The Hidden Crisis in Graduate Education: Why do Students Dropouts from School?

Year 2020, , 61 - 83, 07.01.2020

Ünal Deniz

https://doi.org/10.9779/pauefd.528019

Cited By: 5

Abstract

Current research on school dropout in Turkey is seen to include mainly the 12 years of compulsory education. However, very few studies focus on school dropouts in higher education institutions. When the literature is examined, it is seen that graduate students are not yet involved in the school dropout process. Although there is not a system to identify the school dropout rates in graduate education in Turkey, some conducted research shows that the size of the school dropout rate is relatively large. In this study, it is aimed to identify reasons which are effective in school dropout in graduate education and to present solution recommendations. The research includes a phenomenology study which consists of 20 students who dropout graduate education determined by using the snowball sampling method. The data were collected from the students through a semi-structured interview form and analyzed by inductive descriptive analysis and content analysis technique. Findings of the research revealed a multifactorial and complex structure that causes graduate students to leave schools, such as academic and social cohesion, inadequacies in the quality of education, orientation to different fields, and transportation. The research draws attention to some points that can be taken to dropout graduate education and ends with a suggestion of longitudinal examination of factors, such as motivation, adaptation, and commitment, to be understood deeply.

Keywords

school dropout, leaving of school, reasons of school dropout, graduate education

Lisansüstü Eğitimde Gizli Kriz: Öğrenciler Neden Okulu Terk Ediyor?

Abstract

Türkiye’de okul terki
üzerine yapılan mevcut araştırmaların ağırlıklı olarak zorunlu eğitim süreci
olan 12 yılı kapsadığı görülmektedir. Buna karşın, çok az sayıda araştırma
yükseköğretim kurumlarında yaşanan okul terkleri üzerine odaklanmaktadır. Literatür
incelendiğinde, lisansüstü öğrencilerin okul terki sürecinde henüz yer almadığı
görülmektedir. Türkiye’de lisansüstü eğitimde okul terk oranlarını tespit
edebilecek mevcut bir sistem ya da takip olmasa da yapılan bazı araştırmalar okul
terkinin oldukça büyük oranlarda olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu araştırmada lisansüstü
öğretim kademesindeki öğrencilerin okul terk etme kararı almalarında etkili
olan nedenlerin belirlenmesi ve çözüm önerilerinin sunulması amaçlanmıştır.
Araştırma, kartopu örnekleme yöntemi kullanılarak belirlenen lisansüstü eğitimi
terk etmiş 20 öğrenciden oluşan bir olgubilim çalışmasını içermektedir.
Veriler, öğrencilerden yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu aracılığıyla
toplanarak, tümevarımcı betimsel analiz ve içerik analizi tekniğiyle çözümlenmiştir.
Araştırmanın bulguları, akademik ve sosyal uyum, eğitimin niteliğiyle ilgili
yetersizlikler, farklı alanlara yönelme, ulaşım gibi lisansüstü öğrencilerin
okulu terk etmelerine neden olan çok faktörlü ve karmaşık bir yapı ortaya çıkarmıştır.
Araştırma, bireylerin lisansüstü eğitimi terk etme konusunda yapılabilecek bazı
noktalara dikkat çekmekte ve konuya ilişkin motivasyon, uyum, bağlılık gibi pek
çok etkenin derinlemesine anlaşılabilmesi için boylamsal olarak incelenmesini
önermekle sona ermektedir.

