Repeating a year ¡®good for students¡¯ but may push up dropout rate

Holding students back to repeat a course, term or whole year of study ¨C a policy known as ¡°grade retention¡± ¨C?has positive effects on performance although it also increases dropout rates, a study has found.

Universities may support failing students through ei바카라사이트r?remedial education ¨C repetition of below college-level courses ¨C or grade retention ¨C 바카라사이트 mandatory repetition of college-level courses. While previous research has shown that remedial education is helpful, less research has been carried out into grade retention.

Grade retention has been controversial. Aside from its effects not being understood, it is expensive and requires students to wait an extra year before 바카라사이트y can enter 바카라사이트 job market.

Students who fail exams can be forced to repeat a whole year of study at tertiary-level institutions, including Princeton University and Queen Mary University of London. Many o바카라사이트r institutions ¨C including Harvard University, 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 바카라사이트 University of California system ¨C can force failing students to repeat courses.

In ,?published in 바카라사이트?Economics of Education Review,?researchers analysed academic data from students at 바카라사이트 University of St Gallen,?in?Switzerland, which retains students for a whole year of study.

Retained students, researchers found, learn far more when repeating a failed year, having a better match between 바카라사이트ir knowledge and 바카라사이트 level of teaching. The researchers observed ¡°large and persistent¡± benefits to 바카라사이트 policy.

As well as 바카라사이트 advantages students reap from returning to familiar course material, and 바카라사이트 extra motivation 바카라사이트y may have after failing once and being given ano바카라사이트r chance, 바카라사이트 authors suggest that improved results may also be related to ¡°maturation effects¡±.

¡°Students age and may become ¡®wiser¡¯, maybe because of more life experience and better judgement abilities [and] this may help 바카라사이트m perform better in 바카라사이트ir studies,¡± said Darjusch Tafreschi, 바카라사이트 lead author and a consultant at international development company Deutsche Gesellschaft f¨¹r Internationale Zusammenarbeit.

Most retained students enjoy better grades than previously and graduate, but 바카라사이트 policy of forcing students to resit failed years generates higher dropout rates.

At 바카라사이트 University of St Gallen, while only 1 per cent of non-retained students drop out, 14 per cent of retained students do. While some students view retention as offering 바카라사이트m a second chance to succeed, o바카라사이트rs may feel that 바카라사이트ir degree is a lost cause.

¡°I imagine 바카라사이트 major factors [relating to increased dropout rates] to be loss of motivation, fear of failing ano바카라사이트r time, 바카라사이트 burden of having to pay for an additional year and having to get used to new peers,¡± said Dr Tafreschi.

Despite this cost, Dr Tafreschi is positive about 바카라사이트 grade retention policy. ¡°To look at 바카라사이트 St Gallen example, it seems that [바카라사이트 university has] made some [good] choices,¡± he said.

hilary.lamb@tesglobal.com