THE CAUSES OF SCHOOL DROPOUT AMONG SECONDARY

SCHOOL STUDENTS

(A CASE STUDY OF UVWIE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA

STATE)

BY

ETABUKO MARTHA

MAT. NO: 153996

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY, ABRAKA

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE

AWARD OF BACHELOR DEGREE IN EDUCATION B.Sc. (Ed)

NOVEMBER, 2013.
 CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that this project was undertaken by ETABUKO MARTHA

of the Department of Economics. Delta State University, Abraka and that

it has been examined and approved by my project supervision.

________________________ _____________
Mr. Akpowowo Obaro Date
Project Supervisor.

________________________ _____________
Dr. Dickson .O. Oyovwi Date
Head of Department

________________________ _____________
Dr. H.N. Ajuar Date
Director of Programme
 DEDICATION

With appreciation and honour, this project work is dedicated to God

Almighty for giving me the grace and strength to complete my degree

programme.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am most grateful to God Almighty for His grace, guidance, and provision

throughout the period of this academic pursuit.

The contribution and love, tolerance, cheerful guidance and sustained

interest of my project supervisor, Mr. Akpowowo Obaro who will ever

remain fresh in my memory.

I wish to express my gratitude to my lovely and caring Daddy and

mummy Mr. and Mrs. Godwin Etabuko for their financial support that

lead to the realization of my educational dream.

This project will not be completed without mentioning the effort and

assistant of my Rev. Mr. Samson Bodjor who is the pillar of education. I

am also grateful to my daughter miss Goodness Ogbemudiare for her

understanding towards me during this programme.

My thanks also go to my H.O.D of Economics Department, Dr. D. Oyovwe

and the departmental lecturers. God bless you all.

Finally, I am most grateful to my loving and amiable sister and his

husband, Mr. Mrs. Obet Obukowho for their morale and financial

support.
 ABSTRACT

The study was designed to examine the causes of school dropout among

secondary school students in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta

State. In this research work the researcher tried to look into the cause of

the problem, find solution to them and also allocate the measures of

improving the standard. Effort was made by the researcher to collect

data from various schools. However, the researcher hope that the

research work will help the reader to have an insight into the reduction

of school dropout in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. Finally,

the research work has suggested ways of improving education in Uvwie

Local Government Area of Delta State. Based on these finding, some

recommendations were made at the end of the study.

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Dropping out of school is a well documented social problem and often

present daunting circumstances for adolescents. Dropping out is also

associated with delinquency, and low school achievements. One of the major

reasons for children being kept out of school was the lack of education of

parents.

The issue of school dropout in Nigeria has been with us for a very long time.

Fafunwa (2008) noted that dropout is one of the most serious problems that

have continued to bedevil our educational system since independence in

1960 from the colonial administration. Even before our independence, the

problem of dropout has already established its grip on our educational

system. This can be buttressed with the remark made by Nuffied foundations

in 1953 that in the West coast of Africa, a considerable proportion of

student’s dropout of school each year. It was found that parents’ attitudes

towards education have a major effect on education. It seems that when

either of the parents is literate or especially when women are literate, they

are more willing to send their children, especially girls, to the school.

“The huge dropout rates, however, indicate that children, girls more often

than boys, are needed for other activities such as looking after other siblings,

domestic work and help with farm work. Parents play a crucial role in keeping

young people in school.

This study has come at a time when there is high rate of insecurity in the

country as a result of criminal activities.

Survey by both the print and electronic media tends to indicate that over

85°!o of the criminal activities perpetuated in Nigeria are done by youths

who dropped out of school. This development has become a cause of serious

concern to all well meaning Nigerians. This tends to suggest that our

educational system is in trouble and thus needs a very serious attention in

refocusing it and restructuring it for the attainment of national goals.

De Cos (2005), commenting on the importance of graduation from high

school noted that with the economy changing from a dependence on

manufacturing towards more reliance on technology, services, and a

“knowledge economy”, the need for education beyond high school has
grown. In Nigeria of today, Senior School Certificate is considered as the

minimum required for most jobs and status positions. This development has

serious implications for the economic well being of dropouts and the society

at large. In this era of global economic meltdown and global economic

competitiveness, Nigeria as a nation that has vision must make concerted

efforts to raise the educational attainment of all its youths who are the

leaders of tomorrow. The degree and nature of family support are

determined by such factors as a stressful/unstable home life, socio-economic

status, minority membership, siblings’ completion of high school, single

parent household, poor education of parents and primary language other

than English” (Horn, 2010). The girls who are denied educational

opportunities disproportionately as compared to boys suggests a clear cut

discrimination in household behaviour. Parental and social attitudes in most

Indian cultural context tend to perpetuate the stereotypes of girls being

transient members of families on their journey to marriage and boys being

the mainstay of support to ageing parents.

Education, which has rightly been conceived as a preparation for life, is a

productive activity and an investment in human resources. A progressive and

welfare state (country) would never ignore its indisputable need for
socialisation of its masses of which education is considered to be the chief

organ for this purpose. Education is an important component of economic

and social development and contributes significantly to a country’s progress.

It is considered to be the investment in human capital as it builds human

capabilities, which is a vital nation-building ingredient. Without spread of

literacy, the dream of socioeconomic development of the country can never

be realized(Abdul, 2011).