Keywords

okul terki, okuldan ayrılma, okul terkinin nedenleri, lisansüstü eğitim

References

• Allen, J., Robbins, S. B., Casillas, A., & Oh, I. S. (2008). Third-year college retention and transfer: Effects of academic performance, motivation, and social connectedness. Research in Higher Education, 49(7), 647-664.
• Annells, M. (2006). Triangulation of qualitative approaches: Hermeneutical phenomenology and grounded theory. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 56(1), 55-61.
• Arulampalam, W., Naylor, R., & Smith, J. (2004). Factors affecting the probability of first year medical student dropout in the UK: A logistic analysis for the intake cohorts of 1980–92. Medical Education, 38(5), 492-503.
• Aypay, A., Çekiç, O. ve Boyacı, A. (2012). Student retention in higher education in Turkey: A qualitative study. Journal of College Student Retention, 14(1), 91-116.
• Bean, J. P. (1980). Dropouts and turnover: The synthesis and test of a causal model of student attrition. Research in Higher Education, 12(2), 155-187.
• Bean, J. P. (1983). The application of a model of turnover in work organizations to the student attrition process. The Review of Higher Education, 6(2), 129-148.
• Bean, J. P., & Metzner, B. S. (1985). A conceptual model of nontraditional undergraduate student attrition. Review of Educational Research, 55(4), 485-540.
• Beatty, A., Neisser, U., Trent, W. T., & Heubert, J. P. (Eds.). (2001). Understanding dropouts: Statistics, strategies, and high stakes testing. Washington: National Academy Press.
• Belloc, F., Maruotti, A., & Petrella, L. (2010). University dropout: An Italian experience. Higher Education, 60(2), 127-138.
• Bennett, R. (2003). Determinants of undergraduate student drop out rates in a university business studies department. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 27(2), 123-141.
• Braxton, J. M., Sullivan, A. S., & Johnson, R. (1997). Appraising Tinto's theory of college student departure. In J. C. Smart (Ed.), Higher education: Handbook of theory and research (pp. 107-164). Dordrecht: Springer.
• Bülbül, T. (2012). Yüksekögretimde okul terki: Nedenler ve çözümler. Egitim ve Bilim, 37(166), 219-235.
• Cabrera, A. F., Castaneda, M. B., Nora, A., & Hengstler, D. (1992). The convergence between two theories of college persistence. The Journal of Higher Education, 63(2), 143-164.
• Cabrera, A. F., Nora, A., & Castaneda, M. B. (1993). College persistence: Structural equations modeling test of an integrated model of student retention. The Journal of Higher Education, 64(2), 123-139.
• Campbell, L. (2003-4). As strong as the weakest link: Urban high school dropout. The High School Journal, 87(2), 16-24.
• Castelló, M., Pardo, M., Sala-Bubaré, A., & Suñe-Soler, N. (2017). Why do students consider dropping out of doctoral degrees? Institutional and personal factors. Higher Education, 74(6), 1053-1068.
• Chen, R. (2008). Financial aid and student dropout in higher education: A heterogeneous research approach. In J. C. Smart (Ed.), Higher education: Handbook of theory and research (pp. 209-239). Dordrecht: Springer.
• Christenson, S. L., & Thurlow, M. L. (2004). School dropouts: Prevention considerations, interventions, and challenges. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(1), 36-39.
• Creswell, J. W. (2014). A concise introduction to mixed methods research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
• Creswell, J. W. (2017). Eğitim araştırmaları. İstanbul: Edam Yayıncılık.
• Çepni, S. (2014). Araştırma ve proje çalışmalarına giriş. Trabzon: Erol Ofset.
• Çoruk, A., Çağatay, Ş. M. ve Öztürk, H. (2016). Lisansüstü eğitimde kayıt ve devam sorunları. Uşak Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 9(1), 165-177.
• D’Hombres, B. (2007). The impact of university reforms on dropout rates and students’ status: Evidence from Italy. JRC Scientific and Technical Reports. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. [Available online at: http://www.aiel.it/page/old_paper/dhombres.pdf], Retrieved on February 2, 2019.
• Dekkers, H., & Claassen, A. (2001). Dropouts-disadvantaged by definition? A study of the perspective of very early school leavers. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 27(4), 341-354.
• Di Pietro, G., & Cutillo, A. (2008). Degree flexibility and university drop-out: The Italian experience. Economics of Education Review, 27(5), 546-555.
• Egyed, C. J., McIntosh, D. E., & Bull, K. S. (1998). School psychologists' perceptions of priorities for dealing with the dropout problem. Psychology in the Schools, 35(2), 153-162.
• Entwisle, D. R., Alexander, K. L., & Olson, L. S. (2004). Temporary as compared to permanent high school dropout. Social Forces, 82(3), 1181-1205.
• Ertem, H. Y. ve Gökalp, G. (2017). Eğitim yönetimi araştırmaları. Beycioğlu, B. Özer, N. Koşar, D., & Şahin, İ. (Ed.), Sayıların dili: Lisansüstü eğitimde okul terki içinde (s. 1-12). Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
• Garrison, D. R. (1985). Predicting dropout in adult basic education using interaction effects among school and nonschool variables. Adult Education Quarterly, 36(1), 25-38.
• Gury, N. (2011). Dropping out of higher education in France: A micro‐economic approach using survival analysis. Education Economics, 19(1), 51-64.
