A Case Study on University Dropout: Perspectives from Education Faculty Students and Academicians

Year 2022, Volume: 7 Issue: 3, 519 - 559, 30.09.2022

Tahir Yılmaz , Ruhi Sarpkaya

https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1163503

Cited By: 2

Abstract

This case study investigated the reasons for students dropping out of a university and the experiences associated with the dropout process of individuals who dropped out of the faculty of education in Turkey. We collected data from 10 individuals who dropped out and 8 academic staff members who worked in the same faculty of a state university in the Aegean region in Turkey between 2008 and 2018 using the criterion sampling technique. We collected data using semi-structured interview forms and conducted content analysis. The results revealed that pre-admission factors (I), which are the factors of guidance, personality, system, family, career, and city play decisive roles in the admission process of individuals. These factors can shape their intrinsic and extrinsic motivation before the faculty admission process. After admission, the university processes factors (II) such as psychological condition, academic condition, social condition, organizational situation, appointment factors, military service, family situation, and financial situation are determinant factors on individuals’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in their university experience. After the dropout decision, individuals either drop out of the system or change department/university. Findings point out that the reasons for and process of the dropout are interdependent and divergent. Recommendations for future investigations and practices are presented based on our findings.

Keywords

University Dropout, Faculty of Education, Dropout Experience, Case Study

References

• Aina, C. (2013). Parental background and university dropout in Italy. Higher Education, 65, 437-456.
• Aina, C., Baici, E., Casalone, G., & Pastore, F. (2018). The economics of university dropouts and delayed graduation: A survey. IZA Discussion Papers, No: 11421.
• Aparicio-Chueca, P., Dominguez-Amoros, M., & Maestro-Yarza, I. (2021). Beyond university dropout: An approach to university transfer. Studies in Higher Education, 46(3), 473-484.
• Araque, F., Roldàn, C., & Salguero, A. (2009). Factors influencing dropout rates. Computers & Education, 53, 563-574.
• Archer, D. N. (2008). Failing students or failing schools: Holding states accountable for the high school dropout crisis. Lewis and Clark Ls. Rev., 12, 1253-1265.
• Arendt, J. N. (2013). The effect of public financial aid on dropout from and completion of university education: evidence from student grant reform. Empirical Economics, 44, 1545-1562.
• Atılgan, H. (2018). Türkiye’de kademeler arası geçiş: Dünü-bugünü ve bir model önerisi. Ege Journal of Education, 19(1), 1-18.
• Aypay, A., Sever, M., & Demirhan, G. (2012). Üniversite öğrencilerinin sosyal ve akademik entegrasyonu: Boylamsal bir araştırma. Gaziantep Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 11(2), 407-422.
• Bäulke, L., Grunschel, C., & Dresel, M. (2021). Student dropout at university: A phase oriented view on quitting studies and changing majors. European Journal of Psychology of Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-021-00557-x.
• Bean, J. P. (1985). Interaction effects based on class level in an explanatory model of college student dropout syndrome. American Educational Research Journal, 22(1), 35-64.
• Belo, P., & Oliviera, C. (2015). The relation between experiences and expectations with university dropout. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 187, 98-101.
• Bernardo, A., Esteban, M., Fernàndez, E., Cervero, A., Tuero, E., & Solano, P. (2016). Comparison of personal, social and academic variables related to university dropout and persistence. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1-9.
• Bilgin, N. (2014). Sosyal bilimlerde içerik analizi: Teknikler ve örnek çalışmalar. Siyasal Kitabevi.
• Boyacı, A., Karacabey, M. F., & Özdere, M. (2015, March 16-19). Yükseköğretimde okul terk eden ve yeniden bir yükseköğretim kurumuna yerleşen öğrenciler [Conference presentation]. 24th National Educational Sciences Congress, Niğde, Türkiye.