Globally, reasons why students dropout from school can be categorized into

four clusters. These include; School related, Job related, family related, and

community related. Study by Frenden berg and RugIls (2007) identified

twenty four factors under family cluster; three factors under community

cluster and twelve factors under school cluster. The factors identified under

family cluster include; low family socio economic status, racial or ethnic

groups, male, special education status, low family support for education, low

parental education, residential mobility, low social conformity, low

acceptance of adult authority, high level of social isolation, disruptive

behaviour conduct, being held back in school, poor academic achievement,

academic problems in early grades, not liking school, feelings of “not fitting

in” and of not belonging, perceptions of unfair or harsh disciplines, feeling

unsafe in school, not engaged in school, being suspended or expelled,

conflicts between work and school, having to work and school, having to

work or support family, substance use and pregnancy. In community cluster,

the following factors were indentified: living in a low income neighbourhood,

having peers with low educational aspirations and having friends or siblings

who are dropouts. Under school related cluster, these factors were

indentified; low socioeconomic status of school population, high level of

racial or ethnic segregation of students, high proportion of students of colour

in high school, high proportion of students enrolled in special education,

location in central city, large school district, school safety and disciplinary

policies, high-stakes testing, high student —to- teacher ratio, academic

tracking, discrepancy between the racial or ethnic composition of students

and faculty, and lack of programmes and support for transition into high for

9th and 10th graders. While job related cluster entails: those students who

could not work and school at the same time, those who had to do a job to

survive and those who found job.

It must be stressed at this point that variables in each of the clusters are not

all conclusive. The reasons why students dropout of school vary from one

society to another, and from one country to another. For example, in

Pakistan, Mohsin et al (2004) found weak primary education system, non-

availability of trained teachers, and parent-teacher relationship as the major

causes of dropouts.

Most of the researches on the causes of dropout in Nigeria isolated the

following: (i) Poor educational background of parents, (ii) inability of parents

to pay their children school fees, (iii) failure in school examination, (iv) very

poor

state of facilities in schools, (v) unemployment of graduates, (vi) broken

homes, (vii) types of parents occupation,(viii) school discipline policies, (ix)

teenage pregnancy, (x) early marriage and (xi) very early ambition for self

business and employment.

According to sokare (2008) the emotional effect include depressing, sorry,

dreadful etc. in the political dimension sokare (2012) noted that during

election, opponents of the dropout use the issue of dropout to use society

to incorporate socio-economic and political instability, unhealthy and

stressful society.
1.2 Statement Of The Problem

This study was carried out to correct the imbalance in research efforts on our

knowledge of school dropout. Most of the researches on dropout have been

centered on causes, effects and remedies. Most if not all the researches in

Nigeria on the same subject matter foHowed the same pattern. No studies

to my knowledge in Nigeria studied dropout problems using the parameter

“pattern of dropout” under the influences of school type and environment.

The inability of students to attain their academic achievement is as a result

of certain motivation, socio-economic background, (Fombo 1997). Another

problem is because the female children began their domestic function at

their early age as expected by their parent, the females at that stage combine

both the domestic functions and educational responsibilities, which result to

poor academic achievement.

This study is therefore very timely arid significant. The statement of the

problem therefore is: will the evaluation of dropout patterns among senior

secondary schools in Uvwie local Government Area Delta State identify the

most vulnerable groups susceptible to dropout from school.

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

The main objective of the study is to identify and explain the causes of school

dropout among secondary school students in Uvwie and also to collect and

access data from pupils and parents according to gender.

1.4 Research Questions

To guide this study, the following research questions were raised:

1. To what extent does teenage pregnancy affect female dropout in school?

2. To what extent does early marriage affect the rate of dropout in school?

3. To what extent does prostitution of female student affect the dropout in

school?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were stated and tested at 0.05 level of significance.

1. H01: There is no significant difference in response among the respondents

as to whether teenage pregnancy affects female dropout in secondary school

2. H02: There is no significant difference in response among the respondents

as to whether financial problems affects female dropout in secondary school.

 3. H03: There is no significant difference in response among the respondents

as to whether early marriage affects female dropout in secondary schools.

1.6 Scope Of The Study

The study is limited to some selected secondary schools Uvwie Local

Government Area of Delta State.

Schools were used as sample for collection of information. The secondary

schools includes in table 1:

1. Ekpan Secondary School Fkpan

2. Ogbe Secondary School Effurun

3. Army Day Secondary school

4. Our Ladies High school Effurun

5. Word Of Faith Schools

1.7 Significance of the study

The importance of the study is to examine the causes of school dropout

among secondary school students in Uvwie. This research work will be of

great advantage to the readers which include the students, teacher’s heads

of school and government. The students will benefit from this study because
of the logical approach on the research to clearly identify the importance and

benefit. The government, parents, teachers and heads school will find this

study beneficial in planning and controlling policies to improve education in

Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.

The study may be beneficial for the following reasons:

1. Parent: the study will serve as a guide to making decision and how to

motivate the girl-child to go to school. It also gives the parent insight on how

they should educate their daughters on sex related matters, that is, the

effect of pregnancy and how to avoid it.

2. Government: Government may equally benefit from the study because it

will serve as a guide in formulating policies in order to regulate early

marriage and also enlighten them on the importance of education and

consequence of early marriage. It will create an enabling environment for

them to actively go to school.

3. Students: students may benefit from this study because it will serve as a

guide to making relevant decision, that going to school is better than

involving in antisocial activities.

