Exploring Causes of School Dropout Among Students-at-Risk: A Basis for Guidance and Counseling Intervention Program

Abstract

This study explored the causes of school dropout among students at risk of dropping out (SARDOs) in selected public secondary schools in the Division of Calapan City and developed a guidance and counseling intervention program grounded in localized evidence. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used. The qualitative phase involved in-depth interviews with 15 students who had dropped out, supported by triangulation with relevant informants. The resulting themes informed a researcher-developed questionnaire administered to 154 SARDOs from Oriental Mindoro National High School, Canubing National High School, and Bucayao National High School. The instrument demonstrated acceptable-to-very-good internal consistency across the personal (alpha = .92), family (alpha = .86), social (alpha = .85), and school-related (alpha = .93) domains. Thematic analysis identified four interconnected themes: personal, family, social, and school-related factors. Quantitative results showed that personal factors obtained the highest mean (M = 2.57, SD = .60), followed by family factors (M = 2.55, SD = .43), social factors (M = 2.51, SD = .43), and school-related factors (M = 2.42, SD = .27). Key concerns included uncertainty about the future, limited financial support, fear of criticism and rejection, and perceptions that some topics or policies were insufficiently responsive to students needs. Based on the integrated findings, a guidance and counseling intervention program was proposed, including KAPE-MUSTAHAN, SHINE, TAHA-MUSTAHAN, financial-assistance referral, peer-assisted tutoring, school-guidance collaboration, and teacher capacity-building. The study concludes that dropout risk is multifactorial and requires coordinated, context-sensitive support from schools, families, peers, and community partners.