Marginalisation and Co-created Education – enhancing the quality and relevance of student´s knowledge and skills. A comparative study aimed at preventing dropout

Research topic/aim: By modernising undergraduates and masters pathways across partner Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s), this project strives to improve the quality of the student experience, prevent dropout, and enhance graduate employability. The project responds to youth unemployment within the EU area, and by training undergraduate and postgraduate students as co-researchers, the project aims at enhancing the student’s skills in order to give them better opportunities during their education and later in their work career. In relation to EU efforts to reduce social inequality, we focus on marginalised locations and strive to learn from those who live with the consequences of marginalisation. The project is a collaboration between partners from the University College of Southeast Norway, University of Cumbria in the UK, and VIA University College in Denmark. The researchers and students in the project are from the teacher’s and social educator’s educations. The researchers and the students will interview informants, aged 16-21, with dropout experiences. The project’s total duration is 36 months, with a start in September 2017. In this presentation, we will focus on preliminary reflections on the methodology of the project and the importance of collaborating with students in order to enhance social inclusion and prevent dropout – viewed from the perspective of the Danish partners in the project. Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework of the project is still to be developed. For now inspiration from research on dropout (Dorn, 1993; Jonker, 2006; Brown & Rodriquez, 2009; Tanggard, 2013) is being discussed in the group of Danish researchers. A broader theoretical basis among all partners in the project is being developed around literature on deprivation and marginalisation. Methodological design: The project builds on an ongoing longitudinal study carried out at the University College of Southeast Norway. This project uses ‘the indirect approach’ – a specific method of qualitative interviewing where the informant’s narratives are highly important (Moshuus & Eide, 2016). In the present project, we develop ‘the indirect approach’ in order to further qualify the method’s ability to grasp the student’s perspectives and understand the relevance of context in relation to dropout. Expected conclusions/findings: In the project we will work towards completing 6 intellectual outputs. In the presentation we will focus on two of those; 1) an Open Access Journal, where students involved in the project can publish their research findings, and 2) a book of papers by students and researchers that more thoroughly presents the theoretical and methodological basis of the project, as well as research findings. More broadly, through this project, we expect to further understand the mechanisms of dropout and use such insights to prevent marginalisation in our societies. Relevance to Nordic educational research: In contemporary nordic societies marginalisation and dropout is an important challenge. In this project we strive to exceed boundaries between researchers/teachers and vulnerable students in order to enhance social inclusion in our societies. The comparative setup in the project will gain fruitful insights into varied perspectives on dropout, and the intellectual outputs will make this knowledge available through open access channels. References: Moshuus, G.H. & Eide, K. (2016) The Indirect Approach: How to Discover Context When Studying Marginal Youth. In: International Journal of Qualitative Methods, January-December 2016: 1–10 Tanggaard, L. (2013). An exploration of students’ own explanations about dropout in vocational education in a Danish context. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 65(3), 422–439. Brown, T. M., & Rodriguez, L. F. (2009). School and the co-construction of dropout. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 22(2), 221–242. Dorn, S. (1993). Origins of the ‘drop-out problem.’ History of Education Quarterly, 33(3), 353–373. Jonker, E. F. (2006). School hurts: Refrains of hurt and hopelessness in stories about dropping out at a vocational school for care work. Journal of Education and Work, 19(2), 121–140.