A sociological study on the brain drain tendencies of high school students

Brain drain is the desire of students to leave their own country in order to settle and work in another developed country, and students' expectations and personal goals also have a direct effect on brain drain. The aim of this research is to examine the reasons why students in our country tend to study abroad in terms of learning a foreign language and socioeconomics in relation to the phenomenon of brain drain. Quantitative research method was used in the research. A total of 100 students from the 9th, 10th and 11th grades participated in the survey conducted at Bahçeşehir Final Academy Anatolian and Science High School. The descriptive model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used within the scope of the study. The expectations and demands of students who have not completed their education constitute one of the focal points of this research. Understanding students' motivations for studying abroad can produce important results both at the individual and societal levels. The research findings reached as a result of the study reveal various factors that affect students' decisions to study abroad. These factors include family factors, professional development goals, academic career thoughts and the education opportunities abroad offered by the high school. In addition, it has been observed that students evaluate the opportunities to study abroad in different ways as an important factor. The difficulties students encounter in their education processes and dissatisfaction with state policies are among the factors that trigger brain drain. The findings of the research indicate that students' perceptions of abroad, in addition to their general tendencies regarding security and opportunities, may differ according to the type of school