• Gülşen, F. U. (2017). Yükseköğretimde okul terkinin değerlendirilmesi (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi). Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Eskişehir.
• Halpin R. L. (1990). An application of the Tinto model to the analysis of freshman persistence in a community college. Community College Review, 17(4), 22-32.
• Hayes, R. L., Nelson, J. L., Tabin, M., Pearson, G., & Worthy, C. (2002). Using school-wide data to advocate for student success. Professional School Counseling, 6(2), 86-94.
• Hovdhaugen, E. (2009). Transfer and dropout: Different forms of student departure in Norway. Studies in Higher Education, 34(1), 1-17.
• Ivankova, N. V., & Stick, S. L. (2007). Students’ persistence in a distributed doctoral program in educational leadership in higher education: A mixed methods study. Research in Higher Education, 48(1), 93-135.
• Ivankova, N. V., Creswell, J. W., & Stick, S. L. (2006). Using mixed-methods sequential explanatory design: From theory to practice. Field Methods, 18(1), 3-20.
• Kronick, R. F. (1994). The imperative of dealing with dropouts: Theory, practice and reform. Education, 114(4), 530-535.
• Kumar, R. (2011). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Cornwall: Sage Publications.
• Lan, W., & Lanthier, R. (2003). Changes in students' academic performance and perceptions of school and self before dropping out of schools. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 8(3), 309-332.
• Lassibille, G., & Gómez, N. L. (2008). Why do higher education students drop out? Evidence from Spain. Education Economics, 16(1), 89-105.
• Mayring, P. (2014). Qualitative content analysis: theoretical foundation, basic procedures and software solution. Klagenfurt. [Available online at: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar- 395173], Retrieved on January 5, 2019.
• Mengo, C., & Black, B. M. (2016). Violence victimization on a college campus: Impact on GPA and school dropout. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 18(2), 234-248.
• Müller, S., & Schneider, T. (2013). Educational pathways and dropout from higher education in Germany. Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, 4(3), 218-241.
• Özer, A., Gençtanırım, D. ve Ergene, T. (2011). Türk lise öğrencilerinde okul terkinin yordanması: Aracı ve etkileşim değişkenleri ile bir model testi. Eğitim ve Bilim, 36(161), 302-317.
• Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (1980). Predicting freshman persistence and voluntary dropout decisions from a theoretical model. The Journal of Higher Education, 51(1), 60-75.
• Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
• Quinn, J. (2013). Drop-out and completion in higher education in europe among students from under- represented groups. [Available online at: http://nesetweb.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2013- Drop-out-and-Completion-in-Higher-Education-in Europe-among-students-from-under- represented-groups.pdf], Retrieved on April 16, 2019.
• Smith, J. P., & Naylor, R. A. (2001). Dropping out of university: A statistical analysis of the probability of withdrawal for UK university students. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A (Statistics in Society), 164(2), 389-405.
• Spady, W. G. (1970). Dropouts from higher education: An interdisciplinary review and synthesis. Interchange, 1(1), 64-85.
• St. John, E. P., & Starkey, J. B. (1995). The influence of prices on the persistence of adult undergraduates. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 25(2), 7-17.
• Stratton, L. S., O’Toole, D. M., & Wetzel, J. N. (2007). Are the factors affecting dropout behavior related to initial enrollment intensity for college undergraduates?. Research in Higher Education, 48(4), 453-485.
• Suhlmann, M., Sassenberg, K., Nagengast, B., & Trautwein, U. (2018). Belonging mediates effects of student-university fit on well-being, motivation, and dropout intention. Social Psychology, 49(1), 16-28.
• Şimşek, H. (2013). University students’ tendencies toward and reasons behind dropout. Journal of Theoretical Educational Science, 6(2), 242–271.
• Taş, A., Selvitopu, A., Bora, V. ve Demirkaya, Y. (2013). Meslek lisesi öğrencilerinin okul terk nedenleri. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Bilimleri, 13(3), 1551-1566.
• Thomas, L. (2002). Student retention in higher education: The role of institutional habitus. Journal of Education Policy, 17(4), 423-442.
• Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research, 45(1), 89-125.
• Tinto, V. (1993). Building community. Liberal Education, 79(4), 16-21.
• Tinto, V. (1997). Classrooms as communities: Exploring the educational character of student persistence. The Journal of Higher Education, 68(6), 599-623.
• Weatherbee, S. (2006). Preventing high school dropout: Implications of a screening inventory for school reform policy and practice (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Yıldırım, A. ve Şimşek, H. (2016). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri. Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık.
• Yorke, M., & Thomas, L. (2003). Improving the retention of students from lower socio-economic groups. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 25(1), 63-74.