Back to School: Pathways for Reengagement of Out-of-School Youth in Education

Abstract

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How Can We Meet the Needs of Young People in Vulnerable 'NEET' Situations? A Realist Research Protocol to Evaluate the Delivery and Implementation of (Re)Engagement Initiatives in Northern Sweden

“…To facilitate this scope, isolated strategies like one-to-one adult-youth mentoring [18], life skill development through sports and physical activity [19], and academic or work-based learning and training [20] have so far been adopted across Europe and beyond. However, being limited in scope, reports have suggested that such singular efforts may be insu cient to meet the complex needs of young people in more vulnerable 'NEET' situations, while initiatives that combine different resources may resonate better with their varied interests, talents, and abilities [21,22].…”

A series of realist evaluations of multi-component programmes with disengaged young people: What works, for whom, and in what contexts?

“…Particularly, a thoughtfully designed multi-component programme that combines one-to-one mentoring, positive youth development, and sport and physical activity programmes, may be useful (cf. Rajasekaran & Reyes, 2019). Despite this recommendation, to my knowledge, no programme drawing on the full range of available modalities has been utilised or evaluated with disengaged young people.…”

“…There is general consensus that disengaged young people subsume a heterogeneous mix of individuals who face many complex, fluctuating, and nonlinear transitions, risk factors, and multiple forms of disadvantage (Avila & Rose, 2019;Hayward & Williams, 2011). For instance, disengaged young people may be more susceptible to extreme poverty, social deprivation, a reliance upon school for meals, caregiving responsibilities for younger siblings, housing instability, psychological challenges, parental incarceration, poor social skills, low academic attainment, unsupportive teachers, and a disconnect between education and their needs (Nudzor, 2010;Rajasekaran & Reyes, 2019). Such adversity may manifest itself in three main ways: engagement, behavioural, and psychosocial challenges (Gutierrez-Garcia et al, 2018).…”

“…Each component of educational engagement is influenced by a complex and dynamic interaction between a young person's internal and external resources (Rajasekaran & Reyes, 2019). Internal resources refer to individual factors and personal attributes, such as self-efficacy, self-esteem, and perceived competence (Jalala, Latifoglu, & Uzunboylu, 2020).…”

“…Internal resources refer to individual factors and personal attributes, such as self-efficacy, self-esteem, and perceived competence (Jalala, Latifoglu, & Uzunboylu, 2020). External resources relate specifically to contextual factors and strengths, including the extent and quality of support provided by the school, peers, family, workplace, and community (Jalala et al, 2020;Rajasekaran & Reyes, 2019). There is recognition amongst researchers that engagement does not reside within the individual, rather, it is a joint product of the developing young person and the wider environmental context Li, 2011;Rajasekaran & Reyes, 2019).…”