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School failure and mathematics education in Dodecanese islands: A case

study

Charoula Stathopoulou, Petros Chaviarisstath@rhodes.aegean.gr;chaviaris@rhodes.aegan.gr

“The interaction between mathematics education and school failure in island areas:

interpretation and confrontation in the case of Dodecanese Islands” (Pythagoras, Aegean University): This research program is co-

financed by 3rd CSF of EEC

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This project is in progress and attempts to study the interaction of mathematic education with school failure through and holistic explanatory perception for the phenomenology of mathematic education focusing in the investigation of relations of school community, educational community, family and wider local society of target-regions. The objective of this project is the development of sufficient criteria for the selection of variables in order to propose reparative actions. We try to study the students’ school failure phenomenon in a well defined region, in which specific sociocultural and territorial characteristics have an important influence on the students’ choices.

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Our project concerns the interaction between mathematics education and school failure in Dodecanese (Dodecanese= 12 islands) area in Greece. Dodecanese constitutes of twelve islands, with a wide population diversity as well as diversity in educational structures in every island.

The main focus of the research program is to explore the role of the family and the society on the students’ aptitude as well as on the students’ personal school-routes as variables of the study of the relation between mathematics education and school failure.

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The main part of the data is collected by interviews with students, teachers and members of students’ families. Through the semi-structured interviews the above members of a micro culture, state their beliefs about the following: the education system, the mathematics education, their own role and the role of others regarding school failure as well as failure in mathematics. What is going to be presented in this report is the result of a case study, concerning a student with an experience in school failure, who was obligated to migrate on different islands and change educational orientation in order to be able to continue school.

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Expressions of school failure

- the low school aptitude, - the interruption of schooling or - the continuation in schools with lower standards (evening schools).

The rhetorical intent of State for the obligatory education is impressed in the law of 985 (1566/85-15(3)), where it is reported that: "schooling is obligatory in the primary school and in the high school, in the case student has not exceeded the 16 year of his age. Whoever has the assiduity of the student and omits his registration or his monitoring regarding his school’s attendance he is punished according to the article of 458 Penal Code ".

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The law is supplemented by the article of 458 penal code: "the person that intentionally offends against the law is punished …………. ". This rhetorical intention of the State however is not accompanied by corresponding practices since until today there have been no reported cases of parents who have been punished by the state because of their students defective schooling.

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An important percentage of children recorded in the phenomenon of school failure in Greece did not have good performance in Mathematics. The problem of low performance in mathematics is important because it imposes restrictions in the educational occasions and in the occasions for the later labour employment of the individual. High rates of school escape are presented in semi-urban and rural regions and particularly in the islander regions. The morphology of territory in Greece with main characteristics mountainous volumes but also the big number of islander regions appears to be an important parameter in the configuration of school dropping out. Particularly Thrace (12,88%) and islander regions [Crete (10,32%), Aegean Islands (8,34%), Ionian Islands (8,45%) are the regions with the highest school dropping out ].

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Stages of researchThe research was developed in three stages: a) the recording of existing situation in the schools of

Dodecanese, b) b) study of phenomenon of school failure in the evening

schools, c) case studies of students A) In the initial stages of research carried out recording and

study of school drooping out in the high schools of particular regions of Dodecanese through the inventory bulletins of beginning and expiry of school years and then through students lists (recent three-year period)..

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The data were completed through information—characteristics of their school route, absences, aptitudes of particular students in the mathematics, profession of parents, etc.—selected of students’ lists regarding their next step.

Namely, it was examined whether students continued school or they interrupted their attendance. Eventually students were categorized depending on their course: transfer in other unit, interruption of schooling due to their low aptitude etc.

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I.

without removal

removal after the compulsory educationa) in the same island ,b) in another islandremoval during the compulsory educationremoval after preschool education

removal before the compulsory education

years oldI)

III)

II)

IV)

V)

III)

The first parameter that was studied was the school route in order to see if students had to move on their island, on another island for any level of education and the relation of this movement to their school aptitudes.

So each route constitutes a particular case study for the investigation of the relation between mathematics education and school failure, because of the different opportunities for education that each route offers.

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Β) In the next stage a pre-research was conducted in evening schools and lyceums through the completion of questionnaires by students where they stated their opinions about education, teachers, mathematic education.

The results of this inquiring activity led to the choice of different case studies of students (different educational way, sex of student, interruption of schooling).

The reason why we focused on the students of evening schools is the fact that it attracts students with low aptitude, who usually have interrupted the schooling for some interval

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Γ) In the cases study, which is in progress, they are examined:

the case history of school route of students-target (kindergarten High school, not compulsory education),

the connection between this rout and mathematics education and student’s as well as

his parents point view about school operation and mathematics education.