 4. Researcher: The researcher may also benefit from this study because it

may serve as a guide for the researcher to find out or get more information

he may likely use for the research work that may be beneficial to the female

student and teachers.

1.8 Limitation of study

The sample use for this study was limited to selected secondary school,

which was used to generalize the causes of school dropout among secondary

school students in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.

Another limitation are the Certain factors passed some constraint in this

study. These include: Time, finance and Experience on the part of the

researcher.

Time: this is the most essential factor that has made the researcher to limit

his study to selected school in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.

The researcher was unable to travel to many places which would have added

some colour to the research.

Finance: Generally, Finance plays an important role in research studies.

Lack of adequate finance made the researcher to study few schools.

 In addition to the above limitation is the researcher’s experience on

research.

In the process of giving out questionnaire to the selected school schools, the

researcher’s experience is still at the elementary stage.

1.9 Definition of term

Drop out: The researcher has categorized dropout in two terms, voluntary

and in-voluntary. Voluntary dropout is where the student withdraws from

school because he/she feels disillusioned and depressed and becomes

dissatisfied with his/her academic achievement, and therefore decide to pull

out of the school system, while the involuntary dropout is a result of

economic difficult family condition.

Student: A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational

institution. Also a learner who drop out of school for a number of different

reasons—and it’s typically a combination of many issues.

School: This is an institution for educating children School drop out: Dropping

out is a leaving school without a high school diploma or equivalent credential

such, as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate as defined by

the National Center for Education Statistics.

 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

In this chapter, the literature will be reviewed under the following sub topics:

I. Brief history of school drop

II. Early school dropout

 III. Factors that influence students to drop out

IV. Factors that may cause dropout in connection with pupils and their

families

V. Characteristics of students who drop out

VI. Solution to school drop out

VII. Summary of the literature review

2.1 Brief History Of School Drop Outs

Dropping out of school is an issue faced by many teens today. I feel that there

are many reasons why students want to and do dropout of school. Due to

my research students use dropping out of school as a way to escape from

their problems. Further in this paper I will provide you with the information

telling you what I recollect the problems are.

One of the greatest problems students have in countries such as the U.S.SA

is dropping out of school. I feel that the most average reason for students

turning to dropping out is because of them being effected by their family

problems. One way they could become effected is by their family, is having

obsessive parents. Students might feel if they stop going to school it could
be the only way to get back at parents that act in such manner. Another

reason for students dropping out of schools is because of their family

income. Everyone knows that young people these days have the thought that

they need flashy and expensive clothing to go to school. Students could also

have the thought because of misguidance. They could have a family that has

been raised on relying on something other than school for a key into

happiness.

In 1990, Jomtien hosted the World Conference ‘Education for all’. This

conference launched the ambitious goal of achieving universal primary

education by the year 2000. Although this deadline has been moved to 2015,

the objective remains a challenge. It goes without saying that Thailand, after

having hosted such a conference, wants to be a good pupil in the

international class. At this moment a right to 12 years of free basic education

has been established, of which 9 are compulsory. Yet a substantial problem

of early dropout persists, both at primary and at secondary level.

Moreover, the dropout record has worsened with the economic crash of

2007, which has put the demand as well as the supply side of education

under financial pressure.

 The dropout rate has been referred to as a silent epidemic and of late has

been recognized as a national crisis. Dropouts imperil not only their futures

but also negatively impact our communities and nation due to the loss of

productive workers; billions of dollars in lost tax revenues; and the higher

costs associated with social services, healthcare, crime-prevention

programs, and increased incarceration.

2.2 Early School Dropout

The rarely debated issue of school dropout in the Romartian education

system requires immediate action. It is a phenomenon so widespread and so

serious that it should be a priority for all those involved in education:

politicians, decision makers, parents, teachers and students.

The Education 2000 Center and UNICEF have developed the project Efficient

solutions to prevent school dropout: costs and mechanisms. The project aims

to offer support for strengthening the overall efforts to solve this significant

issue. It follows three main directions: to extend the existing database on

school dropout; to test a series of realistic solutions; and to estimate the

costs of implementing at national scale the proposals submitted. Efforts also

 focused on better preparing those involved in education to deal with school

dropout.

2.3 Factors That Influence Students To Drop Out

A review of research studies conducted in the field of dropout prevention

yielded a complex array of findings. Both quantitative and qualitative studies

reinforced the need for individual assessment and targeted intervention.

While practical strategies and multidimensional approaches to prevent

dropouts have resulted from the numerous studies on the subject, the

complexity of the problem demands further investigation.

The following review addresses dropout research and methodologies that

have been successful in shedding light on the topic.

The research team of Wells, Bechard, and Hambly (2009) categorized factors

that influence dropout decisions into the following four broad categories:

school-related, student-related, community-related, and family-related.

Wells et al. (2009) found that a combination of these factors greatly

increased the likelihood of a student dropping out.

This framework was the lens through which the research on dropout rates in

this section was viewed. The four factors are generally summarized as

follows:

1. Student-related factors are qualities students possess independent of

demographics such as drug abuse, trouble with the law, and pregnancy.

2. School-related factors are those in the control of the school or school

district.

3. Family-related factors include socio-economic status, parental support, or

whether one or both parents live in the home.

4. Community-related factors include societal pressure, the impact of

poverty, as well as environmental influences.

Each of these areas was addressed by investigating the research connected

with each factor.

