Narratives of Student Engagement in an Alternative Learning Context

Making a claim for services: Supporting young people’s engagement with services

“…They wanted meaningful connections with their social workers and other workers, such as tutors and youth workers, and wanted their views and concerns to be seen as important when decisions were being made. Relationships that empower young people to be active participants in interventions, and allow them to retain a sense of control over their involvement with service providers have been observed to have a positive impact on young people's engagement with services (Jones, 2011;McLeod, 2007). It has been suggested by various authors (for example, McLeod, 2007) that relationships between vulnerable youth and service providers should be egalitarian, empowering, and enduring, and that service providers should be seen by young people as accessible and available.…”

“…For young people who have faced significant and sustained challenges, such as prolonged exposure to abuse and neglect, violence, addictions, disengagement from education, and mental health issues, factors that limit their ability to exercise agency may be even more pronounced than for other youth who have experienced more normative transitions throughout their lives (Aaltonen, 2013;Munford & Sanders, 2015). Associated with these life experiences are also their experiences of services where these services have not always facilitated access to meaningful support and resources (Sanders & Munford, 2014a (French et al, 2003;Jones, 2011). Research has indicated that factors such as stigma, labelling by diagnosis, coercion, assessments that young people felt were too quick to allow practitioners to develop a full understanding of what was happening for them, and a lack of personal control over service intervention options, all negatively impacted on their engagement with services (French et al, 2003).…”

The importance of psychological need satisfaction in educational re-engagement

“…Regarding relatedness, teacher caring and support is a critical facilitator for reengaging students. When school staff build a relationship of trust where they know students personally, show that they care and want to help students, express understanding in response to disruptive behaviour, and help students to believe that they belong in the classroom and school community, students are more likely to re-engage with them and ultimately, with their education (Cook 2005;D'Angelo and Zemanick 2009;Frankham et al 2007;Jones 2011;Pirrie et al 2011;Schussler 2009;Tobin and Sprague 2000). To support the need for competency, teachers/staff members should create a highly structured classroom in which Martin, and Jeffes 2010).…”

Attachment and pedagogical relevant practices as elements of a successful alternative school through the narratives of its students

“…Students' emotional and behavioral commitment to school is associated with their sense of attachment to it (Razer, Friedman, & Warshofsky, 2013), and attachment, in turn, is a precondition for student success (Jones, 2011). While these principles hold true for most students (Darling-Hammond, Ross, & Milliken, 2007), they are crucial for at-risk youth who experience alienation from their school, its teachers, and its curriculum (Hascher & Hagenauer, 2010;Razer et al, 2013;Schultz, 2011).…”