OUR RESEARCH ABOUT DROP-OUT IN TURKEY
We first started to search for the resources about drop-out in Turkey. We found out the following
– National Education Statistics, Formal Education 2013/’14, Ministry of National Education Strategy Development Presidency
– All Children in School by 2015, Turkey Country Report, UNICEF, March 2012
– Preventions on Schooling of Girls and Suggestions for Resolution, The Field Research Report, Asst. Prof. Cennet Engin-Demir, Rahime Çobanoğlu, 2012
In these resources the drop-out statistics and the reasons of drop-out in Turkey were explained very clearly. How to stop drop-outs in Turkey was also stated in these resources. And the policies to overcome the drop-out from education were investigated.
We made a survey on 14 dropped-out people (8 women and 6 men) at different ages from 14 years old to 40 years old and above. The result of the survey was as follows:
1. We focused on the dropouts after primary school and secondary school. Most of these people were unsuccessful students at school. School failure is the main reason for these people to dropout.
2. Ill-success damages the self-confidence and positive ego and causes to lose family support. This makes difficulties to continue education. In our education system, a student can fail only one time due to ill-success or chronic absence in his/her school life. On the second time, he-she has to continue education in open education system.
3. Most of these people (40 years old and above) said that they wanted to continue their education in open secondary school or open high school. More than fifty percent of these people said that no one tried to stop them from dropping our school.
4. They would have never dropped out school if they had been successful in lessons and if they had the opportunity, they would continue school.
5. Most of these people said that they attended vocational and other courses to improve themselves in mass education.
We made a survey on 100 students (51 girls, 49 boys) in our school about their thoughts related to education. The results were as follows:
1. Families: The parents highly support their children to continue education. This provides cooperation between school and families.
2. The perception of students about education: The students believe that education is necessary for a better life. They are willing to develop themselves and gain new knowledge. However, they think that the education they have at school does not correspond to anything in life. Some of the students think that they waste their time in school. Some of the students said that they could leave formal education and continue open education in order to study more for the university examination. The difficulty of the university exam makes the students stressful and feel themselves unprepared. This leads students not to continue to school in order to get prepared for the university examination. The schools become unattractive places for some of the students who are unable to finish their home work in time. It may be useful to increase the social, cultural and sportive activities in schools to make them more attractive for students. In addition to them, using various teaching methods and techniques by taking into consideration the individual differences will make lessons more interesting.
3. Relations: The relations of teachers and students are significantly positive but this is not reflected to the relations between students. In order to improve the relations between students we must increase the social activities as well as projects where students can work altogether and create the spirit of “WE”.
4. When we look to the behaviours of students, we do not face so many problems. However, we have some risky students when we take into consideration the puberty. The counsellors look on these students and contact their parents when they deem it necessary.
5. What do students think about themselves? Most of the students believe that they will become successful in the future and have a good job. They want to improve themselves. But sometimes they fall into despair and feel they are unsuccessful and worthless. They think they cannot give any direction to their life. When they feel so, the school counselling service and student coaches must help the students.
SURVEY RESULTS ON SCHOOL
1. Families
The parents highly support their children to continue education. This provides cooperation between school and families.
2. The perception of students about education
The students believe that education is necessary for a better life. They are willing to develop themselves and gain new knowledge. However, they think that the education they have at school does not correspond to anything in life. Some of the students think that they waste their time in school.
Some of the students said that they could leave formal education and continue open education in order to study more for the university examination.
The difficulty of the university exam makes the students stressful and feel themselves unprepared. This leads students not to continue to school in order to get prepared for the university examination.
The schools become unattractive places for some of the students who are unable to finish their homework’s in time.
It may be useful to increase the social, cultural and sportive activities in schools to make them more attractive for students.
In addition to them, using various teaching methods and techniques by taking into consideration the individual differences will make lessons more interesting.
3. Relations
The relations of teachers and students are significantly positive but this is not reflected to the relations between students. In order to improve the relations between students we must increase the social activities as well as projects where students can work altogether and create the spirit of “WE”.
4. Students’ Behaviours
When we look to the behaviours of students, we do not face so many problems. However, we have some risky students when we take into consideration the puberty. The counsellors look on these students and contact their parents when they deem it necessary.
5. What do students think about themselves?
Most of the students believe that they will become successful in the future and have a good job. They want to improve themselves. But sometimes they fall into despair and feel they are unsuccessful and worthless. They think they cannot give any direction to their life. When they feel so, the school counselling service and student coaches must help the students.
SURVEY RESULTS ON DROPOUTS
The survey was made on 14 people (8 women and 6 men) at different ages from 14 years old to 40 years old and above.
We see the dropouts after primary school and secondary school. Most of these people were unsuccessful students at school.
School failure is the main reason for these people to dropout. Ill-success damages the self-confidence and positive ego and causes to lose family support. This makes difficulties to continue education.
In our education system, a student can fail only one time due to ill-success or chronic absence in his/her school life. On the second time, he-she has to continue education in open education system.
Most of these people (40 years old and above) said that they wanted to continue their education in open secondary school or open high school.
More than fifty present of these people said that no one tried to stop them to drop our school. They would have never drop out school if they had been successful in lessons and if they had had the opportunity, they would continue to school.
Most of these people said that they attended vocational and other courses to improve themselves in mass education
SURVEY RESULTS ON STUDENTS COACHING
The survey was made on 20 students. The results are as follows:
The student coaching met my expectations:
(11) Yes- (8) Partly (1) No
What has changed after you started to work with the students coach?
(5) My motivation has increased.
(7) I have less stress in examinations.
(11) I trust myself.
(15) I study efficiently.
(7) It helped me to discover my talents and power.
(17) I set my short, medium and long term goals.
(13) I realized the obstacles to reach my goals.
(10) It helped me to overcome the obstacles in front of my goals.
(9) I started to plan a future for myself suitable to my values and talents.
(8) It helped me to identify my priorities by looking over my life.
(15) I can manage my time better.
Since the students coaching started in our school at the beginning of the second semester, we will get the results at the end of the semester in June 2016.
Teacher’s remarks about students coaching in our school:
· The success of students on examinations has increased.
· They have had positive improvements on completing their deficient knowledge.
· They have reached their targets.
· The self-confidence in them has increased.