Conscious Intra-Personal Development: The Experience Counts

The future of mankind will depend on the ability of the individual to acquire Self-knowledge. The preservation of autonomy of the individual is supported by learning to fathom one's own unconscious and inner being, the undiscovered self. By consciously developing Self-knowledge the possibility originates for the individual to make his own conscious choices and to understand an other human being. It often takes a great deal of effort from an individual to consciously open up to his inner being. Gaining experiences related to intra-personal development and consciously reflecting on those experiences, is essential to keep the conscious intra-personal development process in motion. Education can lend a helping hand during this process, from the start of the school career of children, by making room in the curriculum for affective and experiential education. Theory disturbs the experiential orientation and the focus on emotions. Offer affective and experiential education to children from an early age, with plenty of personal room, and continuing this form of education until they leave school, supports young people to become more and more self-directing. The way in which this form of education is taken care for is crucial for its success.

Age and Social Background as Predictors of Dropout in Second Chance Education in Germany

Second chance education (SCE) has been established to offer adults the opportunity to catch up on higher qualifications, for instance the eligibility to study. SCE often suffers from high dropout rates, but little is known about the reasons. This article investigates whether dropout rates depend on family background and age, and if so, why. Data from 3278 students at an institution of SCE in Germany who entered this institution between 2000 and 2016 are analysed using logistic path modelling. The results show that the higher dropout probability of socially disadvantaged students can be traced back completely to poorer academic performance in SCE, partly associated with an unfavourable previous school career. Older students are – irrespective of their family background and despite a better academic performance – more likely to drop out than younger students. If SCE aims to reduce these dropout risks, strategies should vary for different groups of students.

The Role of Teachers in Career Guidance of Students at Secondary Level in Pakistan

Secondary education decides students' career paths, and teachers at this level play an important role in students' career guidance by assisting them in subject selection and providing career knowledge. Given the importance of teachers in secondary school students' career guidance, the study looked into the role of secondary school teachers in secondary school students' career guidance. The study's goals were to determine the role of teachers in secondary school career guidance and to suggest strategies for secondary school students' career guidance. The study population was 3,247 high-school students from the Swat district, with a sample of 346 students chosen using simple random sampling for data collection. The information was gathered using a self-made questionnaire and evaluated using mean ratings, standard deviation, and the chi-square test. They discovered that teachers play an important role in secondary school career guidance because they serve as role models for students, identify students' career aspirations and abilities, assist in the integration of students' aspirations and potentials, assist in the subject selection, provide career guidance, identify potential careers, and provide career information and requirements. The study also suggested that teachers' capacity for providing career guidance at the secondary level be developed and the inclusion of career guidance subjects at the secondary level.

Perceptions of First-Year Students from Disadvantaged Backgrounds on E-Learning at a South African University of Technology

The introduction of innovative e-learning and teaching methods at universities of technologies necessitates the examining of students’ perceptions of these methods in the promotion of student success. In South Africa, the majority of first-year students are not exposed to technology-aided learning methodology during their high school career, especially those from disadvantaged demographics. The purpose of the study is to examine student perceptions regarding their experience of e-learning at a South African university of technology with specific reference to the success of first-year students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Using qualitative research methods through semi-structured interviews, the researchers discovered that first-year students from disadvantaged backgrounds are experiencing challenges in terms of access to resources such as computers, laptops and reliable internet connection. Furthermore, inadequate training on the use of online resources and unsatisfactory performance during online assessment were discovered and these are heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic. First-year students from disadvantaged backgrounds are exposed to a variety of barriers that have an adverse impact on their success. The study recommends that higher education institutes provide the necessary resources to facilitate seamless assimilation of first-year students into the new environment.