Determinants of Student Dropout in Iran: A Systematic Review | ||
| فصلنامه علوم اجتماعی | ||
| Article 1, Volume 32, Issue 109, July 2025, Pages 1-43 PDF (1.4 M) | ||
| Document Type: Review Paper | ||
| DOI: 10.22054/qjss.2026.86153.2891 | ||
| Authors | ||
| mohsen noghani dokht bahmani* 1; Mahla Mohammadi2 | ||
| 1Professor, Department of Social Sciences. Faculty of Literature and Humanities. Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Mashhad. Iran | ||
| 2PhD Student in Economic Sociology and Development. Faculty of Literature and Humanities. Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Mashhad. Iran | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Given the breadth and severity of the consequences of student dropout for educational equity and socio-economic development, identifying the factors influencing this phenomenon is a critical necessity. Accordingly, this study aims to identify the factors affecting student dropout in Iran through a systematic review of the research literature. The study adopts an integrative systematic review approach and follows three stages of review: antecedent, process, and outcome. After the screening procedures, 25 articles published between 1991 and 2025 were selected for analysis. The findings indicate that the factors influencing student dropout fall into two broad categories: in-school factors, including institutional weaknesses in education, low levels of social capital, and inadequate educational infrastructure; and out-of-school factors, including limited family economic and cultural capital, low individual capability and motivation, family dysfunction, constraints of the physical environment, weakened functioning of cultural capital, and social limitations. Given the dynamic interaction among these factors, effective intervention requires a systemic approach that attends to the network of causal relationships among them. Accordingly, future research is recommended to adopt a systemic and holistic perspective that considers the interrelationships among components and stakeholders, thereby enabling more effective interventions to address student dropout. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Dropout; Systemic Approach; In-school Factors; Out-of-school Factors; Systematic Review | ||
| References | ||
|
Ali, K., Yaseen, M. R., Makhdum, M. S. A., Quddoos, A., & Sardar, A. (2021). Socioeconomic determinants of primary school children dropout: a case study of Pakistan. International Journal of Educational Management, 35(6), 1221-1230. Azelama, B. A., & Osumah, O. A. (2022). Relationship between academic staff withdrawal behaviours and administrative effectiveness of heads of department of universities, International Journal of Research in Counseling and Education, 6 (1), 17-26. Bourdieu, P. & Passeron, J. C. (1977), Reproduction in education, society and culture. (R. Nice, Trans.), London: Sage Publications. Bowen, J. (2003). A History of Western Education (Volumes 1, 2 and 3) (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203463871 Branson, Nicola, Clare Hofmeyr, and David Lam. 2014. “Progress Through School and the Determinants of School Dropout in South Africa.” Development Southern Africa 31 (1): 106–126. Brundtland, G. H., & Mansour, K. (2010). World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). 1987. Our common future, 2010. Chang, D. (2017). What is the safety and efficacy of platelet-rich plasma in adults pertaining to wound healing and aesthetic rejuvenation. Cosmetol & Oro Facial Surg, 3(119): 2. Chapman, C., Laird, J., & KewalRamani, A. (2011). Trends in high school dropout and completion rates in the United States: 1972– 2009 (NCES 2012-006). Washington, DC: National Center for Educational Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/ pubsearch. Coleman, J. S. (1968). Equality of educational opportunity. Integrated education, 6(5), 19-28. Ecker-Lyster, M., & Niileksela, C.R. (2016). Keeping Students on Track to Graduate: A Synthesis of School Dropout Trends, Prevention, and Intervention Franklin, B. J. & Trouard, S. B. (2016). Comparing Dropout Predictors for Two State-Level Panels Using Grade 6 and Grade 8 Data. Journal of Educational Research, 2016, Vol. 109(6), pp. 631-639. Gholampour, M., & Ayati, M. (2019). Narrative inquiry into school dropout of a rural girl student. Women's Research Journal, 10(30), 49–70. [In Persian] Giroux, H. (1983), Theory & resistance in education. Massachusetts: Bergin & Garvey.https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/overview Hutton, B., Salanti, G., Caldwell, D. M., Chaimani, A., Schmid, C. H., Cameron, C., ... & Moher, D. (2015). The PRISMA extension statement for reporting of systematic reviews incorporating network meta-analyses of health care interventions: checklist and explanations. Annals of Internal Medicine, 162(11), 777-784. Jones-Esan, L. (2022). Public-Private Participation in Funding University Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Nigerian Case-Study for Sustainable Development. IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.99940 Kearney, C. A. (2008). School absenteeism and school refusal behavior in youth: A con temporary review. Clinical Psychology Review, 28, 451–471. Khoramian, S. (2023). Investigating the factors affecting school dropout and providing solutions for its reduction among students under the coverage of Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation in Bojnourd in the academic year 2021–2022. Psychology and Educational Sciences, 53, 213–256. [In Persian] Khupe, M., Ncube, D.D. and Moyo, S. (2015), An Assessment of Factors Contributing to High Secondary School Pupils Dropout Rate in Zimbabwe, Vol. 3, ISSN: 2394-5788. Kotok, S., Ikoma, S. & Bodovski, K. (2016). School Climate and Dropping Out of School in the Era of Accountability. American Journal of Education, Aug 2016, Vol. 122(4), pp. 569- 599. Lessard, A., Butler-Kisber, L., Fortin, L. & Marcotte, D. (2014). Analyzing the Discourse of Dropouts and Resilient Students. Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 107, Iss. 2: 103- 110. Oguzor, N.S. (2014). Managing Higher Education for Sustainable Development in Nigeria: Implications for Policy Challenges. Journal of Economics and Business Research, 17, 25-35. Okidi, J.A., Ssewanyana, S., Bategeka, L. and Muhumuza, F. (2004), “Operationalising pro-poor growth: a country case study on Uganda”, available at: http://www.businessenvironment.org/ dyn/be/docs/98/oppguganda.pdf. Okumu, I.M., Nakajjo, A. and Isoke, D. (2008), “Socio-economic determinants of primary school dropout: the logistic model analysis, Economic Policy Research Center”, MPRA Paper No. 7851, available at: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/7851/. Pickering, C., & Byrne, J. (2014), the benefits of publishing systematic quantitative literature reviews for PhD candidates and other early-career researchers. Higher Education Research and Development, 33(3), 534–548. Rosalina, P. D., Dupre, K., & Wang, Y. (2021), rural tourism: A systematic literature review on definitions and challenges. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47, 134-149. Sakti, A. D., Rahadianto, M. A. E., Pradhan, B., Muhammad, H. N., Andani, I. G. A., Sarli, P. W., ... & Wikantika, K. (2021). School location analysis by integrating the accessibility, natural and biological hazards to support equal access to education. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 11(1), 12. UNESCO (2020), Crisis-sensitive Educational Planning. Education Sector issue notes no 2.4, UNESCO COVID-19 Education Response USAID (2015). “School Dropout Prevention Pilot Program: Reaching at-Risk Students to Ensure They Stay in School.” Webb, O. J., & Cotton, D. R. E. (2018). Early withdrawal from higher education: a focus on academic experiences. Teaching in Higher Education, 23(7), 835–852. Whittemore, R., & Knafl, K. (2005). The integrative review: updated methodology. Journal of advanced nursing, 52(5), 546-553. Zacks, S., & Hen, M. (2018). Academic interventions for academic procrastination: A review of the literature. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 46(2), 117–130. | ||
|
Statistics Article View: 104 PDF Download: 102 |
||