Uppeldi og menntun - 01.07.2012, Qupperneq 111

Uppeldi og menntUn/icelandic JoUrnal of edUcation 21(2) 2012 111
HJalti JÓn SveinSSon og rúnar SigÞÓrSSon
for support when needed. This indicates that organised peer-support might be consid-
ered within upper secondary schools.
Last but not least, the findings of both studies generally emphasise the importance
of self-efficacy and motivation for learning in line with Adeyemo (2010), Bandura
(1997), and Schunk and Miller, (2002). Both aspects are imperative for students‘ pro-
gress through the upper secondary school, and therefore need to be nurtured by all
possible means, not least by offering learning opportunities that meet the needs of all
students.
Keywords: Dropout from upper secondary schools, self-efficacy, motivation for learn-
ing, educational transition, education for all
About thE Authors
Hjalti Jon Sveinsson (hjalti@vma.is) is the principal of Verkmenntaskólinn á Akureyri
(Akureyri Comprehensive College). He has been in office since 1999. He completed a
cand.mag. degree in Icelandic literature from the University of Iceland in 1986 and an
M.Ed. degree in 2009. His major interests are in the area of leadership, management
and development in the Icelandic upper secondary school system.
Runar Sigthorsson (runar@unak.is) is a professor of education at the Faculty of Educa-
tion, University of Akureyri. He completed his B.Ed. degree from the Iceland Univer-
sity of Education in 1978, an M.Phil. degree in school development from the Univer-
sity of Cambridge in 1996, and a Ph.D. in education from the Iceland University of
Education in 2008. His recent research is in the fields of curriculum, teaching organi-
sation, assessment, learning, the conditions of school improvement, and the develop-
ment of classroom practice and student learning.