The Perception of Personal Development among University Dropouts: Beyond the Academic Degree

Abstract

This article examined perceptions of personal development among individuals who abandoned their university studies in Panama during the period 2001–2010. Using a qualitative interpretative phenomenological approach, the study explored the experiences and meanings that university dropouts attribute to their life trajectories years after making this decision. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 50 university dropouts, complemented by three in-depth narrative interviews and two focus groups, allowing for the inclusion of diverse perspectives on the phenomenon under study. The analysis was conducted inductively through the identification and organization of emergent thematic categories. The findings revealed that personal development does not depend exclusively on obtaining a university degree, but is mediated by life priorities, alternative achievements, and levels of subjective satisfaction. Four main categories were identified: the perceived need for university education, achievements and life satisfaction, generational influence, and the cultural and spiritual frameworks through which participants interpret their dropout experience. Overall, the results challenge the conventional narrative that associates university dropout with personal failure, revealing diverse trajectories of individual development and fulfillment beyond formal higher education.