Odak, Iva and Puzić, Saša and Baketa, Nikola (2025) To leave or not to leave: experiences of university-student dropouts in Croatia. In: 3rd International Conference of the journal "Scuola democratica" Education and/for social justice 3-6 June 2024, Cagliari (Italy): proceedings: Vol. 1: Inequality, inclusion, and governance. Associazione “Per Scuola Democratica”, Rome, pp. 652-659. ISBN 979-12-985016-1-4
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Abstract
The paper examines the experiences of university dropouts in Croatia, with a focus on individual and institutional habitus. Theoretical background of the paper was based on Bourdieu’s (1977, 1986), and Reay, David & Ball’s (2001) work on inequalities, habitus and students’ integration. Qualitative methodology was used and 24 semi-structured interviews were conducted in year 2022. with persons who dropped out of higher education in Croatia. The main research topics included the students’ habitus, the reasons of dropping out and the role of higher education institutions. Main reasons for dropping out of studies were motivational reasons, health reasons and employment. The findings indicated weak institutional support related to the process of dropping out of studies and the absence of institutional attempts to prevent the students’ drop-out. On a subsample of first-generation students, we analysed the correspondence between students’ family habitus the new habitus. The findings show that students who developed a new habitus and felt the connection and integration with the new educational field were more inclined to return to higher education at some point in life. Policy recommendations for preventing dropout from higher education are also discussed in the light of the study findings.
| Item Type: | Book Section |
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| Additional Information: | Language: English. - Editor: Scuola democratica. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Higher education, habitus, dropping out of studies |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HM Sociology L Education > L Education (General) |
| Depositing User: | Karolina |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Dec 2025 08:52 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Dec 2025 09:05 |
| URI: | http://idiprints.knjiznica.idi.hr/id/eprint/1255 |
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