Reasons for dropping out of intermediate vocational education and training in Spain

The influence of sociodemographic characteristics and academic background

Bibliographic Data

ID21696307
AuthorsAntoni Cerdà-Navarr (0000-0002-7970-5198, Universitat de les Illes Balears), Elena Quintana-Murci (0000-0002-6533-6280, Universitat de les Illes Balears, corresponding author), Francesca Salvà‐Mut (0000-0001-8517-0014, Universitat de les Illes Balears)
Year2024
Volume76
Issue3
Pages619-643
Publication date2024-05-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Vocational Education and Training (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1363-6820 • E-ISSN: 1747-5090
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13636820.2022.2049625
OpenAlexW4220702374
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited52

This article analyses the main reasons for dropping out of Spanish Intermediate Vocational Education (IVET) and the link to personal (sex, ethnicity, age), family (parents’ educational level) and financial sociodemographic characteristics, as well as academic background (repeating or expulsion). To do this, a cohort of IVET students was monitored over three years via three questionnaires presenting the results for students who, over the monitoring period, dropped out without obtaining the corresponding qualification. The study was carried out in a Mediterranean region (Mallorca) with the highest levels of school dropout in Spain and an economy essentially centred on tourism. Results show that the most important reasons for dropping out are finding a job or wanting to find one, obtaining bad results and wanting to do other courses. The analysis highlights differences in reasons for dropping out by sex, ethnicity, age, the perception of financial difficulties and previous academic background. The findings suggest that educational interventions aimed at reducing dropout at this level of education should take into account the heterogeneity of student profiles as well as the limitations of the quantitative perspective in analysing students’ reasons for dropping out

Cohort · Demographic economics · Descriptive statistics · Economics · Ethnic group · Geography · Medical education · Pedagogy · Perception · Psychological intervention · School dropout · Sociology · Tourism · Vocational education · Computer Science · Demography · Early Childhood Education and Development · Education Systems and Policy · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics