International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training (IJRVET) Vol. 5, Issue 2, August 2018, 111-129 DOI: 10.13152/IJRVET.5.2.2 Decision-Making Processes Among Potential Dropouts in Vocational Education and Training and Adult Learning Vibe Aarkrog * , Bjarne Wahlgren, Christian Hougaard Larsen, Kristina Mariager-Anderson, and Susanne Gottlieb DPU/ Aarhus Universitet, Tuborgvej 164, 2400 København, Denmark Received: 22.12.2017; Accepted: 22.05.2018; Published: 30.08.2018 Abstract Context: Aiming at gaining knowledge about students’ thoughts and actions in deciding to stay in or drop out of an educational programme, an empirical study was conducted on dropout among 18-24-year-old students in VET and basic general adult learning. Approach: In order to pursue this aim, the study combined two sets of data: weekly student surveys and interviews with these same students. While the surveys provide a weekly snapshot of the students’ thoughts regarding the probability of them continuing in the programme, their satisfaction with the educational programme as a whole, the specific lessons they attend, and the atmosphere at the school, the interviews contribute with detailed descriptions of the students’ thoughts on the same matters. Findings: Based on the students’ answers over an eight-week period, it was possible to trace a graph illustrating changes in the students’ attitudes. These graphs can be placed within four categories of development: the stable, the positive, the unstable, and the negative. The latter can furthermore be differentiated as reflecting a stable decline, a fluctuating decline, or a sudden decline. In the interviews, the aim was to elicit the individual students’ thoughts and actions at the points when their graphs took a turn. Conclusions: The findings show that the students’ thoughts and actions concern mat- ters both inside and outside the school. Furthermore, seemingly trivial matters in the * Corresponding author: viaa@edu.au.dk ISSN: 2197-8646 http://www.ijrvet.net