Abstract
The study investigated teachers’ perceptions of pupils’ enrolment, retention, and dropout in primary schools in Gwadabawa Educational Zone, Sokoto State, Nigeria. The study was guided by three research objectives, three research questions, and one null hypothesis. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 1,759 primary school teachers, from which a sample of 316 teachers was selected using multi-stage sampling techniques involving stratified, proportionate, and random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled Teachers’ Perception of Pupils’ Enrollment, Retention, and Dropout Questionnaire (TPPRDQ), structured on a 4-point Likert scale. The instrument was validated by experts, and reliability indices of 0.732, 0.747, and 0.865 were obtained for enrolment, retention, and dropout respectively using Cronbach’s alpha. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) to answer the research questions, while an independent samples t-test was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that teachers had positive perceptions of pupils’ enrolment (grand mean = 3.38), retention (grand mean = 3.33), and dropout factors (grand mean = 3.26). The hypothesis test showed no significant gender difference in teachers’ perception of dropout (t = 0.220, p > 0.05). The study concluded that teachers play significant roles in enrolment and retention, while teacher-related factors contribute notably to dropout. It was recommended, among others, that teacher training be strengthened, retention strategies improved, and supportive school environments enhanced to reduce dropout and improve primary school completion rates.