School dropout pattern among senior secondary schools in Delta state, Nigeria

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was to determine the pattern of dropout among secondary school students in DeltaState. To guide this study, 7 research questions were asked and answered, 3 hypotheses stated and tested at 0.05level of significance. The design of study was Expost facto using the past school attendance registers as the majorinstrument. The samples of the study consisted of 120 senior secondary schools and 120 vice principals. Thecollected data were expressed in percentages, and analyzed with t-test statistic. The major findings of this studyincluded: (i) a higher percentage of dropouts in SSI, and a decline in SSII; (ii) a higher percentage of dropoutsamong females in all parameters; (iii) a higher percentage of dropouts in rural schools; (iv) a higher percentage ofdropouts in mixed schools; (v) a higher percentage of dropouts in public schools; (vi) a significant difference onpercentage dropouts between male and female single sex schools; (vii) a significant difference on percentage ofdropouts between mixed and single sex schools; and (viii) a significant difference on percentage dropouts between schools in urban and rural areas. It was concluded that the single most important factor, which influenced pattern ofdropouts, was student's sex.