Abstract
This study examined the influence of family dysfunction on learners' decisions to drop out of school, a critical issue, with implications for educational attainment and socio-economic development. The dropout rate has reached crisis levels in South Africa, which affects the population's literacy and employment rates, inter alia. The study aimed to add to the present knowledge base with insights that may help develop interventions to reduce school dropout rates by investigating the impact of different types of family dysfunction on academic performance and dropout rates.
The methodology of the study followed a qualitative approach, using an interpretivist paradigm and exploratory research design. The sample of ten participants was chosen purposively. It consisted of males and females aged between 18 and 35 years from the Umkhanyakude District of Kwa-Zulu Natal province who had experienced family dysfunction and had left school prematurely. The research question explored the personal experiences and perspectives of the participants. Data collection included interviews and observations. Data was analysed using Tesch’s eight-step approach to data analysis.
The results indicated that several types of family dysfunction, including poverty, parental negligence, substance abuse, and even physical and emotional abuse correlated with higher dropout rates. This study thus adds to the existing literature by demonstrating that family dynamics play a critical role in educational outcomes and provides a basis for developing target-driven strategies aimed at reducing school drop-out rates for the at-risk learner.
Keywords
Dropout rate, dysfunctional families, interventions, learners’ perceptions, qualitative study