Lived Experiences of Dropout University Students: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 Department of Nursing Education, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Students face different challenges during their studies, among which dropping out of universities is one of the most complex of these challenges. The psychological status of students after leaving their university has received less attention in the field of educational psychology studies. The purpose of this study was to analyze the lived experiences of this group of students after leaving university.
Method: In the present qualitative study, 15 students with a dropout experience were recruited throughout a purposive sampling. The experiences of participants were categorized into different groups based on the content of the interviews in thematic analysis. To gather the data, depth interviews was employed by using online video call, and the data was analyzed through a content analysis method.
Results: The conventional content analysis revealed a main theme: helplessness. Accordingly, data analysis led to the formation of two categories: 1-unbelonging with three subcategories:( rejection by people in one's life, loneliness, lack of dignity among peers) and; 2-negative emotions with four subcategories: (shame and guilt, depression and sadness, inferiority feeling, hopelessness towards future).

Conclusion: It seems that the students in Iran with a dropout situation face unpleasant psychological experiences. The results could clarify emotional dimensions of facing with stressful situation in academic context. One practical implication of the present study is the necessity of constructing psychological ‎interventions for dropout student in the Iranian society in order to facilitate proper interventions to support these individuals and improve their psychological health

Keywords

References

  1. References

    1. Strayhorn T. Transition to Higher Education–in Search of Belonging. In How higher education feels 2016 Jan 1 (pp. 23-51). Brill Sense.
    2. Dekker GW, Pechenizkiy M, Vleeshouwers JM. Predicting Students Drop Out: A Case Study. International Working Group on Educational Data Mining. 2009 Jul.
    3. Vossensteyn JJ, Kottmann A, Jongbloed BW, Kaiser F, Cremonini L, Stensaker B, Hovdhaugen E, Wollscheid S. Dropout and completion in higher education in Europe: Main report. 2019.
    4. Mehr News Agency. Statistics and causes of expulsion and dropout students in 10 universities. Cited 2010 Jun 29. Available from: http://mehrnews.com/xcnwg.
    5. Behr A, Giese M, Teguim Kamdjou HD, Theune K. Dropping out of university: a literature review. Review of Education. 2020 Jun;8(2):614-52.
    6. Mahdion Z, Khatony A, Abdi A, Jafary F. Assessment of Academic Failure Rate and Related Factors from the Perspective of Nursing Students of School of the Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, in the First Semester of 2011-2012.  JNE. 2017; 5 (5) :1-8. [In Persian]
    7. Narimani, M., Miri, M. Factors influencing on academic success of top rated entrance exams: Grounded theory. JRIES. 2017; 11(38): 59-79. [In Persian]
    8. Ladan F, Azari S, Baradaran H, Atlasi R. A Systematic Review of the Evaluation of Academic Decline in Medical Students. SDME. 2013; 10 (2): 31-8. [In Persian]
    9. Quiros L. Trauma, recovery, and growth: Positive psychological perspectives on posttraumatic stress.    JTSW.2010; 30(1), 118-121.
    10. May ME. Effects of Differential Consequences on Choice Making in Students at Risk for Academic Failure. Behavior analysis in practice. 2019 Mar 29;12(1):154-61.
    11. Franklin P, Tsujimoto KC, Lewis ME, Tekok-Kilic A, Frijters JC. Sex differences in self-regulatory executive functions are amplified by trait anxiety: The case of students at risk for academic failure. Personality and Individual Differences. 2018 Jul 15;129:131-7.
    12. Dunham N. Multiple Identities of Field-Based Early Childhood Education Student Teachers. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies. 2018 Nov 1;53(2):275-88.
    13. Graneheim UH, Lundman B. Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse education today. 2004 Feb 1;24(2):105-12.
    14. Guba EG, Lincoln YS. Competing paradigms in qualitative research. Handbook of qualitative research. 1994;2(163-194):105.
    15. Downey G, Feldman SI. Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships. Journal of personality and social psychology. 1996 Jun;70(6):13-27.
