Has the ship sailed? The causes and consequences of school dropout from an ecological viewpoint

• Published in: Social psychology of education Vol. 23; no. 5; pp. 1149 - 1171
• Main Authors: Koc, Muharrem, Zorbaz, Osman, Demirtas-Zorbaz, Selen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.10.2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Dropouts; Ecology; Economic conditions; Economic Factors; Education; Educational psychology; Employment Potential; High School Students; High schools; Labor Market; Middle School Students; Personality and Social Psychology; Qualitative research; School dropouts; Sociology of Education; Student Adjustment; Student Attitudes; Student Experience; Students; Teacher Influence; Young Adults; Labor market; School graduation; School dropout; Dropout consequences; Ecological theory
• ISSN: 1381-2890; 1573-1928
• DOI: 10.1007/s11218-020-09568-w

The purpose of this study is to determine the factors relating to school dropout from the perspective of dropout students, their teachers, and their parents. It also explores students' experiences after school dropout. To this end, in this qualitative study, five young adults who dropped out of middle or high school and their parents and teachers were interviewed. The study found the factors related to school dropout included adjustment problems at the individual level; family, teachers, and economy at the microsystem level; and gender at the macrosystem level. While students, teachers, and parents generally agreed on economic conditions, they had different views about family impact and teacher impact. The study also determined that individuals dropping out of school cannot enter the labor market due to school dropout or have to work in low-status jobs; they regret dropping out; and they think that they would have had a better life if they had not left school.