본 연구는 학업중단 후 학업복귀에 성공한 5명의 연구 참여자를 선정하여 연구자가 심층면접을 실시하였다. 이들이 학업중단 이후 삶의 경험은 무엇이며, 그들이 선택한 ‘대안교육 특성화 고등학교’ 학업복귀는 무엇이며, 이들의 삶에 어떤 의미를 가지는지를 탐색하고자 하였다. 연구방법은 선행연구가 부족하고 학업복귀 경험 및 적응과정을 탐색하는 심층연구이기 때문에 사례연구조사를 선택하였다. 연구 참여자들의 경험을 자료로 기술하고 분석하고 해석하는 과정에서 확인된 주요 영역은 첫째는 ‘학업과의 절연(絶緣)’으로 ‘학업중단으로 몰아세웠던 삶의 장벽’과‘학업과 갈라진 틈사이로 시린 바람을 맞으며’로 볼 수 있다. 둘째는 ‘학업과의 해후(邂逅)’로 ‘다시 학업으로 방향키를 돌리고’와 ‘학업으로 향한 길목에 지도를 놓고’로 볼 수 있다. 셋째, ‘학업과의 인연(因緣)’으로 ‘대안학교라는 새로운 배움의 문고리를 부여잡고’, ‘학교적응의 문턱에서 실타래를 풀어놓고’, ‘인연(因緣)이 맞닿는 학업과 이어지는 연줄’로 밝혀졌다. 이런 내용을 기초로 학업중단경험 청소년들의 학업복귀를 위해 ‘대안학교 학업복귀를 위한 조력자 양성’, ‘검정고시 행정시스템 변경’, ‘대안학교 지역교육전문가 인력배치’를 제언하였다.

This study deeply interviewed 5 participants who returned to the school successfully after disruption of their study by researcher. The purpose of this study was to investigate ‘what were their life experience after stopping learning?’, ‘what was the returning to studies to the specialized high school in alternative education which they choose?’ and ‘what does it mean to their life experience?’ The method of this study was a case study research because preceding research was too insufficient and this research was in-depth study which explore the experience of returning to academical courses and adaptation process as well. The principal areas which was able to find out while the study depicts, analyzes and interprets the data from participants’ experience are as follows: The first one is ‘Interruption of Studies’ which includes ‘the wall of harshly berated life for stopping scholastic classes’ and ‘getting caught in icy wind through the lack between school and society.’ The second one is ‘Reunion with Studies’ which comprises ‘turning rudder to academical courses again’ and ‘laying the map on the road to scholastic courses.’ The third one is ‘Relation with Studies’ which involves ‘seizing the doorknob of new learning which was an alternative school’, ‘untangling complicated knitting balls in front of the school adjustment’ and ‘connection with academical classes of encountered relationship.’ Based on this result, I suggested ‘Training of helper for turning back to alternative schools’, ‘Revision of qualification exam system’ and ‘Arrangement of regional specialist in alternative schools.’