This paper reviews the literature on best practices to engage parents in order to equip them to support their children's higher education aspirations. Parents from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds, in common with other parents, report that they want "the best" for their children's future. Getting a good education is a part of…

Interviews with 209 Australian young people who chose not to complete secondary education reveal the complexity of this decision is based on their individual agency in constructing alternative lives. They resist credentialing, which poses an impediment rather than serves as an access mechanism. (Contains 33 references.) (SK)

Background: There is increasing evidence that schools internationally are not meeting the needs of increasing numbers of young people, especially those at the secondary level, and whose backgrounds have placed them at disadvantage. The evidence is that significant numbers of young people are becoming disconnected from school. While the official…

Study of 1,233 Australian dropouts who reentered high school showed that unsuccessful reentrants were often homeless and unemployed, were more likely to be at traditional rather than innovative schools, and had practical, interpersonal, or discipline-related problems at school. Three best predictors of repeat dropout were extent of interpersonal…

Background: This study seeks to identify the cornerstones of personal bests (PBs) in the educational setting. Aims: The study proposes a multidimensional PB model in which students are most likely to attain PBs on tasks/goals that are (1) specific, (2) challenging, (3) competitively self-referenced, and (4) self-improvement based. Sample: The…

Some findings from a large study designed to investigate retentivity at age 16 in Australia, and to examine characteristics differentiating those who left school from those who remained are presented. A path diagram for the causal model of the school termination decision is included. (Author/RL)

The Zuckerman Affect Adjective Check List (AACL) is used to measure trait anxiety and situation-specific trait anxiety relating to peer interaction, vocational aspiration, and the learning of English, mathematics, science and social studies. The subjects were 262 grade 10 students attending an Australian metropolitan high school. Additional…

A two-phase study assessed the extent to which a set of variables predicted rural secondary students' likelihood of continuing to college and sought to determine predictors of rural students' academic success at the completion of first-year university study. Participants were drawn from seven state coeducational secondary schools in the Riverina…

A study comparing the effects of student self-concept, classroom environment, and socioeconomic status on student aspirations and achievement surveyed 3,397 students in 28 rural and urban high schools in Western Australia over a period of 3 years. Government and nongovernment schools in metropolitan areas and in four categories of rural and remote…

This study investigated the institutional characteristics considered by 774 Australian first-year students attending the University of South Australia in their choice of this university. A self-administered survey instrument asked respondents to rate their attitudes on a Likert scale regarding their reasons for selecting this university. Results…

Influences are examined (home, school, and intra-personal) which are associated with early school leaving. A follow-up study reports the educational and occupational plans and attainments of early leavers. (Author/BW)

An overview of the preliminary findings of a large-scale longitudinal (1974-77) survey of the educational needs and social problems of immigrant students in Sydney, Australia, is presented in this report. Four findings are treated as most significant: (1) Differences among immigrants of different non-English-speaking background are so great that…

The attitudes and aspirations of Australian high school students regarding postsecondary education and work were examined in a survey of more than 7,000 students in grades 10-12 in New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia. The students' intentions were strongly influenced by socioeconomic background, geographical location, and gender.…