Student-Related Factors

Student-related factors are defined as those the student engages in outside

of the school setting. Most often they are associated with negative student

behaviors such as drug abuse or violent actions. Research has found a direct

correlation between student behaviors and an increase in the dropout rate.

Studies point to early childhood development and aggressive behavior as the

strongest determinant of dropping out of high school. In a longitudinal study

following 248 girls and 227 boys from 7th grade until 12th grade, Ekstrom,

Goertz, Pollack, and Rock (2006) examined behavioral, cognitive, and

demographic factors relating to dropping out of high school. He found that

students who dropped out were earlier noted to have exhibited high levels

of aggressiveness and lower academic performance. A study by Brindis and

Philleben (2011) noted three distinct indicators of dropouts. Brindis and

Philleben stated that students who “associated” with other dropouts had a

higher incidence of dropping out. Other noted factors included low socio-

economic status and early parenthood. These three factors point to the

negative cultural influences of peer groups and poverty. While early

parenthood is present as a common factor in all socioeconomic levels, it is

also linked to early dropouts. Neckerman (2009) conducted a longitudinal

study that analyzed the relationship between behavioral, cognitive, and

demographic factors and early school dropout. He assessed a sample of girls

(n = 248) and boys (n = 247) and monitored them from seventh grade to

either school dropout or completion. Interviews were conducted individually

to assess the 14°!o who had dropped out prior to 11th grade. Results of these
interviews found that 82% of the males and 4% of the females with high

levels of aggressiveness coupled with poor academic performance in seventh

grade had dropped out. The primary outcomes were supported by

convergent variable-oriented and person-oriented analyses.

Rumberger and Larson (2007), conducted a hierarchical regression analysis

to examine indicators of dropout. They found multiple factors of drop out

emanate from a single predictive trait such as low socio-economic status or

gender. When combined, they increased the likelihood of the indicators’

predictive value. For example, high socio-economic status and high student

performance were indicators of high future income.

They also found few indicators that crossed all domains. Indicators they did

find, which were linked to the domains studied, included parental

involvement, academic achievement by age 14, and a juvenile arrest.

School-Related Factors

Wells et al. (2009), define school-related factors as structures and activities

within the school day that may contribute or fail to deter disengaging

behaviors. These factors constitute actions that occur during the school day

and are related to interaction with the school system. Chronic absenteeism,
tardiness to class, and other disciplinary problems are considered school-

related factors. Retention and poor academic achievement are also factors

that have been studied to determine a correlation with dropout issues.

Research on the early warning signs of dropping out indicates that the over-

age student is at great risk of dropping out across all three grade levels

elementary, middle, and high school (Wells et al., 1989).One of the earliest

longitudinal studies on academic success and behavior while in school and

the corollary effect on dropping out was conducted by Roderick

(1993).Roderick analyzed a cohort of students in Fall River, Massachusetts.

She looked at three drop out factors for students starting in 4th grade

through high school graduation. This longitudinal study provided great

insight in determining causality of factors in dropping out. Roderick looked

at the three areas including academic performance, student engagement,

and social background. Two of the factors are directly influenced by the

school. Her analysis compared dropouts with non dropouts.

Structures and systems that comprise a school’s design (administration,

staffing, budgets, resources, schedules, curriculum, instruction,

assessments), how they support or deter struggling students, and how they

serve at-risk subgroups, are also predictive of dropout rates. Absenteeism

repeatedly leads the list of predictors of dropout behaviours (Easton, 2011).

Bryk and Thum (2008), studied how a school’s organizational structure

affects dropout behaviors. They used linear analysis to investigate what leads

to absenteeism, and found structures with clear norms in place held the most

promise for students at risk of absenteeism and as a corollary dropout rate.

Easton (2011), found that attendance was a strong predictor of success in

high school. The number of absences a student accumulates is an easy-to-

obtain measurement and one proven to be a strong indicator of high school

success. Easton found that absence rates were particularly significant in

transition years from elementary to middle school and middle to high school.

Absenteeism was also seen as a primary indicator to measur student

engagement. Other researchers found correlating behaviors including

truancy, coming to school unprepared, and not completing homework to be

indications of academic disengagement (Bonikowske, 2006).

Cairns et al. (2009), also addressed the issue of absenteeism. They found that

schools defined as heterogeneous and highly normative were deemed the

most supportive for keeping students on track. They noted that schools

where subgroups felt disenfranchised and did not have a clearly defined

normative school culture had a higher frequency of absenteeism. Structures

that had clearly defined normative cultures were more likely to have fewer

absences Additional effects of school structure on the dropout rate have

been studied.

Schools within schools, or small learning communities, have been found to

have a positive influence on counteracting the dropout rate particularly at

large high schools (Baker & Sansone, 2009). The movement known as “small

schools” was created with financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates

Foundation. Preliminary results are mixed as some schools are succeeding

and others have shown moderate or no change (Gates, 2008).

A school’s vision and interaction with students plays a significant role in

curbing the dropout rate. Fine (2006), conducted an ethnographic case study

of dropout in an urban school. She described a culture where student-

teacher interactions, school discipline procedures, curricula, and district

policy contributed to a 40% dropout rate.

Family-Related Factors

Family environment can encompass qualities such as family composition,

poverty level, and substance abuse in the home. Wells et al. (1989), found

that family factors contributed to the likelihood of dropping out or remaining

in school. Family factors can include parental support, parenthood, or other

factors related to the home life of a student.

