The primary objective of the secondary education goal-setting programme is to boost the motivation and school performance of pupils from a disadvantaged socio-economic background and improve their educational and career opportunities. This intervention could have a positive effect on other students’ performance as well.
Success rate
This psychological intervention was developed by RSM professor Michaéla Schippers. Academic research since 2011 has demonstrated that at university level, the intervention has had a significant positive effect in reducing the drop-out rate in the first year of study. The programme will now be applied in secondary education for the first time.
“Our initial intention with the goal-setting programme is to improve the educational results; success rates in the lower and upper years and exam results,” says IJsselcollege principal Bram van Welie, one of the initiators. “We also want to significantly improve the progression to further education. We view the goal-setting programme as a promising intervention to provide pupils with the support they need.”
1,000 pupils
This project is financed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science through the Gelijke Kansen Alliantie (equal opportunities alliance). The letter of intent was signed on 9 February by RSM, the four secondary schools, and the municipality of Capelle aan den IJssel. The Bètasteunpunt Zuid-Holland/Leiden is responsible for bringing the secondary schools together. The programme will be trialled in the next academic school year (2018-2019) with 1,000 pupils in the first year of the upper grades.
Naturally, the results of this project and the new academic insights will be shared, and at a later stage the programme will explore how other secondary schools can also participate.