The Gap between Prescriptive and Preferred Needs of Secondary School Students

The aim of this study is to investigate the cultural and educational needs of secondary school students. This study is an applied and exploratory research using a mixed data collection approach, incorporating qualitative (document review) and quantitative (social survey using a semi-structured questionnaire in the virtual space) methods. The qualitative segment involves identifying prescriptive needs through document analysis (Document of Fundamental Education Reform, National Curriculum, and Objectives of Formal and Public Education). Subsequently, based on the findings, a framework of concepts and variables for the needs assessment questionnaire of high school students was developed. The initial questionnaire was validated (with a reliability coefficient of 0.7 for all questions), then administered to a sample of 708 high school students to ascertain their stated needs. A comparison was made between the prescriptive and normative needs derived from documents and interviews. Data analysis involved coding with an inductive method for the qualitative part, while the quantitative approach utilized descriptive statistics, one-sample chi-square test, and the Farid Mann test. The results uncovered a disparity between the needs articulated by high school students and those documented in reviews. The documents prioritize education, socialization, religious and political training of students; however, students themselves emphasized artistic and literary needs, entertainment, and job skills as their primary concerns.