Students cited parental support as a factor that helped them stay in school

(Wells et al., 2009). Lack of parental involvement in an abusive home is

connected with a higher incidence of dropping out (Wells et al., 2009).

Factors such as living in a violent order functional home environment, a

home where drug or alcohol abuse is prevalent, single-parent households, a

language other than the language used at school, and a lack of education of

the parents have been linked to student dropout (Wells et al., 2009).

Family stability was a factor found to positively influence and support

students on their way toward graduation. Rumberger and Larson (2008),

used data from a sample of 1,500 students in a California longitudinal study.

They identified a set of predictors of high school completion, future

employment, future income, and adult crime. They analyzed data on

individual students, demographics, family information, and school

experiences from birth to either high school completion or dropout. Their

research included an analysis of test scores comparing non mobile and highly

mobile students.
Carpenter and Ramirez (2007), investigated other home support issues. They

found that common predictors of dropout shared within the White and

Hispanic student subgroup included gender, time doing homework, and

family composition. In addition, males from single-family households were

found more likely to drop out than others within the White and Hispanic

subgroups. They also found that achievement gaps within ethnicities seemed

more profound than gaps across ethnicities. They emphasized the need for

school leaders to look for predictors and to weigh the complexity of each

situation individually. They also cautioned against looking at factors that

merely identify students, rather than understanding their individual needs in

an effort to better understand the dropout problem.

Community-Related Factors

Wells et al. (2009) found that community factors played a role in whether

students dropped out. They defined community-related factors as those that

are supported by the current environment or the community support the

student may have available. Poverty is a community-related factor that has

a strong correlation with the likelihood of dropping out (Wells et al., 2009).

Poverty is often connected with activities that compete with time spent in
school. For example, students who work more than 20 hours a week have

been found to have a higher likelihood of dropping out.

Davalos, Chavez, and Guardiola (2011) found that minority students are

more likely to possess qualities that provide the greatest correlation with

dropping out. These include a higher incidence of poverty, a lower incidence

of academic success, and a greater likelihood to live in urban communities.

Supporting this research, Ginsberg and Miller-Cribbs (2000) found that

communities in the southern and south western part of the United States, as

well as urban areas, produced more dropouts.

Many community efforts and state initiatives to support at-risk youth and to

study factors leading to dropout have supported the educational system in

making a difference in the dropout epidemic. Steinberg and Almeida (2008),

describe six factors to help us focus on the best practices of schools that beat

the odds in rescuing dropouts and engaging unsuccessful high school

students.
2.4 Factors That May Cause Dropout In Connection With Pupils And Their

Families

Factors that may cause dropout in connection with pupils and their families

include:

• Financial problems. Large, dysfunctional and poor families have problems

providing adequate clothing for all their children and sometimes require

child labour (in the fields or in the household often to help with younger

siblings).

• Parents’ educational example. Most often students who drop out come

from families where the parents themselves did not spend more than eight

years in school. Yet, there are exceptions. Quite often pupils who have

dropped out still hope to complete their studies “to have at least ten years

of formal education”, to get some qualifications so they do not end up like

their parents, who are unskilled workers and have little chance of ever

becoming successful in their lives.

• Siblings’ educational example is much more influential. Families in which

elder siblings have left school early often see the younger ones do the

same.
• Dysfunctional families bring about material needs. Tribulations like

divorce, alcoholism and domestic violence can often presage school

dropout.

• Edge-of-law activities. Prostitution, membership of street gangs or of

beggars’ networks almost always lead to children dropping out of school.

These motivating factors particularly apply when a child is moving from

junior secondary to senior high school or at the beginning of senior high

school.

• Employment. Making money through unskilled work, bar work,

prostitution or begging during term time almost always results in early

school dropout. One solution, where work is necessary for financial

reasons would be to adopt models from Western countries, such as high-

school pupils taking a holiday job or working just a few hours a day, for

example baby-sitting.

• Lack of trust in the education system is a stereotype untested in real life.

However, this trust is likely to fall in the run-up to school dropout. That is

why it could be useful if pupils who have already dropped out were in
 touch with pupils at risk of doing so to share their current perspective on

school.

• Migration does not seem to be a risk factor per se, but there are important

issues in connection with the reintegration of migrants’ children who leave

the system and then come home when they are older. The same problems

arise when pupils join the education system much later than the norm.

At the community level, the major factors in early school dropout are as

follows:

• The early marriage custom, which often terminates young people’s

education, especially in rural communities.

• Having a child. This tends to be a characteristic of certain communities

rather than a series of isolated incidents. Not only do girls who give birth

typically come from dysfunctional, poor families, but many of their peers

are doing the same thing.

• Lack of individual security in the area. In some communities teachers are

afraid to interact with parents because of the high crime rate and this lack

of cooperation between teachers and parents can increase dropout risks.

 • The custom of discontinuing education after the eighth grade. In one

community, which was relatively well connected to the urban area,

eighth-grade graduates declined to continue their education in high

school, saying that they did not have classmates to continue with.

In school, dropout may be caused by the frequent repeating of grades,

insufficient pupil integration or poor relationships with teachers and

classmates. However, at school level little action is taken to forestall school

abandonment. Teachers can play an important role in this respect: because

they see pupils all the time, they could identify and diagnose their problems

and alert the relevant bodies (authorities or non-governmental

organisations) when intervention is needed.

