Dropping out and a crisis of trust

Abstract

This article focuses on the high dropout rate in the Danish vocational education system. The article seeks to analyse the dropout problem using the concept of trust. By taking this perspective on the dropout problem, the article seeks to replace the hitherto-dominant deficit of understanding within the Danish dropout research, which has focused on the so-called crisis of motivation in which students are regarded as lacking sufficient motivation to complete a vocational education. It is asserted that the strong focus on students' lack of motivation contributes to individualizing and psychologizing the dropout problem. On the basis of the concept of trust forwarded by thinkers such as Luhmann, the article seeks to redefine the dropout problem as a problem of trust, thereby aiming to introduce a more comprehensive and relational understanding of student dropouts. The assertion that trust and distrust are key dimensions of the dropout problem is supported by results from an interview study in which 108 Danish school students were interviewed on completion and dropping out and in light of a tangible account of the shift from a motivational to a trust-based perspective. Three conditions are set forth as central themes relative to the student dropout process. These are (1) the primary school's lack of relevance for a group of students, (2) the numerous free riders in vocational education and (3) a lack of work placement spaces.

Sted, trivsel og skoleavbrudd - individuelle og strukturelle mekanismer i skolen synliggjort gjennom ungdoms fortellinger

“…Frafall kan forstås som en mediert relasjonell prosess som utvikler seg over tid mellom individuelle og strukturelle faktorer (Bunting & Moshuus 2017a;Nielsen & Tanggaard 2015;Tanggaard 2013;Grønborg 2015). Ungdoms fortellinger om sted kan hjelpe oss til å få bedre innsikt i hvordan denne prosessen mellom det individuelle og det strukturelle utvikles og hvordan forandring og kontinuitet påvirker ulike hverdagspraksiser.…”

VET Again: Now as a VET Teacher

“…For example, research shows that a range of inequality issues in vocational education are associated with social inclusion and prestige in society (Jørgensen, 2014). The dropout rate has been a central issue in both education policy and research on vocational colleges (Jørgensen, 2015;Nielsen et al, 2013), and there are different ideas about how to motivate young people at vocational colleges (Nielsen & Tanggaard, 2015).…”