• Boyacı, A., Karacabey, M. F., Özdere, M., & Öz, Y. (2018). The analysis of the factors that weaken engineering students’ engagement and lead them to transfer to other universities. Cukurova University Faculty of Education Journal, 47(2), 384-410.
• Bülbül, T. (2012). Yükseköğretimde okul terki: Nedenler ve çözümler. Education and Science, 37(166), 219-235.
• Calitz, A. P., Cullen, M. D. M., & Jooste, C. (2019). The influence of safety and security on a students’ choice of university in South Africa. Journal of Studies in International Education, DOI: 1028315319865395.
• Ceylan, H. H., Köse, B., & Aydın, S. (2017). Üniversite ve şehir özelliklerinin üniversite tercihindeki etkisinin cinsiyete göre değerlendirilmesi: Şehir pazarlama yaklaşımı. Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Elektronik Dergisi, 8(20), 269-286.
• Chies, L., Graziosi, G., & Pauli, F. (2014). Job opportunities and academic dropout: The case of University of Trieste. Procedia Economics and Finance, 17, 63-70.
• Creswell, J. W. (2015). Nitel araştırma yöntemleri: Beş yaklaşıma göre nitel araştırma ve araştırma deseni (Çev. Ed. M. Bütün ve S. B. Demir). Siyasal Kitabevi.
• Dekkers, H., & Claassen, A. (2001). Dropouts-disadvantaged by definition? A study of the perspective of early school leavers. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 27, 341-354.
• De Witte, K., Cabus, S., Thyssen, G., Groot, W., & van den Brink, H. M. (2013). A critical review of the literature on school dropout. Educational Research Review, 10, 13-28.
• Duque, L. C., Duque, J. C., & Surińach, J. (2013). Learning outcomes and dropout intentions: An analytical model for Spanish universities. Educational Studies, 39(3), 261-284.
• Ergen, H. (2017). Private returns to higher education in Turkey: An application in public education sector. International Journal of Educational Sciences, 17(1-3), 161-172.
• Esgice, M. (2015, June). Açık ve uzaktan eğitim öğrencilerinin okul bırakma sebepleri. Unpublished Master Thesis, Ankara University, Educational Sciences Institute: Ankara.
• Ferreira, M., Campos, S., Guiné, R., Duarte, J., Abrantes, J. L., Cabral, L., & Balula, J. (2018, July 18-20). Higher education students’ dropout ıntention: Relational factors and life management. [Conference Presentation]. International Conference on New Horizons in Education Conference, Paris, France.
• Glesne, C. (2012). Nitel araştırmaya giriş (Çev. A Ersoy ve P. Yalçınoğlu). Anı Yayıncılık.
• Gökşen, F., & Cemalcılar, Z. (2010). Social capital and cultural distance as predictors of early school dropout: Implications for community action for Turkish internal migrants. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34, 163-175.
• Griffiths, M. (1998). Educational research for social justice: Getting off the fence. Open University Press.
• Gury, N. (2011). Dropping out of higher education in France: a micro-economic approach using survival analysis. Education Economics, 19(1), 51-64.
• Gülcan, M. G., & Cengizhan, S. (2009). Teknik eğitim ve eğitim fakültesi öğrencilerinin ilk ve ortaöğretim ile yükseköğretimdeki mesleki benlik algılarının karşılaştırılması. Journal of Polytechnic, 12(4), 225-234.
• 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.
• Herrero, Á., San Martín, H., & del Río Peña, A. (2015). Influence of country and city images on students’ perception of host universities and their satisfaction with the assigned destination for their exchange programmes. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 11(3), 190-203.
• Heublein, U. (2014). Student drop-out from German higher education institutions. European Journal of Education, 49(4), 497-513.
• İlgan, A., Ataman, O., Uğurlu, F., & Yurdunkulu, A. (2018). Factors affecting university choice: A study on university freshman students. The Journal of Buca Faculty of Education, 46, 199-216.
• Jungert, T., Alm, F., & Thornberg, R. (2014). Motives for becoming a teacher and their relations to academic engagement and dropout among student teachers. Journal of Education for Teaching, 40(2), 173-185.
