ERIC Number: ED418287
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1998
Pages: 9
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: ISBN-1-85538-470-4
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Non-completion of GNVQs. Improving Achievement.
Further Education Development Agency, London (England).
The reasons that students in the United Kingdom fail to complete General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ) courses were examined through a study that involved four key elements: questionnaire survey of 3,391 students enrolled in GNVQ courses in further education colleges and schools; questionnaire survey of 782 centers providing GNVQs; follow-up interviews and focus groups with 38 of the students who had failed to complete GNVQ courses successfully; and 26 individual staff interviews and 1 group staff interview. Although most students were satisfied with their course and would recommend GNVQs to others, one-fourth of the students left their GNVQ course for work. The top reason cited for withdrawal was "the course was not right for me." The workload involved in completing portfolio evidence satisfactorily was a main reason for student noncompletion. Well-organized work experience placements had a positive impact on achievement rates, as did effective course teams and the systems they used. Simplification of the assessment involved in GNVQs was the top recommendation made by the learning centers surveyed. Other recommendations included the following: deliver key skills in relevant contexts; improve public perceptions of GNVQs and extend financial support to students who would otherwise be at risk of withdrawal. (MN)
Descriptors: Academic Persistence, Change Strategies, Comparative Analysis, Delivery Systems, Dropout Prevention, Dropouts, Educational Policy, Foreign Countries, National Surveys, Postsecondary Education, Program Improvement, Student Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes
Further Education Development Agency (FEDA), Publications Dept., Coombe Lodge, Blagdon, Bristol BS40 7RG, United Kingdom (1 British pound).
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Department for Education and Employment, London (England).
Authoring Institution: Further Education Development Agency, London (England).
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A