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The case of John In this particular presentation we will discuss the case of John (17 years old) who studies in the Third class of evening High school in Rhodes. Α) The profile of studentoJohn is the intermediate among three boys of a family with a mediocre economic situation. oHe attended the primary school in Kalymnos, a small island near to Rhodes. oHe finished primary school with low grades. oRegarding mathematics, as he answered his aptitude was ‘by no means, nothing’. oFor three years he interrupted school attendance. oAfter these three years the family moved in order to facilitate him to attend secondary school.

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- For which reasons did you interrupt/ didn’t you continue school? - Ε…… Your schoolmates went regularly to the high school, why didn't you go?- I still did not want to enter …………………………….- How does your family speak (what they say) about school;- At the beginning they pressed me to go, but I used to say ‘no I don’t like it’. So my mother decided to come with me and still we go together. - Do you attend the same class?- Yes - How did they react when you said that you are not going to continue school, what did they do, did they distress?- A little!- And what they do?

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- i do not remember

It is also interesting to examine his opinion for himself (self-image, self-assessment), regarding his aptitude specifically in mathematics. The main relating notice concerns his conviction that he couldn’t manage anything at school.- In the courses I never accomplish anything and although my teacher explains everything to me several times, still I don’t manage to understand and do anything.- Which courses do you prefer? ( and why?) - You mean, which courses DID I prefer!!!- Why, now you don’t?

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- Regarding mathematics…. I manage to do something for a school year in the primary school because a teacher helped me so much. - This course was the one you prefer?- For one year, one year I had learned perfect, but afterwards ….. it finished.- The reason you liked them this year was the fact you were good?-Yes, I had managed with them so much!

The objectives of John, rather his only objective from school are not the acquisition of knowledge but simply and only the ‘paper’[qualification ], as clearly he declares it.

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- In which case do you feel, generally, satisfied – cheerfully, in the school?- Nothing, simply I go only for the ‘paper’ - There isn't anything that offers to you any joy? - E…, no only when we make something funny………………………………………………………- Do you remember any experience from Mathematics’ course that gave you great satisfaction;- That is to say?………..- I had learned multiplication table and I was glad! - Do you remember any negative experience regarding mathematics?- The examinations- Why didn’t you go well in exams?- I used to write my name and ….white paper.

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-Why?-Because I haven’t learnt anything and I’m never going to do.Through the discussion it appeared that John didn’t blame his teachers. Furthermore he spoke enthusiastically for the primary school teacher who had accomplished to make him active through individualised teaching. But this finished when he changed class.

In order to survive in this hostile for him place he chose to withdraw in a corner, waiting just to ‘take the paper ': When I go there I seat in a corner and I don’t speak to anyone nor anyone speaks to me.

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John’s mother appeared to be interested in her son’s schooling through the fact that she decided to attend school with her son as well as because she decided to move all the family from Kalymnos to Rhodes where evening school exists. These kinds of schools in Greece are addressed mainly in older persons who have incidentally interrupted their studies for various reasons and also in students of low school performance who hose them because are considered of low difficulty. His mother, who was so much interested in her son’s schooling considered that school didn’t contribute to his professional life but helped him to socialize: ‘to be with other children, to communicate, to be introduced to groups, to do things that he didn’t do with me’. .

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Through questions regarding the cases where a teacher is good it appeared that she considered teachers’ ability to enter in the soul of child important. Moreover she pointed out the need for the schoolteacher to be specialised so that he can face special cases of students: "it must be more specialised, something more than simple schoolteacher" She considered her sun’s negativism for school an important reason for schooling interruption. It must be marked that both had contact with psychologists, who attended the student from the time he was at primary school. But as he was in Athens, consequently there wasn’t existed possibility for sufficient follow-up due to the distance and the difficulties in moving. The school failure of John was considered as a problem for all the family and she thought that evening school was a saving solution. As she stated: it was the only thing for us, the only solution

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Some Concluding remarks

• Through this particular case study it results firstly the connection of interruption of study with the choices of school route by the student. The fact that on the island evening high school doesn’t exist and the student felt insufficient to study in regular school had as a consequence to be out of school for three years.

• By his attitude for the evening high school the direct relation of school failure and evening high school is confirmed. the connection of school failure with student’s self image is also obvious. The answers he gave reveal his low expectations from school and particularly from mathematics: ‘In school I do not accomplish anything’.

• Finally the discussion with his mother and with him reveals the importance of mathematics since it is considered to be directly connected to his professional establishment. (:mathematics necessary for his professional life)

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