At present, there is an urgent need to examine early school leaving, considering the determinant factors that lead students to drop out as well as their reasons for returning to the education system. However, little research has been conducted on the existing relations between the determinants of school drop-out and student reasons to return to the education system. Hence, the present study aims to deepen the understanding of conditioning factors for early school leaving as well as the motivations that encourage students to return to the educational system, paying special attention to the existing relationships between both aspects. To this end, a questionnaire has been designed, validated, and applied to a sample of 478 Adult Secondary Education students and graduates. Results show that school-related factors are the main determinants for early school leaving, followed by personal and family factors. Furthermore, correlations have been observed between the different variables used, underlining notable associations between personal and school-related factors as well as the influence of personal and family determinants in the reasons to return. The gathered results are intended to contribute to the reduction of drop-out factors and to the enhancement of those aspects that encourage students to continue studying.
La importancia de comprender el abandono educativo temprano en profundidad, considerando los condicionantes del abandono y los motivos para regresar al sistema educativo, es manifiesta. Sin embargo, los estudios centrados tanto en el análisis de las relaciones existentes entre los condicionantes como en los motivos de retorno al sistema educativo son escasos. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo profundizar en la comprensión de los condicionantes del abandono educativo temprano y en las motivaciones para la vuelta al sistema educativo, prestando especial atención a las relaciones existentes entre ambos aspectos. Con este fin, se diseña, valida y aplica un cuestionario a una muestra de 478 sujetos matriculados o graduados en Educación Secundaria para Personas Adultas. Los resultados evidencian cómo los factores escolares son los principales condicionantes del abandono educativo temprano, seguidos de los personales y, por último, de los familiares. Además, se observan interrelaciones entre las diferentes variables analizadas, destacando las existentes entre los factores personales y escolares, así como la influencia de ciertos condicionantes personales y familiares del abandono educativo temprano sobre los motivos de retorno. Los resultados obtenidos pretenden contribuir tanto a la reducción de los condicionantes del abandono como a la potenciación de los aspectos que conducen al alumnado a seguir estudiando.