Abstract:

School dropout is an ongoing problem in Turkish Education System that has been growing especially in recent years While the existing studies on dropout in Turkey focus on reasons and intervention models of dropout in the primary school level of compulsory education there is a shortage of research scrutinizing the dropout phenomenon in high school level This study aims to determine the reasons of high school dropout from the perspectives of high school students who drop out of high school The study is based on a qualitative research model which is completed by a phenomenological approach The study group is composed of 25 high school dropouts who continue apprenticeship training in Vocational Training Centers in 2011 2012 in the four districts Gölcük Körfez İzmit Gebze of Kocaeli The participants were chosen by employing purposive sampling methods Data were collected using semi structured interviews and content analysis was used in data analysis Restricted by the experiences of participants the reasons behind high school dropout were determined as academic failure unwillingness and dislike of school discipline and health problems The study also strongly emphasizes the effects of students rsquo; relationships with their friends teachers administrators and families on the process of giving the decision to leave school

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