2.5 Characteristics Of Students Who Drop Out

Socioeconomic Background. National data show that students from low-

income famflies are 2.4 times more likely to drop out of school than are

children from middle-income families, and 10.5 times more likely than

students from high-income families.

Disabilities. Students with disabilities are also more likely to drop out. The

National Transition Study estimates that as many as 36.4% of disabled youth

drop out of school before completing a diploma or certificate.

Race-ethnicity. Hispanics and African Americans are at greater risk of

dropping out than whites. Hispanics are twice as likely as African Americans

to drop out. White and Asian American students are least likely to drop out.

Academic Factors. National research also indicates that academic factors are

clearly related to dropping out. Students who receive poor grades, who

repeat a grade, or who are overage for their class are more likely to drop out.

Absenteeism. Students who have poor attendance for reasons other than

illness are also more likely to drop out. Clearly, students who miss school fall

behind their peers in the classroom. This, in turn, leads to low self-esteem

and increases the likelihood that at-risk students will drop out of school.

Occupational Aspirations. Young people’s perceptions of the economic

opportunities available to them also play a role in their decision to drop out

or stay in school. Dropouts often have lower occupational aspirations than

their peers.
Predictive Factors. The following individual-level factors are all strongly

predictive of dropping out of high school:

• Grade retention (being held back to repeat a grade)

• Poor academic performance

• Moves location during high school

• High absenteeism

• High absenteeism

• The student’s feeling that no adult in the school cares about his or her

welfare

Reasons young people give for dropping out:

• Don’t like school in general or the school they were attending

• Were failing, getting poor grades, or couldn’t keep up with school work

• Didn’t get along with teachers and/or students

• Had disciplinary problems, were suspended, or expelled

• Didn’t feel safe in school

• Got a job, had a family to support, or had trouble managing both school

and work

• Got married, got pregnant, or became a parent

• Had a drug or alcohol problem

Consequences of dropping out:

In recent years, advances in technology have fueled the demand for a highly

skilled labor force, transforming a high school education into a minimum

requirement for entry into the labor market.

Because high school completion has become a basic prerequisite for many

entry-level jobs, as well as higher education, the economic consequences of

leaving high school without a diploma are severe.

Earnings Potential. On average, dropouts are more likely to be unemployed

than high school graduates and to earn less money when they eventually

secure work. Employed dropouts in a variety of studies reported working at

unskilled jobs or at low- paying service occupations offering little opportunity

for upward mobility.

Dropping out, in turn, causes other secondary, indirect problems:

 Public Assistance. High school dropouts are also more likely to receive public

assistance than high school graduates who do not go on to college. In fact,

one national study noted that dropouts comprise nearly half of the heads of

households on welfare.

Single Parents. This increased reliance on public assistance is likely due, at

least in part, to the fact that young women who drop out of school are more

likely to have children at younger ages and more likely to be single parents

than high school graduates.

• Prisons. The individual stresses and frustrations associated with dropping

out have social implications as well: dropouts make up a disproportionate

percentage of the nation’s prisons and death row inmates. One research

study pointed out that 32% of America’s prisoners are high school dropouts.

2.6 Solution To School Drop Out

Many high schools partner with local middle schools to implement transition

programs for all incoming students. These programs range from

informational assemblies for incoming students to comprehensive monthly

meetings with teachers, counselors, and administrators from both schools

(Alliance for Excellent Education, 2004). Other programs involve

informational parent meetings, student shadowing programs, panel

discussions, and high school course counseling sessions. Although most

schools use some combination of these transition aides, few implement

programs that wholly involve students, parents, and faculty from both

schools, providing complete support.

Programs With Academic Supports

Programs that help in creating both social and academic support systems

seem to have additional success with targeted student populations.

Programs that provide a look at life after high school and provide

opportunities to succeed in college have assisted in curbing dropouts

(Conchas& Clark, 2002). The Advancement Via Individual Determination

(AVID) program targets the middle and high school low-income youth of

color. The goal of AVID is to develop a support system for middle-achieving

students who show promise and provide them with an opportunity to attend

college (Mehan, 2008). It provides exposure to a rigorous curriculum,

enhanced organizational and study skills, access to college student tutors,

collaboration among teachers in each school, and academic progress

through intensive writing efforts(M. C. Swanson, Marcus, & Elliot, 2000). As

a result of the program, more than 4,000AVID graduates enrolled in college,

many of them first-generation college students(M. C. Swanson et al., 2000).

Community Programs

In addition to programs within schools, outside agencies have stepped in to

support our at-risk youth. Many programs outside of schools have been

designed to support students who appear to be disengaging from the

educational system. The programs reviewed include the National Guard

program, the truancy program in Atlanta, Young People Visions, and a social

support program in Boston.

Student Voice

Student voice is a critical resource when studying the issue of dropouts. In

this section, research studies were investigated that centered on listening to

and learning from students themselves. Students provide a unique

perspective about the climate of the high school, what is happening on

campus, and how the school can improve. Each student brings a distinctive

set of characteristics to the classroom: different background knowledge; an

individual learning style; a variety of interests, talents, strengths, and

weaknesses; and varied parental support and expectations. Croninger and

Lee (2009) investigated the role of the teacher in drop-out prevention. They

found that schools with” highly supportive teachers” reduced the likelihood

to drop out in half. Croninger and Lee used data gathered from a 10th-grade

student questionnaire. Their main focus was measuring social capital at the

high school and investigated whether teachers were interested in students,

whether teachers valued what students path to graduation. School factors

are those in control of the school or the district. Retention policies and in

effective discipline policies are among those that deter students from

graduating. Conversely, close monitoring of student progress and structures

designed to connect students to school increase the likelihood of graduating.

