Family communication patterns, academic resilience and school dropout intention of Norol Iman Chroy Cetry High School (NICHS) students in Cambodia

Abstract

Family communication patterns (FCP) play a significant role in shaping various aspects of children's development, including their educational trajectories. Research indicates that the way families communicate can significantly influence children’s inclination to stay in school or drop out. Therefore, this study will investigate the impact of family communication patterns on school dropout intention among Norol Iman Chroy Metry High School (NICHS) students in Cambodia. This study is guided by six objectives: (1) To identify the level of conversation orientation and conformity orientation among Norol Iman Chroy Metry High School (NICHS) students, (2) To measure the level of academic resilience among NICHS students, (3) To determine the level of school dropout intention among NICHS students, (4) To determine the relationship between conversation orientation, conformity orientation, academic resilience and school dropout intention among NICHS students, (5) To identify the mediating effect of academic resilience on the relationship between conversation orientation and school dropout intention among NICHS students, and (6) To identify the mediating effect of academic resilience on the relationship between conformity orientation and school dropout intention among NICHS students. This study employed a quantitative research design, using a survey method with a questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. Through the use of simple random sampling, a total of 243 students participated in this study. Findings show that family communication patterns play an important role in shaping academic resilience and school dropout intention among NICHS students. Academic resilience is found to mediate the relationship between family communication patterns and school dropout intention. These findings support previous research by confirming that family communication patterns influence students’ school dropout intentions. More importantly, this study extends the understanding of FCP by highlighting how conversation orientation and conformity orientations function within the Cambodian context, particularly among high school students, where cultural, familial, and educational dynamics may differ from those in previously studied settings.