Factors Affecting School Dropout: Empirical Study In Nepal

Abstract

The main purpose of the study is to identify the factors that influence the student dropout in school especially in Kathmandu valley. Through questionnaires, the primary data were collected from 423 respondents including dropout students and their parents. The simple random sampling method was used for this study. Student and health-related factors (SH), School and teacher-related factors (ST), Family and economy-related factors (FF), Government related factors (GF) and Socio-cultural and parental attitude-related factors (SC) have been chosen as independent variables whereas school dropout as a dependent variable of the study. Likewise, parents’ education is taken as a moderating variable for this study.  The collected data were analysed through SPSS. SEM (structural equation modelling) smart PLS-4 is used to know the relationship between the independent and dependent variable as well as effect of moderating variable. The results demonstrate that parents’ education plays a significant moderating role in the relationships between student and health-related factors and school and teacher-related factors with dropout decisions. However, parents’ education does not demonstrate a significant moderating effect on the relationships between family and economy-related factors, government-related factors, and socio-cultural and parental attitude-related factors with dropout decisions in this study.