Background characteristics including socio-economic status, lack of parental

support, and absence of an “intact” home have also been found to increase

the dropout risk. Finally, the impact of the community was taken into

account and found that societal pressure, poverty, and environmental

influences may increase the likelihood that a young person will drop out.

An analysis of the research reveals that student engagement and motivation

is critical to success in school. Engagement can be categorized as: academic

engagement, psychological engagement, social engagement, and behavioral

engagement. This analysis found that disengagement is a gradual process

that begins in the early years of school. The research found that there are

many root causes of disengagement from school, and, to b’e adequately

addressed, each requires a different approach and solution. Motivational

theories support the need to create environments that promote successful

behaviors. Motivational theorists can shed light on how counterproductive

some educational practices could be for adolescents as well as how

motivational techniques must be tailored to the audience. Educators could

benefit from an understanding of how to best motivate and support

students. As a solution to the dropout problem is sought, it is helpful to

analyze programs that are experiencing results. These programs have utilized

a variety of methods from moving the school to a shopping mall to involving

the National Guard in a behavioural modification boot camp. Programs that

take place during the school day range from minimal tracking of achievement

data to creating new schools that use different modalities for learning. Both

community- and school-embedded programs offer the possibility of creating

a support system for students at risk of dropout. Matching students with the

program that is most appropriate for them requires a deeper analysis of

student perceptions.
 Student voice can assist as educators work to solve this complex problem.

Understanding students’ perceptions of barriers can provide valuable

information to researchers as they strive to find solutions.

2.7 Summary of Literature Review

A lot of researchers have written on the causes of school dropout

among secondary School students. It is a phenomenon so widespread

and so serious that it should be a priority for all those involved in education:

politicians, decision makers, parents, teachers and students.

The Education 2000 Center and UNICEF have developed the project efficient

solutions to prevent school dropout: costs and mechanisms. The project aims

to offer support for strengthening the overall efforts to solve this significant

issue. It follows three main directions: to extend the existing database on

school dropout; to test a series of realistic solutions; and to estimate the

costs of implementing at national scale the proposals submitted. Efforts also

focused on better preparing those involved in education to deal with school

dropout.
Practical strategies and multidimensional approaches to prevent dropouts

have resulted from the numerous studies on the subject, the complexity of

the problem demands further investigation.

The research team of Wells, Bechard, and Hambly (2009) categorized factors

that influence dropout decisions into the following four broad categories:

school-related, student-related, community-related, and family-related.

Wells et al. (2009) found that a combination of these factors greatly

increased the likelihood of a student dropping out.

This framework was the lens through which the research on dropout rates in

this section was viewed. The four factors are generally summarized as

follows:

1. Student-related factors are qualities students possess independent of

demographics such as drug abuse, trouble with the law, and pregnancy.

2. School-related factors are those in the control of the school or school

district.

3. Family-related factors include socio-economic status, parental support, or

whether one or both parents live in the home.

4. Community-related factors include societal pressure, the impact of

poverty, as well as environmental influences.

In school, dropout may be caused by the frequent repeating of grades,

insufficient pupil integration or poor relationships with teachers and

classmates. However, at school level little action is taken to forestall school

abandonment. Teachers can play an important role in this respect: because

they see pupils all the time, they could identify and diagnose their problems

and alert the relevant bodies (authorities or non-governmental

organisations) when intervention is needed.

In proffering solution to school drop out, many high schools partner with

local middle schools to implement transition programs for all incoming

students. These programs range from informational assemblies for incoming

students to comprehensive monthly meetings with teachers, counselors, and

administrators from both schools (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2004).

Programs that help in creating both social and academic support systems

seem to have additional success with targeted student populations.

Programs that provide a look at life after high school and provide

opportunities to succeed in college have assisted in curbing dropouts

(Conchas & Clark, 2002). The Advancement Via Individual Determination

(AVID) program targets the middle and high school low-income youth of

color. The goal of AVID is to develop a support system for middle-achieving

students who show promise and provide them with an opportunity to attend

college (Mehan, 2008). It provides exposure to a rigorous curriculum,

enhanced organizational and study skills, access to college student tutors,

collaboration among teachers in each school, and academic progress

through intensive writing efforts (Swanson, Marcus, & Elliot, 2000). As a

result of the program, more than 4,000AVID graduates enrolled in college,

many of them first-generation college students (M. C. Swanson et al., 2000).

In addition to programs within schools, outside agencies have stepped in to

support our at-risk youth. Many programs outside of schools have been

designed to support students who appear to be disengaging from the

educational system. The programs reviewed include the National Guard

program, the truancy program in Atlanta, Young People Visions, and a social

support program in Boston.

Student voice is a critical resource when studying the issue of dropouts. In

this section, research studies were investigated that centered on listening to

and learning from students themselves. Each student brings a distinctive set

of characteristics to the classroom: different background knowledge; an

individual learning style; a variety of interests, talents, strengths, and

weaknesses; and varied parental support and expectations. Croninger and

Lee (2009) investigated the role of the teacher in drop-out prevention. They

found that schools with” highly supportive teachers” reduced the likelihood

to drop out in half.