    16. London B, Downey G, Bonica C, Paltin I. Social causes and consequences of rejection sensitivity. Journal of Research on Adolescence. 2007 Sep;17(3):481-506.
    17. Feinstein BA. The rejection sensitivity model as a framework for understanding sexual minority mental health. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2019 Jul 8:1-2.
    18. Kent TA. A Pilot Study on Understanding the Effect of Social Class Stigma in College Students at a Selective Liberal Arts College: The Impact of Perceived Social Class Stigma on Cognitive Function. Doctoral dissertation, Wheaton College; 2020 Jan 20.
    19. Jiang Y, Ren Y, Liu T, You J. Rejection sensitivity and adolescent non‐suicidal self‐injury: Mediation through depressive symptoms and moderation by fear of self‐compassion. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. 2020 Jun 23:e12293.
    20. Gunnarsdottir T, Njardvik U, Olafsdottir AS, Craighead LW, Bjarnason R. Teasing and social rejection among obese children enrolling in family-based behavioural treatment: effects on psychological adjustment and academic competencies. International Journal of Obesity. 2012 Jan;36(1):35-44.
    21. Gausel N, Leach CW, Vignoles VL, Brown R. Defend or repair? Explaining responses to in-group moral failure by disentangling feelings of shame, rejection, and inferiority. Journal of personality and social psychology. 2012 May;102(5):941.
    22. Zhou J, Li X, Tian L, Huebner ES. Longitudinal association between low self‐esteem and depression in early adolescents: The role of rejection sensitivity and loneliness. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. 2020 Mar;93(1):54-71.
    23. Watson J, Nesdale D. Rejection sensitivity, social withdrawal, and loneliness in young adults. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 2012 Aug;42(8):1984-2005.
    24. Gausel N, Leach CW, Vignoles VL, Brown R. Defend or repair? Explaining responses to in-group moral failure by disentangling feelings of shame, rejection, and inferiority. Journal of personality and social psychology. 2012 May;102(5):941.
    25. Akdoğan R. A model proposal on the relationships between loneliness, insecure attachment, and inferiority feelings. Personality and Individual Differences. 2017 Jun 1;111:19-24.
    26. Akdoğan R, Çimşir E. Linking inferiority feelings to subjective happiness: Self-concealment and loneliness as serial mediators. Personality and Individual Differences. 2019 Oct 15;149:14-20.
    27. Bäck EA, Bäck H, Knapton HM. Group belongingness and collective action: Effects of need to belong and rejection sensitivity on willingness to participate in protest activities. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. 2015 Oct;56(5):537-44.
    28. Afrasiabi H, Khoobyari F. Student identity and its related factors among students in Yazd Universities. IRPHE. 2016; 21 (4) :1-19. [In Persian]
    29. Niyazi M, Motevalian S, Razeghi H, Farhadiyan A, Javidani N. Meta-Analysis of Researches Conducted on the Relationship Between Cultural Capital and Social Identity. RJNSQ. 2020; 21(82): 135-156. [In Persian]
    30. Kehm BM, Larsen MR, Sommersel HB. Student dropout from universities in Europe: A review of empirical literature. Hungarian Educational Research Journal. 2019 Sep;9(2):147-64.
    31. Weiner B. Attribution theory. The Corsini encyclopedia of psychology. 2010 Jan 30:1-2.
    32. Lewinsohn PM. A behavioral approach to depression. Essential papers on depression. 1974:150-72.
    33. Young JE, Klosko JS, Weishaar ME. Schema therapy: A practitioner's guide. Guilford Press; 2006 Nov 1.
    34. Tracy JL, Robins RW. Appraisal antecedents of shame and guilt: Support for a theoretical model. Personality and social psychology bulletin. 2006 Oct;32(10):1339-51.
    35. Ghanbari Talab, M., Khormayi, F. The anticipation of help seeking behavior by intelligence beliefs with the mediational role of shame and guilt feelings. , 2016; 5(2): 105-128. [In Persian]
    36. Baldwin KM, Baldwin JR, Ewald T. The relationship among shame, guilt, and self-efficacy. American Journal of Psychotherapy. 2006 Jan;60(1):1-21.
    37. Snyder CR. Handbook of hope: Theory, measures, and applications (Ed.). Academic press; 2000.
    38. Abramson LY, Alloy LB, Hogan ME, Whitehouse WG, Gibb BE, Hankin BL, Cornette MM. The hopelessness theory of suicidality. In Suicide science 2002 (pp. 17-32). Springer, Boston, MA.

     

     

International Journal of Behavioral Sciences
Volume 15, Issue 1
April 2021
Pages 41-47

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics