Abstract:
The purpose of the study was to investigate the perceived causes and effects of female
student drop out in Ashanti Mampong Municipality. The study adopted a qualitative
phenomenological case study design. The research population covered headmasters,
female student dropouts, teachers, policy makers and parents. A sample of four (4)
head teachers, four (4) ordinary school dropout learners and four (4) teachers,
comprising of 2 males and 2 females, were purposively drawn from each school. The
parent population was purposively selected from among those who had dropout
daughters from the school registers. The instruments used were focus group
discussions and an interview guide. The study found among others that dropping out
of girls has generally been related to the low education of parents. Most female
dropouts were also found to belong to medium and small-sized families. Cultural
practices and institutions, including early marriage, engagement, circumcision, home
parental services and neglect of female health and nutrition significantly contribute to
female dropouts. Based on the findings, it is recommended that school authorities
should provide a conducive atmosphere for learning, in which adolescent girls can
easily adapt to and complete their education.
Description:
A Project Report in the Department of Educational Leadership, Faculty of
Education and Communication Sciences, submitted to the School of Graduate
Studies, University of Education, Winneba, in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for award of the Master of Arts (Educational Leadership) degree.