Research Briefing: Persistence

Title	Research Briefing: Persistence
Author(s)	Carpentieri
Organisation	NRDC
Date	March 2008
No. of pages	6
Key words	widening participation; persistence; dropping out; self esteem; community mentors; mentoring
Description	Research which shows that providers of learning should follow up those who drop out of their courses.
Select quotations	“Key Points Whereas retention is a provider-centred concept, persistence puts the learner at the heart of the equation – in effect turning retention inside out. Research shows that learners who appear to be dropping out of provision may only be ‘dipping out’ for a while, generally to meet other commitments. Despite the complex combination of barriers to persistence, there appear to be few differences in the demographic characteristics of adults who persist in their studies and those who do not. However, to encourage persistence by vulnerable learners, the emphasis should be on small steps, such as improvement in self-confidence, rather than on qualifications Among the range of strategies that can help learners to persist, a particularly important factor appears to be the presence of a ‘sponsor’: someone in the learner’s social network who supports and encourages their learning goals.”
Link	http://www.nrdc.org.uk/publications_details.asp?ID=134#