate was only 4% higher than the national average. However, with all the research that pertains to student dropouts and the success many states are seeing, there are still school districts failing to show improvement. Many high schools have dropout rates in excess of 20%. This study explored the perceptions of district high school principals, counselors, and other administrators working in schools with students who are at risk of dropping out. It examined the prevention practices or strategies that are the most effective in improving dropout rate conditions. The theoretical framework of this study was the theory of experience and experiential learning theory addressed by Dewey, Neill, and Kolb. Dewey (1916) argued that students could not control their previous experiences, but once a student understood the importance of engaging in the learning and the implications of persisting in school they could then take ownership of their learning and succeed. The importance of this involved student motivation and engagement. Kolb (1984) further developed this theory with the concept of a student’s learning style to help individuals identify the way they learn from experience. Hence, helping students engage in learning by internalizing its value to students remained a primary concept. Data collection methods included surveys, interviews, and a review of participating school’s dropout prevention plans. The results of this study indicated that successful schools are using dropout prevention plans which may be emulated or duplicated in other schools. The components of such plans are directly connected to the themes that emerged from successful school leaders regarding student persistence in high school. The study found that key elements for a successful program included the following: community collaborations, leadership development, teaching and learning practices, and support from district level leadership. It was determined that the administrators and counselors believed that they were capable of meeting the needs of their students through various programs, district initiatives, teacher and leadership development, and the involvement of all stakeholders which were the leading factors to their success. All of these elements were required in order to see substantive gains in student dropout rate.

*pages 337, 339, 341, 343, 345, 347, 350, 352 were removed from text. / Most research on secondary school dropout has been cross-sectional, and this has made it difficult to know whether the differences observed between dropouts and persisters are antecedents or consequences of attrition. Furthermore, little is known about the causes of dropout among non-majority students such as native Indians. Investigators also have neglected to consider the utility of using theoretical frameworks that have proved useful in understanding various behaviours. This thesis was directed at learning which variables contribute to dropout among Native and nonNative students and at delineating combinations of variables that are useful predictors of enrollment status. The relative merits of the Ajzen-Fishbein model and a general expectancy-value approach also was of concern. To these ends, a longitudinal, multivariate investigation was undertaken. Information from school records and questionnaires was used to determine which factors distinguished students who had persisted from those who had discontinued 1 year and 3.7 years after the initial survey. The results revealed that dropout can be predicted with considerable accuracy even over several years. Intentions, absenteeism, grade average, and perceived value of education were shown to be the most important predictors. Information in school records enabled good prediction. Of the two models, the Ajzen-Fishbein framework showed the most promise. Although the data were consistent with Fishbein's conceptualization of how intentions are formed, it was shown that the model needs refinement in accounting for actual behaviour. On the basis of the findings from this and other research, suggestions are given for decreasing attrition. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This study examines how substance-abusing women and their partners perceive their relationship and how these perceptions are related to women's treatment completion. The participant pool came from a larger study comparing the effects of adding couples therapy to traditional substance abuse treatment. All couples were in a committed relationship of at least six months duration. The sample was 166 mostly white and lower income women and their partners. The primary drugs of choice were opiates, alcohol, and cocaine. Relationship perceptions were assessed prior to treatment by using the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale, the Dyadic Formation Inventory, and the Family Assessment Device. These scales all measure relationship quality as perceived by the subjects. Perceptions of the women with substance abuse problems who completed treatment did not differ significantly from those who dropped out. The partners' perceptions did differ significantly. Partners of women who dropped out reported more couple commitment and more couple interaction as measured by the DFI, and higher overall general functioning, as measured by the FAD, than the partners of those who completed. These findings suggest the importance of partners' involvement in, and support for, the woman's drug treatment. / Master of Science