DOI: 10.63612/ijesp.1936537 ISSN: 2718-1022

Rethinking the Process of School Dropout: Causes, Experiences, and Preventive Strategies

Fazli Göksu, Mehmet Üstüner
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This study examines school dropout as a multidimensional and process-oriented phenomenon by focusing on its underlying causes, emotional meanings, and prevention-oriented implications. Using an interpretative phenomenological design within a qualitative research framework, the study involved 24 participants with school dropout experience who varied in age, gender, educational level, dropout stage, occupation, place of residence, and income level. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher, reviewed through expert feedback, and refined after pilot implementation. The data were analyzed with the support of MAXQDA, drawing on Yin’s qualitative analysis cycle and Braun and Clarke’s stages of thematic analysis. The findings indicate that school dropout is shaped by the interaction of individual, familial, environmental, and structural factors. Economic hardship, work and family responsibilities, lack of institutional support, academic difficulties, negative peer influence, gender-based barriers, and limited rural opportunities emerged as prominent determinants. Participants interpreted dropout primarily in terms of sadness, disappointment, regret, and incompleteness, although some regarded it as a necessary decision under existing conditions. The results further suggest that dropout prevention requires integrated early warning systems, academic and psychosocial support, family-school collaboration, inclusive learning environments, career guidance, and flexible policies sensitive to socioeconomic inequalities. Overall, the study suggests that school dropout cannot be reduced to individual choice; rather, it should be addressed through student-centered, equity-oriented, and multi-stakeholder interventions.

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