Assessment of factors affecting dropout intentions during the first year in a modeling school

To date, there has been little research done on student dropout rates in modeling schools. This quantitative study utilizes applied research methods to analyze 138 female students in STAGE, a modeling school, where most students are between the ages of 11 and 18 years old. This study aims to examine why students drop out during their first year of study. The model utilized in this research integrates variables derived from Vincent Tito’s theory of departure, in addition to other variables not included in this theory like the parental support impact on extracurricular activities. Correlations analyses were used to assess the reliability and dimensionality of the variables, Cronbach’s Alpha (>.7) was used to measure scale reliability, and linear regression to validate the direct effects of the predictors on the dependent variable. This research finds three leading predictors of why students decide to drop out of modeling school: (i) self-motivation, (ii) self-image dissatisfaction, and (ii) the student’s perception of their parental engagement. This research contributes to the literature and existing theories about student dropout intentions in the context of an extracurricular setting such as a modeling school.