An analysis of the research reveals that student engagement and motivation

is critical to success in school. Engagement can be categorized as: academic

engagement, psychological engagement, social engagement, and behavioral

engagement. This analysis found that disengagement is a gradual process

that begins in the early years of school. The research found that there are

many root causes of disengagement from school, and, to be adequately

addressed, each requires a different approach and solution.

 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

This chapter presents the design of the study area of the study, population

of the study ,sampie and sampling techniques instrument of data collection

reliability method of data collection as well as method data analysis.

3.1 Design of the study

The design for the study is the descriptive survey research design. This study

is to be carried out in selected secondary school in Uvwie Local Government

Area of Delta state.

3.2 Population of the study

The population comprises of students of secondary schools in Uvwie Local

Government Area.

3.3 Sample and sampling technique

The sample size used in this study is 200; this was drawn from five secondary

school in uvwie Local government Area of Delta state.

3.4 Instrument of data collection

The major instrument used in this study is a questionnaire intended to gather

information from respondents.

3.5 Validity of the instrument

The questionnaire was vetted by the supervisor. Corrections and suggestion

were made and incorporated into the instrument before it was approved for

use in the field.

3.6 Method of data collection

The questionnaire was personally administered by the researcher on the

sample and retrieved after they were filled.

3.7 Method of data analysis

The data collected were analyzed using the statistical packages of the social

sciences (SPSS) and the technique of student t test was employed.

 CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Presentation and Analysis of data

This chapter deals with the analysis of data obtained from the questionnaire

given to students from selected secondary school in Uvwie Local

Government Area of Delta State Schools and number of respondents

School Number of Number of

Questionnaire Questionnaire
Distributed Retrieved
Ekpan Secondary School 20 20
Ogbe Secondary School 20 20
Army Day Secondary School 20 20
Our Ladies High School 20 20
Ebrumede Junior Secondary School 20 20
Ogborikoko Junior Secondary 20 20
School
Ugbonohwosu Junior Secondary 20 20
School
Ugbomro Junior Secondary School 20 20
Urhobo College 20 20

Response Score Of Respondents To The Questionnaire

From the table above, 180 respondents representing 90% of the survey agree

that teenage pregnancy is a contributory factor of female dropout in

secondary schools.

From the table above, 170 respondents representing 85% of the survey agree

that financial problems are a contributory factor of female dropout in

secondary schools.

From the table above, 185 respondents representing 92.5% of the survey

agree that lack of parental care is a contributory factor of female dropout in

secondary schools.

From the table above, 120 respondents representing 60% of the survey agree

that early marriage is a contributory factor of female dropout in secondary

schools.
From the table above 115 respondents representing 57.5% of the survey

agree that female prostitution is a contributory factor of female dropout in

secondary schools.

From the table above, 120 respondents representing 60% of the survey agree

that early employment is a contributory factor of female dropout in

secondary schools.

From the table above, 130 respondents representing 65% of the survey agree

that peer group influence s a contributory factor of female dropout in

secondary schools.

Score of respondents to question 1 on the questionnaire

School Yes No
1 35 5
2 36 4
3 37 3
4 35 5
5 37 3

Hypothesis 1
Ho There is no significant difference in response to whether teenage

pregnancy affects school dropout.

Result of the Analysis from the SPSS processor

t Df Sig(2tailed)

35.777 4 .000

The p value is the significant two tailed value in the spss output and it is .000

and this is lesser than our alpha value .05 (which is considered as the

threshold value).we can therefore conclude that there is a significant

difference in response to whether teenage pregnancy affects school

dropout. A bulk of the response shows that the respondents believe teenage

pregnancy affects school dropout.

Score of respondents to question 2 on the questionnaire

School Yes No
1 32 7
2 34 6
3 36 5
4 33 7
5 35 5
Hypothesis 2

Ho There is no significant difference financial problems affect school dropout

in response to whether.

Result of the analysis from the SPSS processor

t Df Sig(2tailed)

24.558 4 .000

The p value is the significant two tailed value in the SPSS output and it is .000

and this is lesser than our alpha value .05 (which is considered as the

threshold value).We can therefore conclude that there is a significant

difference in response financial problems affect female school dropout.

Hypothesis 3

There is no significant difference in response as to whether early marriage

affects female school dropout.

Score of respondents to question 4 on the questionnaire

School Yes No
1 28 12
 2 23 17
3 25 15
4 20 20
5 24 16

Result of the analysis from the SPSS processor

t Df Sig(2 tailed)

3.068 4 0.37

The p value is the significant two tailed value in the SPSS output and it is .037

and this is higher than our alpha value .05 (which is considered as the

threshold value).We can therefore conclude that there is no significant

difference in response as to whether early marriage affects female school

dropout.
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.0 Summary

In a nutshell the study has centered on the causes of female students

dropout in some selected secondary schools in Uvwie Local Government

Area of Delta State. The study focused on the impact of teenage pregnancy

on female students. Female students resort to prostitution to earn or feed

themselves which hinder them from pursing their career.

The s&ected five secondary schools have a sample of 200 respondents. The

sample size was made up of two hundred students from the selected five

secondary schools in Uvwie Local Government Area.

Questionnaires were made up of 7 items, which was used for collection of

data. Forty questionnaires was administered in each secondary school and

total of two hundred questionnaire was administered with the assistance of

the teacher in each secondary school and the two hundred questionnaire

were successfully retrieved. The questionnaire were framed in line with the

research questions and the method of analysis was done with the