Πρόληψη και αντιμετώπιση της πρόωρης μαθητικής διαρροής: Η περίπτωση του Εσπερινού Γυμνασίου Αλεξανδρούπολης

Abstract

This educational research on a specific case study investigates the necessity of preventive measures as well as the importance of the necessary actions/goals that aim to combat the risk of early school leaving by students of the Evening High School of Alexandroupolis, through the observation and evaluation of the interactive process that develops within the school. An anonymous questionnaire was used as a data collection tool in this qualitative research, which was applied to a research student sample of twenty-two (22) students, the majority of whom belong to the Muslim community of the city.

The questionnaire investigates and evaluates: a. The students’ self-awareness regarding their learning/pedagogical profile in the form of investigating their self-regulation and reflection, b. Their self-esteem and the role of internal motivation, c. The response to the needs of their school obligations at home and the extent they develop the mental and motivational forces that will accelerate and enable the development of skills, d. Their view of the learning process and the attitude of the teachers regarding the coverage of their needs on a learning, social and psycho-emotional level, e. The attitude/opinion of their families/guardians regarding their participation in school activities in relation to the necessity of their daily professional involvement, due to the particularity of the socio-economic conditions that they experience, f. Relationships with peers, g. Their psychological burden through school life, h. Their timely arrival, systematic attendance and presence at school throughout the school program, compared to selective attendance of school courses and i. Their personal perception/understanding of the quiver of qualifications provided by formal education, in terms of better-quality future planning of their lives.

The results of the educational research revealed the potentially deficient areas of successful retention of children in school life, such as: the weakness in reading and comprehending texts and mathematical operations, in cooperation and communication skills, in the interaction between all members of school life, their lack of follow-up interest, as well as the lack of guidance and reward/empowerment in various cases. In addition, the research revealed that the levels of self-esteem, self-awareness and self-determination of the children were weak, along with the weak supportive role of their families in terms of learning, as well as the ideological, cultural and socio-economic background of living that provides them with disincentives for school success. The above findings could function as incentives for the planning of actitivities aiming at the full involvement of the students in the educational process, through the mobilization of the personal and family community, with the ultimate goal of preventing/fighting early student dropout.

Key words: educational research, case study, factors of school success/failure, early school dropout prevention/treatment