Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Determinants of Secondary School Dropping Out: a Structural Equation Model

  • Conference paper
Data Analysis, Classification and the Forward Search

  • 1540 Accesses

Abstract

In this work we present the main results of a research program on dropping out in secondary school, carried out for the Labor Bureau of Campania Region in Italy. We exploited structural equation modeling to identify determinants of the phenomenon under study. We adopt a social system perspective, considering data coming from official statistics related to the 103 Italian Provinces. We provide some details for the model specification and the estimated parameters. Some relevant issues related to the estimation process due to the small sample size and the non-normality of the variables are also discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • BENVENUTO, G., RESCALLI, G. and VISALBERGHI, A. (2000): Indagine sulla dispersione scolastica. La Nuova Italia, Firenze.

    Google Scholar 

  • BOLLEN, K.A. (1989): Structural Equation with Latent Variables. John Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • BOLLEN, K.A. and JÖRESKOG, K.G. (1985): Uniqueness Does Not Imply Identification, Sociological Methods and Research, 14, 155–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BROWNE, M.W. (1984). Asymptotically distribution-free methods for the analysis of covaxiance structures British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology, 37, 1–21.

    MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • CLARIZIA, P. and SPANÓ, A. (2005): La survey sulle famiglie. In: A. Spanó and P. Clarizia (Eds): Dentro e fuori la scuola. Percorsi di abbandono e politiche di contrasto. Giannini, Napoli, 163–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • FARMER, T.W., ESTELL, D.B., LEUNG, M.C., TROTT, H., BISHOP, J. and CAIRNS, B.D. (2003): Individual characteristics, early adolescent peer affiliations, and school dropout: an examination of aggressive and popular group types, Journal of School Psychology, 41, 217–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GUTTMAN, L. (1955): The determinacy of factor scores matrices with implications for five other basic problems of common factor theory. British Journal of Statistical Psychology, 8, 65–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • HAAGEN, K. and VITTADINI, G. (1991), Regression Component Decomposition in Structural Analysis, Communications in Statistics, 20, 1153–1161.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • JIMERSON, S., EGELAND, B., SROUFE, L.A. and CARLSON, B. (2000): A Prospective Longitudinal Study of High School Dropouts Examining Multiple Predictors Across Development, Journal of School Psychology, 38, 525–549.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JÖRESKOG, K.G. (1970): A General Method for Analysis of Covariance Structures, Biometrika, 57, 239–251.

    MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • KAPLAN, D.S., PECK, B.M. and KAPLAN, H.B. (1995): A Structural Model of Dropout Behavior: A Longitudinal Analysis, Applied Behavioural Science Review, 3, 177–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LEI, M. and LOMAX, R.G. (2005): The Effect of Varying Degrees of Nonnormality in Structural Equation Modeling, Structural Equation Modeling, 12, 1–27.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • LIVERTA SEMPIO, O., GONFALONIERI E. and SCARATTI G. (Eds.) (1999): L’abbandono scolastico, aspetti culturali, cognitivi, affettivi. Raffaello Cortina Editore, Milano.

    Google Scholar 

  • M.I.U.R. (2002): Indagine campionaria sulla dispersione scolastica nelle scuole statali clementari, medic e secondarie superiori: Anno scolastico 2001–2002. Roma, www.istruzione.it.

    Google Scholar 

  • NOOAN, R. and WOLD, H. (1982): PLS Path Modeling with indirectly observed variables, in Systems under indirect observation: causality, structure, prediction, JÖRESKOG K.G and WOLD H. Eds., North-Holland, Amsterdam, 263–270.

    Google Scholar 

  • ORTHNER, D.K. and RANDOLPH, K.A. (1999): Welfare Reform and High School Dropout Patterns for Children, Children and, Youth Services Review, 21, 881–900.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • PREVATT, F. and KELLY, F.D. (2003): Dropping out of school: A review of intervention programs, Journal of School Psychology, 41, 377–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RAGOZINI, G. and VITALE, M.P. (2005): L’analisi della dispersione scolastica in italia attraverso i modelli causali. In: A. Spanó and P. Clarizia (Eds): Dentro e fuori la scuola. Percorsi di abbandono e politiche di contrasto. Giannini, Napoli, 9–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • SATORRA, A. (1990): Robustness issues in structural equation modeling: a review of recent developments, Quality & Quantity, 24, 367–386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SCHÖNEMANN, P.H. and STEIGER, J.H. (1976): Regression component analysis, British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology, 29, 175–189.

    MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • TENENHAUS, M., ESPOSITO VINZI, V., CHATELIN, Y. and LAURO, C. (2005): PLS path modelling, Computational Statistics and Data Analysis, 48, 159–205.

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • VITTADINI, G. (1989): Indeterminacy Problems in the Lisrel Model, Multivariate Behavioral Research, 24, 397–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Sociologia “G. Germani”, Università di Napoli Federico II, Italy

    Giancarlo Ragozini

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Statistiche, Università di Salerno, Italy

    Maria Prosperina Vitale

Authors
  1. Giancarlo Ragozini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maria Prosperina Vitale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics Section of Statistics and Computing, University of Parma, Via Kennedy 6, 43100, Parma, Italy

    Sergio Zani , Andrea Cerioli  & Marco Riani ,  & 

  2. Department of Statistics, Probability and Applied Statistics, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Roma, Italy

    Maurizio Vichi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2006 Springer-Verlag Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Ragozini, G., Vitale, M.P. (2006). Determinants of Secondary School Dropping Out: a Structural Equation Model. In: Zani, S., Cerioli, A., Riani, M., Vichi, M. (eds) Data Analysis, Classification and the Forward Search. Studies in Classification, Data Analysis, and Knowledge Organization. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-35978-8_36

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation