CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF STUDENT DROPOUT AS PERCEIVED BY MALE AND FEMALE LECTURERS IN FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, IWO, OSUN STATE

Abstract

This study assessed the causes and consequences of dropout as perceived by lecturers in Federal College of Education, Iwo, Osun State. Descriptive research design of survey type was adopted. All the 143 lecturers in the institution constituted population of the study. All the 143 lecturers were purposively selected as the respondents. Causes and Consequences of Dropout Questionnaire (CCDQ) was used for data collection. The instrument was thoroughly validated and its reliability test carried out via the use of Chronbach’s Alpha yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.82. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions, while t-test was used to test hypotheses. The study found among other things, that the causes of dropout were financial challenge, unwanted pregnancy, inordinate passion for richness, threat from cultists, and poor academic performance; while the consequences of dropout included drug abuse, increase in wastage rate in education, reduction in an individual’s social status and untimely death. The study concluded that dropout is a very serious case in tertiary institutions in Nigeria and it manifested in Federal College of Education of Education, Iwo, Osun. It was recommended among other things, that Nigerian governments should improve on its strategy to revamp the economy, to ensure that the citizens, especially parents and guardians find it easy to conveniently finance the education of their children and wards, thereby preventing dropout.