• Kehm, B., M., Larsen, M. R., & Sommersel, H. B. (2019). Student dropout from universities in Europe: A review of empirical literature. HERJ-Hungarian Educational Research Journal, 9(2), 147-164.
• Kelly, A. K., & Mulrooney, H. M. (2019). Student perceptions of belonging at university: a qualitative perspective. New Directions in the Teaching of Physical Sciences, 14(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.29311/ndtps.v0i14.3238
• Kerby, M. (2015). Toward a new predictive model of student retention in higher education. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 0(0), 1-24.
• Köse, N. (2014, July). Acarlar beldesinde okul terkleri ve devamsızlık sorunu. Unpublished Master Thesis, Adnan Menderes University, Social Sciences Institute, Aydın.
• Krstić, K., Ilić, I. S., Videnović, M., & Tošković, O. (2019, March 29-31). Should they stay or should they go? Dropout in higher education [Conference presentation]. 25th Scientific Conference on Empirical Studies In Psychology, Belgrade, Serbia.
• Lassibille, G., & Gomez, L. N. (2008). Why do higher education students drop out? Evidence from Spain. Education Economics, 16(1), 89-105.
• Lavrijsen, J., & Nicaise, I. (2015). Social inequalities in early school leaving: The role of educational institutions and the socioeconomic context. European Education, 47(4), 295-310.
• Long, T., & Johnson, M. (2000). Rigour, reliability and validity in qualitative research. Clinical Effectiveness in Nursing, 4, 30-37.
• Mannan, A. (2007). Student attrition and academic and social integration: Application of Tinto’s model at the University of Papua New Guinea. Hgher Education, 53, 147-165.
• Merriam, S. B. (2015). Nitel araştırma: Desen ve uygulama için bir rehber (Çev. Ed. S. Turan). Nobel Akademi Yayıncılık.
• Montmarquette, C., Mahseredjian, S., & Houle, R. (1996). The determinants of university dropouts: A sequental decision model with selectivity bias. CIRANO, Scientific Series, 96s-04.
• Norton, A., & Cherastidtham, I. (2018, December 17). Dropping out: The benefits and costs of trying university. Grattan Institute. https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/904-dropping-out-the-benefits-and-costs-of-trying-university.pdf Dec 17, 2019.
• Noyens, D., Donche, V., Coertjens, L., van Daal, T., & Van Petegem, P. (2019). The directional links between students’ academic motivation and social integration during the first year of higher education. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 34(1), 67-86.
• Oragwu, A. A. (2020). Minimizing students’ dropout rates in universities for sustainable development. International Journal of Educational Research and Policy Making, 3(1), 511-521.
• Park, T. J. (2014). College dropout. In D. J. Brewer, & L. O. Picus (Eds.), Encyclopedia of education economics and finance (pp. 134-136). Sage.
• Parr, A. K., & Bonitz, V. S. (2015). Role of family background, student behaviors, and school-related beliefs in predicting high school dropout. The Journal of Educational Research, 108(6), 504-514.
• Paura, L., & Arhipova, I. (2014). Cause analysis of students’ dropout rate in higher education study program. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 109, 1282-1286.
• Perakyla, A. (2004). Reliability and validity in research based on naturally occuring social interaction. In D. Silverman (Ed.), Qualitative research: Theory, method and practice (pp. 283-304). Sage.
• Ramsdal, G., Gjærum, R. G., & Wynn, R. (2013). Dropout and unemployment. International Journal of Educational Research, 62, 75-86.
• Rodríguez-Gómez, D., Feixas, M., Gairín, J., & Muńoz, J. L. (2015). Understanding Catalan University dropout from a comperative approach. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 1424-1429.
• Roso-Bas, F., Jiménez, A. P., & García-Buades, E. (2016). Emotional variables, dropout and academic performance in Spanish nursing students. Nurse Education Today, 37, 53-58.
• Russell, L., & Jarvis, C. (2019). Student withdrawal, retention and their sense of belonging; their experience in their words. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, 4(3), 494-525.
• Saban, A., & Ersoy, A. (2016). Eğitimde nitel araştırma desenleri. Anı Yayıncılık.
