Eskiyeni

In this study, people who dropout their registration voluntarily and therefore are not likely to continue their theology education were determined as participants. In this context, it is aimed to discuss the school dropout experience of the people who canceled their registration from the Faculty of Theology. In other words, within the framework of the experiences of those who withdrew the Faculty of Theology, it is aimed to reveal the specific aspects of the Faculty of Theology of school dropouts in higher education.

The study was carried out based on the phenomenological approach, which is among the qualitative research approaches. Participants were determined using criterion sampling, one of the purposeful sampling methods. In this framework, the criterion was determined as canceling the registration from any Theology faculty. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview technique in order to provide flexibility in interviews. The obtained data were analyzed using the descriptive analysis technique. As a result of the analysis of the findings, three themes that are thought to contribute to the understanding of the drop out experience of the participants were reached. These are the reasons for choosing the Faculty of Theology, the reason for cancellation of registration from the Faculty of Theology, and the feelings after deregistration from the Faculty of Theology.

The reasons of the participants to choose the faculty; family request (can also be expressed as insistence), high employment opportunities after graduation, university entrance score not sufficient for the desired department, personal interest and self-improvement thought. Those reasons other than personal interest and self-improvement suggest that the participants came to the Faculty of Theology against their will. It was determined that the reasons for the participants to dropout their registration were the difficulty of the courses, not finding the employment areas suitable for themself, problems caused by the faculty members, inability to adapt to the social environment, and not accepting the expectations of the society from the Faculty of Theology and its members. Participants especially highlight Arabic and Preparatory education with the “difficulty of the lessons” among the reasons for dropout. Considering that except one of the participants graduated from high schools other than Imam Hatip High School, it is seen that Arabic Preparatory Education is an important factor in dropping out of school. In addition, the participants’ opinions stating that those coming from outside Imam Hatip High School gather in a classroom in Arabic preparation show that this situation is a reason for dropping out of the faculty, because negative statements about the faculty support each other’s thought. Another reason for the school dropout is that theology graduates do not find the employment fields suitable for themselves. According to this, the participants stated that when they graduated from the Faculty of Theology, they thought that the professions that they might have were not suitable for them, so they canceled their registration in order to turn to the professions they wanted.

Sosyal ortama uyum sağlayamama şeklinde ifade edilen nedenlerde ise İlahiyat Fakültesinin kendine özgü ortamına yabancılık çektiklerini belirten katılımcılar, kız-erkek ilişkileri ve bunun derslik ve kantin gibi yerlere yansımalarına dikkat çekmektedir. Katılımcılar toplumun İlahiyat Fakültesi ve mensuplarından beklentilerini kabul etmedikleri dolayısıyla İlahiyat Fakültesini terk ettiklerini belirtmektedir. Toplumun veya çevrenin İlahiyat fakültesinde öğrenim görenlerden beklediği, belirli davranış kalıpları, giyim kuşam özellikleri gibi çeşitli beklentilerin olduğu bu durumun kendilerinde rahatsızlığa neden olduğu gerekçesini ileri sürmektedir.