A Mixed Methods Investigation of Dropout among Talented Young Dancers Finding from the UK Centres for Advanced Training. REDDING, Emma; WALKER, Imogen J.; Nordin- Bates, Sanna M.

RESUMEN: The aim of this study was to understand reason for dropout from a dance-talent program in the UK, using a mixed methods design. In depth interviews were conducted with ten dropout students to explore the influencing factors in their decision to leave the program. In orden to triangulate these findings, reasons for dropout were then examined from descritive records of 147 young dancers who had withdrawn from the talent program over a four-year period. Overall, the most frequently cited reasons for dropping were conflicting demands, change in aspirations, course content, difficulty making friend, and lost pasion. Injury, financial factors, low perceived competence, and teacher behavior amerged as minor reasons. Intervention strategies that focus on changes in course content may be the easiest to implement and most effective means to enhance student retention.