• Saccaro, A., França, M. T. A. (2020). Stop-out and drop-out: The behavior of the first year withdrawal of students of the Brazilian higher education receiving FIES funding. International Journal of Educational Development, 77, 1-11.
• Shcheglova, I., Gorbunova, E., & Chirikov, I. (2020). The role of the first-year experience in student attrition. Quality in Higher Education, 26(3), 307-322.
• Silverman, D., & Marvasti, A. (2008). Doing qualitative research: A comprehensive guide. Sage.
• Sneyers, E., & De Witte, K. (2017). The interaction between dropout, graduation rates and quality ratings in universities. Journal of Operational Research Society, 68(4), 416-430.
• Somani, R. (2021). The returns to higher education and public employment. World Development, 144, 1-11.
• Spady, W. G. (1970). Dropouts from higher education: An interdisciplinary review and synthesis. Interchange, 1, 63-85.
• Szabó, C. M., & Matar, H. (2021). The stages of students’ behaviour change functioning as predictors of dropout. In SHS Web of Conferences (Vol. 99, p. 01045). EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20219901045.
• Şimşek, H. (2013). Üniversite öğrencilerinin okulu bırakma eğilimleri ve nedenleri. AKU Journal of Theoretical Educational Science, 6(2), 242-271.
• Tabbodi, M., Rahgozar, H., & Makki Abadi, M. M. (2015). The relationship between happiness and academic achievements. European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences: Proceedings, 4(1), 241-256.
• TBMM (2018a, August). 15 Ağustos 2018 tarihli 7/1666 esas numaralı Ednan ARSLAN tarafından verilen yazılı soru önergesi. https://www2.tbmm.gov.tr/d27/7/7-1666s.pdf.
• TBMM (2018b, August). 15 Ağustos 2018 tarihli 7/1666 esas numaralı Ednan ARSLAN tarafından verilen yazılı soru önergesine verilen 19.12.2018 tarihli 99074258-610-E.94 sayılı cevap. https://www2.tbmm.gov.tr/d27/7/7-1666sgc.pdf.
• Terenzini, P. T., & Pascarella, E. T. (1991). Twenty years of research on college students: Lessons for future research. Research in Higher Education, 32(1), 83-92.
• Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research, 45(1), 89-125.
• Troelsen, R., & Laursen, P. F. (2014). Is drop-out from university dependent on national culture and policy? The case of Denmark. European Journal of Education, 49(4), 484-496.
• Truta, C., Parv, L., & Topala, I. (2018). Academic engagement and intention to drop out: Levers for sustainability in higher education. Sustainability, 10, 4637.
• Uslu Gülşen, F. (2017, June). Yükseköğretimde okul terkinin değerlendirilmesi. Unpublished PhD Thesis, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Educational Sciences Institute, Eskişehir.
• Wolter, S. C., Diem, A., & Messer, D. (2014). Drop-outs from Swiss universitties: An empirical analysis of data on all students between 1975-2008. European Journal of Education, 49(4), 471-483.
• Yanpar, T., & Özen, R. (2004). Üniversite öğrencilerinin lise eğitimini algılamaları ve iyileştirme ile ilgili öneriler. Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education, 17(2), 381-402.
• Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2011). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri. Seçkin Yayıncılık.
• Yılmaz, T., & Sarpkaya, R. (2016). Eğitim ekonomisi: Eleştirel bir yaklaşım. Anı Yayıncılık.
• Yi, H., Zhang, L., Yao, Y., Wang, A., Ma, Y., Shi, Y., Chu, J., Loyalka, P., & Rozelle, S. (2015). Exploring the dropout rates and causes of dropout in upper-secondary technical and vocational education and training (TVET) schools in China. International Journal of Educational Development, 42, 115-123.
• Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th Ed.). Sage.
• Yorğun, A. (2014, August). Lise öğrencilerinde okul terki riskinin incelenmesi, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Hacettepe University, Educational Sciences Institute, Ankara.
• Yüksel, S. (2004). Eğitim fakültesi öğrencilerinin öğrenme-öğretme süreçlerine yönelik direnç davranışları. The Journal of Turkish Educational Sciences, 2(3), 341354.
• Zorbaz, O. (2018, January). Lise öğrencilerinin okul terk risklerini etkileyen öğrenci ve okul düzeyindeki faktörler. Unpublished PhD Thesis, Hacettepe University, Educational Sciences Institute, Ankara.