I want to quit education: A longitudinal study of stress and optimism as predictors of school dropout intention

Abstract

Prior research on school dropout has often focused on stable person‐ and institution‐level variables. In this research, we investigate longitudinally perceived stress and optimism as predictors of dropout intentions over a period of four years, and distinguish between stable and temporary predictors of dropout intentions. Findings based on a nationally representative sample of 16–20 year‐olds in Switzerland (N = 4312) show that both average levels of stress and optimism as well as annually varying levels of stress and optimism affect dropout intentions. Additionally, results show that optimism buffers the negative impact of annually varying stress (i.e., years with more stress than usual), but not of stable levels of stress (i.e., stress over four years). The implications of the results are discussed according to a dynamic and preventive approach of school dropout.

The Role of Perceived Stress and Self-Efficacy in Young People’s Life Satisfaction: A Longitudinal Study

“…Young people with low levels of self-efficacy may be unable to cope with perceived stress in the school environment, which increases the likelihood of leaving post-compulsory education early (Eicher et al 2014). The corresponding non-possession of a post-compulsory credential is associated with bleak prospects in the labor market for many young people in Western countries.…”

“…Similarly, increases in self-efficacy were associated with an increase in life satisfaction, and vice versa. By highlighting that changes in the subjective experience of stress and self-efficacy affect life satisfaction, we contribute to literature emphasizing that affective states, over and above affective traits, impact individuals' cognitive appraisals (Eicher et al 2014;Rosenberg 1998). …”

“…Measuring the impact of within-person change in perceived stress on life satisfaction is crucial, particularly among young people who are likely to experience changing levels of stress over time (e.g., McNamara 2000). Prior research has emphasized the volatility of young people's perceived stress in education and suggested that even temporally limited increases in school-related stress can affect young people's educational trajectories (Eicher et al 2014). However, the effects of fluctuations in perceived stress on life satisfaction are not well-understood.…”

“…Levels of stress and self-efficacy vary considerably between young people and, in particular during the transition to adulthood, they tend to change significantly within persons over time (Eicher et al 2014;Pinquart et al 2003). Accordingly, we expect that life satisfaction is affected not only by a person's average (baseline) levels of perceived stress and self-efficacy over time, but also by intra-individual change in perceived stress and self-efficacy over time.…”

“…Given within-person volatility in perceived stress (Eicher et al 2014) and self-efficacy (Sitzmann and Yeo 2013) across time, examining temporal fluctuation in these characteristics in conjunction with their person-specific mean levels shall provide a more holistic perspective on their consequences for life satisfaction. We expected that an increase in perceived stress at a given point in time, relative to an individual's average stress level, would be negatively associated with life satisfaction (Hypothesis 3), while an increase in self-efficacy, relative to an individual's average level of selfefficacy, would be positively associated with life satisfaction (Hypothesis 4).…”